@ Frecce Tricolori ~meepop~ begins his tour of "Central Italy" by downloading a map of specially chosen locations! Italy - Central The pets have a very varied tour taking in the magnificence of Rome and Vatican City, romantic Florence, and also Siena, and the vineyards of Tuscany. They will come across another very stylish icon of the Italian automobile industry! There will be opportunities to explore winding backstreets with a choice of Italian eateries! Other sights are Cinque Terre, with its colourful jumble of houses, and for sea-lovers, visits to coastal lighthouses, including one in Genoa. One exciting point will be viewing a flypast of the Frecce Tricolori, the Italian airforce aerobatic fleet! Frecce Tricolori The Frecce Tricolori is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force. The team flies the Aermacchi MB-339-A/PAN, a two-seat fighter-trainer craft capable of 898 km/h (558 mph) at sea level. With ten aircraft, nine in close formation and a soloist, they are the world's largest acrobatics patrol, and their flight schedule, comprising about twenty acrobatics in about half an hour, trailing plumes in green, white and red, made them the most famous in the world. It is one of national symbols of Italy.
While touring Italy, you met MotoMoto.
~meepop~ shook paws with MotoMoto the Multi-Functional Robot. They both received one silver mole!
MotoMoto gave you 1 "Italy - Central"
Tries today: 1 Find points today: 1 Hunt total: 1
MotoMoto
~meepop~
QUEST REWARD
1st Aug 2021
~meepop~ visits "Central Italy"!
Episodio 2/30
@ Son Repos "I'm going to have me a hazelnut gelato at the hotel tonight, Twinkel!" announced ~meepop~. "I can never decide what my favourite flavour is! I love the pistachio, also the chocolate mint, and the vanilla is fabulous, too!" responded Twinkel. Son Repos This sleepy kitty has found the perfect spot for a snooze on this wide, sun-baked step!
While touring Italy, you met Twinkel.
~meepop~ shook paws with Twinkel the Sparkling Snow Foxee. They both received one silver mole!
@ Dark Wood "It would be great to live on a houseboat in Italy!" said Po enthusiastically. "You can sail round most of the country, and when you get tired, just moor the boat and hop in a bunk!" ~meepop~ considered this carefully. "I don’t think houseboats are designed to go on the sea, Po. You’d have to get a proper yacht, or something.” Dark Wood With the sun sinking like fire on the horizon, mind you don't get lost in this gloomy looking wood!
While touring Italy, you met Po.
~meepop~ shook paws with Po the Panda. They both received one silver mole!
@ Lamborghini Experience “I don't know how to pronounce half of these place names, ~meepop~!” said shotzee ruefully. "Never mind," said ~meepop~. "We'll look them up when we get back to the hotel tonight!" Lamborghini Experience The Lamborghini Museum is now the Museum of Technologies, where fascinating history, the iconic models and tours of the production lines tell the story of over 50 years of innovation that project Lamborghini into the future. Mudetec (Via Modena, 12 40019 Sant'Agata Bologna, Italy) offers an interactive experience, also thanks to the new driving simulator that amplifies the thrills and the discovery of the vehicles on display. From the early visionary creations of the genius of Ferruccio Lamborghini like the Miura and Countach to the more recent and exclusive super sports cars like the hybrid concept Asterion, the few-off Centenario, the Huracán Performante and the Aventador SVJ. Experience the emotion with new augmented reality!
While touring Italy, you met shotzee.
~meepop~ shook paws with shotzee the Ragdoll Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
@ Abruzzo Bougainvillea On disembarking from the tour bus, Mochi surveyed the current stopping place. “Would you fancy living here, ~meepop~?” "Well, it's certainly a bit different to where we live," said ~meepop~. "But I could get used to it, I daresay!" Abruzzo Bougainvillea Abruzzo has a long history of pasta-making and has produced handmade spaghetti alla chitarra (guitar spaghetti) for more than 200 years. This variety of egg pasta is pushed through a wooden contraption that has stainless steel guitar-like strings.
While touring Italy, you met Mochi.
