Hugh Maclean

Mombaruzzo, Italy

As the girls ventured out for their daily exercise, Hugh and I took advantage of another sleep in. I’m saving my legs for the run on Sunday, whilst Kate is tapering off. A quick brekky with the girls in the garden then off to Turin to register for our 10km run on Sunday. An hour and half later we arrived at a retail foodie place called Eataly, which houses a market type atmosphere ranging all manner of typical Italian fare and a wine/beer cellar over 2 floors. We were all in heaven. A couple of hours later we had eaten lunch, bought a couple of snacks and headed to the Games Centre. Upon arrival it seemed pretty straight forward, the crowd was minimal so Registration was bound be done in 5 minutes……how wrong we were. First of all we were in the wrong queue so after 5 minutes we found the correct desk and begun the Registration process. First things first, we were asked if we had a medical certificate, ummmm No. First mistake, we hadn’t even started and we were whisked away to another desk to sign up for a time to be taken to a medical centre to get so called medical certificate, a trip that we were told would be a 2 hour return drive. The bus was leaving in 20 minutes so all good, until we got bumped from that bus and had to wait another 30 minutes which turned into an hour before the next bus was ready. This is commonly known as Italian time. At this point Hugh, Sal and Maddy left Kate and I to get on with Registration whilst they explored Turin. Our plan was to meet back at Registration at 5.30pm. Rachael and Kate’s Afternoon? Finally our bus arrived at 4.45pm, only 1.5 hours after our scheduled time. 6 of us were whisked away to an unknown destination, our lives now in the hands of the bus driver. 20 minutes into our trip it became very evident that our driver had no idea where he was or how to get to where we were going. The numerous stops to ask strangers for directions, even in Italian, was a dead giveaway. 35 minutes later we finally arrived at the medical centre, filled in some paperwork, paid €50, gave a urine sample, then waited as each of us went through the check up process. Kate was first and proceeded with ease, Medical certificate in hand. I was to follow and became aware that my time on the exercise bike in the ECG room was taking longer than Kate’s. A few more people came in to look at the graph and suddenly I’m not so sure I’ll be running. A few questions later, they explained I had an extra systolic in my graph which is usually the result of stress, something I definitely have not felt for the past 6 weeks. I was eventually given the go ahead to run, provided I had an ECG upon my return home, and put the stress down to lifting my 25kg luggage up and down the stairs of Europe. Everyone was bundled back into the bus and taken back to Registration, which in the end did take only 5 minutes. Back pack in hand, official lanyard with photo around neck, T-Shirt collected and after 5 hours we were officially done. After endless text messages to Maddy we finally met up again at 7pm and headed back home for a dinner that was booked for 8pm but was not devoured until 9pm!! Hugh, Sal and Maddy,s Afternoon. We left Rachael & Kate at 2.30 and headed into the centro storica to check it out. Me, I just wander around, avoiding shops and beggars…Sal & Maddy go into every shop and food store, checking out everything while I loiter out the front. I should have put my hat on the ground…might have earned a Euro or two?! Up the main Piazza, thru a few streets and into Mole Antonelliana. The Mole Antonelliana is a major landmark building in Turin, and is named for the architect who built it, Alessandro Antonelli. A ‘mole’ is a building of monumental proportions, and this structure is certainly big. We took the lift to the top for some great views of Turin, all the while wondering how the girls were going. At about 5pm we decided to head back to get them when we get the txt message ” bus driver lost, haven’t got to clinic yet”. Over 2 hours and they hadn’t even gone to the medic…..bloody hell! Many txt and a glass of wine later, we finally meet up back at registration, but not before Maddy had run into her sister-in-law (as you do!) who tells her that simply by signing a medical certificate waiver, her friend avoided all the hassles, and was registered in 5 minutes. Deep breaths all round. Why do the Italians not share this information?? It dawned upon us at dinner that we did not have any bib numbers or timing chips for the race, oh dear, Registration is still not complete. To be continued tomorrow……

