Secret Songs of Silence

last day in Rome

today will be my last day in Rome. I have a ticket for the Galleria Borghese. That's all that has been pre-planned. I might try to go to Ostia Antica in the morning, though.

a night at the opera - a night at the baths

Tonight, my third Opera of my holiday.

Terme di Caracalla

Aida

'nuff said

on to Roma

Today, I should be on a train to Rome.

I tried to buy a ticket in advance.

I have since discovered that many others have had the same problems that I did.

Let's just say the TrenItalia website sucks.

turandot

Today is my last day in Torre del Lago and, tonight, I will see Turandot.

Nessun dorma is certainly now the most well known aria from this opera. Here it is, in a version arranged and sung by the East Village Opera Company, but set to a possibly familiar modern pop culture icon.

Be patient, the aria is there....

And, given that Viareggio is the Italian gay holiday resort, somehow Nessun Dorma seems an appropriate anthem.

Except for that train to Rome that I must catch tomorrow...

my plans for Tuscany - Pietrasanta

On the way to the Cinque Terre, the train will pass through Pietrasanta. I've read that this is an artist's town where sculptor'd work with the marble quarried nearby in Carrara. The Duomo (Cathedral) is supposed ot be very nice. I think it's worth a visit.

live report

We interrupt these pre-planned posts for another live broadcast...

Now that I'm more familiar with Italy and how the place works, it is easier to simply relax and enjoy.

I haven't been back to the gay beach since my one and only day - and subsequent scottatura da sole - but the thought of all that eye-candy is tempting me back.  I explained the term "eye-candy" to a Swiss guest at my B&B this morning; it took a bit of explanantion but was worth it in the end.

The B&B is proving very nice and comfortable.  A fair few guests are here for the week so we chat at breakfast and there is a friendly atmosphere.

I've discovered the joys - or rather penalties - of not stamping your train ticket before you board but I was lucky and escaped with just a €5 fine - I was told it could have been much worse and was entirely at the discretion of the inspector.

Over two days, I have hiked the Cinque Terre.  Wonderful.  Some of the towns are overfull of tourists - though I can't complain since I am one.  But the hike between the towns was entirely worthwhile.

You have to plan some parts of the day carefully - such as buying your bus tickets when the Tabac is open - otherwise it could be a long wait.

Today is a rest day.  Time to do some laundry and then head to Pisa for the brief visit that everyone says is enough.  Lucca is another story.  Lovely, lovely town that might get another visit.

Now back to your scheduled broadcast...

my plans for Liguria - Cinque Terre #2

If I survive my first hike in Cinque Terre then I may come back to hike the remaining part from Monterosso al Mare to Vernazza and to Corniglia.

1. barca da pesca, 2. Monterosso in Cinque Terre, 3. Picturesque village Vernazza, 4. HDR - Boat at Vernazza - Barche a Vernazza, 5. Corniglia, 6. Sunset in Corniglia

my plans for Tuscany - Pisa

Today, I might be in Pisa

A correspondent suggested that I visit Pisa and the leaning tower in the evening when it is nice to climb the tower and watch the sunset!

On another blog, I read: "Pisa, apart from the leaning tower, (which takes five minutes), stinks. It is a not-very pretty factory town with the most souvenier -stand ridden mess around the tower you can imagine."

Hmmm. I guess I'll find out.

old fools

They say there is no fool like an old fool...

So, last saturday, my first day in Torre del Lago, I went to have a look at the beach.  The gay beach. 

As I walked onto the sand, I thought "I'll go barefoot".   So I took my sandals off.  That was my first mistake.  The sand was scorching.  I made a beeline for the waterline where it was cooler.

The place was packed and, at least initially, was quite mixed.  There were families.  And I had forgotten (and never before experienced, it must be said) the fact that european women frequently go topless.  It was interesting to watch a topless mother play in the sea with her young son, help teach him to swim, and ponder that such a thing would never have happened in my youth.

I have jumped ahead of myself slightly.

As I walked up the beach, I decided to sit for a while, to soak up a little sun, and just watch the world go by. I was sitting next to that family.

"Little" is an important word.

It quickly became apparent that, mixed or not, there was some very luscious eye-candy to watch going by.  And watch I did.  (I have decided that I need to get a cell phone; this so I can discretely take pictures.)

I also took my shirt off.  Like you would on a beach.  But I didn't remove my shorts.

After a while, I decided to walk further up the beach.  So, I grabbed my pack and walked - still shirtless - further up the gay area. 

I am now, as a result of all this, the colour of beetroot.  And in quite some discomfort.  Not only is my skin sore, but the very idea of going to the beach again is pretty much out of the question since the only way I could go is dressed in a burka.

And, any fantasies I may have harboured about sex on this holiday are now clearly no more than that - fantasies.  No one is rubbing against my skin until the risk of pain is gone.

And the worst part of this tale?

There was a bottle of sunscreen in my pack.

Like a fool, I kept saying one more minute then I'll go...

my plans for Tuscany - Lucca

Soon after I came back from my holiday Australia in 2002, I chatted briefly with an Irish guy in the Alice Springs chatroom on gaydar. He told me that Lucca was his favourite place in Italy. I've wanted to visit ever since.

Lucca is, apparently, the site of a major comics and games festival every year at Halloween.
1. Lucca, 2. Bicycle´s Lady / La chica de la Bicicleta, 3. Lucca Old City, 4. 031107_Lucca 380