tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49485837436119546802024-03-12T19:31:44.673-04:00Travel. See. Do.Travel = Life. Photography close second.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.comBlogger188125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-68475315237136221742017-09-24T11:07:00.000-04:002017-09-24T19:38:35.262-04:00Rest in Peace, Colonel Michael Chilcott<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">I am sad to tell the news. I am not sure how many readers have been to Normandy in the past several years, especially in the early 2000s. Michael Chilcott was a fascinating fellow and a great storyteller. I'm walking down memory lane a little bit this morning. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">I just found out the news. I had emailed Rosemary, his wife, a few months ago to check in and see how they were doing, and didn't hear back. I thought that was a little unusual because while it takes a while to hear back I usually do hear back. The summer wore on and I forgot about it and this morning I looked online on a hunch.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">In 1999 I visited the Normandy beaches with a friend on a spontaneous, quickly planned trip. I did a little research ahead of time and found on VRBO reference to Michael and Rosemary's B&B in Bayeux. He was retired military and in his mid-60s. We stayed with them a few nights and had a fun time listening to him and their various guests who were all history buffs and apparently all repeat visitors. Michael was quite the story teller! He and Rosemary lived all over the world during his time in the military and the places he mentioned all had the exotic-sounding flavor of the former British empire. Their home, while very Norman French, was decorated much like you'd expect a British home in the country to be (complete with stuffed stoat, and lots of photos and books everywhere). This would have been 55 years after the D-Day landings, and so the youngest veterans would have been perhaps 73 - still hale and hearty in many cases. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">In 2004 it was the 60th anniversary and it had been 5 years since my last visit and so I decided "why not go back again". I had checked in occasionally with Rosemary in the intervening 5 years to see how they were and I was excited to go back to see them again and visit other parts of the area I hadn't seen the last time. It was, as usual, part of my "let's get a flavor of everything trip" because I had spent part of the week before that hiking along different parts of the Brittany Coast, and in fact after the French portion of the trip went on to Switzerland to visit friends there for more hiking. But I digress!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">So, off to Bayeux again and another visit. Michael was still in great shape, barely 70 and Rosemary was as always indefatigable. I enjoyed the visits because it felt to me kind of like going to visit grandparents in their home in the country. If you've been to Normandy, especially the coast, it's beautiful and peaceful. Their home is barely a mile outside of town, and the walk into town takes you past the British WWII cemetery. Walk the other way and you are thick in the countryside very quickly. I took a photo of Michael and Rosemary and some of their friends, in dapper clothes, heading out to walk to church services the morning of D-Day. I will have to find this photo. I enlarged and framed it and mailed it to her after my visit. It would have been digital so I must have it somewhere.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">Fast forward to June 2009 and the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings. I had started taking my Mom on various European trips with me in 2007 but as yet hadn't taken Dad along. So I dragged him off to Paris and Normandy. It was our first solo trip together and in fact I hadn't spent a ton of time with Dad solo, full stop, because Mom was always there. He is a huge history buff himself and had a fantastic time meeting Michael and Rosemary and all the regular visitors who came back year after year. Michael had suffered a stroke a few years prior and had slowed down considerably. He had other health issues as well - but still had a lot of stories and was getting around. Rosemary was doing well and we left with more great memories and now with three visits to see them a new tradition - every five years. The youngest vets at this point were probably around 83 or so, and Rosemary mentioned that each year over year they witnessed the changes. There were many more wheelchairs being pushed along the beach during the memorial ceremonies.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">So now we are at June 2014 and I decided I wanted to do a little more exploring along the coast and the pull of the tradition of "every five years" was hitting me again. This time it was the 70th anniversary and I wanted to see how the Chilcotts were doing, spend a little time there, and I was curious to see how the area had changed once again. In 1999 the area was still very traditional, for lack of a better word. A few museums, but many of them were small and home grown (and in fact Michael had a hand in starting a few of the smaller ones). I am not even sure if the Caen museum had been built yet, in 1999, and I'm too lazy to google it right now. I think it was, come to think of it, but I'm not sure. I visited in 2009 with Dad but not before that. At any rate, this time some friends had independently decided they wanted to visit the area too and so we coordinated to spend time together a few days while we were local to each other. In 2014 the number of museums or memorials had grown dramatically compared to 1999 and things seemed much more "glitzy and official" to me. The old small museums almost made you feel like you were stepping back in time to 1944, the new ones were glistening and had defined parking lots and interactive displays. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">Michael had slowed even more, that time, but Rosemary seems to never have changed at all to me. She still ran the entire household and B&B with constant guests overflowing their home. Literally. Camping during the busy times, a small cottage on their property they also rented out, people stayed even above the barn sometimes. One thing I also remember fondly is the tradition of their huge table, laden with all kinds of food at breakfast with a table full of people at all times (taking shifts to have breakfast) and no matter which time you chose to came down you would hear even more stories of their days of exploring. Breakfast was easily as engaging as having dinner there. They loved loved loved having a full home at all times. She said it was her favorite thing about having a B&B. Always new people, usually old friends, and lots of stories all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">It occurred to me in 2014 that this might be one of the last times I saw them. Never say never, but while going back every five years was a nice tradition I also felt I had seen so much of that area and you only get so much vacation time each year. I think I will go back at least one more time to visit Rosemary and pay my respects to Michael but I'm not sure when, now. I should also mention I made a few nice friends during these visits, too, who I keep up with on Facebook. I have very fond memories of my times there and I'm sad that time marches on, as it must.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">Rest in Peace, Michael.</span></div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-54201847547616371602016-03-04T16:23:00.001-05:002016-03-04T16:33:09.764-05:00Netflix is pairing with Instagram for a photographer's dream come true<div><br></div><div><br></div>I am breaking my long silence to post about some exciting news.<br>
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Netflix and Instagram are seeking talented photographers to photograph different film sites in various parts of the world.<br>
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I've tossed my hat into the ring. Wish me luck.<br>
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The three photos I've submitted and a few more to boot:<br>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNt3fUUSwE_pIQ83zKklU3wigg0vs1_a2wDb03zrYL8FrgKW1wC3QOLARUcHsw-3o9xcMarcmvDS9Fxc3vYqD-7ORYNZCgqKKVlSN3b8_se0vdTpn3jClKHtUWCvO8rbVXmv3ndbVbSUsi/s640/blogger-image--544553343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNt3fUUSwE_pIQ83zKklU3wigg0vs1_a2wDb03zrYL8FrgKW1wC3QOLARUcHsw-3o9xcMarcmvDS9Fxc3vYqD-7ORYNZCgqKKVlSN3b8_se0vdTpn3jClKHtUWCvO8rbVXmv3ndbVbSUsi/s640/blogger-image--544553343.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3GEM42xF3lX6VDeEDvdwWkgqsO-LgR9edxIeQU996AH2cjoDC6jBr9ShdMVtaj6akaySLTeT3x-gabzqfIj8LqUCkyy_SvnCz_RpIZ33V5GQs7q_tyYBnDufapqGGwuFz8vtpjArN-eI/s640/blogger-image--2073439286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3GEM42xF3lX6VDeEDvdwWkgqsO-LgR9edxIeQU996AH2cjoDC6jBr9ShdMVtaj6akaySLTeT3x-gabzqfIj8LqUCkyy_SvnCz_RpIZ33V5GQs7q_tyYBnDufapqGGwuFz8vtpjArN-eI/s640/blogger-image--2073439286.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkN20fcWvQbI1cdg2XiyWSfqDKmjU537tMTGx96OHflgLa7igOI0O-tWCvnlkQvdGZAwF5twzOQfU5A4ZAXFekeD4m1CPa58uCx9NJIClG8RTz6-YsFitMMrfRP89dEjLBLQh4pcBBE1m/s640/blogger-image-1010533039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkN20fcWvQbI1cdg2XiyWSfqDKmjU537tMTGx96OHflgLa7igOI0O-tWCvnlkQvdGZAwF5twzOQfU5A4ZAXFekeD4m1CPa58uCx9NJIClG8RTz6-YsFitMMrfRP89dEjLBLQh4pcBBE1m/s640/blogger-image-1010533039.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Others I quite like from my travels but that didn't make the three #grammasters3 cut:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Firenze </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6CdwoC0zz3Q-bOMsLR6GyaI3gYWcu_95jh28vxSymxK5bMdfNm1u7WRZOE-r5e4laRFykhObQFIM_HIIiLTQFOC5CBJb8l2Jer1Wpm60aBHV0Q1Db-HmWXU60gBekxH-vlPQdik9IJTA/s640/blogger-image-1430383655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6CdwoC0zz3Q-bOMsLR6GyaI3gYWcu_95jh28vxSymxK5bMdfNm1u7WRZOE-r5e4laRFykhObQFIM_HIIiLTQFOC5CBJb8l2Jer1Wpm60aBHV0Q1Db-HmWXU60gBekxH-vlPQdik9IJTA/s640/blogger-image-1430383655.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Roma</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_eu3CbCp_XKd7EJUAhqiTykHvMc1WytjO9NP_Etr7abevpR7wLuTATcctWf-ICFmhHR1hKur14h8n16qhrvAdcY3Jm8zp8u9YDfoBQ9oF7hdDcY_Xz39TU89D3u2W5V9DowLR6TPlRoX/s640/blogger-image-433355334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_eu3CbCp_XKd7EJUAhqiTykHvMc1WytjO9NP_Etr7abevpR7wLuTATcctWf-ICFmhHR1hKur14h8n16qhrvAdcY3Jm8zp8u9YDfoBQ9oF7hdDcY_Xz39TU89D3u2W5V9DowLR6TPlRoX/s640/blogger-image-433355334.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Paris</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfpmfVSLjCSWaaEYf9J3ZnIhyphenhyphenVpjN8RupK5_c0AG1d5HHnPxWwUHoSAHqTEl6V3ptVD4GlcStIPu0LfcgPRF7nZOg4Ue24vOggmyWPyXz61ESEZKfB7zKM0vQZgCayHJa44DMG3ja_4ec/s640/blogger-image--1818572881.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfpmfVSLjCSWaaEYf9J3ZnIhyphenhyphenVpjN8RupK5_c0AG1d5HHnPxWwUHoSAHqTEl6V3ptVD4GlcStIPu0LfcgPRF7nZOg4Ue24vOggmyWPyXz61ESEZKfB7zKM0vQZgCayHJa44DMG3ja_4ec/s640/blogger-image--1818572881.