Not a turtle in sight!

For boys of my generation, when you say Micaleangello, Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello, you think of pizza-eating mutant turtles, not Renaissance artists. It is still possible that I will carry on thinking that after visiting the city, that allowed them to flourish. 

Florence is one of those places with such stunning architecture and works of art that will draw people worldwide. It means that some areas get very busy. Queues are long and overwhelming if you need to know what you are doing or what to look for.

Especially when you have spent the previous few days in a smaller place where life is much slower. Having spent the past two days exploring the Tuscan countryside, I needed to prepare for the big city.

The overwhelming need for the toilet hit me when I hit the streets; it wasn't pleasant. It costs a Euro to use the public toilets, so you need the cash or the ability to find one of the toilets to have a comfortable time.

The biggest hurdle to start with was finding an ATM, which, as soon as I did, they all came out of the woodwork. Then, there was finding a convenient convenience. I finally tracked down, and the day could start.

Having recently read about Geoffery Chaucer's trips to Italy, it was interesting to see the buildings that would have been built or recently built when he visited and how much of an influence his time in Tuscany had on not just him but his writing. He was potentially inspired by Luccan writer Giovanni Sercambi, to whom the Shipman's Tale is similar. T.S. Eliot said, "Good writers borrow, great writers steal."

I was happy to wander the streets in the fine drizzle while many tried and failed to sell me an umbrella. My hair was already wet. Florence is a place to visit again and is the sort of city where you need more than one of you to help take everything in and wait in the queues. The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore has an almost pen and ink quality, making it stand out from its surroundings.

Once back into the relative tranquillity of Lucca, I arrived back at my accommodation to find there was no power in the building and with my phone battery running low, I was worried I wasn't going to be able to recharge it before moving on to pastures new.

It gave me one last chance to try local food, and I wasn't disappointed. I tried Tortello Lucchese al Ragu the previous day, which instantly lifted the mood with a rich, meaty taste and a hint of herbs. 

When I ordered the second night, I opted for a dish like sheets of pasta topped with a white ragu, which didn't have tomatoes but tasted just as good.

The power went off again at night, and the host was apologetic about the situation, but I was asleep the second time around. Leaving this morning with a Parkrun to find and participate in was a bit hectic. 

Many English tourists went with the same intention as me, and it was lovely to have a conversation in English, and they were all happy to be there. 

It was a quick course on an excellent surface for running on, with fantastic views and, just as importantly, a smashed 5k personal best. I was leaving Lucca on good terms, albeit a little sweaty, but it was time to move on to Verona and mark the end of my trip to Italy. I move through Germany and Belgium on Monday before returning to the UK on Tuesday.

A little slice of Scotland and a tree topped tower

 There is a long line of evidence that Scottish and Italian is a good mix. There is the cross-over, of course, in my family tree. Still, when you add into the mix Armando Iannucci, Capaldis Peter and Lewis, Tom Conti, Sharleen Spitari, Ronni Ancona and last but not least, Paolo Nutini, a singer-songwriter who has matured into one of the finest songwriters of his generation it is no wonder that I found myself drawn to Barga where Paolo's family emigrated from.

Nestled in the Tuscan mountains and hills. Barga is just another tiny but stunning settlement that carries on regardless of the world's worries far away. There was a rumour that Irn Bru might be available, and there probably is if you don't go during the middle of the day when things shut down or appear empty.

There is little wonder why it is called the most Scottish town in Italy. There is a red telephone box, and the windows of several houses are filled with Scottish saltires. It is said that 40% of the town's residents have a Scottish relative.

Like Tempagnano yesterday, the administrative centre for Barga is Borgo a Mozzano, situated on the Serchio River. It is famous for its Medieval bridge, Ponte della Maddalena or del Diavolo, the Devil's Bridge and was commissioned some tie during the end of the 11th century. Its odd design sees it raised in the middle, presumably to let boats sail under.

