Loretta: We awake to a wet Sunday and head to Termini to buy an all day transport pass. We catch our first metro train to Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus). We observe dogs exercising around this ancient sporting sight and watch with amusement as two Italian mountain bikers fail in their repeated attempts to ride up the sheer grassy wet embankment to via Circo Massimo. We stroll along Via San Sabina and enter the Aventino hilltop gardens to view another impressive...

Giovanni: we are up early and catch a full regional train to Napoli, a city of contrasts. As we walk away from railway station, Napoli Centrale, towards and alongside the docks, we experience some of the odour and garbage refuse issues that have attained notoriety for Napoli in recent years by way of numerous travel shows, news broadcasts and documentaries . However, as we get closer to the Bay and adjacent promenades, those issues diminish. The Bay is in fact,...

Loretta: Unlike Teramo, in Rome, we are not the only tourists. Surprise!!! What ever happened to the quiet season in winter? It becomes blatantly obvious that thousands of people have the same idea as us in regards to the best time to travel in Europe as we reach the Colosseum and find queues a kilometre long. Was it this busy when we were here three years ago? We both agree it wasn't and continue to walk and dodge massive groups of people as we reacquaint ourse...

John: Teramo, Gran Sasso, Abruzzo/Abruzzi region. Yes, hard to get to by rail, but what beautiful country!!!There is so much National Park around this area, it is regarded as the greenest, most natural area in Europe, with many unique flora and fauna species. After hiring a car for the day (yes, left hand drive on RHS of road) and exploring national parks, stunning remote villages in the hills and driving up to the snow covered peaks of the Gran Sasso mountains, ...

Jonaki: Last day in Lucca so we decide to get up late, then catch train to Viareggio to have a look at this supposedly exclusive playground for the rich. As with the Italian beaches that are not in the national parks, in summer there is a beach 'user pays' system, where you have to purchase a ticket to use the beach and facilities. Therefore, most of the beach is fenced off with public access to the sand restricted to a 100 metre stretch. The beach itself is no...