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Venezia</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0qdkYzWNejTWt3Mxqbgfb8RKPUhY72bG2zcQ_AHnPT_kywyKG1AsrjJzS9qO7bRLPjszOcqMH_PHaIX4CYvxLgYtAW9BYLdKpQjA8EVYHfZwHtaLDMH2qgfnbOuHahb639saTbOe-OS5/s640/blogger-image-1823928627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip0qdkYzWNejTWt3Mxqbgfb8RKPUhY72bG2zcQ_AHnPT_kywyKG1AsrjJzS9qO7bRLPjszOcqMH_PHaIX4CYvxLgYtAW9BYLdKpQjA8EVYHfZwHtaLDMH2qgfnbOuHahb639saTbOe-OS5/s640/blogger-image-1823928627.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Limone sul Garda</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqg1RjgHd4cLhqdgO7OjZy9_jxrh78r2r3-lJbS7Vdv_mfv4uUxp8_likVn0rwIsoHpDBHcr_Kaa5KNpnA4Z3SaY5S76f5QHd7rt99psWpr5-ghkYUplzQqq-eW1W_TVCIuxJpCfIMugD/s640/blogger-image-268829537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqg1RjgHd4cLhqdgO7OjZy9_jxrh78r2r3-lJbS7Vdv_mfv4uUxp8_likVn0rwIsoHpDBHcr_Kaa5KNpnA4Z3SaY5S76f5QHd7rt99psWpr5-ghkYUplzQqq-eW1W_TVCIuxJpCfIMugD/s640/blogger-image-268829537.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Positano</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxAJRIzCrmouTF8MtrP17f8tGWAdrKQsVDAa_GpIZQ73ksh-PwtoDa_cvDe8Qjy0OWerAFksYahOW_BBsx184yfzZKUOC6P_IFxv_kDoLCdKemYpefnvZYH9sZAEqJzyEOq4ZOqgTaQyW/s640/blogger-image--881390473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxAJRIzCrmouTF8MtrP17f8tGWAdrKQsVDAa_GpIZQ73ksh-PwtoDa_cvDe8Qjy0OWerAFksYahOW_BBsx184yfzZKUOC6P_IFxv_kDoLCdKemYpefnvZYH9sZAEqJzyEOq4ZOqgTaQyW/s640/blogger-image--881390473.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Paris Institut du Monde Arabe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4FopCpTpxUHwdlYE2sbPbjyxkumBYSahe4zQ91qvbFZTay5uNV096glgbMFw_QXnQupXGfQNNsF8wszJsvya9_dNEMMKEjn553ZTOrkSwcaM1TgsYRHmfs0ig6gE1YuPyzXNkvlV7ikv/s640/blogger-image-1891184763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4FopCpTpxUHwdlYE2sbPbjyxkumBYSahe4zQ91qvbFZTay5uNV096glgbMFw_QXnQupXGfQNNsF8wszJsvya9_dNEMMKEjn553ZTOrkSwcaM1TgsYRHmfs0ig6gE1YuPyzXNkvlV7ikv/s640/blogger-image-1891184763.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Pernes les Fontaines</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis26mX8NdBn0hoCIK8jIAkGpbWnQ7QvbJxyZ0DOoiLbAXY2GQwMb-mEF30kxQd2J3b1KeMO8Vhpb44aTA4e5rSGFnpiu7R22OECg_xNnX6BsHFThxV5_YCsS4g5ZiuqapZkcuw1gb06AX/s640/blogger-image-688550153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgis26mX8NdBn0hoCIK8jIAkGpbWnQ7QvbJxyZ0DOoiLbAXY2GQwMb-mEF30kxQd2J3b1KeMO8Vhpb44aTA4e5rSGFnpiu7R22OECg_xNnX6BsHFThxV5_YCsS4g5ZiuqapZkcuw1gb06AX/s640/blogger-image-688550153.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Venezia</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheiKaB5k1-HSPukEzliV67xBgH_l0BWopfMjY_W4NsUEediUOYPXpm_GJ6bfG1oYolVJO81XBITXa4kjzjPqt-ZYnyiT23No75__Vhd8CUWxv-h836fY8XFNanPLAdr5YtQrI6zVmiV3P/s640/blogger-image--1156700274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheiKaB5k1-HSPukEzliV67xBgH_l0BWopfMjY_W4NsUEediUOYPXpm_GJ6bfG1oYolVJO81XBITXa4kjzjPqt-ZYnyiT23No75__Vhd8CUWxv-h836fY8XFNanPLAdr5YtQrI6zVmiV3P/s640/blogger-image--1156700274.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-77236803201927422014-12-11T13:05:00.001-05:002014-12-11T13:06:10.885-05:00So much traveling, not enough writingI promise, I promise I will have some interesting things posted here soon. I have been traveling so much since June! I will have scores of photos and stories so please check back.<br />
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Meanwhile, here is a photo of me at the Grand Palace. I didn't take it - yes, I know the Wat behind me looks like it is growing out of my head. This was in Bangkok, Thailand, in the middle of November. <br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-53520362021965796752014-04-19T08:55:00.002-04:002014-07-25T08:56:01.444-04:00UNESCO World Heritage Site: Sacro Monte di Ossuccio on Lake ComoWhen you peruse the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, you will quickly notice that Italy has more than its fair share of places to visit. Out of 981 properties, Italy has 49. Almost 5% of the world's most-cherished sites. That's almost three times as many as Greece and ten more than each of France or Germany have. In fact, if you quickly eyeball that list, only Spain and China come close.<br />
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Here, take a look, while I get to the point of this post:<br />
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<a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/">http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/</a><br />
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I like to fancy myself a UNESCO site collector (I'm up to 63 sites so far), so, when it finally dawned on me that Lake Como has its own UNESCO site I decided to act upon it at my next opportunity. Which occurred in 2012 - so this blog post is a little behind. Oh well.<br />
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In May of 2012 my Mom and I had another of our visits to northern Italy. She's becoming an old hand at this part of the world - each of my four visits to Lake Como were with her. One morning on our trip I decided I was going to walk up to see the Sacro Monte di Ossuccio which is not far at all from our favorite place to stay, in Lenno. She wasn't keen on an early morning walk so I crept out myself and enjoyed a lovely post-dawn walk along the lakefront and then up into the hills. <br />
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There are fourteen chapels on the way up the hill to the church which contains the 15th chapel. The complex was built during the course of the 17th and early 18th centuries and apparently was built on top of the 16th century Sanctuary of the Madonna del Soccorso (I know what Soccorso means, because during our trip Mom had to visit the Pronto Soccorso - another story for another day. She's fine). <br />
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Up I climbed, with frequent stops to take photos and to look around me at the ever-expansive lake behind me as well as the various homes I passed along the way. All of the chapels were closed - I imagine they would have been open at a different hour, though.<br />
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I made it to the top just as the church bells pealed 8 AM. There is a road to get there as when I reached the top I saw a Range Rover. There appeared to be a tiny little place for refreshments but it was early and no one was there. <br />
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This church is actually in use although I wonder how tiny its congregation may be. You are not allowed to take photos inside, and, at that hour (despite being a Sunday morning) I was one of only two people silently wandering around. The votives had candles in them, some lit, so clearly there was life nearby. <br />
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Here are some photos from my wander. Enjoy!<br />
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At the beginning. Look at all the chapels!<br />
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A few of the chapels:<br />
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Tada, some photos from the top. See, I wasn't lying about being up there at 8 AM!<br />
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A view of the promontory. On the other side is Villa Balbianello. Directly below would be Ossuccio, and on the left side you can glimpse Lenno.</div>
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I love, love, love this photo. This is the ferry, pulling into Lenno. I've got it zoomed way in so it's farther away than it looks. What a peaceful, peaceful morning. Look how still the lake is, but for the ripples left by the boat. <br />
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<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-86106731717274155752014-03-23T09:24:00.000-04:002014-03-23T10:04:32.881-04:00Spring has sprung - I thinkMarch 23. The calendar says spring is here. But the weather isn't sure it wants to commit to spring yet. We have days here and there which are pleasant but then late winter grips us again - a foot of snow less than one week ago. Perhaps a dusting in a few days, perhaps not. The weatherman can't make up his mind either.<br />
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In my backyard I see the tulip shoots trying to see sunlight. My Guy Friday has already mulched my flower garden and pruned the roses and lavender. But I think we are still a good three weeks away from any flowerbuds that didn't come from a greenhouse.<br />
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So, in an effort to coax spring out of hiding, here are some photos from springs past. Many of them were taken in past Aprils, so there is hope for us yet!<br />
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April 2, 2010 (we won't see this in just a week from today):<br />
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April 5, 2008 (nor this):<br />
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April 18, 2010:<br />
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April 18, 2010:<br />
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April 14, 2013 (possibly...):<br />
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April 18, 2009:<br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-5560026130159550632014-02-25T07:17:00.001-05:002014-02-25T07:17:24.786-05:00Where did I take this photo?Good morning!<br />
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Going through my photos, summer dreamin' (or at least spring, sun and warmth on my face)... winter still has us in its clutches as we are expecting some mild flurries this morning. <br />
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This photo made me giggle. What a glorious day this was - if I had a Groundhog Day, I would want to repeat this very day, from start to end. <br />
Where did I take this photo? <br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-76230143567518716592014-02-23T13:21:00.000-05:002014-02-23T14:55:20.677-05:00Sentiero degli Dei: the Path of the Gods. Amalfi Coast. <br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Subtitle:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting up very early on vacation for a beautiful
morning hike.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here I am, entirely too early, getting ready to head out the door:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was my last day on the Amalfi Coast. I made it count! In the lead up to my trip I did a lot of research on various hikes in the area and decided that it would be nice to have a local guide accompany me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lucia of Zia Lucy is a great
companion on this hike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She's a native who lives in Nocelle and her home is literally at the very
end of the main part of the Pathway of the Gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She hikes this path several times weekly in
all seasons and her boyfriend is a serious trekker who travels to other regions
and countries for his hiking adventures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is pleasant and fun and very knowledgeable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is
also very reasonably priced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I made
my plans I decided that given that there is a bit of traveling involved to get
