Cassino, Pt 2 – a puncture, a stroke of good luck and arriving in Napoli …

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Cassino, Le Ninfee, Naples, Partenope Relais

After lunching in Cassino, we drove the short way back to collect our bags which were still at Le Ninefee. As we drove up the unpaved and very rocky driveway we slid a little off the drive and there was a loud noise  – but we continued on.  While in the town I realised I had left my Fitbit at the house so I went hunting for it -but I couldn’t find it, even with the hostess and one of her employees helping us to search.

Putting aside my frustration at losing the Fitbit (well OK panic), we packed the car ready to travel to Napoli but when we got to the bottom of the drive, the car’s computer alerted us that we had a puncture. We pulled into the nearest drive and the boys set to work, but the mechanics of it all took a bit of figuring in an unfamiliar car with only a French manual. Nevertheless they sorted it … meantime I went through all my bags unsuccessfully looking for the missing “equipment.”

 

Trying to release the spare tyre

Phil changing the tyre dressed in the obligatory vest

Contemplating the job how to sort the jack

Once the tyre was changed and we were on our way again,  we called into the local bike shop and asked for directions to a garage or tyre shop.  As luck would have it, the bike shop bloke spoke English and said there was one quite near – quite true but we discovered his directions were somewhat wayward. While waiting for Phil to get the those directions, a person from Le Ninfee who spoke English rang Roger to say the Fitbit had been found – yay – so the puncture, while a nuisance, was also lucky as we would have been well on the way to Naples had it not happened.

Waiting in style while the puncture is repaired

Nice of them to put this here for us

When we eventually found the tyre shop the guys were very helpful and efficient and quickly had us back on the road again, for an easy trip into Naples. Finding the hotel wasn’t quite so simple but once found it proved to be in a fabulous position with our rooms looking directly out on the Bay of Naples.

Room with a view

Love the decor

View from our terrace

The hotel is quirky and modern and we love the rooms which are all named after famous film stars – as a great Marilyn fan, I am thrilled we are in the Marilyn suite. It is still my birthday of course so when we were refreshed and spruced up, we strolled off in the direction of the castle around the bend, where we had been told there was a great seafood restaurant, for a birthday dinner.

The location was perfect, right on the water on the Marina, the seafood was good (not great) but we had very surly, unhelpful waiters – no matter, a “strolling minstrel” (read for that nuisance), did sing me happy birthday (only after Phil gave hime a few Euro to get rid of him.) We watched the sun go down as we ate then strolled back among the ever-growing throngs of people who walk this promenade in the evenings – the colours, the sights, the sounds and quirkiness of Naples fully on show …

Tomorrow – we get ready to explore Naples with our private guide…

 

 

Cassino, Pt 1 – a busy birthday morning …

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Cassino, Commonwealth War Graves, Italy, Montecassino Abbey

We think we are finally back on track with our sleep patterns which have been quite disrupted. We slept like logs in the beautiful bedroom of our Cassino B&B, Le Ninfee. We awoke to a fine, very warm morning – my birthday in fact and after a light continental breakfast in the pretty rustic dining room, we enjoyed a stroll around around the property.  We could see the Abbey on Montecassino beckoning us in the distance but once on our way our first stop was to be the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.

What a moving experience the first stop was – standing in the beautifully-kept grounds looking at row-upon-row of headstones (more than 4,000 soldiers are buried here, with over half being British, and including 457 New Zealanders),  it certainly brings home the cruel cost of war.

Personally, I felt very sad and sombre walking in this pristine place, as I am sure we all did. Having looked at the register of names we determined to find the New Zealand soldiers plot where we stood to pay our respects while contemplating the devastating loss this was for their families, and rueing the fact that so many of them may never be lucky enough to come and pay their respects, as we have been able to do.

From the cemetery we drove the winding 8 km road up to the Abbey. What amazing place! The Abbey was rebuilt in 1953 with finance from the Italian state, after its destruction in the Second World War (1944). The original which was built in about 529 endured several rebuilds over the centuries, including after an earthquake in the 14th century.

