DAY 88: VENETIAN TWINS

TODAY we strolled deserted alleyways under lines of laundry overhead, sat on park benches with a water view and barely a soul around.

We walked across suburban squares and up bridges far from the madding crowd and into the sound of silence.

All of this we did in Venice.

Five days earlier, the story had been very different. Venice was all about crowds and excitement, gondola serenades, pushing past walking tour groups to peer into shop windows or pasticcerias, busily photographing every quaint canal, every soaring monument, every bustling campo.

But we had spotted parkland not far from the multitudes of the Grand Canal boat and gondola terminals and San Marco Square while on the way to Burano Island by boat and also wanted to see where the locals live in areas such as Castello.

We found paradise, peace and quiet and fell in love with the unique water city all over again.

Who knew Venice was actually Venetian Twins: the boisterous, fun, showy one and the more laid-back one with the inner beauty.

Together, they make quite a pair. We're glad we met both.

Lesson of the day: You can discover more about a city in one day than some people learn in multiple visits if they don't know where to look.

DAY 87: POMPEII

JUST about every schoolgirl and boy learns about the catastrophe of Pompeii.

But until I visited the city that was destroyed during the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in 79AD, I did not really understand how advanced and civilised the Romans really were.

Their engineering capabilities and living standards were unbelievably ahead of their time.

No wonder enthusiasts such as our US travelling companion John insisted that his wife could book any tour of Italy, as long as it included Pompeii in southern Italy near what is now the city of Naples.

Now I feel the same because our two-hour visit was nowhere near enough to see and be enveloped by this "living" example of ancient history.

The area was no stranger to eruptions and in fact, Pompeii had been built on a foundation of lava from earlier eruptions of Vesuvius, which lies about 11km away.

Our local guide Pepe says everyone was going about their business in Pompeii when the first signs of the volcanic eruption were felt about noon on August 24, 79AD.

Of the 15,000 living in the city at the time, 2000-3000 lost their lives immediately during the three-day eruption that produced  mud, toxic gases, ash and pumicestone - no lava.

Residents thought the worst was over after the first explosion. But a second explosion occurred about two to three hours later, spewing poisonous gas, ash and pumicestone for three days.

We see the bidies of four poor souls who were "perfectly" carbonised in the positions in which they fell victims to the poisonous gas and ash - with one even in the sitting position, holding their nose. Incredibly humbling and heartwrenching.

During our Globus tour of the city, Pepe introduces us to fascinating points of interest such as: the amphitheatre which could seat 3000 peope for comedies and drama; "backstage" at the smaller theatre for 800 (the first four rows were reserved for VIPs) where a present-day singer warms up the vocal chords as we visit; how to tell a shop from a house by the groove out the front (shop) or smooth steps ( house); pharmacies; small and large wine bars (large wine bars had a larger counter and also had an oven to serve hot food); bakeries with ovens for bread that was round and thick like a pizza that were already portioned with cuts on top - the first sliced bread, perhaps (fragments of which were found still in the ovens); pedestrian crossings with big stepping stones that still allowed chariots to pass when free; hotels with while-you-wait bars; and some of the 42 fountains complete with taps; and the terracotta pots - flat base for water and pointed base for oil to allow for stacking in sand on ships, or example.

But by far the most interesting areas for me are the brothel and the Roman baths.

The public baths is one of the most beautiful buildings excavated in Pompeii.

It boasted make and female sections, dressing rooms with lockers, gymnasium with pool, massage rooms with hot tubs like today's hydrotherapy pools and cool water in a "fridgidarium" as well as a type of central heating of floors and walls from boilers and ovens.

On our travels through the backstreets of the site, we come across phallic symbols in the road and on a corner wall, pointing the way for strangers to the town to the brothel which offered the comforts of a mattress and pillows atop a stone bed.

Many of the visitors to Pompeii were travellers who didn't speak in the same tongue so an erect penis certainly speaks the universal language.

Lesson of the day: Too much fun can drive you to ruin.

DAY 85-86: SORRENTO, AMALFI COAST, CAPRI

WE had no intention of shopping.

We were attracted by the golden glow of the cliff face and walked further down the main street than we had ventured previously for a closer look.

