Why Debra decided upon a coach trip to Italy is besides me.  The feeder coach to Dover was ok, but our holiday coach did not turn up at Dover and the replacement was totally inadequate.  It was cramped with little leg space and the air conditioning had broken down.  We were on that coach for 22 hours; it was very very hot apart from when going through the French and Swiss Alps in the early hours when it was quite cold and I thought my fur would freeze and drop off. 

The basic hotel was very clean and the staff very friendly to me.  Rizla, who had been traveling in the suitcase, was immediately let out.  We had a quick explore before returning to the hotel to see who wants to go into town for food.  Just as we were thinking of our tummies, there’s a knock at he door.  It’s Ann, a lovely lady from Glasgow, who is on the coach trip alone.  She suggests going into town to look around and get some pizza.  We all stroll off in the direction of the new town, which is nearby.  We ate zucchini (courgette) pizza and later had some Gelato (Ice-cream), yummy yum yum. Debra then decides to share some with a stray cat that is sat in the middle of a road with a cut ear.  It was not moving, so Ann fearing it might be injured suggested Debra give it a bit of her ice-cream just out of reach to see if it would move.  It did in the end and lapped up the ice-cream.  An old man came rushing over saying, “ No give cat gelato, no good”.  He then proceeded to spoon out some cat food, which brought forth an onrush of stray cats.  Back at the hostel Debra wrote up of few notes for me for this review and was in bed before midnight.

Whilst Debra slept, us bears had a bit of a booze on the hotel stairs where we learnt a bit about Fiuggi.

Fiuggi is really two towns on a hillside.  The old town called Fiuggi Città is 2500 feet above sea level.  There is a nice church with drinking fountains, regularly attended by the thirsty. 

At the foot of Fiuggi Citta is the slightly more modern 20th-century spa town, called Fiuggi Fonte.

This is home to spa called L’acqua Bonifacio VIII and the famous healing water.  Admission fee to the spa was - at the time I was there in late May 2002, - 11 Euros or about £7.  In Fiuggi Fonte there are plenty of shops to brows about and buy clothes if you are so inclined to go on holiday and spend time shopping.  There are a few small nightclubs dotted around. 

We leave the hotel at 4.50am; it’s still dark.  To our surprise we find the hotel front door locked.  Debra finds the key that has been left aside for early risers and unlocks the door, checking we can get back in without it before putting it back.  We come to the gate only to find that locked too.  It is too dark to see the keyhole to know if any of the keys would unlock it, so we all climb over the gate.  We stroll gently along the road listening to the sounds of crickets, cats and dogs in the distance.   

At 8.30am the coach leaves for Pompeii, so breakfast is a bit of a rush.  On the drive to Pompeii us bears play a game of seeing who can get the most waves from the lorry drivers we pass.  We take it in turns, and as nearly all the drivers’ wave each time we declare it a draw. 

Our first trip of the holiday was to Montecassino Monastery.  It is up on a mountain, which is reached by a narrow road winding round and round until you get to the top.  The Monastery was founded by St. Benedict around about the year 529. Montecassino became renown for the life of its Founder. It was seen as a holy place, and one of beautiful art and culture.  It was rebuilt in the early eighteenth century a very long time after it was destroyed by the Longobards of Zotone, Duke of Beneventum, in about 577.  Brescian Petronace was person asked by Pope Gregory II to rebuild the monastery.

On 15th February 1944 during the final stage of world war 2, Montecassino a German stronghold was on the firing line between the two armies: this peaceful place of prayer which served as shelter to civilians, was destroyed in about three hours.  Lots of people died in what they thought of as a safe haven.   The Abbey was rebuilt according to the original architectural plans under the "where and as was" program of Abbot Ildefonso Rea, its reconstructor.

The reconstruction took over 10 years.  The Italian State footed the bill.

St. Benedict was born about 480 A.D. in Norcia (Perugia). After studying, he went to live in Rome. He was however, disgusted by the vice that was present in the city.  He abandoned everything and retired to Subiaco where he lived like a hermit.  He was asked by some monks living nearby to become their Superior and Mentor. St. Benedict accepted, but when he tried to correct their far from perfect way of life, they tried to murder him with a goblet full of poison. But he shattered the goblet with a miraculous sign of the cross.