to the trail head in Bomerano (and early to boot) it might be easier just to
have a native along to make sure I was on the right buses - as well as having
someone to talk to.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Her website:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://en.zialucy.com/">http://en.zialucy.com/</a> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lucia and I first met on my first day in Positano when I did
the intro to Positano walking tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knows
a lot of people and many times people stopped to say hello while we were walking
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also ran into her a few days
later - she was conducting a tour with some people I had met at lunch the day
before <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- I had recommended they contact
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made our plans to meet in front
of the Alcione (my lodging) at 630 AM so that we could catch the early bus to Amalfi which
is where you catch the bus that goes to Bomerano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We were on the SITA bus just before 7 AM on a Saturday and
take heed - it was already filling up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make
sure to sit on the side that looks over the water, if you can - the views are just
stunning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was glad to let someone else
do the driving on the coast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drive
was mostly without incident although there was at least one spot where our bus
met another bus and the one coming in the other direction had to slowly inch
backwards to make room for everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Naturally the other drivers on the road are very impatient and once a small
space cleared between the buses we watched people in their tiny cars trying to
cut ahead and zoom through the hole - which only serves to slow everyone else
up and especially because you can't see what is in the other direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucy watched this all and commented
drily:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Now let's watch this
festival of stupidity" which I thought was just hilarious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is a great quote to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>use when watching drivers pull silly stunts!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we drove along the coast I briefly wondered where the House Hunters
International property might be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had corresponded with the owner although I knew I wouldn't have enough time to
look it up on such a short trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She's
wayyy up in the hills above the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe some other trip it would be interesting to visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if she will turn it into a B&B,
or if it would be their private home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
don't know.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We made it to Amalfi and had a little bit of time to walk to
a grand old caffe Pansa and get some pastries and espresso.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then back on the bus to take us to Bomerano.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>arrived in
Bomerano pretty close to 9 AM and stopped at a bakery to get a variety of
cookies and then another small caffe for water and espresso as well as a pit
stop before the walk.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You will see a number of people prepping for the hike in
this little village although once we started walking we passed a few people and
then we were alone for the most part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here
are a few photos taken at the beginning of the hike. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As we walked, Lucy talked about the different flowers on the
trail and some of the history of the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She told me that the fall, and especially October/November, is her
favorite time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently the water is
still warm enough for swimming in October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She also said the winter seas get very intense blues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you follow her on Facebook (or Positano
Daily Photo, also on Facebook) you will see some frequent photos of the region.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are some flower photos:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The hike, coming from Bomerano down to Nocelle, is a fairly
gentle trend downhill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would prefer
that direction because you are not only going downhill, you have the sun at
your back and the whole of the Amalfi Coast ridgeline in front of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walking in the opposite direction I would
only want to do in the late afternoon and while it is a fairly gentle trend,
you are still going to go uphill if you start in Nocelle and end in
Bomerano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not to mention you will probably
encounter more hikers if you start later in the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be an early bird!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's so pretty in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can
see how high up you are hiking, and the stunning views over the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the photos is Positano
from a distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm sure you can find
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can see various Saraceno towers
in these photos, too.</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Of course, Positano from a distance:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is a certain part of the hike where you emerge from
what appears to be some farmland, with grapes and lemons growing, and then BOOM
you have the whole of the Amalfi Coast ridgeline in front of you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can't miss it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is the first photo:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And here is the ridgeline
from various spots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we near
Nocelle you will see very clearly the Faraglioni of Capri off in the
distance.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then we reached the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is a B&B in an absolutely fantastic location with stunning
views along the coast - it's maybe 100 feet from her own home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stopped by there for some orange juice and
espresso and I took some more photos. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This B&B was very nice and modern with a
beautiful terrace as you can see from the photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's also very reasonably priced - rooms in
May through September (high season) are under 100E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bear in mind if you stay here you would have
to take the toodle bus down to Positano each day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are the photos from Nocelle:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">After we had our beverages we said our goodbyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lucy showed me the shortcut to get to road to
meet the bus near La Tagliata, where I had dined the day before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a 15 minute walk, give or take, and
then I met the bus and headed back down to Positano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day was not hot (although it was warming
up as it was noon) and I could easily have stopped for lunch and then walked
the rest of the way down but I decided to take the bus back to town and clean
up for a lunch on the beach.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">To be continued...</span></span></b></div>
Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-36999531984531146342014-02-10T06:44:00.004-05:002014-02-10T06:44:49.216-05:00This is a test - bloglovin<a blog="" claim="f3r5gn2wpxe"" href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=" http:="" www.bloglovin.com="">Follow">http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/6866849/?claim=f3r5gn2wpxe">Follow</a> my blog with Bloglovin<br />
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I am connecting to bloglovin and this is part of their instructions. Back to regular programming soon... Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-9089224042255260762014-02-09T08:29:00.001-05:002014-02-28T22:15:50.806-05:00Two tips for foodies in Rome - and a few of my recent favoritesGood morning all!<br />
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Here are some new things I learned in preparing for my Rome visit which was over the week of Thanksgiving, 2013. As 2007 was the last time I visited, my preparations were a bit more high-tech than last time. For one thing I did not have a iPhone in 2007. <br />
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<strong>Tip number one:</strong> If you do nothing else, download these two smartphone apps: Elizabeth Minchilli's Eat Rome, and, Katie Parla's Rome for Foodies. You really don't need anything else to eat well. Since I am a type-A planner, though, I did do some word of mouth research which uncovered a few other places (which I believe were on the apps, anyway). <br />
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I relied on Elizabeth's app the most and used Katie's app as backup. There was some restaurant overlap which is to be expected. If I found a restaurant in both apps it was double jackpot - you know it is winner.<br />
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I would give a slight edge to Elizabeth's app because it had a filter to break it down by neighborhood which was quite useful and especially when it gets a bit cold out and you want to find something good to eat nearby without a lot of walking. For all that I took two guidebooks with me (Fodors, and Time Out) I think I ended up only using one guidebook reco for a meal that wasn't already in the apps. <br />
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<strong>Tip number two:</strong> There are a number of food related tours and classes you can take. My friend Marcy recommended two of them to me, and I looked into both Elizabeth Minchilli's day long food tour as well as a wine class led by Hande, of Vinoroma. <br />
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Elizabeth's tour would no doubt have been fantastic but at 700E for the day (mid-morning to mid-afternoon) I decided that could wait until I was with my parents or friends. <br />
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<a href="http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/">http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/</a><br />