Mombaruzzo, Italy

Once again, no sleep in as its once more around the Monterosso block for another run. Not as hot as the last time, but still a sweatfest. We all met for brekky, then down to our favourite coffee place. The main reason it’s our fav is ‘cos Sal & Katie have found a bucket of weak coffee they like. Who would have thought, in the home of coffee, that such a thing exists? Time to pack up and say goodbye to the ladies….we’ll miss you all soooo much. See you in three hours!! The Cinque Terra was just fabulous, we had a ball. Now, off to La Spezia by train to pick up our hire car for the trip to La Villa, in Casalotto, which is nearish to Asti for those with a map. Our car was a beast….as long as you pedalled fast! A ****** old Polo which really hated hills and overtaking. Not withstanding our struggling chariot we made to our destination by about 3pm. La Villa Hotel is set amongst the rolling hills of the Piemonte region, heavy with vines laden with ripening fruit. “This will be ordinary!” NOT! What a spectacular setting, what a house. Our room is about 3 times the size of anything we have stayed in so far. The bathroom is bigger than most places! Well chosen Maddy. Luxury! After getting our compass coordinates for our room, so we wouldn’t get lost in it, we headed down to the pool for some R&R. It had been a busy day, we were exhausted! Surprise, surprise…at about 6, spritz’s miraculously appeared. Heavens be praised! Refreshed, relaxed, hungry, we headed out for tea. First via a trip advisor suggestion in the nearby town of Nizza, which was a bit of a dump, then on to the smaller village, Mombaruzzo. After waiting at one bistro for 15 waiting for a non-existent table we settled on a pizza/pasta cafe down the road. It looked pretty bog, but was pleasantly….ur, pleasant! A nice simple meal for us, a bigger feast for the mozzies, and we were done.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Finally a sleep in!! After yesterday’s walk across the Cinque Terra everyone was a little tuckered, except for Kate who decided to go for a 50 minute run.
Today was planned to be nothing more than lying on the beach, ‘Rancho Relaxo’ style.
At 9am we headed to the section of umbrellas that appealed to us the most, which of course are all reserved for those willing to pay up to a month at a time to have prime location. Second row it is for us tourists!
Whilst the girls settled in for the day, Hugh and I embarked on our favourite past time……finding a Laundromat. With only one operating in Monterosso you would think it would be easy to find, but no, we ended up asking the Tourist information lady who duly set us in the right direction.
A few more odd jobs completed and Hugh and I joined the ladies on the beach for the rest of the day.
Of all the towns along the Cinque Terra, Monterosso offers the best beach front for sun baking and swimming, which is exactly how we passed the time.
At 5.30pm the Spritz bells were ringing and we were off to our favourite wine bar. Having exerted ourselves all day, we indulged in 2 Spritz’s before dinner and reluctantly tore ourselves away to get ready for dinner.
The girls chose the Restaurant for our final dinner in Monterosso based upon the Salmon, which was delicious. Unfortunately as the sun was setting so too were the bugs…..on Maddy and Kate’s salmon. I’m sure you could imagine how Kate was handling that situation!!
The restaurant tried in vain to cover up the lights, but the bugs were not to be dissuaded and continued their bombardment. As we all huddled on to the end of the table, the owner was kind enough to take one of the bottles of wine off our bill as an apology for the inconvenience. Grazie!
As this was our final night we returned to the wine bar for one final Spritz and Lemoncello before calling it a night.
The walk back to our hotel, all 100 metres of it, was both eventful and amusing.
Much giggling, **** jokes (not from Maddy, of course), and gentle swaying up the alleyway ensued, the jokes getting funnier by the second!?
Oh dear, I think we have lead the girls astray!!!