After having founded twelve convents, he left Subiaco and ventured south with a few disciples in tow. He chose the mountain "a cui Cassino è nella costa"  for the monastery, adjusting the existing temple.  He died on March 21, 547 A.D.  His body, and that of his sister Scolastica, rests beneath the High Altar (70).

There is a small oratory dedicated to St. John the Baptist built at the mountaintop.

Debra photographed us three bears at various sites around the monastery.

Before going into the Pompeii ruins we had a browse around the nearby market, which is aimed at tourists.  There was a three legged dog hobbling around which made us laugh.  We returned to where the coach was parked to meet the rest of the group and our tour guide for the ruins. 

Our guide has a flag with a picture of a witch on a broomstick; it read ‘Wife on board’.  He held it up for us to follow so we don’t get lost, every so often lowering it as his arm tires.  Debra holds me up in the same fashion for the stragglers at the back who may not be able to see the flag.  I, by now, have become well known to the group, so am more recognisable than some silly flag.

Pompeii, home to the Romans of the 1^st century, became ruins after Mount Vesuvius, a volcano, erupted in 79AD.  The residents of Pompeii did not know it was a volcano, so it must have come as some surprise when it erupted. The ruins of Pompeii are big and a good many more hours than the two we had are needed to see the place.  It is athrong with heaving tourists from all over the globe and getting people free photos is very hard. 

Rizla and myself paid a visit to the local Pompeii brothel. Choc-ice would not come in on moral and so stayed outside with Aunty Anne who teddy sat him. We sat expectantly on the hard concrete bed, but to no avail; the ladies of the night consumed by the eruption some many hundreds of years ago. We then needed the toilet, but when we saw it, neither of us wanted to be the first to use it.

We saw such a small part of Pompeii as part of a guided tour group.  If you get the chance to go, don’t’ go as part of a tour group.  Before getting back on the coach Debra got a big ice cream between the three of us.  I’m sure you can guess it was yummy yum yum. 

The next day the coach leaves 8.30am for Rome. We park in an underground coach-park and one of the drivers escorts us to St Peters Square and points out the big doors where we are to meet at 5.20pm.  It is now about 11am. We team up with a couple from the group and head for the Coliseum through the bustling streets of Rome.  It’s a real contrast from the quiet laid back Fiuggi. 

After following directions from very helpful people we found the Coliseum, where the couple and we parted ways.  There were men dressed as gladiators who charge lots of dosh to have their photo taken with you.  One of them grabbed me and growled at me.  I screamed nonlo tocchi  (don’t touch me).  Thinking she had to cover up in the Coliseum, Debra put on some horrid long denim dress over her clothes as we stood in the queue to gain entry.  It was only later that day that she found she needed not cover up at the Coliseum.  Debra was glad that she’decided not to go on the guided tour of Rome as we could go where we wanted at own pace.  It was very easy to tag onto a group with an English-speaking guide, even standing next to the guide.  We learnt a bit about the Coliseum and were free to do our own thing.  The guides are so up themselves they don’t seem to notice intruders.

The Coliseum was built in 72 AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasiano.  It was originally called The Amphitheatrum Flavium.  The name Coliseum was used because it was this huge oval shaped building stood next to the colossal statue of Nero.   The arena could hold over 50,000 people.  It was over 160 feet high and had 80 entrances.  The events held there were; Gladiators fighting, animal hunts and mock battles.  Slaves were used as fighters, there were even volunteers and up to 10,000 people would be killed during these fights in the name of entertainment.  Seating in the Coliseum was made of marble for the upper class and wood for the lower.  Linin was used on the top story to protect spectators from the sun. 

We met one German and a lot of American and Canadian tourists who just loved us two bears Rizla and myself that is, Choc-ice had a hangover and stayed at the hotel.   Some of them took our photos and said they will check out the website. 

