Youngs Abroad!: Another great day in Italy..

Another epic journey but what an amazing day. Up early so that we could be at the Royal Palace in Caserta by 8.30, when it opened. That was a good plan as, by the time we left, there were queues of people waiting to buy tickets. As yet, it is not too well known and we were able to enjoy the visit with out hoards of other tourists.

Dwarfed by the scale of Caserta

Building started in 1752 and it has 1200 rooms - imagine doing the house work! When were were walking along the corridors, you could just see room after room disappearing into the distance. It was amazing. Some the furniture and fittings are still in place and even the fabrics look as if they haven’t been replaced and they are almost falling apart. Fresco paintings on the ceilings, ornate stone and marble carvings and fantastic marble patterned floors. Most of Caserta was bombed during the war, but thankfully the Palace was spared.

Behind the building is the most amazing garden. We hired bikes and it took us about 20 minutes just to cycle to the end of the park. From the far end you can look down toward the Palace and see the ponds,waterfalls and fountains that are fed from a specially built aqueduct and stream from 40 km away. There is also an English garden which is 25 hectares and includes statues from Pompei. It really was ‘jaw-dropping’ as everything was so expansive.

After leaving the Palace, we managed to find our way back to the shopping mall from the day before and Ella bought a pair of shoes - that make four pair!

Back onto the motorway and a four hour drive North, avoiding the crazy Rome traffic and heading to Saturnia, in Tuscany. We came to visit the area because of the natural hot pools (Terme de Saturnia) that have been formed by the calcium in the water. It is like a small version the Pink and White Terraces and something we wanted to see having read about it years ago. The reality did not disappoint. Again, there were very few tourists apart from Italians and the only other English we have heard was from a Canadian family we spoke to. There are Hotel Spas with hot pools fed from the river, but being able to sit in the natural pools was far more fun. As yet, there is no charge and people,especially the locals, come and go as they please - just fantastic.

Our hotel is an old stone farmhouse, surrounded by trees, overlooking the valley and with the sound of birds everywhere. It is such a nice change from the city, and there are at least three cats!

Another pizza dinner in a local restaurant. Can’t believe how quickly they days are racing by now, tomorrow is our last full day in Italy. We will meet up with the Browns again before we all fly to Dubai.