Wauchope

Posted on May 25, 2016 by kathy

There aren’t a lot of options for somewhere to stay overnight through the middle of the Northern Territory, we fortunately found an oasis in the desert. Not far from the Devils Marbles is the tiny settlement of Wauchope, 375km north of Alice Springs. The hotel opened in 1930 to serve the needs of the local miners and cattle workers.

1.Devils Marbles Hotel

The accommodation wasn’t five star luxury

3.accommodation

but it was clean, comfortable and cosy

4.room

and I liked the sentiment found on the wall above the bed.

5.room

The garden was immaculate

6.garden 7.garden 8.garden

with a couple of quirky features

and a great spot to relax with a beverage

11.beer garden

by the pool.

12.pool

The locals were very friendly

13.boxer

and eager for a game of football.

14.dog

Adjacent to the dining room,

the winery offered a wide selection to choose from

17.winery

to accompany our sumptuous meals.

Before leaving the next morning, we had a closer look at the rusted wrecks garaged at the front of the hotel under the harsh desert sun.

21.cars

We were observed from on high by this magnificent creature.

33.bird

I hope he found a tasty morsel for breakfast.

Villa San Rocco

Posted on May 22, 2016 by kathy

After leaving Ponte a Serraglio, the next two weeks were spent in the village of Benabbio at Villa San Rocco. The 10 bedroom villa would be home to the five budding luthiers attending the guitar making course and their partners. Villa San Rocco dates back to the 14^th century and is believed to have been a seminary and pilgrims’ rest. In 1688, it was purchased and remodeled by a rich merchant family from Lucca and became Villa Bendetti.

1.outside

In 1960, it was bequeathed to an orphans’ association in Lucca and for the next twenty five years it became a summer residence for orphans and abandoned children. By the late 1980s, the villa was derelict and for two decades it was left to rot. In 2004, it was restored using local materials and traditional workmanship. The name was inspired by the chapel opposite the main gate dedicated to San Rocco, a patron saint of illnesses.

chapel

The entrance hall gives a hint of what lies within the walls of this amazing home.

2.entrance hall

The main salon was warm and inviting and many a musical evening was shared in here.

Some wondrous meals were created in the rustic kitchen

6.kitchen

and enjoyed in the spacious dining room.

8.dining room

The smaller sitting room was decorated exquisitely.

A glass pane on the first floor landing looked down to the chairs below

and along the hall was a lovely view to the front courtyard and chapel.

14.view to front

On this floor, as well as many bedrooms, was a very peaceful yoga room with warming, ambient light.

15.yoga room

The hallway on the top floor

16.upstairs hall1

led to more bedrooms.

17.bedroom

I think ours was the best

18.our bedroom 19.bedroom2

and the scenery on opening the shutters was breathtaking.

22.bedroom view2 21.bedroom view1

The bathroom was quaint

with more stunning views.

25.our bathroom view

A doorway across the hall from our bedroom opened to a balcony where we would gather for beverages at the end of the day.

The courtyard garden was a perfect spot to relax and enjoy lunch.

28.garden1 29.garden

Intriguing alleys led to the workshop where the guitar course took place.

The night time glow was welcoming on returning from dinner in the village.

34.night

Villa San Rocco was a beautiful introduction to the two fabulous weeks that lay ahead.

Lacock Abbey

Posted on May 14, 2016 by kathy

Lacock Abbey, in the village of Lacock, Wiltshire, was founded in 1232 and served as a nunnery until it was converted into a country house in 1540.

1.Lacock Abbey 2.Lacock Abbey

A lot of work had gone into the window above the entrance door.

3.Lacock Abbey

The Gothic Arch

4.Gothic Arch

led to the Stable courtyard

5.The Stable Courtyard with brewery & bakehouse

with its quirky Tudor clockhouse,

6.Clockhouse

bakehouse and brewery.

We spent some time wandering through the fascinating rooms. They may look familiar if you have seen the Harry Potter films, particularly the medieval cloisters.

14.cloisters

The internal cloister courtyard had a certain tranquility.

15.internal courtyard of the cloisters 16.Lacock Abbey

The Warming Room was the only room in the original Abbey where any warmth was provided and the 500 year old cauldron remains.

17.500 year old cauldron in the warming room

The Chaplain’s Room had a 14th century doorway and remnants of a medieval wall painting.

18.Chaplain's room

The valuables of the Abbey would have been housed in the Sacristy.

19.sacristy

The Chapter House windows were stunning.

20.Chapter House windows

We strolled around the grounds, admiring the Abbey from all angles.

9.Lacock Abbey 10.Lacock Abbey 11.from the south 12.Lacock Abbey 21.Lacock Abbey 22.Lacock Abbey 23.Lacock Abbey

It would have been nice to have seen more of Lacock village – maybe next time.

Devils Marbles

Posted on May 11, 2016 by kathy

In the middle of nowhere, 1084km south of Darwin and 393km north of Alice Springs, the Devils Marbles are spectacularly scattered across the desert.

1.Devils marbles 3.Devils marbles

Located in the traditional country of the Warumungu, Kaytetye and Alyawarre people, they call the Devils Marbles Karlu Karlu, which literally translates as ‘round boulders’.

4.Devils marbles

The stones are made of granite and have been formed by erosion over millions of years.

5.Devils marbles

They vary in size, from 50 centimetres up to six metres across.

6.Devils marbles

Many of the giant stones are precariously balanced on top of one another, appearing to defy gravity.

8.Devils marbles

They continue to crack and erode today, creating an ever-changing landscape.

10.Devils marbles

The Devils Marbles have great significance for the Aboriginal people and there are many ancient creation legends surrounding Karlu Karlu. Many of these stories are secret and only a few can be shared with visitors. One of the main Dreaming stories for the area relates to how the Devils Marbles were made. An ancient ancestor, ‘Arrange’, was walking through the area making a hair-string belt. As he was twirling the hair to make strings, he dropped clusters of hair on the ground which turned into the big red boulders.

11.Devils marbles

Montefegatesi

Posted on May 4, 2016 by kathy

Our last day in Ponte a Serraglio was grey and drizzly but we had planned a drive to Montefegatesi and nothing was going to stop us. On the way we passed San Gemignano and took the opportunity to pull over and admire the scenery.

1.San Gemignano 2.San Gemignano 3.view