Pretty path leading to the Abbey

The building is imposing and pristine and offers magnificent views of the surrounding countryside, and across to the Polish Cemetery, where over 1,000 Polish soldiers are buried, having lost their lives in the battle to liberate the Abbey in 1944.

Below is the heavy door way at the entrance to the cloisters ….

Walking through the cloisters you see a couple of beautiful mosaic works on the walls, and continuing on, you reach the wonderful open square leading to the stairs which take you to the Abbey.

St Benedict

St Scholastica, Sister of St Benedict

The courtyard

Stairs leading to the abbey

If you have followed my posts previously you will be aware that I am a bit of a fan of Catholic churches, and The Abbey did not disappoint. It is magnificent and despite having rebuilt in the twentieth century, you could be forgiven for thinking it was the original. The pictures will tell the tale – it is stunning.

Door panel at the entrance to the abbey

The centre vault below the main abbey contains the incredible mosaic works on the walls and roof – the workmanship and beauty of the these works is impossible to describe.

Visitors

Blue and gold mosaics on the roof

The peacock

We felt we did justice to the time we spent in Cassino this morning and left feeling we had seen some really special things in both places. Our tums told us it was time for a break so went into the town and had very underdone “toasted” sandwiches and coffee at at cafe where we could sit on the pavement and enjoy the warmth. I did manage to slip into another beautiful church which I happened upon as we searched for a place to eat.

Snapped this short quickly as I passed

Local church in Cassino

Chapter two to follow….

 

London – Rome – Cassino

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Cassino, Le Ninfee, London, Rome

Yesterday was a trip-filled day. We left the London hotel bright and early so we could take advantage of the BA Business class lounge facilities – quite a good brekky available there! We travelled out to the plane on a bus to the tarmac – it was rather long ride!

The flight to Rome was smooth and fast – just on two hours, and we were served quite a tasty meal, but on arrival  (in 35 degree heat) we found the customs queues were long – not quite as bad as LA though!  Once out of the terminal we contacted the Eurolease people who were friendly and efficient. They arrived to collect us as arranged and the car was ready and waiting – slighter more upswept model of the Renault Grand Scenic we had last year.

Flying over the coast coming into Rome

Ready to land in Fiumicino airport

This is how we roll in the Grand Scenic…

Phil parking the wagon at Le Ninfee

Phil took control of the wheel and after only one wrong turn in the narrow lanes leading to this gorgeous place, we arrived around 6.30pm. The property is idyllic! Beautifully appointed, it is a perfect place for an agritourism business – it is larger than we expected, rustic yet stylish, and while the owners have very little English they have been very obliging.

House and Pool at beautiful Le Ninfee

Our lovely bathroom

The little anteroom off our bedroom

We had dinner in a local Osteria – very simple food, but a huge wine list – New Zealand wines were even available, but Frances I chose a very smooth Chianti to have with the huge wood fired pizzas we ordered. While we were the first to arrive, the little place quickly filled up with locals. It was a very relaxed way to complete a pretty stress-free arrival in Italy….

Next post – Cassino War Cemetery and the Abbey…

Wimbledon – the pilgrimage…

Today saw the fulfilment of a great expectation. Since I discovered many years ago, our family’s direct connection to the famous Renshaw twins, Ernest and William, I have wanted to see for myself the memorabilia surrounding them at The All England Tennis club in Wimbledon. Today was the culmination of that dream.

We set off early this morning, a Bank Holiday Monday on surprisingly calm roads, and soon enough were drawing into the huge carpark in front of the Centre Court. The balconies of the Centre Court stadium contain planter boxes full to overflowing with purple and white petunias (purple, green and white being the colours of Wimbledon). We were somewhat early since the traffic had proved light so we strolled through the shop which stocks a huge variety of children and adult’s clothing, towels, tea towels, place mats, mugs, key rings, tennis balls – virtually anything you can brand with the Wimbledon insignia can be found there.

