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Europe 2022 - 2023
  • David Du Buron
  • EDuBu
  • David Du Buron
  • EDuBu

Europe 2022 - 2023

A 432-day adventure by David & EDuBu Read more
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  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Amalfi Cathedral

    May 26, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Dedicated to the Apostle, Saint Andrew and "The Acts of Saint Andrew". Andrew was crucified in Greece, but he refused to be crucified on the Latin Cross, as Jesus had, but instead, a saltire or X shaped cross. Today this is called "Saint Andrew's Cross."Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Leaving Amalfi and headed to Salerno

    May 26, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We did a quick pit stop in the town of Amalfi to catch the ferry to Salerno to pickup our rental car and head south inland. Overall we were awestruck with the Amalfi coast. For those looking to stay our recommendations would be to consider Maori or Minori for coastal towns or Ravello for a Cliffside town. They are all slightly less touristy and crowded than Positano and Amalfi while still offering the beauty and ample restaurants and attractions. You can catch the hourly bus to all these towns as they are connected to Almafi and Positano. Pictures from Amalfi to Salerno by ferry below.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Skyline of Matera
    Skyline of MateraAbove is a picture I took, below a vintage photo taken from the 50s.A miniature of Matera created by a local artist.Another miniature of Matera created in a door frame by a local artist.A cross section of a Matera cistern.The inside of a Matera cave.The inside of a Matera cave.What was once a slum, is now a high class hotel.A Matera Piazza, also used in the Wonder Woman movie.A Matera skylineA Matera skylineThe Matera GorgeThe new urban area of MateraNotice the gutters. They are being held up by animal bones.

    Matera

    May 27, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Matera is the 3rd oldest continuously inhabited place in the world. Inhabited since the Neolithic ages, as their inhabitants dug caves out of soft limestone. Matera stayed this way until the 1950s. A forced relocation caused most of Matera to be abandoned. However two major and very recent events have caused Matera to be transformed in just the past 15 years.

    A quick note: when we went through Matera we did a walking tour. Our guide Tano was great. Because Matera was inhabited by cave dwellers so recently, many of the youngest are still alive. Tano has been able to get some oral history from those still living and shared those stories with us.

    Second note: In many of the pictures, you will notice we don't show many "caves." In many of dwellings shown the ground floor is a cave, the innards of the caves were used to create bricks to build multiple floors. In fact, architecture students still some to Matera to study how many of these ancient building practices were accomplished.

    Neolithic Matera

    Ancient Matera was a prosperous settlement. It had originally been formed in a gorge with a strong running river (Gravina di Matera) providing the inhabitants with fresh water. Many inhabitants lived on east bank of the river before it was discovered that the west bank was made of softer limestone which made for easier digging of caves. That caused the settlement to move.

    Matera in the 50s.

    The inhabitants of Matera in the 50s lived much as their ancestors had before them. Families lived in caves, caved out of limestone. Families with as many of 16 children lived with sheep, pigs, and mules inside the cave with them. The limestone keep them cool in the summer, but the livestock keep them warm in the cooler months. The more breath in the cave the better. It was so bad in fact that babies were hung from the ceilings of the caves as that was often the warmest place. Our tour guide Tano said that the locals explained to him the mother would use a long stick to raise and lower the babies we well as rock them.

    Water collection was a key part of Matera life. The previously mentioned Gravina had all but dried up. The Materian people formed a means of storing rain water by cutting cisterns out of the limestone rock as well as channels to funnel the rain water into it. A cross section of such a cistern can been seen in picture #6.

    Conditions in Matera

    The child death rate at this time was nearly 1 / 2. As you can tell from the pictures, trees on not prevailent in Matera. They build their fires from old dried feces of their livestock. Fresher feces was used as insultation. Tano told us stories of mothers trying to keep moisture out of the cave by smearing yesterday's feces on the wall wherever moisture was seen. In addition, their water collection methods did cause stagnant water to fester in the cisterns. Diseases such as malaria, cholera and typhoid caused Matera to be thought of as a slum and the "Shame of italy."

