Just a peaceful stone archway, encountered during our summer stroll (passeggiata) in Varenna. Through the archway on one of the nearby buildings was a tile marker etched with the name of the neighborhood, fittingly named: …beautiful district The book giveaway contest is open through this Sunday, November 27! Please click here for more details on how…
Category: Snapshots from Italy
Book Love, Italiano
Thankfully this bookshop in Florence was closed when Daughter and I stumbled upon it this summer, or I may have ended up facing the dilemma of carrying several fragile books back to the U.S. without being damaged en route! Although I would love a couple of these for my collection… This simple display marries two…
Framed by History
Verona’s Ponte Scaligero is a fortified bridge built in the mid 1300s. It spans the Adige River and leads to the castelvecchio (the old castle). We found it to be a delightful way to frame beautiful Verona, and couldn’t resist climbing higher for an even better view.
A Tiny Tuscan Church
Nestled in the perfectly preserved walled town of Monteriggioni in Tuscany is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. Despite my love affair with Brunelleschi’s famous dome in Florence, it’s this little unassuming church which is my favorite chiesa of all which I’ve seen in Italy thus far. Built over an ancient church, Santa Maria Assunta…
Snapshots from Florence: The Ponte Vecchio
Il Ponte Vecchio “Water under the bridge” is a common English saying. In Italian one would say acqua passata non macina più, literally translated as water gone no longer roils. Regardless the language, the water under this famous bridge is the river Arno, which it has spanned for centuries. The Ponte Vecchio is one of my…
In Verona
Verona, a magical city near Venice in Italy’s Veneto region. Wandering the marble streets this summer, I found all of Verona to be proudly beautiful, with the ability to turn something as ordinary as a shop selling deli meats into a work of art.
Snapshots from Italy, Ancient
Staying in the heart of Rome this summer, just due passi (“two steps”) from the center of the old empire, one word comes to mind: ancient. Leading directly to the center of ancient Rome is the Via dei Fori Imperiali, which can be translated as the Road of the Imperial Courts. This road stretches from Piazza Venezia…
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!
Keep Calm and Love Roma
If “all roads lead to Rome”, I’m guessing that this ancient path in front of the Colosseum is one of those roads. If it’s your first visit to this ancient city, the Colosseum cannot be missed. (Although truthfully, if I find myself in Rome, this is the first thing I want to see. For me,…
Prayers & Piazzas 