Centre Court

Floral display on the deck

At the appointed time, we gathered at the meeting spot with about 20 others, for the one and a half hour tour. Our guide was the very delightful Heather, a sprightly and knowledgeable elderly woman with an obvious devotion to both the physical place and its long history. Having advised us what she intended to show us, we set off after her, stopping at appointed spots along the way so she could provide the background to each particular spot.

A highlight was being taken to the rooftop of the media centre where, with the midday sun blazing down, we were given the opportunity to snap pictures of the famous “hill” and the Court 18  where in 2010, the longest match ever seen at Wimbledon was played between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.

Court 18

The famous Hill is to the right

Heather then took us to the BBC Sport broadcasting studio and across to the new Millennium Building. Here we ventured though the outdoor Players’ Lawn (past the Prize Money room much to Phil’s delight), up to the top floor to look out over more courts and a very stylish outdoor cafe area.

Next we went into the media room, where we were all invited to have our photos taken on the podium just as the players would do post match.

Phil in the BBC studio

The presenter’s desk

The Players’ lawn

The Prize Money room

Post match interview desk

The final part of the tour took us past all the results boards and I was thrilled to see William Renshaw’s name appearing 7 times as the winner of the Men’s singles, plus winning the doubles along with his brother Ernest.

Men’s Doubles results board

Mens’ Singles results board

Included in this final stage of the tour was a visit to the Centre Court arena – it was rather moving being on such hallowed ground…

Heather encouraged us all to view the Museum which is really quite spectacular – a place you could spend hours in if you are a tennis or sport’s history buff. For me, it was very exciting to see the cups won by William and Ernest, and to see the snapshots of information the Museum has seen fit to include in the magnificent glass display cases – two of William’s racquets are included, small and rather flimsy-looking.

Willies rackets

Cups won by the Twins

The men’s single’s cup – William’s name clearly engraved on it

Early women’s tennis fashion

Imagine playing tennis in these clothes!

The Museum is full of wonderful display cases like this

Ernest is seated

Lunch on the deck

We finished our time at Wimbledon with a light lunch on the Centre Court deck cafe – a dream come true day for me, but there was more to see and off we drove intending to walk along the Thames near Hampton Court.

Lunch on the deck

The best laid plans are often foiled however, and parking was at a premium as a food show was being held. Walton-on-the-Thames was a much better choice, peopled only with locals and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the river bank, watching the locks opening and closing for the many different craft enjoying the water,  before returning to our hotel for a final review of our Italy plans…..

Still waters

Bush walkers

Sudbury Lock

Toi tais!

Beautiful riverside homes abound

Tomorrow we leave for Rome after a couple of productive and interesting days in London.

 

 

 

Churchill’s Chartwell… and other places

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Chartwell, Epsom, Esher, Sir Winston Churchill, Westerham

Today we packed in so much, beginning with a visit to Churchill’s residence just out of Westerham. We left early so as to avoid the M25 crush and arrived in plenty of time for our timed-entry visit,  allowing us to wander the beautiful gardens prior to viewing the house. The house and large grounds were bathed in late morning sunshine, and it was wonderful to sit on the garden chairs provided and to contemplate the surroundings with the sun warming our bones.

Diana style

Viewing the ground

Waiting to get into the house

Churchill’s wife Clementine loved roses and the garden had wonderful large blooms. The borders are all neatly manicured, and this particular garden provided an oasis of calm as you entered through the doorway.

The other gardens are beautiful, well kept with abundant plantings, and the fruit trees in the orchard are laden with fruit – the crab apples looked particularly tempting!

Shades of Monet

The rose garden

Smelling the roses

A beautiful bloom

The house itself is quite imposing yet attractive from the outside, but surprisingly homely on the inside – the decor is muted and unostentatious but it is stuffed full of wonderful paintings (including a Monet) and memorabilia given to Churchill by Heads of State and other important people. It felt like a real privilege to be in the home the great man loved so much (apparently Clementine loved it less…).

