After one of the most phenomenal meals and some enjoyable day trips, we had to pack the car up again to head to Rome and spend the next few days with Katherine and Ella.
It was a relaxing morning as we prepared for the short trip to Rome. The boys had slept very well and were full of energy for the coming day.
Katherine and Ella were being entertained watching the boys continue their interrupted days long wrestling match after breakfast.
Lanna and Ella continued to enjoy each others company.
With some sadness, we cleaned up, packed up, and prepared to go. I took a long last view from the villa's back porch and sadly drove away.
We would following my sister and Ella in their car on the way back to Rome. Given the short trip, we planned to stop in a tiny town called Bomarzo which was famous for its monster park.
The inception of the park dates back to 1552 and a great summary can be found here:
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-monsters-of-bomarzo
After the prince died, the whole area became neglected and forgotten. It was overgrown with vegetation and then rediscovered centuries later. There's a great photo of a shepherd tending her flock and taking a break in the Orc's famous mouth.
As word got out about these astonishing sculptures scattered haphazardly outside Bomarzo, people recognized it for its historic and artistic significance and the park was established.
The boys had a great time running through the park searching for monsters. This was the first giant monster they found and did their best impression:
Soon after this monster they found the two wrestling giants. We have a tasteful recreation for you here:
And right near the giants was a giant turtle.
Sammy immediately powered up his turtle face! We had a moment of turtle faced solidarity:
The park continued to have crazy sculptures as we saw Hannibal's Elephant crushing a Roman soldier right next to a dragon fighting lions.
And then back behind the animals and mythical creatures we saw the most often photographed monster, the Orc.
Fortunately all thought did not leave us as we ducked under its incisors and we remained (as far as we can tell) quite sane despite the inscription around its mouth. I was sad we did not bring a snack to enjoy in the picnic table inside the orc's spacious throat.
Joey and Sammy had a hard time escaping though.
No rescue team was needed as we all managed to escape from the Garden of the Monsters.
We had a delicious cappuccino or popsicle, depending on preference, and then loaded back in the cars.
Then the real fun began.
Unbeknownst to us, while we were busy enjoying the monsters of Bomarzo, a propane truck flipped on the highway A1, the main highway from Umbria to Rome. It crushed the median and a car in the opposite lane. Fortunately nobody was killed (which is amazing when you look at the photos), but it did close down both lanes of traffic on the only highway to Rome from the north.
Here's a series of photos of the propane truck:
As we got on to the highway, we were headed to a monstrous traffic jam.
Italy is certainly a country of fine food and wine. Its history dates back thousands of years and is one of the cultural icons of the world.
It is not, however, the most efficient place in the world.
This crash happened a few HOURS before we arrived. By the time we were stopped on the highway they still had not re-routed any of the traffic.
We were there for 4 hours and moved about 3 km (when the trip from Umbria to Rome should be 2 hours), a majority of that time was spent with the car turned off and all of us milling about, wondering what the hell was going on. Lanna had a chance to hone her walking skills on the highway.
Finally you could see the taillights lighting up of cars miles down the road and everyone scurried to their vehicles and the roar of car and truck engines echoed across this miles long parking lot.
Then the cars moved about 150 meters and stopped again, sitting there for another 20-30 minutes.
This happened multiple times, each time more frustrating than the last.
Ella was exhausted and starving in my sister's car. Lanna destroyed a pair of white pants by eating chocolate cookies, as Alisa desperately went through most of the food in the car to keep everyone happy (as well as nearly going hoarse singing songs and leading unified screams about the ridiculous traffic). I jumped between cars trying to ebb the tears but was largely unsuccessful.
It was dark as the cars inched off the highway. Alisa spotted a hotel down the road and made the instant decision that we would not stay in the car any longer. She actually found the hotel had a restaurant, that they both were well reviewed, and that there were vacancies in the hotel as we slowly approached.
We quickly exited with my sister joining us.
We booked two rooms and then went down to the restaurant where Ella proceeded to put what seemed to be an entire loaf of bread in her mouth.
We all ate heartily and headed up for bed. It did not take long for everyone to pass out after the rigors of this monstrous day.
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