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I took one wine tasting class with Hande of Vinoroma which was marvelous and was only 50E per person. She specializes in Italian wines and at the two-hour tasting you sample and discuss 6 wines from different regions of Italy. She holds these classes in her Monti-neighborhood wine studio which was a treat to visit all in itself. Apparently the cellar is a thousand years old. I should also mention here that her wine studio is walking distance from the restaurant where I had my absolute best meal of my trip. So if you take her class, keep that in mind!<br />
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Look at the age of that wine!<br />
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I would have taken another wine class with Hande but the timing didn't work out for the days I had left. If you look at Hande's website she also has food tours for a much more reasonable price of only 80E. She is a very warm and engaging person who really knows her wines! <br />
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Her "My Italians" class seems to be the most frequent and works well as an intro - it was the one I took. She also offers a Wine and Cheese Lunch but I missed it. <br />
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You can follow them both (and Katie, too) on Twitter. <br />
Hande's website:<br />
<a href="http://www.vinoroma.com/">http://www.vinoroma.com/</a><br />
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Here is Marcy's travel blog, by the way:<br />
<a href="http://marcystravels.blogspot.com/">http://marcystravels.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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<b>A few restaurant superlatives, now:</b><br />
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The absolute first thing you must do when you arrive in Rome and are setting out for the day is to stop by <b>Tazzo d'Oro </b>(a few steps from the Pantheon) and order a <b>Granita di Caffe con Panna</b>. Don't wait until your last day, as I did, for this absolutely wonderful treat. You will kick yourself if you only have it once, and you wouldn't want to load up on several your last day - way too much caffeine. So start early, savor it, and make repeat visits over the course of your trip. <br />
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This next restaurant is a must-visit and it was not only on Elizabeth's app (and probably Katie's app, too) but it was also highly recommended by Marcy, my foodie friend. It is called <b>Trattoria Monti</b> and is walking distance from Vinoroma, in fact, after enjoying the tastings with Hande and her guests I made my buzzy, happy way to this Trattoria. Why was it a must-visit? Because of the onion flan, which sounds so much better in Italian: <b>Flan de Cipolle Rosse con Crema di Gorgonzola</b>. I also ordered some fritti and I can't even remember the name of the pasta I ordered (it was divine pasta in a meat sauce, but I cannot remember exactly what it was) and with another glass of wine, I just didn't want this meal to end. I even tortured friends with a photo of it - real time live. <br />
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<b>Armando al Pantheon</b>. This name comes up on Fodors all the time for a reason. It also happened to be a two minute walk from my hotel. I would have eaten there twice even if that weren't the case, though. I actually tried for a third time but they were closed. <br />
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<b>Giolitti</b>. This is an old favorite of mine and I visited three times. It's also quite near the Pantheon which makes it convenient. The first visit I had a dark chocolate and hazelnut - a scoop of each - gelato which combination was a tad too rich. I swapped Amaretto for hazelnut the next two times and that worked much better. This may be the thickest, richest gelato I've ever had. <br />
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I started nearly every morning with a stroll to get a macchiato and pastry from <b>Caffe Camilloni</b> which is kitty corner to <b>Caffe San Eustachio</b> and both are in Elizabeth's app. Don't forget to load up on espresso/chocolate treats when you visit<strong> Caffe San Eustachio.</strong> <br />
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I hope you enjoyed the mini food tour of Rome. These were not the only places I ate, but these were my favorites on my most recent visit to Rome.<br />
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<b> </b>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-71559282094632361402014-01-31T20:48:00.001-05:002014-02-01T14:15:28.717-05:00If Franz Schubert were alive today...He would be 217 years old! Sadly, though, he only lived to be 31. <br />
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Born in Vienna and a contemporary of Beethoven, he was an incredibly prolific composer with over 600 songs. However, his popularity during his lifetime did not extend far beyond his circle of friends. Posthumously, though, he was much more appreciated. <br />
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Ultimately his final resting place became Vienna's Zentralfriedhof. You may have seen this cemetery in the final scene of The Third Man, a postwar movie set in Vienna and starring Orson Welles. He is buried mere feet away from Beethoven. Franz, that is. Not Orson. <br />
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Happy Birthday Franz Schubert. January 31, 1797. <br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-31857202617308444662014-01-28T20:29:00.003-05:002014-01-29T06:59:22.115-05:00Books to read to prepare for a trip to the Amalfi Coast (Italy)<strong></strong><br />
As usual I get home from a much anticipated trip, which was preceded by nonstop reading and daydreaming and questions here, there and everywhere… and then a few months go by and I still haven't gotten my act together on everything I saw and did! Here are a few books I read to prepare for my trip to Capri and the Amalfi Coast as well as a few choice photos. Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>Above are some ceramics in Positano.</em></strong></span><br />
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<i>Greene on Capri by Shirley Hazzard</i>. This is a book about Graham Greene's seasons on Capri (he owned a home there for something like 40 years) and it was written by his friend Shirley Hazzard. I read this before I left, in one weekend, and I wish I had read it after I got back instead. I would have liked a frame of reference for Capri before reading it. It's the kind of book that would benefit from a bit of a background ahead of time, I think. I'll re-read it again at some point once I get through my mountain of other books. I noticed that there are a variety of villas owned (or formerly owned) by famous writers on Capri. I guess being an author used to pay better than it does now!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>Above is the view from Villa San Michele on Capri.</em></strong></span><br />
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<i>Rick Steves Naples and the Amalfi Coast</i>. I will buy his books before I visit a brand-new place, usually, since he gives good basic information. I didn't take it with me, and the only use I would have gotten out of it anyway was the chapter on Pompeii. I should have photocopied that chapter for my luggage. I would have benefited from a guide for my too-short visit to Pompeii.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>Above is the view above Positano, looking down as well as along the whole coastline. You can see the Faraglioni in the distance.</em></strong></span><br />
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Two small compact hiking books: <i>Walking on the Amalfi Coast by Gillian Price</i> and <i>Sorrento/Amalfi/Capri by Sunflower Guides</i>. This last has a website which offers updates to its book in between editions: <a class="external_link" href="http://www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk/product/walking-in-sorrento-the-amalfi-coast-and-capri/" rel="nofollow" sl-processed="1" target="_blank">http://www.sunflowerbooks.co.uk/product/walking-in-sorrento-the-amalfi-coast-and-capri/</a> <br />
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I will say that for the hikes I did end up doing this time, and the fact that I looked up a local guide for the Pathway of the Gods, I actually did not need either book although they will be useful on the next trip when I go more afield. My hotel on Capri gave great advice on my walks on Capri and the eastern side of the island is so easy to navigate. If I had to choose only one I'd probably pick the Sunflower Guide but they were both interesting to read and were good for some daydreams. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>Above: more coastline, this time from the Sentieri degli Dei.</em></strong></span><br />
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<i>My Amalfi Coast by Amanda Tabberer with photos by Carla Coulson</i>. Amanda Tabberer is a famous Australian actress who moved to Italy in her 20s and met and fell in love with the son of the owner of Da Adolfo, a restaurant in Positano. This book is eye candy extraordinaire for the Amalfi Coast - Carla Coulson is my favorite photographer and I could easily recommend this book just for the photos alone. While it's mostly a love letter written by Amanda Tabberer to her much adored Amalfi Coast (including the story of her life there including marrying an Italian hunk and having a son), you could also call it a guide book in that she describes several of the towns along the coast including her favorite places in each as well as her favorites places to eat. She talks about some of the history of the area, some of the festivals and churches, and in addition to contemporary photos she has included some older photos of her family and friends enjoying themselves whether boating or hiking. What a life. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>Above is the main beach (Spiaggia Grande) in Positano.</em></strong></span><br />
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<i>Fodors Amalfi Coast, Capri and Naples</i> (borrowed). This was a really useful guidebook and I probably should not admit this here (!!) but it might be the only time I've used a Fodors guidebook. Based on this experience I will have to change that - it was well written and had a lot of useful and interesting information. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>Above is the pier in Positano. Sitting by the dock of the bay, or something.</em></strong></span><br />
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<em>The Story of San Michele by Axel Munthe</em>, which I bought from Amazon when I got home. Not yet read.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong><em>Below is his villa and you can see the mysterious Sphinx.</em></strong></span></div>
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HAPPY READING!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-48041415046277748932014-01-26T20:25:00.004-05:002014-02-27T07:07:40.061-05:00Rome: A Low Point. How low? Hypogeum low!I have visited the Colosseum each time I have visited Rome. How can you not be drawn to this glorious and passionate feat of engineering? As my previous visit was in 2007, however, I had still not visited the Hypogeum as it was not yet open to the public. Hypogeum means "underground", literally, and in this case it means the underground of the Colosseum. Clearly the Hypogeum tour was no downer - but it was a very low vantage point. <br />
