Our B&B was just below Monte Circeo
Fishermen at Foce Verde, the one on the quay is using a net which he lowers into the water to catch shrimps with.
Nettuno beside Anzio - just to prove it wasn't all flattened in 1944.
Wednesday 27 and Thursday January
Sacra Isola to Anzio and on to St Felice Circeo
At last the weather has changed, the roads have dried up fractionally so we set off for Anzio. After Ostia which we negotiated with ease following yesterday’s recce by bus, there is a coast road which leads all the 35 miles to Anzio. Much of this road is flat, dull and strewn with litter. The road passes through run down modern villages where we would guess unemployment might well be a problem for the inhabitants. Eventually the area began to look a little more prosperous and suddenly we started to see commemorative plaques to the REME, The Sherwood Foresters, American mortar companies for this was the place where in January 1944 the Allies landed with the intention of routing the enemy from Rome. The reason for the villages being modern and of inferior quality then became apparent – the whole area had been flattened by naval bombardment when the boys were getting ashore.
Alec’s father and uncle both served here in the war so we visited the Anzio Beachhead Museum, which was a wealth of information. It is at times like this that you wish you could have a chat with these relations about what they were doing. Fortunately Alec’s dad kept a diary, (not allowed in the war) so once we get to Monte Cassino we can follow his footsteps. The very ancient volunteer running the museum put on a film about the landings which was most interesting, in fact quite emotional. I didn’t like to ask him if he had been there as it might seem ageist and possibly (at that particular moment) he might have been on the other side! We are here almost exactly 66 years to the day since they started the assault. The beach stretches for miles in a very flat landscape so there was no cover to speak of. In spite of that the Allies achieved complete surprise and came ashore almost without a shot being fired until the ‘stukka bombers’ discovered them. The enemy then realizing how close to Rome they were threw everything possible at them and it took six months and a breakthrough from the other British regiments who had come ashore at Salerno before they could get moving. A long time to be living in a trench and continuously bombed. After watching the film we could quite understand why so many old soldiers are so deaf, after serving on the battle ships, artillery and tanks.
Leaving the museum and Anzio we headed south east in the direction of Sabaudia and San Felice where we had booked into a B&B. Unfortunately the Italians are no keener on naming their roads and putting up sign posts than the Spanish were. So after 20 miles along what can only be described as a major road we found we were almost in Latina – which was not the plan. However it was interesting and educational. On the side of the road was a white plastic chair and standing beside it was an incredibly attractive girl in spray-on jeans, tight top, beautifully done long hair lipstick and eye shadow. What’s she doing I innocently asked Vivi. Waiting for a bus she says. Funny I think, I didn’t see a bus stop. 100yds further on there is another one and then a 100yds further 2 together on the other side. There was no apparent reason why these girls should choose to ply their trade here maybe it was something to do with it being the main road between Rome and Naples and close to an army camp. As it started to rain an hour later we suspect they must have had a pretty miserable day.
Whilst on the subject of rare birds, we saw what we think was an Egyptian vulture high above a rubbish dump and Vivi saw a Lesser Spotted woodpecker which we keep hoping we’ll see in Dorset but never have so that was a result. We also watched a kestrel scream across the road straight under someone’s porch, land on the tiny cage they keep ‘song birds’ in. He did his best to get one out but realizing his mistake flew off disgusted.
Just as it began to rain we made it to the B&B which was in the middle of the Park National del Circeo underneath Mt Circeo and far from anywhere. It is run by an Italian ‘househusband’ - his delightful Argentinean wife we presumed is the one who goes out to work. Very kindly he drove us to a restaurant for dinner which was without doubt the best meal we’ve had in Italy. We were not offered a menu; the girl who ran the place just told us we could have fish or meat and a starter of polenta. We opted for steak which was grilled on the red hot ashes from the fire and served on wooden platters. Our host then collected us and we told him we’d had a sensational meal and he just shrugged and said – ‘varee expenseev’, and we agreed so as not to make him hike the price of the B&B but it was worth every penny.We were in bed by 9.45 happily doing bloggy things and trying to sort a hotel for tomorrow when a tree fell across the power lines and the house was put into darkness until 3am!!