Cinque Terre, Italy

Leisurely start to the day, as Kate, Maddy & Sal just wanted to be lazy and have a late breakfast……..NOT! Meet at 7.30 for a run thru the streets of Monterosso in the humidity and the rain. Yep, it started to rain the moment we headed off. Now normally Rachael and I run for 30-40 minutes then hit the showers, do you reckon that’s what happened today? Not on your Nellie! Run went a bit longer than normal, then Kate decided a little circuit was in order. You know, a few push-ups, squats, lunges, dips etc. All the while Sal is looking around for a session for tomorrow, scoping the scene for potential torture! Dehydration had set in by this stage, running in sweat! The locals are gawking, trying to work out what these mad people were doing whilst perving on the girls. Finally…finally, we finished. Ouch!! Gonna be sore tomorrow. After breakfast the girls took to the streets for some much needed retail therapy, as it had been 2 days since their last purchase. I took to the streets, in the rain to see what was in offer for me. I came across a Barber, and as my hair was in much need of a cut and couldn’t wait until I saw Terri again, I decided to cut my loses and try out ‘Vincenzo’. Typically he was closed on Monday so I will have to the wait until tomorrow and somehow mange these tresses for one more day. The girls and I met up at a wine bar for lunch, obviously my choice, to sample the local cuisine. Happy faces all round as there was something for everyone in the menu, even a weak skinny latte for Kate and Sal……finally. After lunch the girls hit the beach and Rach and I went exploring the town of Monterosso. We came across a statue perched high on the hill, of St Francis of Assisi and a dog overlooking the town. An amazing view from up high which warranted the many photos I had taken. We continued along the path and came across a little church. Finally Rachael had found a church and candle that had my name on it, but it was not to be, upon closer inspection the candles were electric, and Rach doesn’t do electronic candles. Still I wait in silence for my turn!!!! Further along the track we came upon a crypt/cemetery which was quite eerie as it was high on the hill in the middle of nowhere. A few snaps later and we started our descent down to meet the girls for a Spritz at our new favourite wine bar. Already halfway through their first, as we were late, we quickly caught up, before freshening up back at the apartment and meeting again for dinner. We had a shared dinner over a bottle of red, then it was time for a nightcap. Or was it? The closer we got to the wine bar, the more reluctant everyone was for another drink when bed beckoned. So we headed back to our hotel, said our good nights and as soon as the girls were out of sight, Rachael & I snuck back out like naughty teenagers, headed back to the wine bar and one last spritz for the night. Such mischievous behaviour! 3 hail Mary’s for you tomorrow, Rachael.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Actually had to set the alarm for 8am this morning after our rocking night at Sigur Ros.
Grabbed the bikes for a quick ride in to town to grab a coffee and a couple of last minute purchases, then back to the apartment, pack and head to the train station.
Fortunately we only to catch 2 trains to get from Lucca to Monterosso in the Cinque Terra. We boarded our train and were pleasantly surprised by the comfortable compartment we had to ourselves until we realised we were in First Class and had to move another 3 carriages down until we came to our more suitable cattle class.
Arrived in Monterosso a couple of hours later and it is as beautiful as the postcards depict. Very similar to Amalfi, in that it is on the coast, has plenty of ceramics and sells Lemoncello.
We felt right at home.
A couple of hours after arriving we started to receive text messages from Sal, Kate and Maddy advising us of their impending arrival.
Kate uses the time honoured system of measuring distance by the length of her finger against the map.
At one stage the girls were one fingernail to the first knuckle away!?
Then, a fingernail….
Not surprisingly, they got lost!
Finally, at 4pm we were all united and settled in to the Hotel Margherita. Hugh was in his element, 1 bloke and 4 chicks, he was the envy of all Italian men.
It was great to see the girls, we exchanged stories of our trip so far whilst sitting by the water before deciding to find the best wine bar in Monterosso to introduce the girls to the Spritzer.
Success!! The girls loved the Spritzer and just to make sure they did, another round was ordered.
Time flies by when you have so much to catch up on, so at 7pm we left the bar, went back to our Hotel to freshen up before disembarking again ready to hit the town for dinner.
We had dinner at a great little bistro near the bottom of the old town, filling up on seafood dishes, salad and a glass or two of vino.
A wander around after, and time to call it a night. The girls had travelled far and the eyes were hanging out of their heads!
Lovely to finally be here in the Cinque Terra with the girls…not sure if the locals will to too happy by the end of our stay if the noise levels tonight are anything to go by?!