    Relocation

    In the 50s, Italian Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi was trying to unify and modernize Italy after WWII. He visited Matera and was SHOCKED by what he saw. He instituted a mandatory relocation of all inhabitants out of the caves and built new apartments for them to stay in. Tano described the experience as a culture shock of this experience. People who had been using chamber pots to suddenly using rushing water. Many of the inhabitants continued to try to live with their livestock for many years in the new apartments.

    From slum to luxury hotel

    Following the 50s, two things happened. Matera was made a UNESCO world heritage site. Specifically for the unique water collection methods used by the people. Then, Mel Gibson (or as they call him Santa Mel) used Matera as the site for the filming of The Passion of the Christ. Released in 2004, many other movies followed, includinig Wonder Woman, and No Time to Die (the latest 007 movie).

    Now, many of the once abandoned caves have been renovated, at great expense, and turned into luxury hotels, BnBs, and high end restaurants. You can see some of them in photo #9.

    Today, Matera is unambiguously GORGEOUS! The pictures we took do NOT do it justice and I highly recommend taking the time to visit Matera if do come to Italy.

    If you'd like to read more, I've found this great article that also talks about Matera.
    https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mater-wen…    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Spiaggia di Ginosa

    May 27, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Only 40 minute drive south of us was the small town of Ginosa in the Apulia region of Italy as well as the beach "spaggia". We headed there for an early evening walk to check out the southern coast of italy which is mostly flat by the water. The beach had a bunch of tiny white jellyfish so we opted for a walk rather than a swim.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Car, train, and a ferry to Sicily

    May 28, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    After Matera, we drove just north of Tropea, to drop off the rental and hop on a train. That train hugged the coast and went south. The train then boarded a ferry to head over to Sicily.

    This is where things got complicated. Half the carriages of the train went west to Palermo after we arrived in Sicily. The other half got a different engine and went south to Siracusa (our destination). It was important to make sure you were on the right carriage. Luckily, we did it right. :)Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Tempo do Giunone (Temple of Juno (Hera))
    Tempo do Giunone (Temple of Juno (Hera))Tempo do Giunone (Temple of Juno (Hera))Tempo do Giunone (Temple of Juno (Hera))Ancient Olive Garden1Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concordia)Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concordia)Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concordia)Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concordia)2Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concordia)Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concordia)1Tempio della Concordia (Temple of Concordia)Tempio di Ercole (Temple of Hercules)Tempio di Ercole (Temple of Hercules)Part of the Temple of Hercules. Shows that the pillars are brick underneath with an outer coating.

    Valley of the Temples

    May 30, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Sicily, once ruled by the Greeks contains some of the best preserved Doric style Geek temples in the world. Most built in the 5th century BC. It was amazing to see them in person. Most impressive is the Temple of Concordia (most intact).Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Etna erupting in the distance
    21

    Driving through Sicily

    May 30, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Taking quality pictures while in the road is difficult in Italy. Their guard rails are sometimes x2 to x3 taller than ours. So forgive the obstructed views, but driving through Sicily was beautiful and worth a post.

    Also of note, when we were driving through, Etna was erupting in the north face (see link below). We were on the south side of Etna so all we saw was smoke. A good reminder that Etna is called Europe's most active volcano for good reason.

    https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/etna/news/1820…    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Palazzo Arcivescovile and the Cathedral of Syracuse (Duomo di Siracusa)
    Cathedral of Syracuse (Duomo di Siracusa)Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia121Temple of ApolloCasello Maniace

    Syracuse, Sicily

    May 31, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    What a wonderful time we had in Syracuse Italy it was a beautiful city. We stayed in Ortiga which is the old town, known for its winding alleys and great restaurants and shops. The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the pre-eminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
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    Pitigliano and Il Tour delle vie Cava

    June 1, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Pitigliano is a beautiful cliff town in southern Tuscany. According to Wikipedia it seems the founding of the city was lost, but its first known mention in writing was in 1061. Pitigliano was a thriving Jewish settlement and became a sanctuary for Jews fleeing Rome during the Counter-Reformation of the 1500s.