~meepop~ shook paws with Mochi the Dwarf Hamster. They both received one silver mole!
@ Trastevere Bridge at Night "What are you doing, Whoot?" asked ~meepop~, coming across his friend in the hotel lounge, clutching a notebook and pen. "I'm keeping a diary of our experiences on this trip, ~meepop~. I don't want to forget anything!" responded Whoot. "Oh, and the tour guide taught me a lovely phrase just now—Dall'Italia, con amore!—'From Italy, with love'. I'm going to use it on my postcards home to my Mum." Trastevere Bridge at Night A beautiful Roman night scene of the Trastevere Bridge overlooking St Peter's Dome, with lights shimmeringly reflected in the River Tiber.
While touring Italy, you met Whoot.
~meepop~ shook paws with Whoot the Brown Owl. They both received one silver mole!
@ Via dei Coronari, Rome "It must be so romantic working on a vineyard, ~meepop~," said get-a-job-bring-me-a-mouse-and-a-20 contentedly sipping grape juice after a hard day’s sightseeing. "Imagine picking the ripe grapes while the sun sets and seeing them turned into wine!" "Hmm—now imagine being up at dawn in the cold of January and February pruning the woody stalks by hand and crushing them up for compost,” said ~meepop~. “Then more work throughout spring, leaf pruning later in the year, followed by grape pruning. It doesn’t stop.” get-a-job-bring-me-a-mouse-and-a-20 waved her glass. “I’ll have staff to do all that,” she said. Via dei Coronari, Rome A detail of the architecture in the Via dei Coronari, which is situated near the River Tiber in Rome, close to several elegant Piazzas, museums, restaurants and bars.
While touring Italy, you met get-a-job-bring-me-a-mouse-and-a-20.
~meepop~ shook paws with get-a-job-bring-me-a-mouse-and-a-20 the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
get-a-job-bring-me-a-mouse-and-a-20 and you found 5 Travel Tokens!
@ Bridge Over the River Tiber “I don't know how to pronounce half of these place names, ~meepop~!” said kitty ruefully. "Never mind," said ~meepop~. "We'll look them up when we get back to the hotel tonight!" Bridge Over the River Tiber As the sun sets, the lights of the bridge spanning the Tiber are reflected in the waters, adding romance to the scene. A barge awaits its passengers eager for a sunset trip down the river.
While touring Italy, you met kitty.
~meepop~ shook paws with kitty the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
@ Roman Sunset "That was a lovely risotto we had for supper last night, wasn't it, Alexandra?" remarked ~meepop~. "On our table the waiter explained that risotto is a rice dish with origins in Lombardy. It’s cooked in a broth to make it creamy. It must be made with a short-grain variant of Italian rice, usually Arborio, as this absorbs less water and gives the risotto a sticky texture," said Alexandra. Roman Sunset The foundation for a great deal of Western culture comes from that of Ancient Rome, in particular in engineering, architecture, government, language and literature.
While touring Italy, you met Alexandra.
~meepop~ shook paws with Alexandra the Midnight Happy Dragon. They both received one silver mole!
@ Three Coins in the Trevi Fountain "Omega," gulped ~meepop~ apprehensively, "Have you seen this item on the itinerary? We'll be going to see an active volcano, Mount Vesuvius, on the Naples leg!" "Don't worry, ~meepop~!" said Omega reassuringly. "It's not erupted since 79 CE. Admittedly, on that occasion, it did wipe out the Roman city of Pompeii and an estimated three million inhabitants, but today Mount Vesuvius is a large national park that attracts tourists wanting to hike up to the top and take a look inside. The brochure says the trail to the top is beginner-friendly and about a 2½ mile (4km) round trip." Three Coins in the Trevi Fountain The Trevi Fountain is the largest, and most beautiful, fountain in Rome. Why are there always pets throwing coins into the water? A myth, originating in 1954 with the movie "Three Coins in the Fountain," goes like this: If you throw one coin: you will return to Rome. If you throw two coins: you will fall in love with an attractive Italian. If you throw three coins: you will marry the person that you met.