On leaving the Coliseum we headed towards the Trevi Fountain, which is not too far away.  It was built and rebuilt in the first millennia including contributions from Pietro da Cortona and Bernini. Nicola Salvi completed it between 1732 and 1751.  It is so beautiful and it’s big.  It’s hard to get the whole of the thing in when photographing, and there are lots of people getting in the way, trying their best not to.  Rizla and I dipped our feet paws into the cool soft water and Debra threw a coin in with her right hand over her left shoulder, in order than she may one day come back to Rome.  The song ‘Three coins in a fountain’ was about the Trevi Fountain.  The history of the Trevi Fountain goes back to ancient Rome.  It was built where a virgin was said to have found the spring intersecting “tre vie” – three ways. 

We headed off next to the Spanish Steps, enterinf at the top by Church of Trinita de Monti where there are artists painting and sketching away.  At the bottom of the steps is a fountain, much smaller than the Trevi, but still beautiful.  It is shaped like a boat and appears to be sinking.  Debra saw these three navel officers and asked them to pose with us for a photo, they were very willing to oblige and this led to lots of women asking them to pose for photos.  We thanked them and headed down Via Condotti, which is in front of the steps opposite.  This is where all the top fashion name shops are.  Bulgari, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Versace, Cartier, Jean Paul Courtier, Channel and others.  This street is also home to one of the world’s oldest café’s, Café Greco, which was founded in 1760.  Here the likes of Casanova and Keats have flirted and pondered over a coffee or two.  The far end of the street took us into Piazza del Popolo, a large round square! With a monument in the middle.  On the other side, up high, is a beautiful park, The Borghes Gardens, where you can look down upon the Piazza del Popolo and most of Rome.  After this we just roamed around Rome!

Too soon we had just over an hour to get back to St Peters Square by 5.20pm.  We asked a friendly policeman which bus to get after running down the street for 10 mins stopping only to ask a suited man sat upon a very scooter if he’d hold us for a photo. 

We got off the bus before the square to have a quick glance over a bridge at the river, and then sauntered down a road leading back to St Peters Square only to find it was heavily barriered off by a line of many police. 

We needed to get through the square to get to visit the Vatican before going back to the coach.  Apparently President Bush was in the Vatican for the NATO-Russia summit.  The police of course could not let us through but were very helpful and polite.  One explained to Debra that she needed to go right around the squares surrounding buildings.  We came to where there was an opening to go under ground, where the coach park would be, so we cut through there trusting Debra’s sense of direction and came out where we expected.  This was where the driver had first taken us at the beginning of the day, very near to the Vatican.  However, this part too was cordoned off, there were people ready with cameras.  Just then Presidents Bush’s car drove past, but too soon on arrival at the scene for Debra or me to get the shot.  (Camera shot that is, not gunshot.)  Everyone waved.  There was a long convoy of cars and vans behind, and once all had past people were let free.  By now there was no time to go to the Vatican. So I think I should write a letter to President Bush, complaining that he spoilt my chance of visiting the Vatican.  Debra and I just took some photos in the square before going to the big doors to meet the rest of the group and drivers to head back to the coach and go back to the hotel.

That evening Debra decided we were to going to check out the old town, taking the bus. The driver pointed the way to the Maddonaica, which was not in the main part of the old town but on it’s own up a very very steep hill of about 1-km.  OK this will do Debra said to us.  The hill looks like good exercise.  We proceeded up the hill, Debra carrying camera bag and tri-pod, as well as us of course.  We met this local lady whom we walked with for some time.  Debra using some of the little Italian she now knows.  “la collina è molto scoscesa”  (the hill is very steep), remarked Debra.  The lady nodded in agreement.  We chatted in broken Italian and broken English some more. I thought I’d try I out some of my Italian, so I said “Mi chiamo Bearsac, sono quattro e tre quarti.  (My name is Bearsac, I am four and three quarters) avete tutti i dolci per favore” (do you have any sweets please).  After that mouthful, the lady simply laughed “No.”  After a while she bid us ‘buona notte’ (good night) as she turned into her road and we continued upward to the top at a quickened pace.  At last we were there. 