    While staying in the city we decided to do an impromptu hike after reading a map left by our Air BnB host, il Tour delle vie Cava. If you're ever in Pitigliano, one thing to note, if it's hot out and you're thinking a hikie through caves sounds nice and cool, think again. It wasn't until we were on the hike, and we hit our first Cava that I decided to Google what the word Cava meant. Cava means quarry, not cave. In 85 degree weather in a valley, it's a big difference. Still it was a wonderful scenic hike, below the cliffs of Pitigliano, and I'm glad we went on it. If you look at the photo of the map, we hiked Cavas A - G. About a 6 mile hike.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Bolsena

    June 3, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Bolsena was not a place we stopped, but a place we drove through. Seemed like a beautiful lake town that could accommodate tourists.

    If you're ever in the area, it could be a nice day trip. It never showed up in our research.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Chiesa di San Donato1Locals decorating Chiesa di San DonatoLocals decorating Chiesa di San DonatoChiesa di San Donato interior

    Civita di Bagnoregio

    June 3, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    After leaving Pitilgiano, we took a day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio. While this was a destination Dave was looking forward to, he was surprised how small Bagnoregio was. After climbing the big foot bridge to get to town, it was basically just a 250 yd main street with a few side alleys. Apparently at one point there were only 10 residents who called it Civita di Bagnoregio their permanent home.

    "Due to its unstable foundation that often erodes, Civita is famously known as ‘the dying city’." - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civita_di_Bagno…

    The main cathedral of Bagnoregio, Chiesa di San Donato, had some event. Locals were decorating the floor with flowers. Dave and Emily looked online, but we couldn't find any explanation about what was happening. So the pictures will have to speak for themselves.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Basilica di San Francesco
    Basilica di San FrancescoCasa Natale San Francesco d'AssisiChurch of Santa Maria (formerly the Temple of Minerva)Santa ChiaraInside the Santa ChiaraCeiling of Santa ChiaraCathedral of San Rufino Cathedral of San RufinoCeiling of Cathedral of San Rufino Basilica di San FrancescoInside the Basilica di San FrancescoFrescoes of Basilica di San FrancescoThe exit of the tomb of San Francesco

    Assisi

    June 3, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Assisi is a city in the Umbria region of italy (just east of Tuscany). Assisi was first settled around 1000 BC.

    The real significance of Assisi came in 1181 when Saint Francis of Assisi was born. While born into nobility, after fighting as a soldier against Perugia, he began to renounce his wealth and live as a beggar. He would go onto found the "Order of Friars Minor" later called the Franciscan Order. He was later ordained a saint for his work and became one of the most venerated religious figures in Christianity.

    Assisi now boasts multiple cathedrals to him and his followers. The biggest being Basilica di San Francesco, but others include Santa Chiara and Cathedral of San Rufino. Santa Chiara is dedicated to Saint Clare who was a disciple of Francis, but also founded the woman's Order of Poor Clare's. Like Francis, she was born into nobility, but renounced her wealth and choose poverty.

    Both Francis and Clare are entombed in their respective churches. Emily and David were able to see both crypts, which were beautiful, but photography was not allowed.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Temple of Valadier

    June 6, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Tucked away just inside the mouth of the Frasassi Cave, sits Giuseppe Valadier's neo-classical Temple. The domed roof of the octagonal Temple of Valadier enshrines a replica of the marble statue of the Madonna and Child by Antonio Canova within, while the original has been moved to the Civic Museum of Genga. Although the shrine is a recent addition, built in 1828 at the instruction of Pope Leo XII, the caves have long been a place of refuge for locals fleeing attacks. Following its establishment, the chapel came to be a place of pilgrimage for those seeking forgiveness, earning it the moniker "Refuge of Sinners". The Temple of Valadier remains a place of refuge to this day, its precise design a stark contrast to the rugged walls it shelters behind. A small hermitage sits just outside the cave.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    A pit stop in Gubbio

