Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
Living like a noblewoman in Ravenna
I usually do all our holiday planning, so I was pleased recently when my husband took over and planned a weekend escape to beautiful Ravenna, Italy, in the Emilia Romagna region. He discovered a hotel I loved in the center of Ravenna: The Palazzo Galletti Abbiosi. This was a noble palace built in the 1700s…
Read MoreEnjoying a piadina on Ravenna’s picturesque Piazza del popolo
Okay, so not only do you live and learn, but you travel and learn. I’ve eaten the Italian piadina many times, but I never realized it was a specialty of Emilia Romagna, and particularly the Romagna region – from the area of Ravenna, Rimini, Forlì. But now I know. A piadina is a type of…
Read MoreFinally made it to Rome’s Botanical Gardens
I have been living in Rome for – ahem!- over two decades. Yet it is only recently that I crossed the city to visit Rome’s Botanical Gardens (L’Orto botanico di Roma). Am I glad I did! I can’t believe it took me so long to get there, especially since it’s an easy location to reach,…
Read MoreSometimes all that glitters is gold: Ravenna’s San Vitale Basilica
It has been years that I’ve wanted to visit Ravenna and its spectacular early Christian churches with their stunning moasics. Of course, I had seen all the photos, but somehow nothing prepares you for visiting in person and taking in all that beauty surrounding you. In San Vitale, all that glitters most certainly is gold!…
Read MoreVisiting the world’s oldest republic: San Marino
For those who (like me) love Italy, you may be aware that, within its borders, Italy contains two independent countries. One – the Holy See or Vatican – requires little introduction. The second might be less known. San Marino, or, by its romantic sounding full Italian name Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, is just under…
Read MoreDante’s final resting place
This year, in Italy, and around the world, we’ve been marking 700 years since the death of Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265 – 1321). Dante is considered the Father of the Italian language and litearture, with his masterpiece The Divine Comedy written in (vulgar) Italian, rather than in (erudite) Latin – thereby ushering in a rich…
Read MoreEarly morning jogging in Rieti
In the late spring, my youger son and I spent a weekend in Rieti – a small city in Lazio’s northernmost region. While there, I rose early on Sunday morning to enjoy a short jog in the eerily deserted city. I started off at out hotel, at the top of this medieval hilltown and jogged…
Read MoreRestorative hiking in Abruzzo
My weekend escapes to the mountains of Abruzzo are always pleasant. But my most recent weekend jaunt was especially satisfactory. My younger son and I could both (finally) get away from the city, and with the scorching temperatures in Rome, and so the Apennine mountains in nearby Abruzzo was an excellent plan. Even more so…
Read MoreEverything’s coming up roses – in Rome
Rome is always beautiful in the spring and early summer. One the things I love about the season is how colorful the blooming flowers look against the city’s imposing monuments. Nothing beats the city’s beautiful roses when they are in bloom. Each year, I make a visit to the city’s Rose Garden, just off the…
Read MoreAn imposing castle surrounded by olive trees in Nerola
Returning from a track race in the town of Rieti, about a 1.5 hour drive from Rome, my son and I decided to stop off an explore the little medieval hilltown of Nerola. Nerola sits on a hilltop 453 meters from sea level. Its name is believed to be derived from the ancient Sabine language…
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