Around €1 m of coins are taken from the fountain each year. Since 2007 this money has been used to support good causes.
While touring Italy, you met Omega.
~meepop~ shook paws with Omega the Chinchilla. They both received one silver mole!
@ Flag of Vatican City “Let's practise some Italian phrases, ~meepop~!" said Penelope. "Tell you what, hand me that postcard, will you? Grazie!” Clutching the postcard, she looked at her friend expectantly. “That's your cue to say Prego—which means ‛you're welcome!'” ~meepop~ looked puzzled. "Why do I have to say anything at all, Penelope? If I've performed a very minor service and you've said 'Thank you', do I need to say anything back? It's not like I made you a cake or mowed your lawn. I just handed you a postcard. You said 'thank you'. Couldn't I just smile slightly or something?" Penelope mused for some minutes. "The English language lacks the exact equivalent of prego or bitte schön and similar phrases in use in Continental Europe. Still, when in Rome ...!" Flag of Vatican City The Vatican is a city state independent of Italy, ruled by the Pope, the head of the Catholic Church. The coat of arms depicts the papal tiara and the two keys which represent the Keys of Heaven (according to the Gospel of Matthew 16:19) given by Jesus Christ to St Peter.
While touring Italy, you met Penelope.
~meepop~ shook paws with Penelope the City Rat. They both received one silver mole!
@ Holy See Spiral "It must be so romantic working on a vineyard, ~meepop~," said Choco contentedly sipping grape juice after a hard day’s sightseeing. "Imagine picking the ripe grapes while the sun sets and seeing them turned into wine!" "Hmm—now imagine being up at dawn in the cold of January and February pruning the woody stalks by hand and crushing them up for compost,” said ~meepop~. “Then more work throughout spring, leaf pruning later in the year, followed by grape pruning. It doesn’t stop.” Choco waved his glass. “I’ll have staff to do all that,” he said. Holy See Spiral The modern 'Bramante' spiral stairs of the Vatican Museums, designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932. The modern double helix staircase, also in the Pio-Clementine Museum, was inspired by the original Bramante Staircase. This staircase, like the original, is a double helix, having two staircases allowing people to ascend without meeting people descending; as with the original, the main purpose of this design is to allow uninterrupted traffic in each direction. It encircles the outer wall of a stairwell approximately 15m (45ft) wide and with a clear space at the centre. The balustrade around the ramp is of ornately worked metal. A canopy located above provides the necessary light to illuminate the stairs. The staircase is located at the end of the museum visit and all visitors leave by this route.
While touring Italy, you met Choco.
~meepop~ shook paws with Choco the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
@ Villa d'Este “What have you got in your rucksack, Nibbles?” asked ~meepop~. “It looks very full!” “I’ve come prepared for anything, ~meepop~,” responded Nibbles. “There’s canvas deck shoes, tennis shoes, flip-flops, sandshoes, walking boots, sandals, loafers—you name it, I’ve got it!” Villa d'Este Overlooking one of the most romantic lakes in the world, Lake Como, Villa d’Este is surrounded by a wonderful 10-hectare private park. The rooms and suites, overlooking the lake or the park, are divided into two buildings: the Cardinal Building and the Queen’s Pavilion. Windows and terraces overlooking the lake, with exceptional views of the marina and boats quietly returning to shore in the evening. What a dream scenario!
While touring Italy, you met Nibbles.
~meepop~ shook paws with Nibbles the Brown Rustic Rabbit. They both received one silver mole!
@ Montecastrilli “Ooh, it's just starting to drizzle, ~meepop~!” said Dragoon. “Can you hold my gelato and map while I dig out my Pac-a-Mac?" ~meepop~ good-naturedly took charge of Dragoon's possessions while he emptied his rucksack of a pack of sandwiches, a Thermos flask, a pair of galoshes, a bag of toffees, a paperback novel, a bottle of mineral water, an address book, some postage stamps, an assortment of different coloured biros, a bottle opener, a couple of old train tickets, a handful of golden and silver moles, a hotel key, some shopping receipts and a selection of rather battered sachets of salt, sugar and tomato ketchup before locating the Pac-a-Mac right at the bottom. This he donned and then ~meepop~ helped him put everything back in his rucksack. Montecastrilli Montecastrilli is one of the more characteristic walled hilltop villages of Umbria. In the village, the structure of the city walls framed by a series of crenellated towers can be seen, with two gates opening in the walls.