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I did some research and found the website to order tickets directly from Coop Culture.<br />
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<a class="external_link" href="http://www.coopculture.it/en/events.cfm?id=6" rel="nofollow" sl-processed="1" target="_blank">http://www.coopculture.it/en/events.cfm?id=6</a> <br />
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I selected the first tour of my first full day in Rome. Since it was at 940 AM, it still gave me the opportunity to sleep until 730 AM (which is sleeping in, for me) and have a leisurely breakfast and still make it to the Colosseum in plenty of time.<br />
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Our tour guide showed up and handed each of us a small one way radio. There were perhaps 20 people there and she knew we would be scurrying around during parts of the tour (the above ground parts, there is no scurrying below ground) and so we had her radio voice to tell us what we were looking at. Naturally I was working my camera during all of this and I only have two hands, so if I wasn't near her I missed the descriptions. <br />
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The tour starts on the large wooden stage/platform while she described the setup of the Colosseum and some of the engineering/architectural finds. From this vantage point you can look down and peer directly into the tunnels below. You also are standing at the vantage point of the gladiators and the poor hapless animals who were meant to fight to the death. As you look at my various photos posted and see how tiny people look up in the stands you will be able to see the scale of the Colosseum. <br />
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More views from the platform:<br />
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After we wandered around the wooden platform for a while she took us outside the Colosseum in order to descend the stairwell to the Hypogeum. It is, of course, very dark and dank but naturally nothing like it must have been when it was in use when there was no natural light and needed to have burning lamps for light. For starters, now, there is a lot of fresh air coming in because it's almost entirely exposed but for the initial part which was still under the stage. It would have been, during the summer, hot, sweaty, close, oppressive, noisy and probably unbearable. But bear it they did. <br />
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Even though it is very open you still get a sense for the maze of tunnels it was. You don't get to wander very far, in fact, we barely walked out into the uncovered area as it was roped off. Perhaps at a different time they might let you go farther out into the (now open) tunnels. <br />
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The guide pointed out the sewer and the interesting findings from them as well as discussing the challenges in excavating them. Apparently archeologists get very excited by sewers because you can tell a great deal about a culture by its waste. And the Colosseum was definitely a micro-culture. They found a variety of animal bones which could even have been food for the crowds, not necessarily animals fighting each other (such as chickens). For that matter, I'd suspect given the roles the Colosseum played over the years a number of the animal remains could have been meals for squatters later in the life of the Colosseum, too. <br />
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She pointed out in a few places the evidence of the elevators which were lifts operated by ropes and pulleys. Later she talked about the tunnels under the Colosseum which led to the Ludus Magnus (gladiator school) nearby. I kept picturing in my mind a present day large sports stadium, and imagining some future society trying to explore such a superdome sports stadiums and trying to piece together what a Super Bowl must have been like - or our culture in general. Makes you wonder how close to the truth they would be, those future archeologists.<br />
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I also found it so compelling to think of this massive and complex engineering marvel being constructed at the time it was. Think of how primitive the tools were and how this building has withstood the rot of centuries. Back to a present day superdome - can you see one of those lasting even 100 years, especially if it was left to rot?<br />
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Think of who walked here:<br />
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And through here:<br />
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Some more photos from down below:<br />
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Finally, you get access to yet another area that isn't open to the general public - the nosebleed seats. You climb up to the very top, on the side that faces the forum. What a view from up there! You are so high you are looking down on the Forum - taller than the Arch of Titus, and just about taller than the Arch of Constantine. I snapped a number of shots up here, too. Can you see San Giovanni in Laterano?<br />
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More photos from the nosebleed seats:<br />
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In looking at some photos I had taken in 2004 I noticed that there used to be a walkway from the stage to the other side which went straight over the middle and now it appears to be gone. I wonder when they took that out, and why. Below is present day - about ten years ago there was a walkway going straight across. <br />
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Other photos from around the Colosseum:<br />
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<a class="external_link" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/tags/colosseumaddl/" rel="nofollow" sl-processed="1" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/tags/colosseumaddl/</a>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-8301608234298346712014-01-25T08:39:00.001-05:002014-02-27T07:07:30.184-05:00Rome, another High Point: Altare della Patria AKA Il VittorianoWhile in Rome, another stupendous vantage point is the top of <b>Il Vittoriano</b>. You can't miss it, it's that big white monument to a shrinking violet named Vittorio Emanuele, Re d'Italia (VERDI). In fact the only way you could possibly miss it is to be standing right on top of it. <br />
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I'm joking, he clearly wasn't a wallflower. He was the King of Italy, a contemporary of Guiseppe Garibaldi, and was known as the Father of the Homeland/Nation (and also, I believe, related to Marie Antoinette - if I am reading the chart correctly one his grandparents would have been a sibling to her). <br />
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His monument, inaugurated at the 50th anniversary of the unification of Italy, honors more than just Vittorio - including Italy's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was controversial when it was built (and may still be) because of the damage it did to an archeologically sensitive part of Rome. They plowed it into the Capitoline, from the looks of it, and they even moved a church and took out some cloisters of the convent of Aracoeli.<br />
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Apparently the lift was installed in 2007 which was around the time of my last visit. We arrived in May so I suppose we just missed it. <br />
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If you want to visit it, the best way to reach it is to go up the <b>Aracoeli steps</b>. I think that is 100+ steps right there, so you've got another scoop of gelato coming afterwards. When I walked those steps I distinctly heard the theme to Rocky when I reached the summit. <br />
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Once you are at the top of the steps you go through the gate to the monument and then walk behind it to the lift, pay your 7E and get whisked to the top. I managed to time this view for sunset. <br />
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Here are a few photos of the Aracoeli steps one morning: <br />
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Here are the sunset photos taken from the top of Il Vittoriano, all taken with my iPhone. Very freeing not to carry around the Big Bertha, but, the photo quality simply isn't as good. <br />
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Here are some views of Il Vittoriano from afar. This will give you perspective on how large it is.<br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-68736296023432060962014-01-23T19:54:00.002-05:002014-02-27T07:07:55.345-05:00Another Rome High Point: Earning that gelato by climbing up St Peter's cupola, AKA, "Spot the Pantheon". <strong>Continuing on my theme of High Points and Low Points in Rome...</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong>The next vantage point for your consumption is the view from the top of St. Peter's which I did the day after my Janiculum Hill walk. I love climbing things and seeing things from "up high". I can't believe it took me until trip number four to do this climb and I have to say this is going to be a more regular feature of upcoming visits to Rome. <br />
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Before I go too far I should mention that this was a temperature-comfortable climb in late November and in fact I took my coat off about halfway up the walk to the top. I think late fall or winter is a perfect time to attempt climbing inside the domes of old churches - the lack of ventilation isn't as bad when it's cool or even cold out. I also did the Florence Duomo climb one winter day a few years ago. I can imagine these climbs would not be as comfortable in July.<br />
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The line to go up the cupola is pretty simple to find. After you stand in the really long line to get into St. Peter's - which moves quickly, don't let it scare you off - you have two choices. Go inside the Basilica, or nip around the side where you enter the cupola climb. <br />
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Once you are in that line you will see that you have a choice of exercise options. You can either climb all 500+ steps for only 5 euros, or, you can spend an additional 2 euros to take the lift and then only climb the last 320 steps. I took the two gelato scoop option (three scoops would be all 500+ steps) for 7 euros and the lift whisked us to the terrace which is about level with the statues that overlook St. Peter's Square.<br />
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When you emerge from the lift you have that large terrace to roam about and take photos. I would suggest that even if you are someone who can't make the rest of the strenuous climb that you would benefit from at least going to this level and seeing the views. They are marvelous even from there. <br />
