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EDuBu

EDuBu

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  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Parma, Emilia-Romagna

    June 18, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Parma is one of the larger cities in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and is particularly famous for its Prosciutto ham aka Parma Ham and Parmigiano Reggiano. With a population of roughly 190,000 the city has seen some form of inhabitation since the Bronze Age and throughout the ages has played an important role in the development of Italy.

    During the Middle Ages, Parma was ruled by the Franks and was part of the Holy Roman Empire, but during the 1200’s it became engulfed in the conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. During the 1800’s, the city was annexed by France under the rule of Napoleon, and then finally became a part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Overall Parma was a very picturesque city, aka cute for a metropolitan vibe it gave off. It also had a number of shops and restaurants. It was somewhat busy given its also a university city. We spent a few days here enjoying the parks and main piazzas as well as most notable the parma ham and cheese.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1113

    Parma Reggiano in Parma Italy

    June 18, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We just arrived in Parma yesterday and did a fun tour today of Caseificii Ugolotti a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese producer a little ways outside of town. It was great, we learned a thing or two about the production process and what makes this cheese so special. This facility is smaller, and these men and women work tirelessly 365 days a year to produce two wheels of cheese per day. A few facts; Parmigiano Reggiano must be from the 5 provinces of Emilia-Romagna and it must be aged a minimum of 12 months. After a year an inspector comes and taps the wheel of cheese and gives it a grade; one two or three. Grades one and two can be stamped Parmesian Reggiano on the sides. Grade 3 cannot get this stamp and instead is served as italian table cheese or grated. Grade 1 wheel sells for 1000 euro, Grade 2 for 500 euro a wheel. There are many other factors and more info here; https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&…Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Leaving Tuscany headed to Emilia-Romagna

    June 17, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    From Pisa we departed in the early AM and left the region of tuscany on our way to the great little city of Parma. On our way we stopped for breakfast in a sleepy little Italian town called Pontremoli before catching a bus to Parma. The morning was enjoyable watching locals pass their time as well as gorgeous views of the Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco-Emiliano which we saw to our east.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
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    Leaving Pisa with a BANG

    June 16, 2022 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Everyone was so happy we showed up in Pisa they decided to throw us a firework display on our last night there. ... kidding. We were lucky enough to show up on a major holy holiday in Pisa on the 17th, Saint Raineri’s Luminara. It was a light festival along with an regatta race down the river called The San Ranieri Regatta, a feast called, "Saint Rainerius’s Feast" (you see the theme) and fireworks at night. It was a blast! Beautiful watching the fireworks go off from the bridge over the river. It was unique because the same fireworks display about 10 different places along the river. Some of the videos and pictures george this. The buildings along the Arno River also had candle displays on the side. You can make it out in the videos (the buildings just seem a little too bright).

    Saint Raineri is the patron saint of Pisa. His name can be spelled multiple ways, apparently.

    You can read more about him here:
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainerius    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    42Inside the St Martin Cathedral's tower12St Martin CathedralSt Martin CathedralSt Martin Cathedral1St Martin CathedralSt Martin Cathedral

    Lucca, Tuscany has it all!

    June 16, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Luscany's most beloved artistic cities, an unskippable part of any tour of the region. Nicknamed the town of a hundred churches on account of its incredible number of places of worship, it is unique among city-states for having maintained its independence up until 1847.

    Historical circumstances demanded that Lucca fortify itself, and so its immense artistic and architectural heritage is ringed by a massive circuit of defensive walls.

    Lucca sits in the centre of the Lucca plain, a breathtaking landscape that was sculpted by the river Serchio and is dotted with medieval towns.