While touring Italy, you met Dragoon.
~meepop~ shook paws with Dragoon the Green Happy Dragon. They both received one silver mole!
@ Lake Trasimeno, Perugia Half way through ~meepop~'s tour of "Central Italy", he finds a special prize! Arctic River The Arctic River shimmers brightly under the full moon, a guiding beacon to any pet in the night. Camp by its gentle waters, letting the soothing sound of the current lull you to sleep. Lake Trasimeno, Perugia Lake Trasimeno, Italy's fourth largest lake, is located in Umbria in the province of Perugia, near the border with Tuscany and the river Tiber. Lovers of the outdoors are sure to enjoy a trip to Lake Trasimeno. Its waters are good for swimming; its surrounding valleys and the three islands within the lake feature pristine environments. A 50-km bicycle path circling the lake was opened in 2003, providing a fun, environmental-friendly way to explore the lake. Mountain bikers can take advantage of the cross-country paths, especially over the hills on the eastern side. Sailing and windsurfing are also popular sports here. Half of Trasimeno is surrounded by hills, planted with olive trees. Vineyards dot the western shore, near the border with Tuscany.
While touring Italy, you met Lulu.
~meepop~ shook paws with Lulu the Strawberry Milky Moo Cow. They both received one silver mole!
@ Mediaeval Montepulciano “If there's time at the end when we get back to the hotel, I might do some initial sketches for a watercolour painting," Midnight said, offering ~meepop~ a chestnut biscotto from the bag and then unwrapping one for himself. “That sounds like a good plan, Midnight!" said ~meepop~. Mediaeval Montepulciano Montepulciano is a mediaeval town of rare beauty highly recommended visiting in Tuscany. The city, full of elegant Renaissance palaces, ancient churches, charming squares and hidden corners, boasts vast panoramas all over the wonderful Val d'Orcia and Val di Chiana valleys that surround it. Montepulciano has received great attention following the filming of the vampire saga Twilight sequel New Moon here and has seen a notable increase in visitors.
While touring Italy, you met Midnight.
~meepop~ shook paws with Midnight the Midnight Happy Dragon. They both received one silver mole!
@ Tutti Frutti "Hoppy," gulped ~meepop~ apprehensively, "Have you seen this item on the itinerary? We'll be going to see an active volcano, Mount Vesuvius, on the Naples leg!" "Don't worry, ~meepop~!" said Hoppy reassuringly. "It's not erupted since 79 CE. Admittedly, on that occasion, it did wipe out the Roman city of Pompeii and an estimated three million inhabitants, but today Mount Vesuvius is a large national park that attracts tourists wanting to hike up to the top and take a look inside. The brochure says the trail to the top is beginner-friendly and about a 2½ mile (4km) round trip." Tutti Frutti This tiny Tuscan fruiterer's shop offers fresh local produce and perhaps some delicious additions to your pet's picnic lunch!
While touring Italy, you met Hoppy.
~meepop~ shook paws with Hoppy the Brown Rustic Rabbit. They both received one silver mole!
@ Tuscan Coastal Town “Hey, have you seen what the next stop is, ~meepop~?” said Grayson. "It looks fantastic!" "I'll get my camera ready," said ~meepop~. Tuscan Coastal Town Piombino is located in the final stretch of the Etruscan Coast, which begins at the height of Livorno, 100 km further north. In the early 1800s, Napoleon Bonaparte assigned Piombino to his sister who became regent of the Principality of Lucca and Piombino. The Princess of Piombino used to call the city "my little Paris" and during her reign the town had a period of great splendour. Built over the sea, Piombino has always been a naval base. Today, the city’s port is used for freight transport, but also as a marina. From the port of Piombino you can catch one of the many ferries that go direct to the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago (Elba Island is just 10km from the coast!), as well as those to Sardinia and Corsica.
