Today the girls got their first taste of Positano with a walk from our villa to Eden Roc Hotel and back.
The stop at the hotel was an excellent chance for a drink and to catch up with Carlo who manages the bar and restaurant. As always he had some great tips for places to eat in and around Positano although tomorrow evening we will be enjoying his hospitality with dinner on the terrace overlooking the bay.
On the way back to the villa Jean and the girls posed for the classic Positano photo.
We arrived in Positano on Saturday after a 5 hour drive from Tuscany to the warmest, friendliest greeting from the staff at Eden Roc Hotel. We aren’t staying at the hotel but have rented a villa they own called Villa Greta. The villa is situated just along the main road, 10 minutes easy walk from the hotel.
When we arrived there were fresh flowers on the table, wine and fresh fruit in the fridge and a home made cake on the bench. A lovely touch by the hotel we thought.
Compared to our cottage in Tuscany the villa is huge and everyone is enjoying the additional space and various mod cons – like a dishwasher.
The dogs have recovered from the drive south and have settled in. They already bark at everyone walking past on the street – much to the delight of the locals.
We normally arrive at Positano later in July but the good news is that the weather is great and the temperature is around 30 degrees. The town doesn’t feel packed and the superyachts are just starting to arrive in the bay. The bonus is that we can use the hotel facilities – pool, bar, restaurant, did I mention the pool, etc – so we have the best of both worlds.
It’s time for a holiday from our holiday. That’s right, the whole Mowday clan is moving from Tuscany to Positano (on the beautiful Amalfi Coast) for a fortnight. We’ve rented an apartment which is owned by the lovely people who also own and run Eden Roc Hotel, our favourite hotel in Positano. Updates to follow.
Poppie ready for the trip to Positano.
Saturday 2 July is the day of the Palio in Siena. The day horses representing the various contrada or districts of Siena race around the Campo for glory. We are heading south to Positano that day but were in Siena on Thursday evening and got wrapped up in the rehearsal for the Palio where they test the race track (and presumably the other things that go with the race).
Because the track runs through the various bars and restaurants that ring the Campo (yes, actually through their outdoor seating areas) they were all shutting early so the track could be cleared. The stands for spectators are behind the bars/restaurants and temporary grandstands had been in place for a week.
We had taken the dogs in with us so they could have their summer hair cuts and we were sitting in our favourite Campo bar when things started happening around us. Tables and chairs were being put away and last orders called – all at 6:30pm.
We knew the rehearsal was due to start at 7pm so we moved into the stands directly behind the bar and made ourselves comfortable. By this time, there were quite large crowds in the Campo, with groups supporting their contrada with songs, chants and general noisiness. It soon became apparent that the stands were all reserved, in fact quite large sums of money are spent to ensure a good spot.
A nice man explained that we were in the seats they had reserved but that we could move to the centre of Campo where viewing was free. We took the hint and moved – us, the dogs and associated paraphernalia out of the stands, across the track and into the central area.
The view wasn’t quite as good but the crowd was friendly and the dogs were settling. Within minutes, two things happened. Firstly we felt the first few raindrops that can signal a Tuscan downpour and secondly some polite officials told us that dogs were not allowed at the Palio as they might scare the horses so we had to leave.
Clearly the god of the Palio wasn’t on our side.
We, once again, collected everything together and headed off. By this stage the crowd was huge and the exits were not easy to find. The track was close to being closed off and the rain had started to fall heavily. Also, did I mention the temperature was around 28 degrees and we were carrying the dogs so they didn’t get trampled underfoot?
We eventually found an exit and pushed, prodded, and poked our way through. We found a place to shelter from the rain but this was a token gesture as we were completely soaked – rain from outside and perspiration from within.
A soggy, hot walk to the car followed. It seemed we were the only people in Siena heading away from the Campo as we were passed by groups of laughing, happy and dry locals.
There is a second Palio in mid August and we are keen to attend – but we just need to get some tickets first. Sadly the girls get to stay home that day.
