If this rambles a bit then excuse me but I'll come to the reason.
Yesterday we took the Tourist strain thing up to the top of the local hill and looked at the magnificent view across the bay.
Then we took the same thing down into the town of Gabicce Mare (that's the name of the place we're staying). We pottered about for a while and sat at the port drawing and reading until it clouded over.
We assumed it was going to rain because there had been thunderstorms during the night, and it did. So, we sat outside a bar and drank Sprite for an hour and set off again when the thunder, lightning and rain had eased off. Well, it had eased off for a minute or two, but by the time we'd walked up the hill to our hotel we were cos-playing participants in a Wet T-shirt Competition! (I won).
Today was very different. We had booked to go on the arranged coach trip to San Marino.
San Marino is the local tax haven micro-state. It is one of the world's smallest countries so why wouldn't we want to visit?
It sits on top of a blooming great hill with views over Italy.
It has lots of history and the buildings to go with it
It has its own laws and government
It has a LOT of tourists some of which might go there to buy (tax free) guns, cross-bows, huge knives and all sorts of assorted weaponry - all displayed in the shop windows. We bought a tax-free fridge magnet.
But I felt really unwell almost all the time we were there.
I don't know if it was a bit of travel sickness from the coach on the bad roads, a bit of heat sickness, or more from the current crop of maladies I'm plagued with at moment.
I bought some travel sickness pills from a (tax-free) pharmacy which sent me to bye-byes on the journey back
And then sent me to bye-byes in the room for two more hours.
So here I am at nearly evening meal time trying to keep my eyes open and type on a tiny keyboard for your amusement. Somehow!
I'd recommend San Marino - despite the crowds it's a magnificent place to go. But don't eat the magic pills.