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Once you enter and start climbing, the first stop is a kind of viewing platform from which you can see a closeup of Michelangelo's hard work in all its glory. I included a photo of that as well as one of the mosaics lining the walkway around the inside of the dome. That first interior level is not much of a climb, either, so again, if you are hesitant about long climbs or have health issues I think many people can still do the "inside dome view" walk - just go slowly and it's not far. The stairs at that point are not narrow or spiraled. When you have had enough just turn around and go back - a few minutes walk and you are done. <br />
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The rest of the walk to the top, by contrast, is quite the workout! And it gets narrower and narrower and narrower and near the very top it's all angled inward so you are walking with your body bent over to the inside. Watch your head! <br />
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I would say the last bits of this climb are at least as narrow as the bell tower climb in Bruges. It's also different from the walk up the Duomo in Florence as the Duomo seemed to be a lot of straight stairs for a good chunk of the climb - and then the final climb to the outside of the Duomo cupola is up a short ladder, which you wait for about 100 people to climb down before you can climb up - I called the Florence Duomo cupola the "clown cupola" because I've never seen that many people come down a ladder from such a small viewing area - on and on and on. But, I digress. <br />
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And then finally you emerge and what a view. What. A. View. It just so happened I managed to time this for near sunset so the photos all have that golden hue. How many times can you find the Pantheon in the photos I posted below? Think about the layers of ages and history you are viewing in these photos. How utterly amazing to see those layers from there. <br />
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More Janiculum Hill:<br />
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The sunset photo, itself, was one of the last ones I took, back down on the terrace again, and in fact the last ones on that entire memory card for the whole trip. I didn't carry around my Big Bertha camera on Saturday at all which was so freeing. <br />
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For what it's worth, it wasn't actually that dark, yet, I just cranked down the aperture very low. The sun was setting but we still had a half an hour of dusk so by the time I made it back down to Via della Concilazione I had a final special treat. Two huge swallow murmurations! Glorious, noisy swallow murmurations. They swooped and swayed and chirped and swooped in formation again - loop de loop de loop. It was just magical. I wrote my swallow story a few days ago so if you do a search on "Humans of Rome" on this blog it will turn up. </div>
Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-87680728248793606452014-01-21T07:59:00.000-05:002014-02-27T07:08:17.319-05:00Rome: a High Point on my trip: the Gianicolo AKA Janiculum Hill.<strong>My visit to Rome had many High Points and at least one Low Point. Here is one High Point - with photos.</strong><br />
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One of my mornings consisted of a walk from my hotel, the Albergo del Senato, to the Marcellus Theater and across Tiberina Island to Trastevere and up the Janiculum Hill. I have always wanted to do this, but, what prompted me to just go for it this time was my long wait in Piazza San Pietro for the Pope. As we stood in the Piazza I watched a beautiful sunrise up over the Janiculum Hill and decided I wanted to walk up there and view St Peter's from higher up. I woke up the next morning, having shaken off the chill, and decided that was my goal for the day.<br />
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The weather was pretty good when I left - blue skies all over and it was crisp and cool - perfect walking weather. I had also planned to make this day my day for the cupola climb as my ending point would be St Peter's and that made sense. However, as I walked, the clouds socked in and by the time I got to St Peter's Square the views that day would not have been quite as good. So I decided to save that for the next day.<br />
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A few of Marcellus Theater:<br />
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Naturally I had to make a beeline for Santa Maria in Trastevere after I crossed the Tiber and wandered through Trastevere. I wanted to see this third century church and its 13th century mosaics.<br />
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As it turned out, mass was in session and I had to be surreptitious to get even one photograph (no flash) which of course doesn't do it justice. They never do.<br />
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After my walk through Trastevere but just before I walked up the hill I ended up at John Cabot University's gateway and stood there and reflected upon my college friend Jill Peacock. She graduated college with me back in the days of yore and immediately left to marry her Italian boyfriend whom she had met on a study abroad program. We lost touch but found each other again in the mid 2000s and not due to Facebook - due to an alumni publication. At that time she was working for John Cabot University. When I came to Rome in 2006 we met for lunch near her office and she showed off a little of her neighborhood. It was so interesting to meet someone I had spent my young adulthood with and to talk about our divergent paths - we had not seen each other since graduation. She spoke of her sons, who were truly Italian (she being the only American and being immersed in Italy) and sounded wistful for her family back home. I wasn't quite sure if she was happy in her life decision. We did link up on Facebook at some point after that and sadly she died of cancer about three or so years ago. It was so jarring to learn of a friend's illness and death on Facebook as she had not been posting anything about her illness until the very end. She was the first friend whom I have found out such sad news on Facebook.<br />
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I then turned around and started walking up Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. If you follow this winding road, it will take you up up up and up to the Gianicolo. What a beautiful walk it was - cool weather and I was alone almost the whole time. <br />
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Along the way I passed his tomb/mausoleum and at the top was a large statue in Garibaldi's honor. <br />
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You know how there is a Via Cavour and an Il Vittoriano (named for Vittoriano Emmanuele, Re d'Italia)? Well, he was a contemporary of them and quite an important guy (as if the street names and statues weren't clue enough). He was a central figure in the Italian Risorgimento. Also along my walk I briefly visited San Pietro in Montorio and had a glimpse at the Tempietto by Bramante. Allegedly St. Peter was crucified, upside down, at the site of this church.<br />
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After I wandered around the piazza for a while, admiring the view and snapping photos, I started my stroll down the hill towards St. Peter's. <br />
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Statue of Garibaldi:<br />
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Below are some photos of the views. For anyone reading this: I can pick out the really obvious stuff, but there are some large structures I'm stumped on (mostly churches) if anyone would care to point any out in the comments I would be grateful. I do know that St. John in Lateran has all of the Apostles on top. <br />
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Here are the rest from the top; a little over a dozen:<br />
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Here are a few of the sunrise photos I referenced while standing in St. Peter's square early Wednesday morning, which acted as inspiration for my Thursday climb.<br />
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<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-69988735282489855192014-01-19T09:15:00.004-05:002014-02-27T07:08:29.652-05:00Humans of Rome?Here is a vignette from my recent visit to Rome. Apparently swallows are a nuisance. As a tourist I found them delightful as one evening at sunset, departing from St. Peter's to make my way back home, I stopped to gape and wonder at a massive swallow murmuration. It was beautiful and a thrilling sight to behold. <br />
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The story:<br />
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On my first evening, before dinner - perhaps 530 PM or so - I grabbed my camera and just went for a walk in the dark in the general direction of the Tiber. I knew that I wouldn't go too far as the Tiber would stop me. <br />
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My wander ended at Ponte Umberto I and as I neared it, I heard the most bizarre noises. It was dark and hard to see details.<br />
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I saw two guys on opposite sides of the street walking very slowly and as they reached a certain point they would pivot and walk in the other direction for a while, then pivot and walk back again. Almost as if they were making a sweep. They were both dressed in white gear from head to toe and were carrying what looked like very large bullhorns. <br />
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They were making the most god-awful noise. It sounded like a pig being slaughtered, or something. Very unsettling!<br />
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I thought it was either performance art or a political statement about the treatment of animals/meat eaters. It really did sound like an animal being killed. <br />
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I was busy taking night street-photos when one came near me, still walking slowly and he didn't break his pace. I hailed him, and asked him what he was doing. <br />
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As it turned out, they are swallow control guys! The noise apparently is a distress signal only *very* loud. These guys walk up and down various streets for an hour making these noises! The swallows take the hint that they are not wanted and go elsewhere (maybe to do a murmuration over Vatican City). <br />
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I guess Romans don't like caca on their cars!<br />
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Here is his photo:<br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-65493117224805993112014-01-18T07:59:00.001-05:002014-02-28T22:17:36.373-05:00The Pope-st with the Most-est. Everybody Loves Francis.It's time to break my silence after over three months - enjoy!<br />
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I have had a wonderful year of travel including a trip to Rome over Thanksgiving. Here is one vignette from that visit. <br />
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I attended a General Audience given by Pope Francis on the day before Thanksgiving. This mirrored an experience I had nine years previously when I attended a General Audience given by Pope John-Paul II, also on the day before Thanksgiving. <br />
