Italy - belissimo!

And so it is that as we prepare to leave Italy after 4 weeks travelling through the beautiful country, we stop to take stock of the wonderful experiences we have had.
Arriving in Italy on the 18th April we were a little nervous about travelling to a new country (except for Scott who was just excited!), driving on the 'wrong' side of the road, speaking Italian, different customs and food. Now, on the 15th May, we are all wiser and much more prepared for travel in Italy.
Our experiences have been wide-spread. We have stayed in 3 locations during our visit - Greve in Chianti, Rome and Meta. Greve - to the north of the country, Rome in the middle, and Meta on towards the south of the country. Greve is an inland township, Meta a seaside township. Our accommodation in both Greve and Meta was in fully self contained homes, in Rome we stayed with Filipino nuns. All accommodation was perfect for our needs, well positioned and allowed us the freedom to prepare our own meals or make use of the local restaurants. We found Rome expensive, Greve mildly expensive and Meta far cheaper.
With the exception of our two weeks in Greve we used public transport to travel Italy. We arrived by planed at Pisa, hired a car and drove through many townships and hamlets in the Chianti region. The roads generally are very narrow and windy and the italians are amazing drivers - fast, confident and at times what seems to be 'carefree'! We have very much come to appreciate why the SMART car, motor bikes and Vespers are so popular in Italy.We travelled from Pisa to Rome, and from Rome to Meta by train which was excellent. Punctual, easy to follow and a good way to see the country and experience to people as well as other travellers. Whilst in Rome we used the bus and walked, in Meta we used the bus, the train, walked and the ferry service, all of which were really efficient and enjoyable.
We have learnt alot about Italy too whilst we have been here: about its history from the Etruscan times. We have visited Etruscan tombs, castles and fortresses, the ruins of Pompeii, The Vatican. We have watched and listened to the people, enjoying their lively banter across small alleyways from their balcony's. Their animation when speaking. We have immersed ourselves in two different small towns and at each got to know some of the locals - In Greve - the local pasta man, the restraunter, the green grocer, the delicatessan owners. In Meta - the local private beach operators, the barman at the Internet Cafe

Our friends in Meta - the internet cafe with Nino (above) and Bar Antionette with Maria(below), the local family who run Bar Antionetta who gave us a fond farewell and some local produce to eat on the plan), the green grocer and some of the young people.
The children are now confident to speak in Italian, greeting people as they walk along with "Buongiorno, salve, Buonasera or ciao depending on which is most appropriate (and usually getting it right!) . They are very confident with their numbers and in saying: Parlo inglese - which is 'do you speak English?' They automatically say grazie for thank-you and prego for 'your welcome'. They can say "Permsso" to get past someone, and scusi - to enter into a conversation. They were all very nervous to start with but have gained so much confidence over their time here.
They have learnt some manners too - saying please and thank-you automatically, standing for an adult on the bus or train and not pushing infront of adults and excusing themselves when they are trying to get through a crowd. We do hope that continues!
The highlights for the children have been:
William
I wasn't really excited about going to Italy. I was nervous about the language. Now - Italy is fantastic. The food is really nice, especially the tomatoes, pasta, pizza, bread and gelati. The language was hard to get used to at first, then it ws good. I would love to come back!
In Meta I enjoyed going down to the beach and it was fun and different having to pay to get onto the beach. We went to Sorrento, Pompeii and Positano. The bus trips were long but enoyable. I did some air-rifle shooting which was fantastic and even hit a bottle.Rome was nice but busy. We saw the Pope drive past and went to reconciliation at St Peters. I didn't know that Vatican City was a different country! I think all you needed was a few days in Rome to see the main sights - the Vatican, the Pope, the Colleseum and Circus Maximus. Then I was ready to leave!Greve was my favourite place in Italy. It was quiet, peaceful, there were lots of little shops that were walking distance and most of all, the people were very friendly. My first Italian phrase was - could I please have a table for 6 - in italian of course! Where we stayed there was a games room with pool talble and table tennis table, a pool and a playground as well as a great balcony. We visited many places, my favourites being San Gimiarno, Lucca and Florence.
Elizabeth
Italy is wonderful. The food is tastier than at home. The bread is nicer in the south of the country than the north. The people are really friendly. The language is good once you know what you are talking about and gain confidence.
We liked staying in the small towns rather than the big ones where you can get lost and you don't feel so safe.
The Vatican was really nice and so were the paintings in it. Lucca was a wonderful place, expecially riding the bikes, both normal bike and tandem bike along the walls. Florence was great and we climbed the duomo which was 463 steps - not much - and got this amazing view from the top. We saw a copy of the statue of David which was alright - the original is in the Uffizi but that was shut.
I loved the people and the beach and the food. I loved Italy.
Xavier
I liked Italy. I enjoyed trying out the language and the people were kind. In Greve I Liked visiting the castles, watching the cats, lizards, turtle and ducks. I liked going to the pool room, the pool and the playgrounds. My favourite cats were Spike and Midnight - (Elizabeth and I named them all).

The beach in Meta - dark grey sand and pebbles

In Meta is liked the beach, the bus and train rides and the people. I got to ride on a Vespa too. We went on buses, trains and ferries. I liked shooting bottles in Positano with dad.
In Rome the nuns we stayed with were really nice, especially Sr Mini. I like the crowd of people at the mass we went to in St Peter's Square and the Vatican.
James

James with Xavier searching the sand and pebbles for treasures in Meta, Italy

What experiences he has had - riding a vespa, driving a train, climbing castles, hills and steps. Learning to speak in Italian, trying out the food, going to the beach and playgrounds, having his cheeks pinched to within an inch of their lives! We think that James has enjoyed Italy!
Today we travel by bus to Sorrento then take another to Napes Airport where we will fly back to England. We await our next travels.
Gabrielle, Scott, William, Elizabeth, Xavier and James