American warship moves out of Gaeta on manoeuvres.
Monday 1st February
Gaeta to Cassino
‘Cassino is on’ as the weather has cleared and the snow inland not as bad as we’d feared. We hired a Ford Focus Estate car (fits 2 bikes) from Holiday Auto rentals who have a deal with Europcar who fortunately have an office in Gaeta. We turned up at the appointed time and pointed excitedly at a Focus parked outside to be told ‘oh that’s not it’, yours is over there. Two cars up the street was an Alfa Romeo hatchback about as big as motor bike side car but clearly the pride of the fleet. Would I be able to get two bikes into that I asked? I’ve never seen such a horrified look on anyone’s face before.
Just at the point when I thought they were going to say – tough, can’t help you are on your own now, they said they might be able to procure a Golf if I waited 5 minutes. And sure enough a brand new Golf appeared. The fun really started when I said I wanted to hand it back in Salerno.”Oooh no you can’t take it to Salerno it must be taken to somewhere about 200 miles further south”. To cut a long story short you can’t insure a hire car Golf for ‘theft’ anywhere in, around or even near to Naples. You can buy the cover for 35 euros a day but as the chap kindly pointed out there wouldn’t be much point as it wouldn’t work. I began to shake with fear, what are we doing going to a place where you are so likely to be mugged you can’t even insure against it. Anyway there was nothing for it so we set off with the bikes in the back thinking we could barter them if our lives were ever seriously threatened.
Gaeta to Cassino
‘Cassino is on’ as the weather has cleared and the snow inland not as bad as we’d feared. We hired a Ford Focus Estate car (fits 2 bikes) from Holiday Auto rentals who have a deal with Europcar who fortunately have an office in Gaeta. We turned up at the appointed time and pointed excitedly at a Focus parked outside to be told ‘oh that’s not it’, yours is over there. Two cars up the street was an Alfa Romeo hatchback about as big as motor bike side car but clearly the pride of the fleet. Would I be able to get two bikes into that I asked? I’ve never seen such a horrified look on anyone’s face before.
Just at the point when I thought they were going to say – tough, can’t help you are on your own now, they said they might be able to procure a Golf if I waited 5 minutes. And sure enough a brand new Golf appeared. The fun really started when I said I wanted to hand it back in Salerno.”Oooh no you can’t take it to Salerno it must be taken to somewhere about 200 miles further south”. To cut a long story short you can’t insure a hire car Golf for ‘theft’ anywhere in, around or even near to Naples. You can buy the cover for 35 euros a day but as the chap kindly pointed out there wouldn’t be much point as it wouldn’t work. I began to shake with fear, what are we doing going to a place where you are so likely to be mugged you can’t even insure against it. Anyway there was nothing for it so we set off with the bikes in the back thinking we could barter them if our lives were ever seriously threatened.
The view from the top of Montecassino.
Montecassino from Cassino town.
Arriving in Cassino is quite impressive, the Monastery is very high above the city and against a clear blue sky and a snowy backdrop it looked spectacular. My dad mentions it often in his diary so it must have been the same in 1944 although a little less hospitable! Driving up to the top one begins to realize it isn’t just high, it’s very high and at the top the view is spectacular and it becomes obvious why it was of such strategic importance and so difficult to capture.
The monastery which is enormous was completely flattened by the allies in 1944 and has been painstakingly rebuilt and is absolutely beautiful. Presumably it was put back pretty much as it had been or the old monks would have been terribly confused. The cathedral has an eerie calm, stillness and silence and you definitely feel qui
te close to ‘our maker’ up there. Below on a hill facing the Abbey is the Polish Cemetery – a huge gash of white gravestones to remind us it was the Polish Army who eventually captured the mountain. There is also the usual supply of things tourists can’t live without. Honey, grappa, brandy, delicious chocolates, herbal remedies (nothing for baldness – I and 'others' will be sad to note) soap, postcards religious artefacts – yes you could spend a lot of time up there!
We spent the night in Cassino planning to go to Naples tomorrow but to visit the Cassino War Museum first.
The ceiling in the cathedral.
te close to ‘our maker’ up there. Below on a hill facing the Abbey is the Polish Cemetery – a huge gash of white gravestones to remind us it was the Polish Army who eventually captured the mountain. There is also the usual supply of things tourists can’t live without. Honey, grappa, brandy, delicious chocolates, herbal remedies (nothing for baldness – I and 'others' will be sad to note) soap, postcards religious artefacts – yes you could spend a lot of time up there!We spent the night in Cassino planning to go to Naples tomorrow but to visit the Cassino War Museum first.
The ceiling in the cathedral.
Piazza in front of the Montecassino Cathedral.
Dawn at Gaeta.
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