The famous story of how it got its name, the Devil's Bridge, is that the townspeople made a pack with the devil to ensure the bridge was completed.

I didn't think I would get to see it as there was so much else to do. Luckily the train passes by it on the way to Barga and you get to see it in all it's glory.

Back in Lucca, I was intrigued by the tower with trees growing out of the top in the middle of the walled city. Better known as the Guinigi Tower, built in the 14th century, it is 148 feet high and has 233 steps to the top, overlooking Lucca and the surrounding area. 

If you read about my trip the previous day, you will know I'm not great with heights, but I knew it would be a shame to miss out on the views, so I made a promise to myself to go as far up as comfortable, and then I could always come back down. I made it a good way up and called it a day. The views I did get were stunning, but I would have loved to have said hello to the oak trees at the top.

After a busy day like that, food was called for, and I chose the local dish of Tordelli Lucchesi, large stuffed pasta filled with meat, pine nuts, spices and cheese covered in a meaty ragu-style sauce, and it was honestly one of the best things I have eaten. Every bite was packed with flavour.

My time in this part of Italy ends on Saturday with a Parkrun, my hundredth before I move on to Verona and then start the journey home. Today, a trip on the road to Florence awaits.

The Englishman who went up a hill

It can only be once you have achieved something that you see how far you have come. That is usually metaphorical, but today, I put it into practice. Anyone who has seen me navigate my way around the away end at Newcastle's St James' Park will know that I am not very good with heights, so when I was winding my way through the narrow country lanes, I worried that someone in a little Fiat 500 was going to fly around the tight bends and send me into orbit before coming down with a thud, I wasn't paying attention to how fast I was going or how high I was going. Only with the church in sight I finally realised my mistake and started crawling towards the end.

Luckily, no one was around to see the stupido Inglese make a big deal out of it. I'd reached my destination, where my great-great grandad was from. It has been challenging to find much about that's what a family fallout and moving halfway across a continent does. Of the two Pieretti gravestones, the consensus is that one is of one of my great-great grandad's sister and his brother, who died one Christmas at just five years old. The pieces are slowly falling into place, but more detective work is needed.

I sat on the steps leading up to the church contemplating my next move, my nerve for the journey back had gone, and I even tried to book a taxi which didn't turn up and five hours later I received an e-mail to confirm it wasn't happening.

By then, I realised I would need to head back, as I didn't want to walk around in the dark without knowing what I was doing. I walked down to where I should have left the bus earlier, but I found no buses back to Lucca. I would have to walk another 25 minutes to find the nearest service, which turned out to be on the edge of a bustling road with vehicles travelling at 70 km/h.

Finally, I made the move. I had worked myself up to think that the way down would be trickier than the way up approaching one sharp bend in the road. I feared a steep descent down one section of the road only to turn the corner and realise it was nowhere near as scary as I had imagined. it emboldened me, and I started to make good progress amongst the olive trees and the greenness of a landscape trying to hold off autumn for as long as possible.

I returned to Luuca to be met with a torrent of rain as soon as I disembarked from the bus. I returned to the accommodation, dried off and charged the batteries a little before heading off for my first experience of proper Italian pizza. 

Leaning into things

 

There was a moment when I was walking back from Lucca Railway Station when it finally hit me how extraordinary the trip I was undertaking really was. Bouncing up and down the UK by train and bus is one thing, but travelling across Europe alone is another task altogether. There are times when I doubt myself. Imposter syndrome, for wont of a better phrase, definitely applies.

There are days when it feels the cricket writing is far from the standard needed, and I will be asked to leave the press area. Although I nearly brought my ECB accreditation with me, it is that much a part of my travelling plans, so it can't be going too bad.

Sometimes, when you have done something way out of your comfort zone, it takes a while for the emotions to reset themselves and return to the safety of Lucca's renaissance city walls, I couldn't stop the tears from falling.

This morning, I settled into my new surroundings, walking around the abovementioned walls and then just wandering around after being happy to get lost and find my way again. After a few days of sitting on trains and coaches, it was good to stretch the legs.