While touring Italy, you met Grayson.
~meepop~ shook paws with Grayson the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
@ Sun-baked Terrace "When we get back I'm going to go to the library and see if Mrs Eucalyptus can recommend a book about architecture," said Faεяydaε. "I've realised how little I know about it." ~meepop~ thought about this. "Good scheme!" he said. Sun-baked Terrace A delightful little green-shuttered restaurant, where you can sit outside with a meal and cold drink, shaded from the sun by the ample tree foliage.
While touring Italy, you met Faεяydaε.
~meepop~ shook paws with Faεяydaε the Stardust Unicorn. They both received one silver mole!
@ Florentine Pizzeria “Let's practise saying 'hello' in Italian," said SQUIRREL!. "That's an easy one—Ciao!” said ~meepop~, beaming happily. "Mm—yes, and mmm—no," replied SQUIRREL!. "You should only say Ciao to pets you know very well. You mustn't say it to somepet's grandmother who you haven't met before, and you shouldn't walk into a shop and say it. It's far too informal." “So what do you say then?" queried ~meepop~, somewhat grumpily. "The simplest thing to say to friends or strangers to greet them is Salve!" replied SQUIRREL!. Florentine Pizzeria The Rooster and the Fox is the name of this pizzeria in Florence, and it looks just the place to relax over your favourite pasta dish after a hard day's sightseeing!
While touring Italy, you met SQUIRREL!.
~meepop~ shook paws with SQUIRREL! the Moondust Squirrel. They both received one silver mole!
@ Florentine Sunrise “Ooh, it's just starting to drizzle, ~meepop~!” said Ada. “Can you hold my gelato and map while I dig out my Pac-a-Mac?" ~meepop~ good-naturedly took charge of Ada's possessions while she emptied her rucksack of a pack of sandwiches, a Thermos flask, a pair of galoshes, a bag of toffees, a paperback novel, a bottle of mineral water, an address book, some postage stamps, an assortment of different coloured biros, a bottle opener, a couple of old train tickets, a handful of golden and silver moles, a hotel key, some shopping receipts and a selection of rather battered sachets of salt, sugar and tomato ketchup before locating the Pac-a-Mac right at the bottom. This she donned and then ~meepop~ helped her put everything back in her rucksack. Florentine Sunrise As the sun rises palely pink, shining on the Renaissance domes of Florence, the city wakes up and the pets have another day of sightseeing amongst beautiful buildings.
While touring Italy, you met Ada.
~meepop~ shook paws with Ada the Astonishing Helper Ant. They both received one silver mole!
@ Florentine Panorama "Italian pets talk with their paws an awful lot, don't they, Heidi?" remarked ~meepop~. "You know, I was talking to the tour guide about that, ~meepop~. She said the gestures originate from the Romans who used chironomia, which incorporates hand movements into everyday language. They aren’t random gestures, each one has a meaning; so as a foreign pet, you never really known what they mean!" Florentine Panorama A panorama of Florence, taking in its historic and beautiful bridges, architecture and church and cathedral domes.
While touring Italy, you met Heidi.
~meepop~ shook paws with Heidi the Black Great Dane. They both received one silver mole!
@ Cinque Terre, Italy "I'm going to have me a hazelnut gelato at the hotel tonight, Graham!" announced ~meepop~. "I can never decide what my favourite flavour is! I love the pistachio, also the chocolate mint, and the vanilla is fabulous, too!" responded Graham. Cinque Terre, Italy A beautiful mix of colourful houses are a Mediterranean delight!
While touring Italy, you met Graham.
~meepop~ shook paws with Graham the Majestic Monarch Butterfly. They both received one silver mole!