Front view

Side view

Love the cool weather vane

The Cinque Ports standard – managed to see it unfurled in one of the few puffs of wind

Churchill’s art studio is impressive once inside – his catalogue of works adorn the walls in a somewhat higgledy-piggeldy fashion -he painted 535 works in his lifetime and while I am not art critic I think I can say some are good, some not so good…

Arch leading from the dahlia beds to the studio

Is that Churchill?

The simple studio building

After the viewing we went back to pretty Westerham Village for a Sunday Roast pub lunch, – chicken for the girls, lamb for the boys – the meals lacked greens veges but there root vegetables in abundance,  plus Yorkshire pudding, stuffing and gravy ……

The Churchyard leading to Westerham village

Of course I spied the local church

The main drag

The famous Man himself

General Wolfe

We think we found the pesky horse that was supposed to go to Paris…

The George and Dragon pub

Pub diners

The handsome pair

Roger is enjoying racing round in our hired manual Vauxhall Mokka (!) so after our delicious lunch, we proceeded to see as many pretty places as we could. Rog floored it through pretty country lanes, bathed in dappled sunlight as we drove though Shere (so busy we couldn’t find a park), Albury, Godalming, then on to Guildford which is delightful.

Next stop Esher to see the beautiful house Roger and Frances lived in during their UK stint (very posh), and the even posher school their son attended, the building  having been the home of Princess Victoria before she became Queen.

Epsom Downs beside the famous race track, provides a fabulous panoramic view down to the city of London, so after a photo stop, we had snacks and wine to finished the day. As the sun was getter lower in the sky, we sat outside in the beer garden of a nearby pub (we are getting good at this!) with young families and their beloved dogs – it was very pleasant and some of the canines were very sweet.

View to London from Epsom Downs

The Epsom Racecourse

Supper in the sun

The M25 was much busier on the return after a very busy day, and I am happy to say the wifi issue seems to be sorted – tomorrow – Wimbledon and other places..

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Back in Blighty …

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Eton, Windsor

Well, one of us was lucky enough to travel here in style – that was me thanks to my selfless husband who ended up in the back row and not very comfortable! But the flight was smooth and fast, and the sun is shining on London Town. We settled quickly into Premier Inn Terminal Five, and after showers and a couple of hours rest the lads collected the rental car and we ventured out.

How I love England in the summer, the days are long, the air is balmy and best of all are the flowers – they seem to be everywhere in the small towns and Eton and Windsor were no exception. Eton was a riot of floral colour, awash with huge hanging baskets of white, pink and magenta petunias which cascaded over the sides towards the pavements.  The  main street we wandered along was chock full of quaint and pretty buildings and colourful shop facades which we took in as we headed towards the bridge separating Eton and Windsor.

A Lady in Eton

The Eton “library”

Foxy cakes apparently

Pretty boys outside a pink shop

Good shop name – Eton Mess

This is a bank holiday weekend and the roads and towns are bustling with locals and tourists alike, so we just joined the throngs and soaked up the atmosphere. The bridge spanning the river between Eton and Windsor provides great photo opportunities and so we indulged ourselves too:

 

Windsor was heaving with busloads of tourists, and having visited the Castle on a previous trip there was no need to repeat it, so  we wandered the streets instead- there was a vibrance to the place yet it felt quite relaxed to me.  It almost had a continental air as we discovered when walking up the side streets, which boasted plenty of busy sidewalk cafes. We even kept up the tradition of the capturing a bridal party, as we have done on previous trips in Europe.

Our knowledgable guide Mr Poulton, pointed out the building were Charles and Camilla were wed – loved the red doorway with the topiary trees…

Nearby he also pointed out a quaint and rather “crooked” building.

