ramblings of a Seattle travel, food and photography hound
Out in a public space in Florence are sculptures that are considered to be masterpieces. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the openness and public trust. It was surprising to find a body double of one of the great works of Renaissance art. Michelangelo's David originally appeared in the square of the Palazzo... Continue Reading →
St. Mark's Basilica is one of the most recognizable places in Venice, if not as the church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, then surely for the tens of thousands of pigeons that flock around its plaza. The cathedral has a commanding presence in the square, once the Doge's chapel but now an ornate cathedral.... Continue Reading →
Almost everyone notices them, though they are not part of Venice itself. The church and bell tower on San Giorgio Maggiore gleam across the waters separating the island from Venice. The attraction is not visited nearly as much as Venice itself. It requires a short vaporetto ride from the Piazzetta. The church was designed by... Continue Reading →
Italians speaking German? Italian villages that look Austrian? These are not so odd in the northeastern part of Italy (Trentino-Alto Adige) that belonged to Austria before 1919. This region is the home of the Dolomites, a spectacular mountainous region that is in the South Tyrolean province and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As we arrived... Continue Reading →
What could evoke a better sense of place than the canals of Venice? More than any other single attraction, they make this city what it is, the destination of the millions of tourists who come here annually. Coursing through the piscine shape that outlines Venice, the canals flow like its lifeblood, rising and falling with... Continue Reading →
Venice, maybe more than any other Italian city, was a destination for us, as it is for millions of other tourists. No tour of Italy would have been complete without a visit to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The attractions are many: the canals to be sure, the gondolas and its... Continue Reading →
In Varenna, we took our first bus on the tour. Today's destination is The Dolomites in the Italian Alps, but not before a stop in historic Verona. Verona has a tumultuous history of wars and conquests by foreign invaders and has many architectural treasures that earned it the designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.... Continue Reading →
A sleeping pill gave me a good night's rest while still battling jet lag. We were awakened at 7am by the peal of church bells. A wonderful buffet breakfast in the hotel of cold cuts (including Parma ham), granola, yogurt, pastries, cheeses, bread and blueberry tart was served. Delicious. As we were on our own... Continue Reading →
We savored our first panini at Centrale Stazione while waiting to catch the train to Varenna, a town along the eastern shore of beautiful Lake Como. The Italian breads are so good! Sandwiches are prepared simply with no sauces. The fillings “speak” for themselves. From the Varenna-Esino station in Varenna, we made our way to our... Continue Reading →
zoomeboshi 