Posts Tagged ‘Italy’
The long trip down San Patrizio’s well, Orvieto
I love the Umbrian town of Orvieto, perched up so dramatically on a hilltop. I’ve already written about the views over the town from the Moro Tower and the town’s Etruscan Museum, with its stunning views over the cathedral, but there’s plenty more to see when you’re in town. If you’re coming in by train and…
Read MoreBeautiful sunsets in Ariccia, Italy
I was out in the Castelli Romani region, the hillside towns located to the south of Rome, on a recent Sunday. My younger son was – once again – out there for a track and field meet in the town of Velletri on a beautiful spring day. On the drive back to Rome, both my…
Read MoreThe Polish Cemetery at Montecassino
Today is a holiday in Italy – Liberation Day. It seems fitting to remember today all those who sacrificed their lives during fierce fighting on the Italian peninsula during World War II. I recently posted about my visit to the 6th century abbey at Montecassino that was destroyed during the war and rebuilt from the rubble.…
Read MoreThe best of both worlds: Austrian & Italian delicacies at the Bolzano market
We were lucky enough to be passing through Bolzano on a Saturday morning – market day – and enjoyed our brief walk around the city in a dazzling (and unusual) sunny February day that felt like May. For those who don’t know the northern Italian city of Bolzano, it is the regional capital of the…
Read MoreRebuilt from the rubble: Italy’s 6th century Montecassino Abbey
A Sunday morning in February, I found myself in Cassino, a small city south of Rome at the edge of the Lazio region. This outing, like so many others of its kind, was for a running race of my youngest son. It’s a pretty long trip from Rome to Cassino, but the February day was…
Read MoreSella ronda – a 42 km ski loop in the Dolomites
Ever since I returned from my ski holiday I’ve been waxing poetic about these beautiful mountains in northern Italy. I’ve already written about skiing in the Dolomites and the base we loved in Selva di Val Gardena. This week I’m going to write about a trail – the Sella ronda, that will get you to many…
Read MoreA skier’s paradise: Selva di Val Gardena, Italy
I already wrote about skiing in the spectacular Dolomite Mountains (Dolomiti) in last week’s post. This week, I’d like to concentrate on the little town of Selva di Val Gardena, which we used as our home base during our week-long skiing holiday. Selva – or its German name of Wolkenstein or the slightly tweaked Sëlva…
Read MoreSkiing in a winter wonderland: Italy’s Dolomites
My week skiing in northern Italy last month was a hard thing to leave. After all, we enjoyed seven days of sunshine and snow on the 1200 kilometers of trails that took us all over Italy’s Dolomite Mountains, exploring new valleys and slopes each day. The Dolomiti, the Dolomites, are a mountain range of the…
Read MoreReason #5385 to love Rome: The Turtle Fountain
Rome’s Fontana delle tartarughe – the Turtle Fountain – is a beloved landmark in central Rome. Located on Piazza Mattei, in the neighborhood known as the Ghetto (for those of you wondering, this is where the name came from), it was built 1580-1588, during the Renaissance, by the architect/sculptor team of Giacomo della Porta and Taddeo…
Read MoreAn evening stroll in Caserta vecchia
I recently traveled down to visit the spectacular Reggia di Caserta, just outside of Naples in Italy’s Campagna region. You can see my earlier post about the splendid gardens that surround the former Bourbon family palace. Following that visit and before the drive back, we decided to stop off for an evening stroll in Caserta…
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