Lucca is a well-lived old place. The narrow streets somehow accommodate pedestrians, cars and bicycles and while it takes a while to get used to traffic appearing from all angles, you get used to it quickly.

The decision to go to Pisa was a last minute one knowing it was only the tower I wanted to visit and with limited time to visit the other places it felt like the right time. The leaning tower is one of those curious things but arent the only towers that lean as the towers in Bolongia reminded the world earlier this year when there was fears that they could topple.

These days the reason it seems people visit Pisa is for the photo opportunity that it offers and which James Acaster humoursly mocks in his Netflix special. I took my snaps and made my leave. It did feel good to be in a place that while famous many people will never get the opportunity.

It might have been for that reason that I couldn't stop sobbing. It defiantly wasn't tears of sadness even though I was thinking of friends. It was definitely unexpected and I'm still a loss as to why it happened. 

Everyting in Italy seems so big, the building tower over you and you feel so small. That may be part of the reason behind the churches which seem more imposing than their English counterparts. 

While that is the case this is the right trip at the right time and there is still so much to look forward to. Tomorrows job is to find out how to catch a bus and not get lost in the hills around Lucca as I venture in search of Irn Bru and ansestors.

Lucca where I am

There was a moment of realisation when I sat down on the edge of the Pizza San Michele with the ornate facade of the Chiesa di San Michele in Foro at my back; I realised that I had made it! From as early as I could remember, my dad talked about his great-grandad from Italy. It made my dad as happy as I remember, and the regular cooking of spaghetti in a big pan; we were definitely not a "spag bol" family. 

Hearing about Italy for as long as I can remember always felt like somewhere I should visit. Today, that finally came true. Family can be complicated; people move and fall out of contact, and life gets in the way. So I don't know a lot about my dad's family, his dad dying when he was young, and my grandma being always a little on the bonkers side of things.

Looking into the family tree, I had at least found a cousin of my dad's, and she has guided me in the right direction for this trip. So, with a sense of calm excitement, I left Bellinzona well-rested and ready for another long leg to Lucca.

My time in Switzerland was too brief, but I was ready to resume my travels. The train to Milan was another comfortable journey with modern double-decker trains, air conditioning and stunning views across the Alps and then down through Lugano and Como before arriving at Milano Centrale, a busy station full of bustle and action.

From Milan, the scenery was rather drab, and the overcast weather didn't help. When I made the reservations, I needed to find out where Firenze was, but it made sense when I found out it was Florence. Once there, things picked up again even if the speed of the trains slowed down; having grown accustomed to the fast trains that zoom across Europe at 300 km/h, the Trenitalia Regionale go at a more gentle pace, a bit like travelling home from London only for the Robin Hood Line service back to Mansfield feeling like an eternity to deliver you home.

In some ways, this feels a little like a homecoming; although I would never dare to say that I was even remotely Italian, knowing I share ancestors with this part of the world feels unique, and I can't wait to retrace some of their footsteps.

I have until Saturday morning to explore and see what I can discover about my family connections and myself. This will be the start of something fun and exciting. There is Florence to visit, and a photo opportunity awaits at Pisa. 

Now is the time to rest up and digest the Ravioli al Pomodoro and tiramisu that one of the Australian guests at the next table described as the best she had eaten on her trip.

A train with a view

 I have taken the long way around certain aspects of my life. It took me far longer than most who attempted to graduate from university. It took me in directions that, although it felt like a disappointment at the time, led to some of the most lasting and meaningful friendships I could have ever wished for.

It is the same with my travelling aspirations. I have travelled to the UK many times, mainly watching cricket or exploring other interests, but the chance to visit Europe has just arisen. That is partly due to being stupid with money and busy with different aspects of life.

So, when the opportunity arose, I finally decided to take it. A year of semi-planning and saving, and now I’m away. I could have easily gotten to Italy, my chosen destination, and a flight to Florence or Piza. I would be ready to explore the region that my great-great-grandad was from before he emigrated to England. 