In the last few days summer has really arrived in Tuscany. Temperatures have been around 30 degrees and the pace of life has slowed accordingly. Today we spent the middle of the day beside the pool and only when the temperature had dropped in the early evening did we venture out.
Jean and the girls at a cafe in Buonconvento
About 15 minutes down the road is the town of Buonconvento, a delightful place with an old town centre that has been developed over the years. We stayed in a villa only a couple of minutes from the town in 2004 and remember the town as utilitarian at best. Now it is a thriving tourist and artistic centre and definitely worth visiting if you are in the area.
The trip there and back is through farmland much of which is now planted in Sunflowers which are starting to bloom. When our visitors arrive in mid July, they should be looking great.
The girls
When we arrived back at the cottage the daily display that is the sunset was well underway. Although a camera can never do justice to this spectacle, here’s my best attempt.
Sunset over Siena - June 28
Jean and I have taken hundreds of photographs over the last few months. We’ve put a selection of them into an album on our MobileMe site.
There are some shots we have used in the blog but a lot of new ones. Follow the link and have a look.
I thought I had posted this photograph before but looking back, I haven’t. It’s the day the whole family went to Siena. And in true form Jean is looking lovely, Poppie is looking cute and Daisy (partly obscured) is, well, see for yourself.
The Mowday family in the Campo, Siena.
Having explored as far afield as Radda in Chianti north of Siena and Buonconvento in the south, yesterday we strayed closer to home in Monteroni D’Arbia. This small hamlet is only 10 minutes from the cottage and is the centre of our small district.
We first visited on market day about 3 weeks ago when the main shopping area was filled with stalls selling everything from clothes to meat to household appliances. Every day of the week there is a market in another local town and, rather than them just being a tourist attraction, they are an important part of local life both economically and socially.
We attracted quite a bit of attention walking around, possibly because of our inherent elegance, but more likely because we had the girls with us. Daisy will, as you know gentle reader, take on any dog she sees be it Doberman or Chihuahua so our walk through the market involved a ballet of side steps and distractions as we spotted any oncoming dogs.
Without the market Monteroni D’Arbia is still a delightful place to walk and browse the local shops. It’s not a picture postcard Tuscan village but rather a good honest working town. We stopped for a drink in the cafe on the main road and Jean shopped for plants and containers for our front verandah over the summer. Once again our mix of bad Italian, sign language and the good nature of the locals triumphed and we returned home with everything we wanted – including takeout pizza and beer for dinner.
All up, a good day.
Daisy had her 14th birthday in January. This would make her about 85 in human years and like any elderly person she is slowing down. Things that were easy for her a year ago are now a challenge. A walk around the property in the evening wears her out, her back legs seem to have a mind of their own occasionally, and when she does the head to tail shake on the tiled floor often she ends up flat on her stomach with legs splayed.
Admirably she take all this in her stride and soldiers on.
She is still her cantankerous, independent, stubborn old self. She dutifully protects the cottage from any potential intruders including Mrs Patrizia and Fabiana when they deliver our fresh laundry or simply call in for a chat.
Daisy sleeping
Lately Daisy has struggled to jump up onto the bed at night and will grudgingly accept a helping hand up when it’s offered. If no help is forthcoming being Daisy she simply finds somewhere else to sleep – in this case on my neatly folded clothes on the shelf just inside the bedroom door.
I used to think it was noise cancelling headphones. But I was wrong. Headphones might be good for the luxury traveller taking short jaunts to foreign climes but for us long term, hard core, down to earth travellers the perfect companion is a Leatherman Blast.
My "must have" travel accessory.
I was given the aforementioned tool for my 50th birthday – thank you Charmaine, Mike and James – and it has proved invaluable. It can cut, screw, saw or slice pretty much anything. Whether it’s mundane tasks like tightening a screw on a wobbly pot handle or more exotic uses like an ice pick to de-ice a dodgy fridge, it’s ideal.