Sacra Isola to Anzio and on to St Felice Circeo
At last the weather has changed, the roads have dried up fractionally so we set off for Anzio. After Ostia which we negotiated with ease following yesterday’s recce by bus, there is a coast road which leads all the 35 miles to Anzio. Much of this road is flat, dull and strewn with litter. The road passes through run down modern villages where we would guess unemployment might well be a problem for the inhabitants. Eventually the area began to look a little more prosperous and suddenly we started to see commemorative plaques to the REME, The Sherwood Foresters, American mortar companies for this was the place where in January 1944 the Allies landed with the intention of routing the enemy from Rome. The reason for the villages being modern and of inferior quality then became apparent – the whole area had been flattened by naval bombardment when the boys were getting ashore.
Alec’s father and uncle both served here in the war so we visited the Anzio Beachhead Museum, which was a wealth of information. It is at times like this that you wish you could have a chat with these relations about what they were doing. Fortunately Alec’s dad kept a diary, (not allowed in the war) so once we get to Monte Cassino we can follow his footsteps. The very ancient volunteer running the museum put on a film about the landings which was most interesting, in fact quite emotional. I didn’t like to ask him if he had been there as it might seem ageist and possibly (at that particular moment) he might have been on the other side! We are here almost exactly 66 years to the day since they started the assault. The beach stretches for miles in a very flat landscape so there was no cover to speak of. In spite of that the Allies achieved complete surprise and came ashore almost without a shot being fired until the ‘stukka bombers’ discovered them. The enemy then realizing how close to Rome they were threw everything possible at them and it took six months and a breakthrough from the other British regiments who had come ashore at Salerno before they could get moving. A long time to be living in a trench and continuously bombed. After watching the film we could quite understand why so many old soldiers are so deaf, after serving on the battle ships, artillery and tanks.
Leaving the museum and Anzio we headed south east in the direction of Sabaudia and San Felice where we had booked into a B&B. Unfortunately the Italians are no keener on naming their roads and putting up sign posts than the Spanish were. So after 20 miles along what can only be described as a major road we found we were almost in Latina – which was not the plan. However it was interesting and educational. On the side of the road was a white plastic chair and standing beside it was an incredibly attractive girl in spray-on jeans, tight top, beautifully done long hair lipstick and eye shadow. What’s she doing I innocently asked Vivi. Waiting for a bus she says. Funny I think, I didn’t see a bus stop. 100yds further on there is another one and then a 100yds further 2 together on the other side. There was no apparent reason why these girls should choose to ply their trade here maybe it was something to do with it being the main road between Rome and Naples and close to an army camp. As it started to rain an hour later we suspect they must have had a pretty miserable day.
Whilst on the subject of rare birds, we saw what we think was an Egyptian vulture high above a rubbish dump and Vivi saw a Lesser Spotted woodpecker which we keep hoping we’ll see in Dorset but never have so that was a result. We also watched a kestrel scream across the road straight under someone’s porch, land on the tiny cage they keep ‘song birds’ in. He did his best to get one out but realizing his mistake flew off disgusted.
Just as it began to rain we made it to the B&B which was in the middle of the Park National del Circeo underneath Mt Circeo and far from anywhere. It is run by an Italian ‘househusband’ - his delightful Argentinean wife we presumed is the one who goes out to work. Very kindly he drove us to a restaurant for dinner which was without doubt the best meal we’ve had in Italy. We were not offered a menu; the girl who ran the place just told us we could have fish or meat and a starter of polenta. We opted for steak which was grilled on the red hot ashes from the fire and served on wooden platters. Our host then collected us and we told him we’d had a sensational meal and he just shrugged and said – ‘varee expenseev’, and we agreed so as not to make him hike the price of the B&B but it was worth every penny.We were in bed by 9.45 happily doing bloggy things and trying to sort a hotel for tomorrow when a tree fell across the power lines and the house was put into darkness until 3am!!
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