Windsor, like had many flower-laden doorways and lamposts too pretty not to capture…

On leaving Windsor we determined a pub dinner was in order and we found The Wheatsheaf, which had an attractive outdoor seating area, where the boys tucked into typical  English pub fare – big fat juicy meat pies and spuds, while we girls had fishy dishes – very nice but not spectacular – should have gone for cod and chips I reckon!

Day one done and dusted- we could barely keep our eyes open by the end of it, but it was a great way to start the trip…. next stop Chartwell…..

P.S. Fittingly, I managed to capture the Air NZ plane which brought us to London, as it flew over Windsor Castle on its return to Los Angeles….

London calling …

We slept like babies last night thankfully, and feeling well-rested we walked together from Manhattan Beach to Hermosa Beach. The marine layer had settled in so no sunshine this morning, but it was warm! We walked out in to the Hermosa Beach Pier where Ryan Gosling danced in La La Land and had a very sad coffee in Bonapartes – which, for a bit more La La Land trivia, is opposite the bar featuring in the film.

We are now waiting patiently with coffee and toastie at LA airport to find out our upgrade status on the London flight… see y’all there!

Loving the LA sun – but the airport? – not so much ….

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Los Angeles International Airport, Redondo Beach, True Foods

After a twelve hour flight from Auckland, we were pretty keen to disembark, zip though customs, collect the baggage and to be ready and waiting when Roger came to pick us up – yeah right! The arrival hall was literally packed to the gunnels with travellers of every race, creed, colour, and age – quite a chaotic scene.  Row up upon of people sat nestled in wheelchairs, calmly waiting to move forward in the queue, while for over an hour we slowly nudged forward towards the self-service kiosk, listening to people as they retained the forlorn hope that they might make their next connection, while others mourned the fact they had missed theirs.

Finally it was our turn on a kiosk, but sadly the machine could not get a good read on Phil’s fingerprints, spitting out a voucher with a large cross on it (possibly because it didn’t like the fact he was poking his tongue out) – so off went into another queue, patiently rocking backward and forwards on our heels as we waited. Relief came out of the blue, when they called for Air NZ passengers from Flight 6 to move up to the front of the queue, which we correctly assumed was because our baggage was cluttering the carousel – when we finally passed through customs, our bags had been placed in lines on the floor, to make room for the bags from other incoming flights.

As we finally exited to the pick-up area, we could see the huge crush of people waiting. Bustling our way through the throng, we passed many chauffeurs, dressed in black and white holding crudely-fashioned name cards, identifying themselves to the Emirate VIP passengers they had come to collect. Poor Roger had been waiting for and hour and half, and commented he had never seen the place so busy, including the carpark where were wrestled with an elevator which seemed none to keen to take us to the rooftop.

It was such a relief to arrive here at Redondo Beach at Roger and Frances’ lovely home. Having changed and been refreshed with a good cuppa, off we went for some power shopping -for bits and pieces we wanted to take with us but which we knew would be cheaper to buy here. Dinner at True Foods Organic restaurant was utterly delicious but Phil and I were fading fast –  he’s already hit the hay and now that lovely comfy bed upstairs is beckoning. me …

Tomorrow? A walk down by the ocean, coffee and cake at Bonaparte’s and getting ready for London….

 

 

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The Alpine Retreat – and perfect poached eggs …

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Arrowtown, Bradrona, Cardrona, Cardrona Bra Fence, Crown Ridge, Gibbston Valley Winery, Lake Moke, Lake Wanaka, Queenstown, South Island, Southern Alps, The Alpine Retreat

In three weeks we will be flying out to start a new adventure in Southern Italy and Sicily but it occurred to me that we often take for granted our own beautiful country. We were reminded of this on a recent weekend trip to Queenstown in the South Island. Our accommodation was at The Alpine Retreat, an elegant B&B, set in a truly stunning spot on the outskirts of the town, and run by our friends Gavin and Simone.