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St. Peter's at 630 AM is a beautiful sight to behold:<br />
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These General Audiences are held every Wednesday that the Pope is in residence. It should be known as a Really Big Catholic Pep Rally because that is what it seemed like! There had to have been 50,000 people in attendance. <br />
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Here are some crowd photos:<br />
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It is very easy to get tickets. If you are an American, all you need to do is contact the US Bishops' office in Rome at <a href="mailto:visitorsoffice@pnac.org." sl-processed="1">visitorsoffice@pnac.org.</a> <br />
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I picked them up on Tuesday afternoon and got instructions on how to garner the better seats which will give you a better chance of seeing the Pope up close. Long and short: show up really, really early and go to the security gate which would be at about 10 o'clock on a clock dial if you consider that St Peter's is noon (I hope this explanation is clear). The audience itself starts at 1030 but if you want a decent seat you have to be at the security gates before 7 AM. The sister showed us a map of the seating and where to go for the best seats. She also said to all of us standing there, "and when you finally get through security, RUN."<br />
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Naturally I had not packed a hat or gloves for this trip, although I did pack a few large decorative scarves. The online weather called for mid 50s all week and I didn't expect to need either. Of course, that doesn't take into account two things: the highs only occur mid-day, and, the exception proves the rule. The weather all week in Rome was delightful - mid 50s and (mostly) sunny, but for this one day which was grey, cloudy, and I am not sure it even reached 40. Which meant the early morning was sub-freezing. So, one large scarf got folded into a babushka for my head with the other one wrapped around my neck, and on my hands? Socks. Yes, socks. To see the Pope. <br />
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I arrived well before 7 AM, all proud of myself, only to see that the crowd was huge and clearly had been there for a while. No one was paying attention, though, as they were all milling around with their signs and so I slipped into the crowd and by luck happened to find an American couple who were with me getting tickets the day before. I fortified myself with the chocolate espresso candies I brought with me (from Caffe Sant'Eustachio). Then, all of a sudden, it was 730 AM and the security people started to let people in. <br />
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Getting through security was interesting although what really made it easier was the fact that Italians love to queue properly. <br />
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Just kidding! Once the security gates opened, a river of people surged towards the three or four gates/conveyor belts and I was swept along. The good news is, unlike an airline, they don't mind if you bring food and drink through security so I brought a big bag of cookies from a bakery as well as my espresso candy.<br />
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Once inside I took the sister's advice and ran. I was stopped by a very large Swiss Guard who sternly pointed me to the area I probably should have run towards anyway. <br />
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This Guy:<br />
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In case it is not already clear, the Swiss Guards are cute. Here is another one:<br />
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I selected a seat which was three seats forward from the barrier which separated the crowd from the aisle for the Popemobile. I thought being barely ten feet, if that, from the barrier would be a perfect vantage point to see him. Well, I wasn't entirely wrong, but when the time came, my bright idea to stand on a chair to see over the crowd and snap photos was thwarted by the fact that the people sitting directly in front of me did the same thing. I still got some good shots.<br />
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Keep in mind it was so cold that I wasn't sure if standing and hopping or sitting hunkered on my chair would be better. It was good to be in the crowd and that no doubt helped, but since I wanted to get a good photo I was on the edge of it which meant I was one of the buffers adding body heat but still exposed.<br />
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Once the crowd was fully in residence it got very rowdy. People brought their items they wished to have blessed (within reason, I didn't see very large items) and the crowd seemed to be mostly Italians from various parts of Italy, wearing their parochial "colors" or scarves or signs with the name of their church. A few people in my section of the crowd were carrying huge flags with the name of their congregation on them and they spent some time chanting and swinging the flag around, to the consternation of some of the people within the path of the waving flag. Lots of yelling and at one point a young guy named Marco showed up (I was sitting not far from the gate to my section) and about 20 people sitting close to me starting screaming his name and dancing. Full body hugs, cheeks being kissed, they all ran out to see him and it occurred to me that they had all probably traveled up on the bus together to attend the audience from their small village church and had probably only been separated from him by a few hours. Hahaha!<br />
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More excitement: Directly to my right, across the "aisle" was a roped off section. It wasn't clear what this was for - dignitaries? The infirm? Ultimately it didn't seem to be for anyone because about a half an hour before showtime the guards came over and removed the ropes. Madness ensued. People right next to me, with perfectly good seats, all ran pell-mell to move about 6 feet to the other side to get equally perfectly good seats. I am glad I was not standing on my chair at this point lest I would have been knocked over. I guess the grass is always greener. This rush to get new seats was not done quietly, by the way. Oh no. Lots of shrieking and running. I think Marco's team grabbed him and swept him along, too. <br />
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The cheering got even louder when the Pope came out in his Popemobile and swept through the crowd. He made several sweeps up and down the various aisles, bestowing blessings and kissing babies. What a happy guy! He was beaming, just beaming, this entire time. I'm a bad example for a Catholic (the only time I visit a church, is when I visit Italy… and then I usually am there to take photos) but I was just so thrilled and honored to be there to see the Pope. I really, really like Pope Francis. <br />
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Photos. See if you can spot the one photographer who completely missed the moment. It made me giggle:<br />
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After several sweeps the procession stopped and he mounted the steps to the stage in front of St. Peter's and then read a speech and gave his blessings. Several priests then stood up, in turn, and delivered his speech in their own language. English, Spanish, German, and so on. A few photos, and note the heaters that were set up on the stage. The Pope even commended everyone for waiting in the brittle cold for so long. A laugh rippled through the crowd when he said that. <br />
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Can you see the heaters over their heads?<br />
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After it was over I went back to my hotel and soaked in very hot water in my tub for about an hour. I decided that was enough excitement for the day and all I did the rest of the day was to enjoy a leisurely lunch, stroll some more, and then a leisurely dinner. I think I had another scoop of gelato in there somewhere, too.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-52482462390912756732013-10-02T14:17:00.000-04:002013-10-02T14:17:52.985-04:00Vicki Archer of French Essence is having a fantastic French celebrationGood morning everyone<br />
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I am taking a break from photo-blogging about the Amalfi Coast with some news. Please see the link below for details.<br />
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I have followed Vicki's journey for a number of years now. She has two beautiful photo books about her home in Provence and her Petit Bijou is now open for business. <br />
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<a href="http://vickiarcher.com/2013/09/would-you-like-to-spend-one-week-in-st-remy-de-provence-at-le-petit-bijou-its-french-essences-fifth-birthday-and-time-to-celebrate/">http://vickiarcher.com/2013/09/would-you-like-to-spend-one-week-in-st-remy-de-provence-at-le-petit-bijou-its-french-essences-fifth-birthday-and-time-to-celebrate/</a><br />
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Here are some more photos of the interior:<br />
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<a href="http://vickiarcher.com/2013/08/le-petit-bijou-part-5/">http://vickiarcher.com/2013/08/le-petit-bijou-part-5/</a><br />
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Isn't it lovely?<br />
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Below is one photo I took in St Remy a few years ago:<br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-48450694176839170062013-07-21T09:59:00.002-04:002013-07-22T07:05:08.513-04:00Capri: La Scala FeniciaTo go between Capri and Anacapri you have a few choices. You can take the bus. You can take a convertible taxi. Or you can do like everyone else did before there were cars on Capri, and walk. Luckily the "Phoenicians" (allegedly really the Greeks) came before you and carved steps into the side of the cliffs and so you have a path. I recommend DOWN which is what I did. Why make things harder than they need to be? I understand there are fewer than 1000 steps to walk.<br />
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You will find these steps if you visit Axel Munthe's Villa San Michele. Just keep walking past his villa (after your visit) and you can't miss them. The first two photos were taken as soon as I started walking down. First, the view ahead to Capri harbor and the Sorrento/Amalfi Coast peeping out from the left, and then, a glance behind me which gave me a stellar view of Villa San Michele and the mysterious Sphinx.<br />
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Down I walked... trudge trudge. In a few places, the steps are somewhat awkward in that they are spaced just enough that you can't do a one-two step down them, alternating feet like you normally would on stairs. You step down, the other foot comes forward, then you reach the next "down" which means the same foot is going down. That doesn't sound like a big deal until you do it for a while! I stopped frequently for photos so it wasn't a big deal.<br />
