VILLA LE MARSCHE

We camped out here for 3 nights- va va voom. A restored villa and such a setting. Wow!

Per their web site:

THE RESTORATION OF VILLA LE MASCHERE

A painstaking restoration lasting 5 years, executed in accordance with the Soprintendenza per i Beni architettonici di Firenze (Superintendent of Architectural Property of Florence), has brought Villa le Maschere back to new life. This restoration has helped recover the decorative work of Tito Chini, the many stuccoes throughout the complex, the venetian style floors, and the beautiful frescoes by the school of painter Francesco Furini, for many years hidden under layers of plaster.
These art treasures now occupy some of the resort’s bedrooms: two impressive statues of young girls carved by Giovanni Battista Foggini at the end of the seventeenth century decorate suite 915 (which is dedicated to the artist); the decorative floral reliefs by Tito Chini embellish room 115; delicate eighteenth-century frescoes ‘illuminate’ suite 901 where Pope Pius IX once slept.

What kind of money did they put into this place? What kind of return on investment does the corporation expect? Does the Italian government subsidize these types of facilities?

What was the cost for this extensive renovation? What kind of return on investment is this? Boca is doing the math and is not computing? Does the government have tax credit or subsidy on historic situations?

But as Bubs said at check out- "the collar didn't match the cuffs".

Our last dinner out on the terrace- what a view.

And Pleep, yet again, ran up quite the bar bill.

We check out at Villa Mascchere- gorgeous grounds but the service did not match the stunning property. No wonder they don't command a higher room rate. It is corporately owned and no personal touch as expected in a villa. They have been open 8 years, so it's not growing pains. As Francesca the desk manager barked- "we do not have American standards!" Huh? Maybe there is a more fitting job for her ....in the kitchen?

Oh you mean the pedicure the gal gave me in the spa where she had to remove the nail polish 4 times and dug an dental pick into my toe- oops. You mean those standards?

Hoping this does not happen to me:

Back on the bus. As mentioned, our coach has wi-fi and outlets for our phones/computers. Boca had been using it- or thought she was recharging her computer. She laid her usb port on top of the picture day after day and couldn't figure out why it wasn't charging. Well duh, ya need to stick to usb in the port.

Comfort stop for our hydraulics. Pleep saw his Italian cousin and treated him to a fizzy. Eww...soooooooooo sweet.

The gold dust twins thought a little Lindt chocolate would be just what their sweet tooth called for that morning.

And ol'Boca finally found a stash of Pringles that would handle her salt craving.

Pizza on the coach always hits the mark.

And check out those gorgeous mountains... notice anything unusual. Hello Carrera marble mountains.

ROLL OVER MICHEALANGELO- HELLO DAVID. I would have loved to have done the tour-hot Italian boy toy in a 4x4-quarrying around. Tour info:

Carrara Marble Quarry

Famous for its white and blue-grey marble, the Carrara Marble Quarry has contributed to iconic structures such as the Pantheon and Trajan's Column in Rome, as well as a variety of Renaissance sculptures including Michelangelo's David.

Sitting on the Carrione River, the quarry is about 60 miles from Florence and was named for the nearby city of Carrara in Italy's Tuscany region. More than 600 other mine sites sit in the Alpuan Alps above the city, about half of which are either abandoned or emptied of marble, given that they have produced more marble than any other place in the world.

A 4x4 jeep tour can take travelers up to the highest mines in the quarry, with the first stop being in Colonnata, an ancient village at 1,700 feet that is home to some of the most impressive marble quarries and magnificent views of the surrounding area. Next is the central quarry at Fantiscritti, which offers more great views and a small museum, while the final quarry is Torano. Note that all of the quarries can only be visited externally. Pleep was all ready with his miner hat. Dang.

But all we had time for was a drive by. Do you have Carrera marble in your kitchen? Bath? I remember in the 90's when a gal pal from LA flew over here to pick out the perfect slabs for her new house. That's what happens when your hubby starts California Pizza Kitchen. I didn't understand why in the heck she would want to...but hey it gets you closer to Gucci and Milano for some fino shopping. Now I get it. Duh.

