Some more pics...
I'd passed by Pisa's Campo di Miracoli on my inter-railing trips in the 80s, and was determined not to leave it out once again.
This complex of beautiful Romanesque building is set on a wide lawn next to the walls in the north-west corner of the city. Wherever you roam you are bound to be ruining somebody's photo, but in spite of the frantic hordes, it's a very rewarding piece of sightseeing.
All three structures were intentionally off-perpendicular, though over time the famous tower has come to seem more and more like an outrageous folly.
The outskirts of Pisa have one of the classic Italian 'squareabouts' - essentially a four-way crossroads with no traffic-lights or obvious indications of right of way.
Grottaferrata is one of those places whose name is hard for English-speakers to pronounce without sounding either over or under cultured. It's a quiet suburb of Rome, one of the Castelli Romani beneath which the lights of the eternal city twinkle enticingly every night. At its northern edge it blends with Frascati, famed worldwide for its unpleasant wine.
One of the best meals we had in Italy was on the eve of the wedding at Il Sentiero in Rocca di Papa, a winding 15 minute drive from the Villa Grazioli. By the time all the flights carrying family and friends from around the world had unloaded, it wasn't until after 10:30pm that a group of around 50 of us set off for this informal four course meal. That the restaurant could serve such great food to that many people, that late, is a testament to its quality. The wine was also superb (apparently not the local stuff served at the reception) and only cost 5 euros a bottle, so many of the guests looked a little drained in the church the next day.
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