Tango Moments: Two days in Sperlonga

Well the first two days here in Sperlonga have just raced by. Yesterday we went driving to a smallish town called Terracina. We had planned some slightly more 'beachy' activities, but the day dawned grey and showery.

Terracina is a very typical seaside town which is obviously very busy during the high summer months. The 'Information Centre' was closed - either its because its Monday, or because there are no tourists around yet! Have some lunch and then decide to get 'Kate' to navigate us up to a huge historical structure that we can see high on a hill above the town. It ends up being the remains of a massive temple 'Tempio di Giove (Jupiter) Anxur', and what is left is just the lower foundations. Well, its another of those feats of engineering, the majority of which has been razed to the ground by fire. We still wonder how fire can cause total devastation to stone and marble structures??
The day is getting warmer as we wander around.

Head back and get changed into shorts and sandals - and now we are definately recognisable as tourists, as all the locals still have jeans and jackets on. Walk along the beach and sit in the sun, and its hot, and still, and very, very nice.

This is the view from our balcony - nice eh!

So much for the break in the weather though - we had an amazing electrical storm with wind, lightning and thunder when we were halfway through our dinner. The temperature halved in the space of half an hour, and what started as a balmy calm night, ended as a cold windy wet night and a dash back to the hotel.

Raining off and on again this morning so we went to the small town of Gaeta - in the opposite direction of Terracina and about 12 kms away. Again, a pretty town with a tonne of history and interesting narrow alleys to find - and drive down - and more forts to discover :)

Narrow alley we are just about to enter - may have even been '2-way' - but we didnt hang around long enough to find out!

So, all day the weather has been alternately drizzly and sunny and yet mild. No worries though for us as we are happy pottering about and exploring.

We are just back from a walk in the old town part of Sperlonga. We are staying in the new part down at sea level, which by NZ standards is still old. The old part on the hill is SO interesting though. It has been on the same hill on the edge of the sea and in its strategic position since 1125 or so. A few 'razing to the ground and rebuilding' episodes later and its still incredible. The outside edge of the town is quite impenetrable - or could be if needed - and inside its a maze of walking-only alleys and covered walkways. Very different to anything else we have seen. Plus lots of vantage points to observe the 'enemy'. Plus there are cats everywhere! One corner we rounded, Craig counted 7 of them just sitting in the sun. Not great healthy looking characters - a bit thin and wary and very streetwise!