This is not about one place but is our thoughts as we exit Italy and head back to the UK.
We have thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality of the Italians over the last few weeks. Not just the scenery has been amazing, but the people have been too, consistently generous and patient. We have travelled about 2500km on Italian roads which have been a fair mix but thankfully in better state than those in Sheffield. If you are thinking of a driving tour, Italy is perfect, great fun even, especially on Elba.
From the environmental perspective, driving ourselves to Italy has ever so slightly higher CO² emissions than flying, and obviously takes quite a bit longer, the actual travel time is just a few hours more though when taking check-in times and travel to and from airports into account, and you get to see some amazing scenery on the way. Perhaps air travel makes things a bit too accessible though without thinking of the environmental impact? At least in the car you see the fuel going in and count the miles down. We do hold shares in windfarms to hopefully offset our fuel consumption a bit. Obviously going nowhere is best for the environment.
Talking of transport and the environment, rail is by far the best means of getting around. Italy has publicly owned rail, the stations are clean, trains are electrified and travel is cheap. We were first introduced to them travelling from Sorrento to Rome via Naples and had no problems. This time we used them to get into Venice off the mainland and also into Florence, the latter having a few minor delays but all the journeys being of consistent quality. Rail is certainly a good alternative to driving in Italy and easily drops you into the centre of the major cities.
It’s impossible not to form comparisons with what is available at home and I must say the UK comes off lacking. A journey from Rome to Naples is roughly the same distance as from Sheffield to London. The Italian 1hr 10min journey is roughly £20, the UK trip from Sheffield to London £62 and takes twice as long. This route is with East Midlands which is a UK private company but other routes are not, 70% of our rail network is wholly or partly owned by foreign states. If that journey was from Southend to London the £12 fare goes to the same company that runs the Italian train network, TrenItalia, so the Italian government. TransPennine who route past Bamford are 45% owned by France, in 2012 £22.55m of profit went to the French public purse. This has absolutely nothing to do with the EU or Brexit, it was our choice to sell off the railways but it is beyond me why we have just passed up the opportunity to at least start to ‘take back control’ of the East Coast Mainline which is clearly a profitable business.
Things seem a lot more expensive since we were last in Italy back in 2014. This might be explained by the exchange rate. Since we planned this jaunt we have seen the once rock solid Great British Pound fluctuate from the now unlikely highs of 1.197 in April to a depressing 1.128. Back when we were running the brewery there would be hell to pay if 1p was put on a pint, the changes in exchange rate just while we have been here have added 25p to a beer here. Everything is more expensive, from accommodation, food or just parking to access the beach. That might sound like a rather pathetic statement from someone who has just had an epic holiday but it’s not just the Euro that is getting stronger, the pound is down on the $ too and going back to the brewery, most hops are imported, speciality malts again are imported, consumables like keykegs are imported. That leaves only water from Britain… and in a similar vein as the railways, our supplier was set to be sold off to Canada and Kuwait back in 2013. It wasn’t just because of Brexit that we sold the brewery, but it was a major factor, and looking back now we are glad we are out as things are only going to get harder for the industry. It also means we can enjoy jaunts like this one while we can.
On a few occasions Italians have tentatively asked us about Brexit and our PM calling that dubious snap general election where she lost all mandate to do anything. We have been a bit lost for words but perhaps the view from America shows just how well we are being perceived at the moment abroad. It’s a topic we have tried to steer clear of when possible – while strenuously confirming our desire to Remain whenever asked.
The trip to La Foce triggered us to read the incredible war diaries by Iris Origo. They offer an unfiltered glimpse of life in Italy during WW2 when Italy was also fighting a civil war against 20 years of fascism. The stories of unquestioning goodwill given to anyone who needed it is humbling & certainly makes us feel very privileged. Origo chronicles how even the peasantry gave what they could to refugees, escaped prisoners and deserters without discrimination, while having very little to begin with and risking all by giving that little support. It contrasts sharply with our own country’s reaction to the refugee crisis – when we have an abundance compared to the peasants of war torn Italy. It’s especially interesting to see how the author’s opinion of Fascism changed during the course of the book, initially it was seen as a good thing bringing investment into their country (taking back control?), but then it became apparent over time that it was a disaster.
There is currently clearly a concern in Italy over the recent terrorist atrocities in Europe; around each of the major tourist sites there is a heavy military presence. Although we were aware of the armed soldiers outside the various highly decorated religious buildings, it wasn’t too much of a distraction, just an unfortunate reminder of recent events. I wouldn’t call the sight of a group of armed soldiers a comfort but it’s easy to forget about, once presented with the visual delights of a Duomo. Outside of the major sights this isn’t the case, so if you are planning on lazing on a sun-drenched beach or driving through the Tuscan hillside to Orvietto / Castello Di Brolio then you are unlikely to bump into the army.
In planning our route we tried to mix up the towns and beaches to avoid fresco fatigue while still hitting the main sites. We had purposefully picked May/June to try and pre-empt the high temperatures of summer but for the duration of our jaunt we have had just one day of rain (in Germany) and the temperature has been unseasonably hot. The convertible has been great fun but we have frequently needed the top up during the midday sun to escape the heat. The MX-5 has certainly met the Italian requirements for Bella Figura in either top down / up mode, being met with signs of approval from the locals.
In summary, Italy is as good as we remember. If you are thinking of having a weekend break to Rome, a week on the Amalfi coast or a several weeks touring Tuscany then be assured you are going to have a great time.