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The beams you see below support the roadway to Anacapri. They are huge. This is only a part of them. Later as I update this blog I will point them out in other photos. They are very distinctive and are a frame of reference. There are not many roads on the isle of Capri. <br />
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Below is an example of the steps I mentioned above - your opposite foot just reaches the end when you are walking normally. You can either take mincing steps to keep your left-right rhythm going or just alternate once in a while. Interesting! I imagine there were many a donkey on these steps over the years. <br />
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What a gorgeous day it was. This was my first visit to Capri but if this is indicative of May weather, that's the time to go in my opinion. <br />
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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.<br />
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Now, do you see what I mean about those beams? I am not even all that far away, either. I'm finally down to where the houses are...<br />
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You can see the beams on the right. I came from up there (and even higher).<br />
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I passed homes with grape vines or lemons in the gardens... see the mainland peeping through?<br />
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I veered off the path in that I did not walk all the way to the harbor to take the funicular back up, opting instead to walk back up towards Capri.<br />
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Tada. Back to the roadway in Capri. I still had a ways to go up, up, up to get to the main square and then my hotel, but I'm back in Capri. I hope you enjoyed your walk with me!<br />
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If you want to see the rest of my photos from this little hike, here are the all of them in a slideshow. There are only 22, but the slideshow is out of order, FYI:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/tags/phoeniciansteps/show/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/skywalkerbeth/tags/phoeniciansteps/show/</a>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-72113342737746111722013-06-23T07:43:00.002-04:002014-04-19T07:30:58.661-04:00Reflections of travelGood morning!<br />
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Taking a small break from poking around my recent Italy photos. As usual, I took entirely too many. <br />
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Below are various photos I've taken of reflections - sometimes on purpose, sometimes a happy accident.<br />
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This first one, taken in Venice, is my all time, most viewed, most-tumblred photo ever. Tumblr via my Flickr page. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. At least some of the tumblr folks link back to my own page. Sigh. It was taken with a (now old) P&S Canon. For all the nice equipment I have now, this one is my most popular. Go figure.<br />
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Below, Florence in winter. Also taken with the same tiny P&S.<br />
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OK, now this below is not Italy, in fact it's Algonkian Park in Virginia.<br />
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More Italy, more Venice... I think I have Italy on the brain...<br />
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Waterfowl in Annecy:<br />
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Me, reflected in a Harley, in Assisi (Italy):<br />
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One of my favorite reflections. Tulips in Keukenhof.<br />
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Changing of the Guard:<br />
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More Venice. Maybe it's Venice I have on the brain...<br />
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More Venice:<br />
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And more Venice. Yes, there is a reflection, it's in the shiny glossy gorgeous black wood:<br />
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Sunglasses. Beach glass. Wrought iron balcony. Lake Como (Lenno).<br />
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Bruges:<br />
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More Venice (yes, that is a reflection):<br />
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Annecy:<br />
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Meadowlark Gardens in Virginia:<br />
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Amsterdam:<br />
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Last but not least, a grand piano in the huge sitting room of the Hotel Excelsior in Naples. It was not far from the window and you could see the monument outside very clearly on the sleek glossy black wood of the piano.<br />
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<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-46974456296211456612013-06-12T08:02:00.000-04:002013-06-12T08:02:51.736-04:00Capri: an early morning stroll on Via KruppGood morning!<br />
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This set of photos was taken early one morning in May. It was the morning I had to catch the ferry back to the mainland to continue on with the Amalfi Coast portion of my trip. I had exactly one hour for one last exploration from the time I walked out of the hotel after breakfast until I walked back in to collect my personal items and head to the funicular to take me down to the harbor. The hotel porter had already taken my luggage that morning. Off I went.<br />
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At this point I hadn't even heard of Via Krupp. My destination was going to be the Giardini di Augusto to see if it was open. They are a five minute walk from the hotel and I admired the views of them from the hotel balcony each morning. <br />
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During my stroll I saw the village kitty whom I had petted the night before. I wandered down the lane towards the gardens and saw that they were 20 minutes from opening. The path continued past the entrance, through an archway, and once I crossed through the archway look what I saw!<br />
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(Yes I think that is probably my hand and camera. I left it in because it made me giggle).<br />
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Via Krupp, all pictured below, was built at the dawn of the 20th century by German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp. According to Wiki (take that for what it's worth) it was a path he built between his hotel the Grand Hotel Quisisana and the Marina Piccola where he apparently had a marine biology center. I also just learned that he did not enjoy his path for very long, sadly, he committed suicide in 1902. A reminder that we all carry burdens, many of them unseen. <br />
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What I did know, at that moment in time, is that I was almost alone but for a few other walkers coming the other direction from Marina Piccola, the weather was crisp, clear and just perfect, the sun wasn't very high in the sky, the waves were crashing below and the seagulls were keening as they circled. I walked down its loop-di-loop path about 2/3 of the way to the bottom and just watched and listened (while I took these photos). Had I known about this path before the morning I was leaving I would have walked all the way to Marina Piccola.<br />
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How many delights can such a small island hold? What else will I find on my next visit?<br />
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These last two were actually taken from the Gardens of Augustus. <br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-79420693318018277672013-05-31T08:09:00.000-04:002013-05-31T08:09:07.934-04:00Capri: a pleasant stroll to lunch below the FaraglioniGood morning<br />
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Another round of photos from my recent trip to a beautiful part of Italy. My first time to Capri - three nights which really should have been doubled. Another visit is necessary.<br />
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After a morning spent visiting the very top of the island (Monte Solaro, reached from chairlift from Anacapri), I had lunch at the very bottom of the island - at the base of the Faraglioni. These are some photos from my stroll and lunch at Da Luigi ai Faraglioni.<br />
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Starting down the hill:<br />
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Fontellina Beach:<br />
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Da Luigi:<br />
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A villa overlooking the Faraglioni:<br />
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Another villa overlooking the Faraglioni. I think I want to live here.<br />
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Tada!<br />
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Wandering around after my meal:<br />
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Ahhhhhhh... bliss!<br />
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What a fabulous day. If I were stuck in the movie Groundhog Day, THIS would be one of the days I'd like to repeat. <br />
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Enjoy your weekend!Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-64344708172267435692013-05-22T07:08:00.001-04:002013-05-22T07:08:35.525-04:00Colors and textures: HerculaneumGood morning and welcome back to my sorely neglected blog. Has it really been five months since I last posted anything here? <br />
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I am not even remotely organized yet, and am merely picking through my photos randomly instead of logically. These few caught my eye this morning. I can't even tell you precisely where inside Herculanuem I took them although with a bit of googling I could sort it out (and may come back later to do so).<br />
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So for now, just enjoy a little color and texture this morning. And I'd love it if you came back occasionally, I plan to post more regularly now that I have a fresh crop of photos to add!<br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-42467299406065646152012-12-20T07:20:00.003-05:002014-04-19T07:29:24.767-04:00Xmas in Paris, IVOK, technically not Paris. This is inside Reims cathedral. But it was during my trip to Paris over the hols.<br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790643093613089654noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4948583743611954680.post-53872762340652256552012-12-19T18:51:00.000-05:002014-04-19T07:29:41.003-04:00Xmas in Paris, IIII had never been to the roof of Galeries Lafayette. I plan to go many times - the views are stunning.<br />
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Here is a photo from one foggy morning.<br />
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