Posts Tagged ‘Mediterranean’
Hitting the beach in Cagliari, Sardegna
Last week, I wrote about a fantastic weekend trip to Sardegna’s capital of Cagliari – my first time there. You can see my Cagliari post here. Cagliari is a fascinating city, with plenty to see. But if the weather is as good as it was when we were here, you’ll want to spend at least…
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 –…
Read MoreFirst beach outing of the season – in Sperlonga
This spring has been odd. As my younger son, whose memory is far better than mine, reminds me, this spring is apparently like the spring of 2019. All rain and grey weather until almost June. This is unusual in Rome, but this was definitely the case this spring. That’s why I was so excited to…
Read MoreSqueezing out those last drops of summer – on the beach in Sperlonga
I love summer. And yet, it’s the season that always seems to race by fastest. So when my younger son asked me if we could go on a beach get-away for our last summer weekend, he didn’t exactly have to twist my arm. I was happy to make a weekend escape to Sperlonga, one of…
Read MoreExploring Valletta, Malta in the lead up to its Notte bianca
Back in October, I was on the Mediterranean island of Malta for work. I was staying outside of the capital city of Valletta, Malta, and I was eager to get back to that city I hadn’t visited in some years. The only time I had free were the hours before my return flight to Rome…
Read MoreSand, sun, sports (and Roman poets) in Formia
I had never been to Formia – in southern Lazio, very close to the border with Campagna – before dropping my son off there for a track and field camp. The seaside town of about 38 000 people is in a dramatic spot, developed along the sea with Mount Altino rising dramatically just behind it.…
Read MoreMore than steel in Piombino, Tuscany
When my husband and I went to the Tuscan island of Elba a couple of years ago for a wedding (see my earlier post about Napoleon’s former Empire), we took the ferry over from the town of Piombino, a small town on the Tyrrhenian Sea of the Mediterranean. This area has been inhabited ever since…
Read MoreThe winding streets of Nice’s old town
The French Riviera city of Nice is a beautiful place to visit. I especially loved wandering Vieux Nice, where I could be forgiven for thinking I was back in Italy. The old quarter used to have a reputation for being dangerous, but today it’s a beautiful area to wander and enjoy the views into the…
Read MoreVisiting coastal Latina, Italy
I’ve already written about the interesting (short) history of Latina, Italy. Once the breeding grounds of mosquitoes that carried malaria, those mosquitoes were the true cause of the so-called Roman Fever that was romanticized in 19th century literature. The swampland was drained under Mussolini, and Latina was founded as a model fascist city. I visited the…
Read MoreAdmiring dramatic sunsets in Athens
I went to Athens with my family this past December, and we lucked out with sunny skies and balmy temperatures – I even returned to Rome slight suntanned. : ) Athens is a great city to explore, and the Acropolis is perched at a dramatic high point where it can be enjoyed across the entire city…
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