moment. I managed to work out with my feeble brain that, on the maps, the things looking a bit like crotchets represent "castles and palaces and ruined castles and ruined palaces"; alas ! that the maps were not so up-to-date as to present them reliably, regarding either their actual presences or size/importance.
But ruined castles were on my mind, so we went looking for Sorbello. We couldn't see it from the road, but we did find the access road to it. Dammit ! -- it was closed off, with a sign saying it was private property ! How does this happen ...? -- I suppose someone buys it, dunno from whom, and decides they want it all for themselves. Or else they have so much money they're working on re-vamping it and turning it into a wedding venue, or something ... :-\
The other notable thing in this day's driving was the route we chose to get back to Arezzo, up a "yellow" (pfuh !) road the apex of which was around 1,100m; not very high, I am the first to agree, but fairly jaw-clenching when the high bits are on one's left (so the drop is on the right) and a vehicle is approaching to pass ... I very rapidly
But ruined castles were on my mind, so we went looking for Sorbello. We couldn't see it from the road, but we did find the access road to it. Dammit ! -- it was closed off, with a sign saying it was private property ! How does this happen ...? -- I suppose someone buys it, dunno from whom, and decides they want it all for themselves. Or else they have so much money they're working on re-vamping it and turning it into a wedding venue, or something ... :-\
The other notable thing in this day's driving was the route we chose to get back to Arezzo, up a "yellow" (pfuh !) road the apex of which was around 1,100m; not very high, I am the first to agree, but fairly jaw-clenching when the high bits are on one's left (so the drop is on the right) and a vehicle is approaching to pass ... I very rapidly
gave up looking down at such times. In these quasi-mountaineous regions, you can't help but wonder how people can live up there so high, so apparently isolated ... and yet there they are, with a modern car in each driveway as well as the tractor in the fields, and a TV aerial in each roof, and a huge pile of cut wood ready for the cold times ...
Friday 8th March
Travelling: Arezzo - le Ville - Sansepolcro - San Leo - Sovara - Anghiari - Foce di Scopetone - San Severo - Monte della Casina - Foce di Scopetone - Arezzo ..........
Alessia told us about a factory on the outskirts of Anghiari where we could buy shoes at very good prices. Was she right ? -- well, I don't know if "very good" was sufficiently accurate ... CS bought a pair of leather joggers for something like AUD85 that are just beginning to turn up in Sydney now, priced at a little over $300 !
What a place ! -- you could spend a day in there without getting bored ... And this time we did get into Anghiari; we came at it from the other direction, and were kind of prepared for the
Friday 8th March
Travelling: Arezzo - le Ville - Sansepolcro - San Leo - Sovara - Anghiari - Foce di Scopetone - San Severo - Monte della Casina - Foce di Scopetone - Arezzo ..........
Alessia told us about a factory on the outskirts of Anghiari where we could buy shoes at very good prices. Was she right ? -- well, I don't know if "very good" was sufficiently accurate ... CS bought a pair of leather joggers for something like AUD85 that are just beginning to turn up in Sydney now, priced at a little over $300 !
What a place ! -- you could spend a day in there without getting bored ... And this time we did get into Anghiari; we came at it from the other direction, and were kind of prepared for the
