Settling into Ascoli Piceno

It started out this morning as a beautiful warm late spring day. We picked up our laundry and had breakfast and decided that today would be a great day to head up the coast towards Ancona and visit some beaches.

This is the first little beach we called into. Its called Cupra Marittima and its flat, white and smooth and was almost deserted except for one young lady walking briskly in a bikini.

We kept on driving up the coast and it started to get cloudy, then darker and then rain. We were only wearing light clothes and had no jackets so decided to head home.

On the way back we called into a little town up on top of a hill called Camerano, and had in mind to have a bite to eat and a coffee. Well... Kate (you remember her from my previous story?), decided that we could do with some excitement, considering that the day had not gone as well as we had planned.

She navigated us into a series of alleys that got progressively smaller and smaller until we had about 3 inches space on either side of the car. The alleys were curving around and flanked with huge high medieval stone walls and you couldn't see what was coming up. Craig was totally freaking out as he drove us at a 'baby crawling' pace along these alleyways. If we had become stuck I have no idea what we would have done. My Italian night classes didnt include translation exercises in 'explaining to rental car company why you were driving their car in an alley big enough for a bicycle'. However we did make it through and didnt scratch the car. I only wish I had been quick enough to grab the video camera - but I was too busy hanging on, and reassuring the driver :)

We made it back without a hitch on the fantastic Autostrada. Speed limit of 130 and its such a lovely wide multi-lane highway you dont feel as if you are even going that fast.

Once back and in warm clothes, we headed out for a drink. It was 4pm by now and definately drinkies time. So we ordered a glass of local red wine each and this is what came complimentary with the drinks. We have had a complimentary small bowl of peanuts or chippies before, but never anything to this degree. It included baby tomatoes, a slice of soft mozzerella cheese, proscuitto ham, olives, grisini sticks and corn chips and was lovely.

We have been away 5 weeks now and it is starting to feel like it. We are finding that conversations are starting to revolve around the things we are planning to do around the property when we get back, and the pizzas we will cook in the new pizza oven, and the tango festival, and seeing family and friends, and cuddles from the grandchildren - hoping they still remember us!