Posts Tagged ‘Italy’
Tuscan beaches
Discovering new beaches is always fun… This summer, we had my son’s national track championships up in Grosseto, Italy, and the heat led us to carving ina little beach time. Some of that we spent on the wide beaches of Marina di Grosseto, just a few kilometers from the medieval hilltown. The other beach was…
Read MorePadova’s spectacular San Antonio Basilica
This past winter, my son and I took a few weekend trips to Padova, in Italy’s northern Veneto region. It was also a great opportunity to see the Sant Antonio basilica once again. This spectacular basilica was constructed beginning in 1232, a year following the death of St Anthony. It was completed in 1310. Like…
Read MoreWatching over Ancona’s port each morning
These past years, I’ve gotten to know the Marche’s region’s capital of Ancona. I came here regularly because the small city hosts an indoor track, and my sprinter son would compete here. Whenever we would stay, I would book my favorite hotel, with its views over the Ancona port. Ports are interesting places, and it’s…
Read MoreArt, architecture and sport in Tuscany’s Grosseto
We had a great weekend at the end of July in the Tuscan town of Grosseto. It was my first time there, but I enjoyed the old town (even because, on a Saturday at around 2 pm, the hottest hour of the day), we had it almost to ourselves… Grosseto is a small city of…
Read MoreTraces of the past in the Roman countryside
One of the (many) things I love about Italy are the brushes with the past no matter where you go. We came upon the remnants of this Ancient Roman aqueduct in the fields between Tivoli and Castel Madama. Even though you see these all the time, it never fails to put me in a good…
Read MoreReal life locations of my short stories
I love anything associated with travel, so it’s not a surprise that a strong sense of place is important to me as a reader and writer. My latest short story collection, “Drink Wine and Be Beautiful”, is largely set in Italy. I thought I would share some of the locations that play a role in…
Read MoreWeekend bliss in the mountains of Abruzzo
I always love trips out to the mountains, but this year, I was having a tough time managing a weekend mountain escape. But the first weekend of July, I did manage to hop out for a short visit in Italy’s Apennine mountains, and it was glorious. I often go out to Italy’s Abruzzo region, to…
Read MoreOne night in Tolentino, Marche
It wouldn’t be summer for me without a healthy does of Track Tourism… Yes, it’s true I’m driving my son all over the Italian peninssula for his track races. But it’s Italy, so I’m always discovering new (beautiful) places. The latest discovery for me was the inland town in Italy’s Marche region – Tolentino. Almost…
Read MoreA surprise visit to Avellino
Because of his qualifying time in a track event, my son was asked to compete in an invite-only race in Aventino, in Italy’s Campania region. It’s about a three-hour drive south of Rome, and I decided to take the day off and accompany him there. I was excited to see him run, and to hopefully…
Read MoreExploring seaside Salerno
Earlier this spring, my younger son had a track race in seaside Salerno. Salerno is a small city in Italy’s Campania region, south of Naples and directly south of the beautiful Amalfi coast. This was my first visit to Salerno, and I was really pleased to have “discovered” this pretty town. It was pleasant –…
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