It ain’t half hot again but we brave the heat and venture into Siena to see the Duomo. We missed it last trip.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157163738360249&set=a.10150340074490249.575311.621375248&type=3&theater
Wendy has a pleasant lunch and then after a 4 mile saunter we head back home for some cool.
Still the battles rage on Facebook between BREXITers – considered a load of geriatric, racist, xenophobic idiots – and REMAINDERS.
Perhaps time to reflect on some great advice on change – it served me well in my job trying to implement change. Anybody guess who said it and when?
“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from fear of their adversaries … and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.”

Verona – Lounge. Our lovely home for the next week.
A lovely 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom villa. Clean and fairly well equipped, grounds and pool were also well kept. Two lovely patio areas, complete with settee, chairs and dining table. Also sun loungers. Pool area was lovely. Lounge was small but adequate, sadly a tad on the dark side and could do with some better lighting. No air conditioning in the lounge but was in both bedrooms.

Verona – Gourmet kitchen
Wifi was diabolical. Up and down like a jihadis machete. I complained but things didn’t improve. Just typical. Fortunately all the other utilities didn’t cut out or keep failing and none needed a password to access them.

Verona – Dining kitchen
We say goodbye to our lovely villa just outside Siena and drive up to a weeks home exchange on a vineyard just outside Verona.

Verona – Balcony
Satnav does an excellent job and gets us to our new home. This BMW is awesome, you just identify the location on maps. In this case I used the satellite view to check the villa out and then sent the co-ordinates down to the car.

Verona – Vineyards from the balcony
Get settled in. Hooray, wifi works. Then it’s off down to the local supermarket, which defying all expectations is open all day, on a Sunday. A nice bottle of Primitivio and some quality German beers along with a few Italian delicious like cannelloni, MELANZANE ALLA PARMIGIANA, porchetta and a selection of Italian cheeses including some awesome Mascarpone cheese.
How many times do we have to hear from our politicians and so called moderate muslims that Islam is a religion of peace and nothing to do with jihadis terrorists or ISIS, a bit like Hitler claiming “Mein Kampf” was a holy book and the Fuhrerbunker a mosque.

Our apartment – top left

Romantic picture in Verona

Amphitheatre – sadly no lions.
I ask if we should go in the amphitheatre and see where they feed crap software designers to the lions on a Saturday afternoon. Wendy comes back with a typical BREXITer abroad comment “It’s only an old building with holes in the walls and an arena in the middle”.

Verona

Allegedly Juliets balcony

Bill Maher gets into a debate on why Islam is more Violent than Christianity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jm3UWawqAc

Lake Garda

Garda
A pleasant but long days driving. Made all the more stressful with exhaust bandits and loony motorcyclists on narrow winding roads.
Well we’ve still not come across the hint of a tin of baked beans. Now I’m all in favour of the “when in Rome” principle, and do like to experience foreign foods, but how I do yearn for a simple meal, just once in 6 weeks. Anyway I’ve come up with some new International suggestions. What about macaroni and baked beans, perhaps with diced pork sausage or a baked bean pizza with some pepperoni on.

Garda
I now fully understand this Mediterranean obsession with shutters. Essential to keep the place cool but we end up like bats in a cave, fluttering around in the dark.
TOP 10 WORST COUNTRIES TO DRIVE IN
1. Italy
2. France
3. Spain
4. China
5. Thailand
6. USA
7. Germany
8. Ireland
9. The Netherlands
10. Belgium

Milan – shopping extravaganza.

Milan – awesome Duomo.
Get back to Brescia to pick the car up and despite dire warnings the car and it’s contents are still there.

Milan
This home exchanging is a funny old business. Not only do you get to stay in so many different houses but you also get a squint into how people live. Makes you realise how different peoples lives can be. For instance can you believe that not everyone has a kettle. On the other side of life many people have a bidet to wash their feet in. What is this European obsession with washing your genitals? I’ve always said we don’t make good Europeans – “you can’t make a milky pure European out of a Brit with big ears and mucky smelly genitals” – being just one of the many ways we don’t fit, so we’re better off out.

Milan
I thought bloody hell, this BREXIT is happening quicker than I expected!

Milan

Bologna
Bologna, an Apple Store, more eating joints than small Italian banks about to go belly up, but amazingly nothing to tempt Wendy. She looses the will to live and resorts to Mac Donald’s, sad – at least there’s no cover charge.

Bologna
Nice covered walkways / arcades everywhere means you don’t have to shadow dance to stay out of the sun. Old town area was fascinating with some awesome food shops selling hams and cheese. Just a pity you can’t capture the delicious smells.

Bologna also has a leaning tower.
Seems like we missed Neptunes statue.
Don’t forget we need the immigrants to do the jobs us Brits won’t or can’t do. Like Prime Minister or leader of the opposition.


*

Winery
At the end of the personalised tour we get to do some wine tasting. Love the Valpolicella Superior, my first Valpolicella in Italy was nowhere as rounded and mellow as this, and their was great Merlot. Sadly this meant committing a retirement sin by drinking before 17:00, but it would have been rude not to.

A few bottles in this barrel
A fine bottle of Valpolicella Superior, some awesome Italian cheeses, some see through Proscutio and bread for tea.

Bottling plant
The United Nations Security council have been called into session and we’ve have now amended our sinful ways and averted any bloodshed. I’m glad to report that so far we’ve not found a dead horses head on our pillow. Our hostess has been very helpful and hospitable, but this incident, totally outside of her control, soured a lovely stay.
A few BREXIT jokes:

Wine tasting gallery
Because tea leaves
What did Britain say to its trade partners?
“See EU later.”
Qur’an Gangbang episode 4: Islamic Street Preachers