Day 10 – 9th July 2020 – Civitavecchia to San Marino
After the usual faffing around I get on the road about 10. I have decided to make my way to San Marino, I definitely have time to get there today and plenty of time for a look around tomorrow and still ride to Ancona for 5pm.
I really love Italy, the scenery is so picturesque with all the wonderful villas perched on hills surrounded by green fields and cypress trees marching up their driveways, just so iconic.
Now, as you know, I love a water tower… look what I found hiding in the bushes…
Managed to get a close up view
And… love this one, so unusual I thought, until I saw a couple more like it.
The weather is perfect and I have an enjoyable ride across Italy to San Marino. I have booked some accommodation near to the old town so I won’t have too far to go in the morning to see the sights before making my way to Ancona and the ferry to Croatia.
The man on the reception desk seems a bit grumpy. I have parked out on the front, there are a couple of cars there already, so assume this is ok. Grumps tells me to put it in the car park… I don’t want to, it is all on a slope so I know it will be murder trying to get it out in the morning, if it doesn’t keel over that is. I persuade him to let me leave it where it is, he grunts.
I arrange to have a table for dinner and after a quick shower make my way down to the restaurant. It is empty and not very inviting, I must say this is not a great place. Anyway, a young woman beings me a menu, it is in Italian and the bits I know I don’t want eg prawns, (I don’t eat fish), spag boll, nope don’t like it much and something else that I don’t recognise. Not very promising. I ask the waitress if they have a menu in English, she disappears and comes back with grumps in tow. He says
‘I’ll help you, want do you want?’
‘Do you have a menu in English, please?’
‘No I’ll help you, want do you want? I can make you anything’
He is saying this while looking out of the window and speaking in an off hand kind of way. I really don’t like him, I want to find somewhere else to eat, so I say;
‘It’s ok thanks, I’ll just leave it’
‘No, I make you what you want… what about pasta bolognese, or pasta with vegetables?’
‘I don’t really want pasta, I don’t know what I want… what is this on the menu?’ Pointing to the item I don’t understand
‘Oh you don’t want that, I make you a nice pasta’
‘No, it’s ok I will leave it’ I say and stand up
‘What about a pasta bolognese, I make what you want’
Clearly he can make me some of what is on the menu, that is all he suggests, no alternatives… I am too tired and frustrated to argue, so agree to the bolognese… blimey what a pain.
Another couple come in…. they take a look around and are taken to the rear of the restaurant, out of sight. A few minutes later they leave… says it all.
My food arrives… Tagliatelle Ragu… it is pretty tasteless. There is no salt or pepper on the table and I can’t be bothered to ask, I eat a bit, but leave most of it.
Back in my room I want to charge my phone etc.. no plug points.. there is a mini fridge, it’s empty, but there are two plug points behind it so I pull it out of the way and plug my stuff in, all a wee bit depressing really, after such a lovely day.
Hope San Marino isn’t going to disappoint tomorrow.
Comments