While we are standing on the station platform at Salerno waiting for our train to Florence to commence boarding, a wonderful rain shower blows in and freshens everything up. We have seen very little rain since we have been in Italy, almost all of it here in Vietri and Salerno and every time it has been a welcome change.
This train is nothing like the one from Catania to Salerno. Big plush seats, air conditioning that works and boy does this thing go! The section from Salerno to Naples is taken fairly easily; a crawl at 240kph. Once we are on the Naples to Rome stretch the driver gives his charge its head and we are away. The speed the train is travelling is displayed at the front of the carriage so although it doesn't really feel like we are moving that fast, the display shows as we quickly reach 300kph. Our entire trip of 520 kilometres from Salerno to Florence is completed in just over three hours.
Now I don't know if my navigating skills have left me completely or if it is just the lack of a decent map on this trip but we are feeling unsure of our location much of the time. I probably should have taken the time to invest in a good map. We have been relying on screenshots of Google maps on the smartphone and these are not brilliant navigation aids. The car we have rented this time has onboard navigation but we haven't figured out how to use it. It tells us where we are but not how to get to where we are going. So getting out of Florence to find our next stay is challenging. Miraculously, after being very certain that we on completely the wrong road, we find that we are going the right way after all.
Greve in Chianti is about half an hour or so from Florence. Our accommodation is a further five kilometres up the hill from the town, much of it is dirt road. We are situated in the heart of the Tuscan hills. As we pull into the property all we can say is "wow!"
B&B Le Cetinelle is picture postcard gorgeous. The stone two storey main building has timber shutters and is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. They produce their own wine, olive oil and honey here. The owners live in another detached stone house which mirrors the main house in construction materials but reflects a more modern style. All about are roses, wisteria and geraniums, while shade is provided by all kinds of trees. And the view is amazing. Perched at an altitude of over 600metres, we overlook an endless series of rolling hills each topped with another stone villa or small village.
This train is nothing like the one from Catania to Salerno. Big plush seats, air conditioning that works and boy does this thing go! The section from Salerno to Naples is taken fairly easily; a crawl at 240kph. Once we are on the Naples to Rome stretch the driver gives his charge its head and we are away. The speed the train is travelling is displayed at the front of the carriage so although it doesn't really feel like we are moving that fast, the display shows as we quickly reach 300kph. Our entire trip of 520 kilometres from Salerno to Florence is completed in just over three hours.
Now I don't know if my navigating skills have left me completely or if it is just the lack of a decent map on this trip but we are feeling unsure of our location much of the time. I probably should have taken the time to invest in a good map. We have been relying on screenshots of Google maps on the smartphone and these are not brilliant navigation aids. The car we have rented this time has onboard navigation but we haven't figured out how to use it. It tells us where we are but not how to get to where we are going. So getting out of Florence to find our next stay is challenging. Miraculously, after being very certain that we on completely the wrong road, we find that we are going the right way after all.
Greve in Chianti is about half an hour or so from Florence. Our accommodation is a further five kilometres up the hill from the town, much of it is dirt road. We are situated in the heart of the Tuscan hills. As we pull into the property all we can say is "wow!"
B&B Le Cetinelle is picture postcard gorgeous. The stone two storey main building has timber shutters and is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. They produce their own wine, olive oil and honey here. The owners live in another detached stone house which mirrors the main house in construction materials but reflects a more modern style. All about are roses, wisteria and geraniums, while shade is provided by all kinds of trees. And the view is amazing. Perched at an altitude of over 600metres, we overlook an endless series of rolling hills each topped with another stone villa or small village.
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