Lucca, Italy

Last night we decided to set our alarm for 5.30am so we could head into Lucca on our bikes and have the town to ourselves to take some pictures.
As the alarm sounded, a decision was quickly made to reset it for 6.15am, a much more timely hour when the reality of your previous nights decision sets in.
Take two, we head into Lucca on our bikes at 6.30am and still virtually have the town to ourselves, bar a few garbage trucks and early morning beggars getting their prime position for the day.
The distance around the top of the town wall measures just shy of 5kms in radius. It is as wide as a road and fortunately no cars are allowed on it so perfect for pedestrians.
Once we had completed the round trip of the wall we rode into the town and saw most of what we had missed the previous day. A few snaps later and I was back on the town wall going for a run whilst Hughy pedalled around looking for the supermarket we couldn’t find the previous night.
I’m not sure if its the extra kilos I am now carrying, the heat or the ride beforehand, but the run was tough on the legs. I’ll put it down to all 3 and settle for a rest day tomorrow as all athletes do!! Only 9 days until the Masters Games, I best start preparing diet wise, it seems to be letting me down.
Success on the supermarket front, so back to our apartment for brekky and a re group before embarking on our journey to the Tower of Pisa.
One thing we have noticed about Lucca is how hot it is. We thought as we moved further North the heat would subside somewhat, but it feels to be getting hotter and hotter and today was no exception.
Out train trip to Pisa was pleasant enough, air conditioned carriages and only a 10 minute walk to the Tower, thank goodness, as the heat disembarking from the train hit you like a Kate Sergeant command on a Saturday morning, it was harsh.
As expected there were crowds of people, but not too packed that you couldn’t walk around the souvenir upon souvenir shops lining the walk to the Tower. In addition to the Tower there is of course a Piazza del Duomo, the Bapistry and Knights Square, all surrounded by beautifully manicured lawns.
Hugh and I decided to take a picture making it look like we were holding up the Tower, and would you believe, everyone else then followed our lead. I think this might catch on!!!
A few photos later and we were heading back to the train station for our journey home. A quick visit but our intention was only to see the Tower and in the heat of the day, that was enough.
After many confusing walks across the train platforms trying to find the right one, due to a lack of signage, something all too common in Italy which we find very frustrating at times, we boarded our non air conditioned train for an agonising 30 minute ride home. Man, it was hot and to describe how sweaty we were would only put you off your dinner.
Back home for a shower and some much needed Rancho Relaxo before getting ready for our night out at the Sigur Ros concert, and let me tell you, Hughy is beside himself with excitement, concert T-Shirt already purchased to mark the occasion.
Whilst I only know 2 Sigur Ros songs at best, their concert was fantastic. They played for 2 hours and it must be the only concert I have ever been to where no one in the audience sings along as it is all sung in Icelandic! Hence, there was no banter in between songs either and what thanks they gave the audience was in English anyway.
They might appear as a weird **** bunch of musicians but they sure know how to play music and get the crowd going.
A final Spritzer or two to review the concert then homeward bound. Another long day on our feet and another one to come tomorrow as we navigate 3 trains to arrive in the Cinque Terra and finally meet up with Kate, Maddy and Sal for a few days.

Lucca, Italy

We’re off to Lucca today, but not before a run thru the streets of Florence.
Luckily there are some flat sections along the Arno river, so we headed off there for a leisurely waddle.
Time to pack, which we are getting pretty good at, and by taxi to the train station.
The ticket to Lucca was €7.10, which is pretty much the cheapest thing we have done in Italy. We had considered hiring a car at a cost of about €200 for 3 days, so the cheap regional rail was proven quite the booster for our ailing coffers!
Lucca is famous for, amongst other reasons, its intact Renaissance-era city walls which surround the old city, outside the walls is a sea of grass.
It’s very beautiful, peaceful, and lacking the maddening crowds of Florence.
Lucca is also famous for hosting the annual Lucca Summer Festival.
The 2013 edition sees Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, The Killers, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, 30 seconds to Mars, Sigur Ros, and others play live in the Piazza Napoleone during the months of July/August.
At one point during our travels, as we looked at an ancient amphitheatre somewhere (can’t remember exactly where now!) I said to Rachael “how good would this place be if Nick Cave or Sigur Ros played a concert here?”
I mentioned a couple of other bands as well…but never let the facts get in the way of the story!
Well, bugger me….Sigur Ros are playing tomorrow night!!!
In an outside amphitheatre setting.
In an historic old walled city.
In Italy!
Tickets please.
For those who don’t know, Sigur Rós are an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, who have been active since 1994. Known for their ethereal sound, frontman Jónsi Birgisson’s falsetto vocals, and the use of bowed guitar, the band’s music is also noticeable for its incorporation of classical and minimalist aesthetic elements.
Ah, the beauty of copy/paste!
They sing mostly in either Icelandic, or their own made up version of that language.
So, we are off to see an Icelandic band, singing Icelandic (sort of), in Italy.
How do you reckon us Aussies are going to go, language wise?
Seriously, their music is absolutely beautiful , a wave of surrealism drifting over you, orchestral, choral, haunting…..
Can’t wait.
Rachael still a little sketchy on the finer details….not much in the way of ‘doof-doof!
Our Apartment has 6 bikes which can be used at any time to get around Lucca. Perfect, just what we needed after walking all day to go and buy some provisions. Grabbed our things, went to the garage to grab a couple of bikes, only to find that they were all gone, obviously being used by the other guests who had the same idea…damn it, more walking.
Our quest for a local supermarket went unfulfilled and after 45 minutes of walking around, we gave up, went home and got ready for dinner. Provisions will have to wait until the morning when the bikes are hopefully available.
We had a lovely dinner at a quaint little restaurant recommended by the owners of our apartment. The only down side was the wine menu which only had their own wine. Decided to try their white wine, which we both thought tasted a little like apple cider, suffice to say it was not one of the better white’s we have had in Italy.
Back to the Piazza for a late night Spritzer before heading home with the intention of being up at 6am tomorrow for a bike ride around Lucca in peace and quiet.