That's it then...final tourist destination Verona.....no more being a tourist....

I'd have to say that I didn't really give Verona a chance as walking around in a humid 30 degree+ heat I soon lost the will to live.  Juliet's house was swarming with people, Romeo's isn't open to the public.

not sure which church these 2 are from

where is my Romeo?

always read the fine print

Sankt Johann in Tirol and to Verona for an overnight then Varese

I've been coming here since 2002. 

Long gone are the days when I could race every race provided for me...this week I only raced the TT and didn't do too well .  I won my age class but in a rather slow time and felt really ill afterwards.  We were last to start on what was a hot and humid day and the weather got to me.  As my coach said..you were never really in it..never got started.  Actually I felt sorta ok for the first 3 km, realised I was in strife by 4-5 km...slowly grinded up the hill and to the turn around, ok on the downhill then fell apart, having a coupla quiet chucks and needing to sit up and soft pedal for a while before finishing off apparently looking ok but going rather slowly.

So now I'm having a few days off. We've left the cool of Austria for the heat of Italy again..grrh. I'm going to have to arrange some ice packs for the TT at Varese.

Of course the moment I get home into Australian winter/spring I'll be groaning about being too cold...but right now I could do with a bit of cool!

We left Austria a day earlier than planned and it was the right decision...the roads were packed and tomorrow will be worse, but at least we are over  half way to Varese.

Austria

no chance of lying about one's age here in Hartberg!

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plenty of birth notices here

but.......you were expecting exactly what if not a baby!?

Random pix from Italy

Typical Rome treescape..pine trees cut to this shape are everywhere

The following broomstick people are from Mugnai near Feltre...no idea why

Not dead..just resting

more houses built into the rock

sooo over it, I can't recall the name of this place!

car with ??external airbags..just in case??!!

our washing out to dry..Italian style

View of the main Feltre square from the clock tower

A motocross park and I'm thinking red wine probably means blood!

Fleeing the heat

In the end, one can have too much of a good thing and the narrow lanes, small apartment, no AC and relentless heat ..38 and 39C got to us.  We couldn't see as much of the area as we wanted, were in fact advised not to walk the ancient Etruscan narrow,  deep carved out lanes and ended up leaving a day  earlier than planned.  Actually I wanted to leave even earlier but that didn't happen.

So farewell to the south and mid section of Italy and back up to Veneto and hopefully cooler climes. 

entrance to the Synagogue 

Butcher..wild boar is the delicacy of the area

Not quite sure why he is in front of this olive grove!

letter box fun

Pitigliano and neighbouring towns

On the way here we stopped off at Todi  (instantly called Todi in the Holey)...another beautiful town high on a hill.

I am in awe of Italian parking skills!

once again far too many photo opps and steps/climbing

Pitigliano

This town became  a refuge for the Jewish community as they fled from Christian persecution in  Rome and Florence during  the 16th century until they were forcibly moved by the Nazis. 

Our  apartment is on the same vicolo(lane way) as the Synagogue and not far from the historic Jewish bakery and the Jewish museum..and as a sad reflection on our times..the Carabinieri are on guard outside our apartment every day.

As with many of the local towns, it is a hill top town built on top of and carved into  the Tufo (rock) and is of Etruscan origin.

The kitchen work bench in our apartment

our apartment vicolo entrance

streetscape

the water is drinkable

3 baths for???.animals/humans/what??

We also visited local towns Sovana and Sorano..although I'm struggling to recall which is which!  suffice it to say one was authentic looking  whereas the other was so beautified and touristy it resembled a cute Cotswold village...It was full of arty type shops making Etruscan style things.....mind you that opinion could well have been because we were so hot and jaded.....

Etruscan archway-the slots were for a drawbridge mechanism

natural indentations in the Tufo rock..enlarged by Etruscans..

Perugia...Orvieto

 Perugia is  a very hilly city...my legs got really tired..if not from cycling, then from being a tourist with visits to Assisi and Orvieto .

 I think the most outstanding feature of the area for Alex and I as cyclists has been the very bad road surface with long wide cracks and large deep  holes to fall in to and with huge lumps of tree root raised bitumen at the edge of the road, occasionally extending well into the centre.,,made downhills  more than somewhat a bit exciting!

Assisi and to me this ..looks a bit non Christian in such a Christian city

Orvieto..so many photo opps

a luxury ??"motorbike", with  4 wheels

loads of interesting benches along the way..naturally I could only take pix of the empty ones!

recycling

yet another bench

16th century well..248 steps down and ditto up

I think I'm a bit over history and ruins etc!  Just as well we have only 6 more days of mixing being a tourist and training.  Today we move to Pitigliano..a hill top town in Tuscany know for it's Jewish community in pre WW2 days.