It’s not that I am averse to flying; that is how I travelled to Belfast as a child with my mum and sister. It is just the long way round, which feels the most apt way. It has helped that shows like Race Across The World have shown what is possible and have come up with some trips to access parts of the professional cricket circuit that have had others questioning my sanity. A slow trip down through France and Switzerland became the obvious choice.

This would feel like a luxury once you take a six-hour coach trip to Edinburgh, where you have no legroom and nearly fall off the coach because you have no feeling in the lower extremities.

The lure of interrailing across stunning countryside would always do it for me. The South Downs may be a special place, but imagine watching the Alps glide into view, and it is enough to make the Long Man of Wilmington want to weep.

It didn’t disappoint. After crossing the channel in the early hours, with the lights of Dover and Calis twinkling at each other, the coach journey into the grotty Bercy station was plain sailing. The bus station wasn’t the kind of place you want to be in the middle of the day, let alone before sunrise on a Sunday morning.

Paris was a means to getting to the good stuff, and it is the type of place to visit with company rather than alone. So we will meet again.

I did take the opportunity to visit a cheese shop, albeit closed at the time, for a photo opportunity with ‘Fromage et ramage’ in the background.

Gare de Lyon is a large station, and while I have visited many in the UK, it took a while to figure out where the trains went.

Two euros later, to visit the toilet, one euro for my bag and another for me, and we were ready to watch the rolling hills of France wizz by at speeds of nearly 180 miles an hour.

Once the Swiss border came into view, things got interesting. Something is fascinating about mountains—not enough to climb to their top, but how they have marked the landscape and continue to look out over the people who live in their shadows, affecting their daily lives.

Changing trains in Basel and Zurichhase made me curious about a country I don’t think I have thought about much. Travel does broaden the horizons.

Bellinzona was chosen more by luck than design, as Lucca, the proper destination, felt too far away to finish the job in one sitting. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is worth a visit of its own. A town in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, it offers a clean and tidy vibe that if I wasn’t so tired and in need of sleep, I would have explored more.

 

Once I knew I would visit Italy, switching it up on Duolingo and learning some Italian would be great. So far, nothing has come out every time I have reached for the right thing to say. Even though I know the right thing to say in a couple of interactions, I have been able to make a sound. I hope it changes in the coming days, or it could get awkward.

We shall see. Tomorrow, I will finally arrive in the region of my ancestors and have the time to find out more about them and, just as importantly, myself.

Day 96: Welcome back Sarah Taylor

 There is not much surprises me about Sarah Taylor, the former England Wicketkeeper and World Cup winner who has achieved everything in the game. When you consider the issues she has had with anxiety, then it is all the more remarkable.

When she was announced as Sussex wicketkeeper coach, it was the next logical step. She is world-class in her field, and for some of her knowledge and skills to be shared made sense. It has also seen a pattern of Sussex inviting former players with a passion for the county to fill the coaching spots.

There was always the prospect that Taylor may play again as she was only officially retired from international cricket a few appearances for Sussex may have been on the cards.

To see Taylor named in the Welsh Fire squad for the Hundred is pleasing. With Matthew Mott captaining and the likes of Meg Lanning and Beth Mooney, on the same side, will be exciting for the team that will be playing their home games at Sophia Gardens this year.

Days until the start of a new season

There is a buzz around for the start of the County Championship; on Thursday, 18 teams have a chance of winning the top prize in county cricket.

By the end of that first day, we will start to form a picture of who will stand up and be counted. It will be early days; there will be groups of fans from one or two county seasons that will lower expectations.

I’m hoping for a few surprise packages this season. With the two-division format rested until at least next year, a few of the less fancied counties could prove a point or two. I would, of course, like to see Sussex play well. I don’t think they have a chance of winning the whole thing, but I like how the club is being run on the field and would love to see that represented in results.