Villa d'Este

No stroller to take up the flight of stairs!

I had a good sleep notwithstanding my head cold is now a chest cold also.

Meant to be away by 8:45 but it was 5 or so minutes later.

Fast walk to Ostiense station. Had to buy tickets and machines were out of order. Fortunately no queue at ticket window so was also able to check if there is a sciopero (strike) tomorrow when I need to go the airport. Also managed to successfully check which platform as what was on the indicator board to Tiburtina was different from what the ticket seller told me and I was able to catch the earlier train (this one was going to Tiburtina with the final destination being Fara Sabina but this wasn't obvious from the information board so I am grateful I got that advice). I need to change at Tiburtina to go to Tivoli.

Got mixed up finding the entry to the platforms but got there in the end - some workmen told me where the platform was. Dirty old train but at least I'm on my way! The weather is great - clear and sunny; not such good weather predicted for tomorrow.

Man! It was a crazy at Tiburtina. Who does Trenitalia pay to do its signage? I was looking for Platform 3Est but arrows pointed this way, that way, one way, then the other way - all within 50 m. I was going slightly crazy (I had only 10 minutes left to catch the next train to Tivoli and an hour to wait if I missed it; it takes an hour to travel there and I wanted to get there before the light became too harsh) so I took a chance that left and right arrows might signal UP since I was near an elevator. My suspicions were semi-confirmed when I saw binario 3Est was at the furtherest side away and two people running so I broke into a trot also. Down more stairs - no information on the indicator board on the platform but I took a chance that the young couple and I were headed in the same direction and jumped on with them.

Cleaner train. With Salone station behind us, we are out into the countryside. Just wonderful! (But I had to listen to a bunch of Germans who talked non-stop all the way!).

Villa d'Este in fact was easy to find from Tivoli station once one got into the centro; well I had some help from the farmacia where I stopped to get some lozenges (pastiglie) and practised my Italian.

Tivoli itself is quite a pleasant town. It has lovely fountains and a promenade with spectacular views over the plain back towards Rome.

And there is an ancient castle - the Rocca Pia.

Villa d'Este is an ornamental 16th century garden: one of the first guardini delle meraviglie; it was an early model for the development of European gardens. 

Built in 1550 for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, the son of Lucrezia Borgia, around an earlier monastery, the building is lavishly decorated with frescoes, reliefs and internal fountains.

The most striking part of the Villa d'Este is its garden; a terraced extravaganza of shady trees and show-stopping fountains. Subsequent cardinals have added to the gardens, which after a period of decay, have been restored in recent decades.

The garden is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of its significance in the history of garden design and its fountains are famous worldwide. The garden features in the opening sequence of the film "Three Coins in the Fountain".

The Villa is a photographer and gardener's delight. Just lovely. I had to pinch myself that I was here. Just have to wait while people practise their portraiture shots (‘selfies’). But I'm in no hurry.

There is a water organ that periodically plays music - as I wandered up, I was in time for this entertainment. I had a picnic lunch of the orange I have been dragging around since Sicilia plus some slices of the left-over cake that the landlord bought us - sorry Kathryn is not here to enjoy it too!

It was very relaxing and all super gorgeous but I eventually decide to return to the upper level - along paths and steps leading through the formal slopes, past more panoramas and fountains. I'm just about out-gardened.

And so to the Villa itself! I had had a wander through the various rooms when I arrived but had been aching to get out to the gardens. In fact I did not spend much more time here on my return. Multiple rooms lavishly frescoed - all very Renaissance. But the garden has been the highlight.

I needed to allow at least half an hour to walk to the station and in fact I take more than this as I meander through the old historic centre of Tivoli, past the (closed) duomo and wind down to the acropolis of the city, overlooking the falls of the Aniene river (which joins the Tiber just north of Rome) and where there are some temple ruins. These are the "Temple of Vesta", a Roman temple dating to the early 1st century BC.

Shops, apart from restaurants and bars, are shut for the afternoon siesta. A bunch of lycra pedal hard over the cobbles and look hot! I find signs to the station and climb the hill. The station master doesn't seem keen to sell tickets and when he IS there he turns people away. I'm glad I got a return ticket this morning.

The train is at the platform but I'll wait until it's closer to the departure time to get on. No aircon on train - and it is hot!!

I see what could be the Abruzzi looming over in the distance and several hilltop towns spilling like icing down the slopes. I always enjoy this - it's the outdoor Italy I like.

The train delivered its small load of passengers at Tiburtina - somewhere! I followed a maze of corridors and up the escalators and could see I had Buckleys of getting the 16:01 but went to platform 5 anyway. No train. I knew there was another at 16:16 so I checked it was also going from this platform and sat down to wait - and watched the gesticulations of some guys on platform 4 who were remonstrating with the conductor (I think about the indicator boards not showing any information). I know how they feel.

On the way back from Ostiense station to my AirBnB, I decide to go up a flight of stairs I had noticed this morning on the way to the station. The late afternoon sun was striking the lovely palazzos above; I was sure this would be part of the San Saba area I had wandered through at the same time of day with Sophie. 

Indeed it was and the stairs entered into via Annia Faustina and I did a short circuit coming into the Piazza Bernini where again people were sitting around enjoying the early evening.

Walking down via San Saba brings you past the Chiesa San Saba which is an ancient basilica church: a monastery was established by Eastern monks coming from a community founded in Jerusalem by St. Saba and fleeing a Palestine troubled by wars, massacres and the expansion of Islam. Between the 8th and 9th centuries, San Saba was considered the most important monastery in Rome.

I got back in probably about 5:30 p.m.: a long enough day - and I need to pack. I fly home tomorrow.

Last neighbourhood photos - interestingly (to me: only because we went to Cuba on our last trip), the Cuban embassy is across the road from where I am staying.