    So far it is my (Emily) favorite city. It has a small town charm throughout a medium sized city. It was incredibly beautiful and picturesque, benefiting from the Renaissance as well as an extremely clean city. It was packed with restaurants and shops as well as church's, bell towers and nature. We had a wonderful day exploring the history and beauty as well as walking on top of its famous fortified walls and taking in the nature, and mountains that surrounded it. The best part is this town want heavily touristed compared to many other cities we visited. It was a true hidden jem    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Monterosso
    MonterossoMonterosso11

    Cinque Terre: the 5 villages

    June 15, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    The Cinque Terre represent one of the most beautiful, unique and incredible areas of the whole Mediterranean. This stretch of coast of Liguria, about 10 km long between Genoa and La Spezia, is so called because here there are five wonderful seaside villages immersed in unspoiled nature.

    The five villages, in order from West to East, are Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. They are well known all over the world and it is not possible to think of one without thinking of all the others. But each of these villages has its own history, its peculiarities and its secrets. Together they represent one of the most popular Italian tourist resorts. For us Monterosso was the winner, namely due to the beach. We enjoyed a sun filled day of swimming and lounging as well as town hoping by train to check out all that Cinque Terre has to offer.

    In fact, in 1997 they were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    The Leaning Tower of Pisa et al.

    June 14, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    The leaning tower of Pisa, is Pisa's famous bell tower. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation. The tower is one of three structures in the Pisa's Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), which includes the cathedral and Pisa Baptistry.

    In 1993, a repair effort occurred as reports were that the tower was in danger of breaking. In 2018, after self correcting for more than a decade the tower had finally stopped and gained 4 cm back in the "straight" direction.

    You can read more about that here.
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lean…    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Scenes from Pisa

    June 14, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Pisa was an interesting town. We've all heard about it since grade school, but being there was a bit surreal. It had a lot of shopping pizzas, good food and good scenes. Cut in half by the Arno River (the same river that runs through Florence) provided some very pretty scenes and a surprise later...Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Giotto's Bell Tower

    June 13, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    The Bell tour for the Cathedral of Florence is actually a self standing structure. It is not connected to the Cathedral in any way. It's base is just 47.41 ft in both width and depth and stands 277.9 ft tall. Emily and David purchased tickets to climb to the top via 414 narrow stairs of 2 way traffic.

    The views were amazing!

    The views were amazing. There was also an option to climb the Cathedral of Florence' s dome, but opted to see the Dome from afar instead. You should be able to see people at the top in our final two pictures.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1

    Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore

    June 13, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The Cathedral of Florence is a gothic style cathedral whose construction began in 1296 and was completed in 1436.

    From the outside, it was easily the most beautiful cathedral we've seen to date. From the inside, it was a bit more plain. Many of the artifacts were moved into the Duomo museum. We'll post that later.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Central Market
    Basilica di San Lorenzo1Arno River4On route to the Piazzale Michelangelo1On route to the Piazzale MichelangeloPiazzale MichelangeloNear the Piazzale Michelangelo1View from Piazzale MichelangeloThe SS. Annunziata of FlorenceThe SS. Annunziata of FlorenceMounds of Gelato

    Scenes of Florence

    June 13, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Home of the Renaissance, Florence did not disappoint. So far it has to be Emily and David's favorite major city we've visited. A Piazza around every corner, and a matching Church along with it.

    If you ever get to go, the Piazzale Michelangelo is a must see. It did show up on our research, but we only went because we stumbled upon it by accident while doing a river walk. It's across the Arno River and offers a stunning skyline view of Florence for free. You can drive or get there by foot from the main Cathedral in maybe 40 minutes (only because its up hill).

    It's a gorgeous city.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    The prisoners from Miccelangelo. He was one of the only sculptors not to mark proportions up prior.

    Accadrmia Gallery Florence

    June 12, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    We visited the Academy museum in Florence (called Forienze by the locals). This was a very small museum but has one key statue we wanted to see which is David. It was a beautiful work of art from Miccelangelo. We also saw the "prisoners" or unfinished statues still in marble as well as some paintings and 17th century instruments.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

  • 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
    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
    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
    1

    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

    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
    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
    1

    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
    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
    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

    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

    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
    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

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