The flight down provided us with a spectacular geography lesson- especially from the top of the Southern Alps – bright blue and cloudless skies meant we could see the constantly changing topography with ease, and the snaps I took with my phone are surprisingly clear, capturing the snow-capped mountains, glaciers, the rocky terrain and the deep blue lakes.

Once on the ground, the bracing mountain air smelled fresh and sweet as it swirled around our bare faces while we waited for our rental car. The trip to the The Alpine Retreat was easy from the Airport and on arriving we could appreciate the truly spectacular position in which the retreat sits, having only seen it in photos – simply breath-taking, especially on such a beautiful day.

Having been warmly welcomed by Simone and Gavin, we deposited our gear in the cosy and elegant guest room, while our friends took the large, well-appointed studio, which has a private balcony, providing the same stunning view offered by the main deck. Ready to explore, we set off to visit Moke Lake.  In the right light, the lake and surrounding landscape provide wonderful photo opportunities, mirroring the rugged terrain on the water, but the sun was too low by the time we arrived to capture it. These two snaps were taken the next day, when we returned for better photo opportunities – but the lake had iced over so its reflective properties were reduced. Note that there is a good walk that can be done around the lake.

Two weeks previous, our friends Franco and Sue, stayed at The Alpine Retreat and captured this amazing shot which they have allowed me to share.

Our first evening concluded with a six-course degustation dinner at Gantleys on the other side of Queenstown. It is a quaint place, seemingly in a time warp, but we were delighted to be led into an elegant dining room, to a table directly in front of a roaring open fire – top marks from me before we even started our meal, which did not disappoint. The courses were superbly prepared and well-presented, and the wait staff were excellent – a great way to end our first day in Queenstown for over 15 years.

Each morning of our all too short stay I took a walk with Simone – the early morning was quiet, moody, envigorating and inspirational. The place seems to will you to get out and enjoy the benefits of walking in the clear mountain air and to be inspired by communing with nature – take a look –

In case you hadn’t noticed, the point of this post, apart from getting back into the swing of things for Italy, is to acquaint you with the excellent accommodation offered by Simone and Gavin at the Alpine Retreat. They are a vibrant, intelligent and entertaining couple, who go out of their way to make you feel welcome in their stunning home. As the photos show,  the position is outstanding, the home is warm and inviting, and the breakfasts Gavin serves are brilliant – his poached eggs are the best I have had in years! Not only that, The Retreat is perfectly placed for visiting nearby tourist attractions – we are not skiers so I will not be mentioning the great ski fields close by, but rather the other beautiful places which can be reached with a fairly easy drive. We had the most perfect weekend of weather – no snow – making for good driving, with clear sunny skies. The following are a few of the options for visiting when you stay at The Retreat:

Arrowtown – the historic gold mining town – such a pretty place and the history is fascinating…

Wanaka via Crown Ridge. We took the longer scenic route by accident, but were glad we did as the views from the Ridge were awesome.  Lake Wanaka itself is a picture-perfect location, surrounded as it is by mountains. The town feels vibrant and go-ahead, with a great array of places to eat, and stunning sights to see.

On the road up to the ridge

The views from Crown Ridge – chilly but spectacular

Coming into Wanaka

Spectacular views from the Lake shore

Picture perfect Lake Wanaka

The Cardrona Bra Fence ( Bradrona) A well-know tourist attraction along with the nearby Cardrona Hotel

My hubby donating to a great cause

 

Gibbston Valley Winery – we have developed at taste for this label so a visit to the winery was a must – the ambience in the cellar was upbeat and it was very busy – we only went to purchase, not to imbibe, but would love to return to partake…

Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu – Queenstown is built on the shores of the lake – superlatives are not enough to describe the scenic beauty of this area – you simply have to see it for yourself, and the place to stay when you do it is The Alpine Retreat – tell Simone and Gavin I sent you….

Four very happy customers

Postscript – for those who love the snow, this is how the place will look when snow has fallen – photos courtesy of our friends Sue and Franco, taken two weeks before our visit – as you can see it is truly a winter wonderland!

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