Now for the PIctures....

You heard all about it in the emails, now for the real thing, some pictures of beautiful Italy.
1.Cruise ship at Portofino
2. Duomo, Florence
3. Rooftops of Assisi
4. Ponte Vecchio, Florence

Echuca Wharf NSW Side

Boyd

Echuca Wharf Area

Remember Ravenswood?

I still haven't recieved any prints.

Arrieverdici Roma

Bongiorno everyone

We have arrived back in Rome again (seems more like home every time) after our trip to the Amalfi Coast which was fantastic.

We stayed in a fancy schmancy hotel (1st class) which is a big step up from the rest of the trip. Pompeii was really great and made all the more interesting by the humorous Italian guide. Sorrento was beautiful and even turned on the sunshine. Took a bus trip to Positano and Amalfi but thought Sorrento was the pick of them. Our day trip to the island of Capri was a real hit especially the boat trip to the blue grotto, more details later. We were taken to a couple of fancy shopping places, eg inlaid woodwork stuff that did not really take our fancy but we did find Pierre Cardin scarves in our price range (yes, more scarves!)All in all it was an action packed 3 days and all in full luxury.

Today we have spent shopping and people watching in Rome and have just learnt that our flights home have maybe been delayed and we could be stranded in Bangkok.... Oh well that's travel for you. We certainly have the italians worked out by now though and are thinking about writing our own Survive Italy guide.

We have also made a shortlist of the jobs we would like to secure in Italy,

Museum/art gallery attendant - they sit on a chair looking bored all day watching all us crazy tourists file past

A member of the Carabinere(miltary police) they drive around in little cars in fancy uniforms (with guns) they smoke, drink coffee and also look very bored.

The whistle blower at the Vittore Emmanuel monument. He watches the tourists with his eagle eye and if you dare sit on the steps or any other part of the monument he blows his whistle at you with great gusto.

An antique shop owner - as you pass their shops they are inbvariably recling on the most comfortable chair in the shop blowing smoke rings in the air and looking very bored.

Vatican Post Office attendant - it must take a lot of practice to get the hang of hurling the stamps at the customers followed by frisbeeing the change back to them.

A gondolier, they spend all day standing around in their cute little stripey tops and straw hats waiting for unsuspecting clients. Mind you, you have to have the profession handed to you by your forebears so that could prove difficult.

WC attendant, in the better establishments you get to wipe the seat and spray air freshner between customers and all for 30 or 50 cents!

A female gabo collector, they wear full makeup with their trendy orange overalls and have mastered the art of driving those crazy trucks with nearly as much finesse as Michael Shumaker.

AND we have discovered that they have junk mail in Italy so there is always a job for us there although the numbers of steps and stairs might be a worry.

We have observed all the above professions require similar job criteria, ie

Perfect "the look", it is not a sneer just a "down your nose once up and down" bored sort of a look, do not smile. Learn to continue to speak to your friends whilst serving a customer (they should not interrupt your private business!) Have plenty of time for siesta, expresso coffee and cigarette breaks.

We should point out that this is only the Romans, their arch rivals the Milanese are much more like ourselves and work non stop.

The rest of the stuff of our trip you will no doubt hear first hand when we make it home. Thank you so much to those that have been sending messages. I was not homesick but after locating an internet cafe in each town and spending so much time (and euros) typing away it is nice to know that the messages have reached you all out there.

CIAO for now

Vicki Harrington