ANCONA

Finally visited a town that did not win my heart. Ancona is a bustling modern sea port teeming with activity. The city is on a steep hill on a bit Italy that sort of bumps out into the Adriatic sea. Leaving the train station I was confronted by broad streets and an abundance of open space. At sea level everything is spread out and I had to do a lot of walking to find a street with some people activity. The streets are lined with worn out shops and empty store fronts, and the entire area seemed gritty and seedy. There were lots of young men just hanging around and a prominent number of Asian and oriental shops and markets. I was unable to find decent place to eat, and found myself more tired than I should have been, probably from the heat, the walking and the disappointment in the town. I decide it would be in my best interest to return to Bologna ASAP. To be fair, I did not see a lot of city...couldn't bring myself to walk up the hills as hot as it was.









But the day was not a complete bust...I really enjoyed the train ride; it was an opportunity to see more of the country side. Especially interesting was the long stretch where the train literally ran along the coast of the blue Adriatic sea. Beginning with Rimini, and traveling south through the seaside towns of Riccione, Pesaro. Fano, and Senigallia, their similarities and differences with the seashore towns I know on our own east coast are equally impressive. They have the look and feel of seaside towns, with the bars/cafes, beach front hotels, and wide streets leading directly to the beaches. I found the number of sectioned beaches with uniform umbrellas by color all laid out in symmetrically waiting for the bathers. The photos here were taken from the moving train.