But the inexpensive souvenirs caught my eye and I lingered a little longer than usual, trying to make up my mind about some ceramic scenes of Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Coast.

I asked hubbie for his opinion. Then ignored it and walked inside the last shop on the street to see what else was in store.

After much pondering, we decided on two pieces. The old shopkeeper began wrapping the goods.

Then hubbie added an Italian boot-shaped limoncello jar. Then I found an inlaid wood jewellery case.

All along, the kindly gentleman talked to us in good English ("Lots of practice in the shop," he tells us) about football and Sorrento as he continued to wrap.

Then when we went to pay, he had no credit card or eftpos machine. Oh, no.

We asked where the nearest ATM machine was.

"It will be too hard to explain," he said.

"I will show you."

So before we knew it, he had left his wife (whom we didn't even realise was sitting near him in the corner until now) in charge of the shop and he was bundling us into his car across the road in a side street - all along apologising for having the use "the dog car" he transports his pet around in.

For the next 10 minutes, he played taxi driver, tour guide and surrogate uncle to us as he drove us to the bank.

On our return, we wanted to tip him for the petrol money - a modest 5 euro extra.

But he refused to take it without giving us another souvenir in return.

His name was Francesco, like the pope and the saint whose tomb we had just visited in Assisi.

And to us, he was just as holy, just as wonderful, kind and generous a human being.

It was a chance meeting, but it seemed to sum up the type of people we have met as a whole in Italy.

Certainly, this was the first time I had left a stranger's shop after hugging and kissing him on both cheeks.

Earlier in the night, we had chanced upon a trio of Aussies at the trattoria we stumbled upon in a side street off Sorrento's main square.

Over separate dinners and drinks (but so close we may as well have been sitting at the same table), we shared travel experiences, pitfalls and pleasant surprises.

Both our extended holidays in Europe are drawing to a close. While we will be happy to see familiar faces and loved ones, we cannot believe the wealth of wonderful experiences and newfound friends our travels abroad have delivered.

The world truly is a beautiful thing.

Lesson of the day: Forget the stereotypes of nationalities and embrace the good in each individual.

DAY 84: PADUA

TODAY we are travelling to Umbria, the wild cousin of Tuscany.

The two green regions are the most popular in Italy for tourists.

But where Tuscany has the gently rolling hills, Umbria's are bolder, bigger and all-encompassing as our Globus coach travels down the highway.

The region is considered the green heart of Italy.

And like Tuscany, where we visited the quirky San Gimignano, Umbria has its share of mountaintop villages and medieval walled cities (like UNESCO World Heritage-Listed Assisi, the home of  St Francis with its basilica and pink limestone buildings, where we will spend the night).

We're not quite finished with Venetto yet, though. 

Our first stop is Pedrocchi  Cafe, which opened in Padua in 1831, where our guide Simonetta promises us "super-excellent coffee" for morning tea.

The layered espresso, mint cream, whipped cream and cocoa is the house specialty we try as part of the local flavours experiences we have been enjoying in each region.

"Don't add sugar or mix it," Simonetta warns.

"You drink it slowly slowly because it will be a pleasure for your mouth."

And it surely is ... but more like a sweet, minty dessert than your average coffee.

Pedrocchi Cafe has always been an important social hub in a strategic location in the city, with a campus of Padua University close by to left and city hall to the right.

Padua is quite a large city - the third-largest in Venetto with about 214,000. If the surrounding area is included, that figure nearly doubles to 400,000.

The renowned university was founded in 1222 and is one of the oldest in Europe. The faculty of psychology is very well-respected and Galileo Galilei was awarded the chair of mathematics and taught there for 18 years from 1592.

St Anthony of Padua is buried in the Padua Basilica, where the Chapel of the Holy Relics includes his tongue (found 750 years ago this year), vocal chords and jaw.

Middle of the Valley Square (Prato della Valle) is the largest in Italy with more statues of famous citizens than you can see in one quick peruse of the area.

Bridges, a canal, fountain and soft green grass makes this a pleasant place to stroll or picnic. If only we had more time ...

Lesson of the day: Tour buses aren't for snoozing or using your iPad but for seeing as much spectacular scenery as possible.