    June 6, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    On monday we visited Gubbio for a few hours to walk around after our hike to the temple. The city's origins are very ancient. The hills above the town were already occupied in the Bronze Age. It was an important town of the Umbri in pre-Roman times, made famous for the discovery there in 1444 of the Iguvine Tablets,[4] a set of bronze tablets that together constitute the largest surviving text in the Umbrian language. After the Roman conquest in the 2nd century BC – it kept its name as Iguvium – the city remained important, as attested by its Roman theatre, the second-largest surviving in the world. Walking through the medieval streets was rustic and charming and the view at the top was beautiful.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Piazza del Campo
    Church displaying the flags of the Contrades of Siena112Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption or Siena CathedralMetropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption or Siena CathedralPart of the floor of the Siena CathedralA fresco of the Siena CathedralLibrary ceiling inside the main Duomo of SienaA done in the Siena CathedralOne of the books in the Library of the Duomo of SienaA stained glass window in the Siena CathedralSiena CathedralSiena CathedralThe pulpit of the Siena Cathedral

    Siena, Tuscany

    June 7, 2022 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    This Tuscan hill town will transport you back to the Middle Ages. Siena's grand cathedral, built in the 1200s, has treasured artworks and marvelous marble floors. It is truly breathtaking and can even rival St Peters Basilica in Rome. The Piazza del Campo, the main town square shaped like a fan, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    It's also home to the Palio di Siena, perhaps the most infamous horserace in the world. Riders representing seventeen Contrades or districts of Siena ride around the square twice a year. Think of it as NYC if Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, etc each had their own flag alliances and rivalries. Very Hufflepuff versus Slitherin. Then, twice a year they had horserace

    You can read more about the Contrades below.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrade_of_Siena

    Read about the Palio di Siena below (with pictures)
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Outside of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption or Siena Cathedral
    Just a city scene of SienaPart of the floor of Siena CathedralHoly water font in the Siena CathedralPiazza del CampoChurch of San DomenicoChurch of San DomenicoChurch of San DomenicoChurch of San Domenico - shows deteriorated fresco on walls and ceiling

    Siena, Tuscany 2

    June 7, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Siena was so beautiful, we had to make a second post of pictures.

    It felt like there was a church around every corner. While I did take many pictures, I didn't get the name of many of the churches.

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
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    Montalcino, the home of Brunello wine

    June 7, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Brunello wine is a favorite of Emily's, so getting to go to Montalcino was a treat. While there, we got to do a tasting of Montalcino wines with an automatic dispenser. While mostly Brunello, we did get to also get to try Montalcino Rossa wine.

    Each tasting was individually priced for about 10% the bottle cost. For example a €25 bottle was a €2.50 per taste. The most expensive I saw was a €150 Riserva bottle for about €15 for about a 2 oz pour. Pretty steep, but if you consider the price of that bottle of it were imported to the USA, it starts to seem like an opportunity.

    Fun fact, it's named Brunello, because it was believed to be a different grape that produced a slightly brown (Bruno) color. In 1879, controlled tasting was doomed to determine the Brunello grape was actually Sangiovese. Today all Brunello wine must be 100% Sangiovese.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    21The cheese on the right and 3rd shelf down was Tobacco Pecorino... I can only imagine.16

    Pienza, Tuscany

    June 8, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    This charming and very tiny (population 2000) village is widely known as the "ideal city of the Renaissance", the creation of the great humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini who later became Pope Pius II. Piccolomini had the money and influence to transform his birthplace village into what he considered the Utopian city should be. It is also one of the most picturesque towns siting in the Val d'Orcia, essentially quintessential tuscan topography. Not only that but there's cheese! Every first Sunday in September, Pienza celebrates one of its main products, pecorino cheese. In fact, Pienza is considered the “capital” of pecorino cheese, because of its high quality due to the fact that the cheese is made from an especially flavoursome and aromatic milk thanks to sheep pastures in Val d'Orcia.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Montepulciano, Tuscany

    June 9, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    On the ridge that divides the Val D'Orcia from the Val di Chiana, Montepulciano stands on a the hilltop. Everywhere you turn you are confronted with views made for postcards of vineyards and the beautiful Tuscan landscape. Thanks to its superb vineyards, the Montepulciano area is considered one of the finest winemaking regions in the world. Every August the contrades (burrows of the town) compete in a race to push massive wine barrels through the neighborhood. It's their version of the Palio di Siena we mentioned earlier.