Along the highway for miles....slabs and slabs of marble. By the end of the 19th century, Carrara had become a cradle of anarchism in Italy, in particular among the quarry workers. According to a New York Times article of 1894, workers in the marble quarries were among the most neglected labourers in Italy. Many of them were ex-convicts or fugitives from justice. The work at the quarries was so tough and arduous that almost any aspirant worker with sufficient muscle and endurance was employed, regardless of their background.

The quarry workers and stone carvers had radical beliefs that set them apart from others. Anarchism and general radicalism became part of the heritage of the stone carvers. Many violent revolutionists who had been expelled from Belgium and Switzerland went to Carrara in 1885 and founded the first anarchist group in Italy. In Carrara, the anarchist Galileo Palla remarked, “even the stones are anarchists.” The quarry workers were the main protagonists of the Lunigiana revolt in January 1894. Is that where the saying "stone cold killer" came from?

How in the heck did she know one slab from another? Oh now I am really getting it- those cute, cut Italiano guys who haul the stuff around. Double duh.

So onward and upward, hey what is that? Am I seeing a submarine next to that ship? Yup. And who knew the Italians had a Navy?

The Cinque Terre (meaning "Five Lands") is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia, and comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.

5 little villages tucked in the mountains along the coast line? How cool is that?

The place was jam packed with tourists.

Another intense driving venture around the switchbacks...who in the heck started farming up here?

The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trans, and boats connect the villages- no cars allowed.

The first historical documents on the Cinque Terre date back to the 11th century. Monterosso and Vernazza sprang up first, while the other villages grew later, under military and political supremacy of the Republic of Genoa. In the 16th century to oppose the attacks by the Turks, the inhabitants reinforced the old forts and built new defence towers. From the year 1600, the Cinque Terre experienced a decline which reversed only in the 19th century, thanks to the construction of the Military Arsenal of La Spezia and to the building of the railway line between Genoa and La Spezia. The railway allowed the inhabitants to escape their isolation, but also brought about abandonment of traditional activities. The consequence was an increase in poverty which pushed many to emigrate abroad, at least up to the 1970s, when the development of tourism brought back wealth.

Unlike the common belief that house colors originated to distinguish the fisherman's houses, they were not painted until the late 1970s. A tourist attraction? The only village that used fishing as its main industry was Monterosso. The locals lived off vineyards and olive cultivation. So how do they get their grapes and olives off these steep mountains?

Here ya go Boca- they designed a simple system that helps them haul up and down.

Come on Bubs we can do it---we are on a down hill stroll.

Trekking and Boca- those words surely do not go together.

Come on Boca it's a piece of cake.

And my favorite Sherpa ambled down the road praying "dear Lord don't let her buy anything down this hill that I have to hump back".

Pleep get down from that clock!

Finally, the waters edge-we watch the kids and moms have some fun in the beautiful ocean.

And there are our two Golden Girls- grabbing a little sun and a few pics.

As soon as Pleep saw this girl leap...he was next in line.

Me next!!!!

Such a colorful village but where's the retail therapy?

Finally, a church!

Our guide gives us the particulars- hey, is that a skeleton/skull? Yup.

In a church?

Pleep said " must have had a Pirate Priest-cool"!

The church was in a shambles and in need of a significant make over (much like Boca at this point) so it is now a "museum" for tourists.

Time for the boat ride to the next village. Keep moving along Bubs- never mind the heat, the mob of people and the never ending steps and rocks.

Cinque's version of the Hop on Hop Off Buss.

Come on Bub, one more hill- you can do it!

Who lives here? Ya have to walk down the hill and probably a camel to get home. Must say not a fat local in sight and I can see why- lots of climbing and trudging around these parts. In fact, this is a trekkers heaven, hiking the trails from one town to another. Not quite a Boca spot.