@ Italian Vineyard “Buongiorno, ~meepop~!” said Freyja. "That means 'good morning', you know!" ~meepop~ sniffed. "So—can I say it back, or do I have to say a different form of it, or say prego, or something?" “Just say it back, ~meepop~!" "Well, buongiorno to you too, then," said ~meepop~. Italian Vineyard Some luscious grapes ripening in the Tuscan sun ready to be turned into wine.
While touring Italy, you met Freyja.
~meepop~ shook paws with Freyja the Blue Beautiful Unicorn. They both received one silver mole!
@ Tuscan Sunset “Let’s pose with one of us each side of this attraction and I’ll set the self-timer to take a shot,” said ~meepop~ to Tesla. “It’ll be a great souvenir of our time here!” Tuscan Sunset The sun sinks after another grape-ripening hot day in Tuscany.
While touring Italy, you met Tesla.
~meepop~ shook paws with Tesla the Brown Funky Monkey. They both received one silver mole!
@ Florentine Wine Country ~meepop~ and Midnight shook paws, said “How do you do?” and posed for a souvenir photo. “Why am I always on the left?” grumbled ~meepop~. “Let’s change sides.” “No,” said Midnight. “This is my best side.” Florentine Wine Country Welcome to the forests, hills and lush green valleys of Florence's wine-producing region.
While touring Italy, you met Midnight.
~meepop~ shook paws with Midnight the Midnight Happy Dragon. They both received one silver mole!
@ Tuscan Wine Cellar “Let's just drink in this scene, shall we, ~meepop~?” suggested Listy, sinking down on a convenient tree stump. ~meepop~ agreed it was well worth spending some time there! Tuscan Wine Cellar When planning your Italian food and wine tour, you must include at least one Tuscan winery! Perhaps it will be a legendary Chianti estate or a tasting at a Super-Tuscan vineyard.
While touring Italy, you met Listy.
~meepop~ shook paws with Listy the Green Beautiful Unicorn. They both received one silver mole!
@ Siena Dwellings "Milan is widely considered to be the fashion capital of the world. Many internationally renowned fashion brands are based in Milan, including Dolce & Gabbana, Armani and Prada. Quadrilatero della Moda is the high-end fashion district in Milan that contains luxury brands and exclusive fashion boutiques. It’s one of the most expensive shopping streets in the world," read out Rusty from the itinerary. "We'll have to take care not to go too mad there, Rusty!" responded ~meepop~. "Perhaps a designer T-shirt!" "Hmm—I think a designer bath cube will be more within my budget!" remarked Rusty. Siena Dwellings Siena is a medieval city in the region of Tuscany, located in the north of Italy some 70 km (43 miles) south of Florence.
While touring Italy, you met Rusty.
~meepop~ shook paws with Rusty the Brown Rustic Rabbit. They both received one silver mole!
@ Camogli Lighthouse "I think there'll be quite a few tired paws, wings and flippers when we get back to the tour bus," said Alvin, after he and ~meepop~ had spent some time exploring another narrow, winding alleyway to its end. "Is there a gift shop at the end?" enquired ~meepop~. "The thought of that generally keeps me going." Camogli Lighthouse For sea history enthusiasts, Camogli’s Marine Museum is worth a visit. Scuba-diving pets should don flippers and check out some of the numerous grottoes here.
While touring Italy, you met Alvin.
~meepop~ shook paws with Alvin the Grey Playful Kitten. They both received one silver mole!
@ Tuscan Vineyard As ~meepop~'s tour of "Central Italy" comes to an end, he rests under a shady tree and looks back on a perfect day. Soft Azure Sloped Waterfall Tall and intimidating, this waterfall flows a gorgeous azure over its rounded rocks, falling into the shallow basin below. Tuscan Vineyard One of the many vineyards in the famous wine-producing region of Tuscany. The grapes require constant care as the ripen, ready for picking and turning into wine. ~meepop~ has completed their tour of "Central Italy"! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also tour part of Italy!
While touring Italy, you met Puff.
~meepop~ shook paws with Puff the Midnight Happy Dragon. They both received one silver mole!
~meepop~ has completed the quest of
