ITALY | Sunday, 22 Jan 2012 | Views [1205]
IT MUST HAVE SNOWED LAST NIGHT. The cars coming towards us had 10 cm of the wihite stuff on their roofs and the roads were slushy in those places shaded from the sun. The firs were draped in ermine, creating a winter wonderland much like ... Read more >
ITALY | Saturday, 21 Jan 2012 | Views [1315]
The Renaissance may have produced Italy's best art, but not the first. That distinction goes to those anonymous people who scratched and chipped images onto the glacially polished rock at the Valcamonica Rock World Heritage Site in the Third Millennium ... Read more >
ITALY | Thursday, 19 Jan 2012 | Views [926]
Milan is one of the world's centers for fashion. Where famous designers like Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace - plus scores of less familiar - have their stores. Where women - and men - dress like models in fashion magazines. ... Read more >
ITALY | Wednesday, 18 Jan 2012 | Views [1762]
I first encountered Michelangelo in Irving Stone's The Agony and the Ecstasy way back in 1965. I have re-read the book a couple of times since then, getting a better appreciation of the man and his art with each reading. And I have a tattered, ... Read more >
ITALY | Tuesday, 17 Jan 2012 | Views [1823]
Reservations are required, often a month or more in advance. But, being us, we arrived at the Church of Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan, home of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" just after eight this foggy and snowy morning with only ... Read more >
ITALY | Tuesday, 17 Jan 2012 | Photo Gallery
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ITALY | Sunday, 15 Jan 2012 | Views [996]
It is one of the most iconic monuments in Italy. And, yes, the Leaning Tower really does lean, despite the heroic efforts of tourists to push it back in position in their photos. There weren't many tourists when we arrived from Lucca this morning, ... Read more >
ITALY | Friday, 13 Jan 2012 | Views [1160]
Connie is a maker of lists: the bird species she has seen (2500); the countries we have visited (90 for her, 70 for me); where we spent each holiday and anniversary. The current favorite, the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural ... Read more >
ITALY | Wednesday, 11 Jan 2012 | Views [906]
One of the benefits of being married to Colonel Connie - and they are too many to count - is the opportunity to receive medical treatments at military bases overseas. Another is being able to stay in very affordable lodging at military bases. We ... Read more >
SAN MARINO | Saturday, 7 Jan 2012 | Views [2360]
After spending a single night in San Marino, and thakning our lucky stars that we found a place, we drove on to Ravenna. Ravenna has the best mosaics this side of Istanbul, which is where we first became interested in them. In fact, the famous ... Read more >
ITALY | Thursday, 5 Jan 2012 | Views [9186]
Florence may have the art, Siena has the history, and Montalcino definitely has the wine. Assisi just oozes religion. It is the home of three saints; St. Rufino, the patron saint of Assisi; St. Clare, founder of the order of "Poor Clare's;... Read more >
ITALY | Wednesday, 4 Jan 2012 | Views [1221]
The morning fog that blanketed the valley looked surreal from
our hotel balcony. The romance
faded with the visibility as we drove down into it on our way to the tiny but, oh so charming, town
of Pienza. The Val d’Orcia area
was sort of ... Read more >
ITALY | Tuesday, 3 Jan 2012 | Views [976]
Volterra means “world that floats,” referring to the winter fog
that often fills the surrounding valleys, but today the weather was clear. Volterra has existed for 2000 years,
built by Etruscans, influenced by Greeks, absorbed by the Roman Empire ... Read more >
ITALY | Monday, 2 Jan 2012 | Views [823]
After two weeks Florence felt like home. But it was time to move on so we rented a Nissan Micra (surprise - Hertz had the best rates!) and headed off to see Italy. Siena was a rival to both Florence and Venice in the Middle Ages, eventually falling ... Read more >
ITALY | Monday, 2 Jan 2012 | Photo Gallery
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ITALY | Saturday, 31 Dec 2011 | Views [749]
It's a state of mind, a living museum where it seems possible that Michelangelo or Leonardo might just walk across the piazza. Florence hasn't changed much in the last 500 years. It hasn't been bombed or pillaged, destroyed by fire or been the victim ... Read more >
ITALY | Sunday, 25 Dec 2011 | Views [710]
This was another unconventional Christmas for us, but not as much a non-event as we had in
Israel or Australia. There are some
lights strung along the Via Cavour and a large tree stands near the Duomo but otherwise Florence was surprisingly quiet.... Read more >
ITALY | Wednesday, 21 Dec 2011 | Views [1127]
He stands relaxed yet ready for action, eyes fixed steadily on his opponent, confident of the outcome of the contest. He is a beautiful young man, unfazed by his nudity. His muscles are hardened from an active
life protecting his flock from lions ... Read more >
ITALY | Tuesday, 20 Dec 2011 | Views [1154]
Perhaps the best place to begin exploring the art and history of Florence (or Firenze) is on the Piazza della Signoria. This is where Fra. Savonarola held his "Bonfire of the Vanities," a book and art burning ceremony to get the Florentines ... Read more >
ITALY | Tuesday, 20 Dec 2011 | Photo Gallery
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