Debra took a photo of me and Rizla sitting outside the Maddonaica, behaving ourselves.  The were a couple of teenagers around, proberly wondering what this madwoman was doing photographing teddy bears by the Madonna.  They had a mad dog that spent the whole time we were there chasing it’s tail.  There were a couple of horses grazing in the dark, not confined to any enclosure, we went to say hello before sampling some Italian Lemonsoda in a small bar with an empty disco attached.  We got a cab back to the hotel, had a drink in the bar before going to our room to join Choc-ice in bed. 

Debra took a photo of me and Rizla sitting outside the Maddonaica, behaving ourselves.  The were a couple of teenagers around, proberly wondering what this madwoman was doing photographing teddy bears by the Madonna.  They had a mad dog that spent the whole time we were there chasing it’s tail.  There were a couple of horses grazing in the dark, not confined to any enclosure, we went to say hello before sampling some Italian Lemonsoda in a small bar with an empty disco attached.  We got a cab back to the hotel, had a drink in the bar before going to our room to join Choc-ice in bed. 

Surrento is adorned with lemon and orange groves; we visited a small one where they sold lemon liquor, which we sampled.  Yummy we all agreed, so Debra bought some in a cute little bottle.  Rizla and I played hide and seek from Debra, who doesn’t miss a trick and photographed us from our hiding place up a lemon tree.

We spent about 3 hours at Marina Grande.  We talked to these four men and Debra Took my photo with them.  The three older ones were trying to matchmake Debra and the young man.  One of them wanted to buy me.  But Debra said he is not for sale.

We found a place were there were sun loungers.  Debra thought it would be nice to chill out sunbathing for a couple of hours, seeing as we were by the sea.  We had a peaceful couple of hours listening to the waves, the bells of the boats and the church bells that tolled every 15 mins.  There was some beautiful Neapolitan Opera playing loudly from on of the restaurants, we went to eat there and sat in the sun eating Spaghetti Vongole alle (Clams).  It was so nice, that Debra only let us have a little taste and kept the rest all to herself. 

We found a place were there were sun loungers.  Debra thought it would be nice to chill out sunbathing for a couple of hours, seeing as we were by the sea.  We had a peaceful couple of hours listening to the waves, the bells of the boats and the church bells that tolled every 15 mins.  There was some beautiful Neapolitan Opera playing loudly from on of the restaurants, we went to eat there and sat in the sun eating Spaghetti Vongole alle (Clams).  It was so nice, that Debra only let us have a little taste and kept the rest all to herself. 

After lunch we stopped in a small square, where Debra reapplied some sun block before leaving the fishing village to look around the main part of Surrento.  We went in a few shops, talked to a few people, and laughed at he funny vehicles driving around.  We came to these steep stairs that were built against the cliffs leading down to Marina Piccolo where the boats leave for the island of Capri.  Debra had some Lemon Ice.  Then went to take Rizla out of the bag to photograph us both against the view.  To our horror Rizla had gone.  She took everything out of the bag, but no Rizla.  We looked around in a blind panic, hearts beating fast.  We retraced our steps as best we could remember in the frenzied maze that was Surrento.  We asked lots of people in English and broken Italian if they had seen a small teddy bear with a bow tie as we have lost it. After about two hours of fruitless searching, it was time to head back for the coach.  What was Debra going to tell her boyfriend, the owner of Rizla.  He didn’t even know he was on holiday with us.  She wanted to surprise him by taking photos of Rizla in Italy and she’d got him a passport. 

On our last morning we took a couple of cabs with some of the others from the tour to the market in the old town.  Not much of a market but we had a walk around the narrow streets of the homes behind the church.  We chatted to some locals outside the church for a while and then it was time to get the cabs back to the hotel to depart for the long homeward journey.

The day departure was a sad day as departure days normally are.  But this was marked with a profound sadness.  We had to leave without our friend Rizla.  He would be lost and lonely for a while Debra said, but he will soon get over it and has the whole of Surrento to roam about in.  I bet he will go to live in the lemon grove, grove Debra said.  Or the Marina Grande I added.  He won’t forget us, will he Debra? I asked.  No of course he won’t, she replied, maybe not too sure.