    https://www.borgotrerose.it/en/bravio-delle-bot…    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
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    Cantina Gattavecchi

    June 9, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Historic winery of Montepulciano, Gattavecchi is the name of a family engaged for four generations in wine production.
    In the late 1940s, Valente Gattavecchi rebuilt, with the help of his mother Sidonia, the wine business of his grandfather Vincenzo, tragically interrupted after the bombings of 1944. With the purchase in 1958 of the Simoneschi-Baroncelli winery, which had already belonged to the fourteenth-century convent of the Servite Fathers, the Nobile Gattavecchi is placed to mature in a unique and ideal environment.
    Selected grapes, coming from the farms of Argiano, Cervognano, Le Caggiole, are vinified to produce a high level Noble Wine. We had the pleasure of sampling a few wines along with local charcuterie from the farm. The cellar was impressive, which dated back a thousand years to the etrucean times.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1

    San Gimignano, Tuscany

    June 10, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    San Gimignano is an Italian hill town in Tuscany, southwest of Florence. Encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square lined with medieval houses. It has a skyline of medieval towers, including the stone Torre Grossa. The Duomo di San Gimignano is a 12th-century church with frescoes by Ghirlandaio in its Santa Fina Chapel.

    Again, like Siena, San Gimignano, has Contrades and flags in their respective districts. I could not find any mention of a yearly competition.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    3The Baptistery as seen from the nearby Giotto's Bell Tower
    11

    The Baptistery of St. John in Florence

    June 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    The Baptistery of St. John... You know St. John the Baptist. Italians actually call him San Giovanni, not sure I ever knew they were the same person.

    The octagonal Baptistery constructed between 1059 and 1128 l, which actually predates the nearby Cathedral of Florence.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    These large doors are from the Baptista we pictured earlier. Now preserved in the museum here.A door of the Baptistry of St. John. This one was called the Door of Paradise.Mary Magdalene Penitent by Donatello"Cross of the Grand Dutchess"One of the three Pietà sculptures by MichelangeloOne of the three Pietà sculptures by Michelangelo

    Duomo Museum and Santa Reparata

    June 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    The museum had artifacts from the Cathedral of Florence. These were moved for display and better preservation. It contains items from both the Cathedral and the Baptistry.

    Santa Reparata is the former cathedral of Florence. It currently lies UNDER the Cathedral of Florence as Santa Reparata was demolished during the current Cathedral's construction. It was amazing the excavations had uncovered and restored. Full mosaic floors and tombs of Cardinals were on displays in this basement.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    The paint contains actual gold in the hair as well as the background tufts of grass. Made it pop
    A work by RaffaeleA display of the private works of the Medici collection. Center is called Venus de' Medic.Another view of the private Medici collection.1Ceiling of the Uffizi galleryCeiling of the Uffizi galleryLeonardo Di Vinci and one of his many unfinished paintings. He originated in Florence.

    Uffizi Gallery

    June 11, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    The Uffizi Gallery was amazing.

    Before I bury the lead, the Uffizi houses the original Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli. Never thought I'd get to see that in person.

    The gallery was laid out as a journey through the Renaissance. One of the first exhibits showed the same 3 basic altar pieces of madonna and child (see the image with 3 frames). All 3 painted within a few decades around 1300.

    The leftmost was painted in the Medieval style. Pay attention to the angels, they have no depth and are stacked on top of each other. Even Mary is a bit flat.

    The middle is an improvement in Byzantine style. Depth has been added, but the stacked nature of the angels still shows a rigidity in staying with expected art practices of the time.

    The last and rightmost one is a Renaissance painting by Giotto. It shows a cluster of angles in different poses. The freedom to add depth as freeform images and exploration of human figures is what made the Renaissance what it is.

    The Uffizi Gallery showed paintings by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raffaele, and of course, Botticelli.    Read more

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