This rather unsettling skull is in the Cathedral at Trieste. There’s no information about him (they usually are male) and I haven’t been able to discover anything on the internet. So apologies then to Mr Skull.  

Gotta say that Trieste was not high on my list of places to visit. However Lady B was fascinated by the history of a place which had been influenced by a wide range of cultures and rulers. Throughout history it has been influenced by its location at the crossroads ofLatin, Slavic, and Germanic cultures. I thought it might be

The city is picturesque, with a dense network of arcaded streets opening into large communal piazze, and many bridges crossing the various branches of the Bacchiglione, which once surrounded the ancient walls like a moat. Confession: we didn’t enter a single museum, art gallery or  even church. Main reason was, most things were closed. We arrived on Sunday. We left

Does the guy at the top look like Alfred E Newman.

Leave Siena bound for San Gimignano. But first drop into the Co-op supermarket. It’s bigger than big and has a gluten free section the size of a local Tesco. Trolley soon filled with pasta, bread, bread sticks, beer and other stuff not to be found in the UK. Lady B in heaven. Take the Chianti

Siena. Stop on a super deluxe camping site, Colleverde, a few miles outside the city.  The most expensive place we’ve stopped, but probably the best for the quality of the facilities. Bus into Siena. Explore what is a regarded as a “must see” in the guide books. Certainly it’s worth visiting for the Duomo alone.

From Urbino head southish en route to Arezzo on the S73, a route which crosses the Apennine range via the Bocca Trabaria Pass which is one of the highest road passes. Spectacular scenery plus spectacular driving by oncoming truckers around the hairpins maintained our interest! Viewed Anghiari as we passed. Set atop a hill and lit