The first time I spotted a trullo, I expected a little gnome, pointy red hat and all, to come tiptoeing around the side of its rounded stone walls. The trulli seemed to pop up, out of the golden fields, like some ancient harvest. Here in Puglia, a province in the heel of the Italian boot,…
Category: Small Towns
Snapshots from Certaldo: Tiny Tuscan Hometown of a Literary Giant
It’s a Tuesday morning. Seven young ladies, friends, gather. Hatching a plan. Needing to escape their current circumstances. Presently, they are joined by a few young men. The plan unfolds. They’ll escape together to one of their family’s second homes — thankfully they have this option — safely away from the threats of the city….
Snapshots from Scarperia
About an hour northeast of Florence in Tuscany’s lush Mugello Valley lies Scarperia, a spot which has been named one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. We had escaped to Scarperia for a reprieve from busy Florence for the golf resort, Una Poggio dei Medici, which just happened to include a 16th century hunting…
While Meandering Montalcino
The quintessential Tuscan town of Montalcino begs to be wandered through, especially on a quiet morning, the air cool and still smelling of last night’s thunderstorm. On a whim we had followed one friend’s travel advice, rented a car for the first time in Italy thanks to another encouraging friend, and after a most pleasant…
Charming Certaldo
About one hour by car or train lies the picturesque little hamlet of Certaldo, home of Renaissance’s literary giant, Giovanni Boccaccio. The big cities in Italy were filled with visitors on this hot summer day, but in Certaldo it was fairly quiet and pleasantly breezy. We leisured through the cobbled streets, keeping ourselves busy capturing…
Staircase Serenity
Need a little peace infused into your week? Picture yourself here, resting on this tranquil stone staircase, gelato or caffè in hand! Image from Varenna, Lake Como, Italy.
Marvelous Menaggio
Between the northern shores of Lake Como and the border of Switzerland is nestled lovely, marvelous Menaggio. On a cool and cloudy July day we hopped a ferry from Bellagio, just across the lake, in search of the golf club, Menaggio and Cadenabbia Golf Club, which we found at the top of a steep, curvy…
While Wandering Varenna
Varenna is a quiet little spot on the shores of Lake Como. We stayed in nearby Bellagio and took a quick ride on the traghetto (ferry) to wander and lunch in Varenna. Here’s some snapshots of what caught my attention during our passeggiata (stroll). I invite you to sign my guest book or join me on Facebook!
Beautiful, Breathtaking Bellagio
Sopra: un vicolo bello a Bellagio. Sotto: i luci a crepuscolo. Above: a beautiful alley in Bellagio. Below: the lights at twilight. Bellagio, Italy, spilling down onto the shores of Lake Como. Grateful to be posting from Italy this month! Keep up with me here or on Facebook.
Prayers & Piazzas 