Recently it was put to use erecting some temporary wire fencing around our terrace to give Daisy and Poppie some indoor/outdoor flow without the chance of them doing a runner.
Mission accomplished thanks largely to the Blast.
One warning, if you bring something like this on holiday don’t pack it in your hand luggage. The 4 inch knife blade might be a bit tough to explain to those nice gentlemen from Homelands Security.
Poppie meets the new fence.
It was as simple as driving to Folkestone, flashing our passports at a seriously un-interested french customs officer sitting in a little booth and boarding the channel tunnel train.
Onboard the Chunnel Train.
Thirty five minutes later you drive off at Calais and head into Europe. Importantly remembering to drive on the other side of the road.
Bon Jour France.
Having got the dogs here and then having had them treated for various things that might affect them in the UK and Italy, Poppie’s body finally said – enough.
One unhappy little dog
It was the most innocuous treatment – essentially an English version of Frontline – that proved the last straw and saw her transform from a happy little dog to a very agitated, unhappy and unwell dog in the space of 2 hours.
For the last 5 days she has only wanted to sit on someone’s lap or hide herself among the pillows on the bed. The world has held no interest for her and she just wanted everyone to go away and let her be.
After 3 trips to vet and a total bill of £250, we were none the wiser but were armed with skin washes, antihistamines and antibiotics, all the things that might help.
But in the end it was time that did the trick. But it’s fair to say we will be looking for an alternative treatment for fleas and other crawlies for Poppie in the future.
“You’re taking your dog? No, really?” was pretty much the standard reaction we got when we told people the whole family was travelling to Italy. For these of you who don’t know, our family consists of Daisy and Poppie – Bichon Frise dogs which can best be described as small, white, fluffy with attitude.
Thanks to the team at VenturePet in New Zealand, Jean’s diligent research on moving dogs around the world and around $5,000 they made the trip to the UK.
Heathrow's Animal Reception Centre
After we arrived at Heathrow, collected our bags and collected our new Peugeot lease car we drove to the aptly named “Animal Reception Centre” to collect the girls.
This was where all the paperwork, vaccinations and research came together. The wait seemed eternal as other people received their dogs or cats but there was no sign of our girls. There was nothing we could do, we just waited.
Waiting, waiting, waiting ...
The process was complicated by a computer failure at the centre, but eventually we signed everything we needed to and two noisy happy dogs emerged from the bowels of the building.
In true Bichon style we heard them before we saw them but when they arrived the reception centre lobby turned into a sea of swirling white Bichons much to our relief and the amusement of everyone else.
They're here!
A week later they are displaying no ill effects from the trip apart from a little jet-lag. In fact as I write this, they are both spread eagled on the bed beside me snoring happily.
Jean was so organised before we left that we had an appointment with a vet in our local village. They have now had check ups and we are going through the process of ensuring they are safe from all the bugs that we don’t have in New Zealand, but they do have here – and in Italy.
They also have been issued with genuine EU Pet Passports – so roll on Italy.
The weather we have been having in England has been amazing. Warm sunny days, real shorts and T-shirts weather – ideal for a play in the garden.
To that end, Jean was trying to get Poppie to run around and play but Poppie clearly had other ideas.
Italy is about as far from New Zealand as you can get – both geographically and culturally. We’ve experienced wonderful holidays it Italy for the last decade and the nagging question has always been – what would it be like to live there?
The only way to answer that question was to step out of our comfortable lives in New Zealand and into whatever a life in Italy has to offer. We did that on Wednesday April 6, 2011.
It sounds easy if you say it quickly. But it meant leaving behind family and jobs, renting out our house, storing our precious things and, most importantly, bringing our girls Poppie and Daisy along for the trip.
Poppie and Daisy are our dogs. Small, furry, white Bichon Frise. And they are definitely part of our family.
So what sounded so simple to say turned out to be a tad more complicated and I’m sure the fun is only beginning.
La dolce far niente 