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EDuBu
EDuBu

EDuBu

traveled in 34 countries Read more🇺🇸United States
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  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    A model showing some of the electromagnets used in the accelerator.
    As impressive as this looks, it is only a future pedestrian bridge to connect two buildings.Actual piece of the current large Haddon collider, which is buried 100m undergroundThe "retired" Synchrocyclotron. This was from the 50's. Particles collided at 80% speed of lightNERD!Another retired collider. This one from the 1930s.

    CERN Large Hadron Collider

    July 19, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Today we got to see the CERN Large Hadron Collider. By "see it" we actually didn't see anything that cool. The LHC is actually 100 meters underground and has restricted access. It is underground because the radiation it produces needs proper insulation, and that was the most cost effective alternative to building a large concrete structure around the experiment. So needless to say, no one is often "down" there observing anything. At least not during the experiments. All the data is collected by sensors and computers

    The goal of CERN and the LHC is to reproduce hard to naturally observe scenarios regarding particle collision and to observe, and accumulate anti-matter. Its most famous recent discovery was the Higgs boson.

    The equipment used to accelerate particles was actually built little by little as the LHC is only the most recent addition. Previous accelerators such as the Protons Synchrotron and the Super Protons Synchrotron (SPS) are smaller and work in series with the LHC. The smaller accelerators speed up hydrogen particles before releasing them to larger accelerators. The LHC is the final step (before collision) and can get the particles up to top speed.

    Here's a 5 min video that explains this better than I probably can.
    https://youtu.be/oWpy0SAAI6E    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    112

    Lucerne Switzerland

    July 17, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Located right in the center of Switzerland, Lucerne is not only a beautiful city worth experiencing, it’s also a great base from which to explore the rest of Switzerland as the city is very well connected to the rest of the country by an efficient railway system.

    One of the most famous landmarks of Lucerne is the Chapel Bridge, which was built in the 14th century and is said to be the oldest bridge of its kind in Europe. As it’s a popular landmark, there are several tour groups that take tourists on a walking tour of the bridge, complete with stories and pictures of medieval life in Lucerne. The other popular landmark of Lucerne is undoubtedly the Dying Lion of Lucerne, built after the French Revolution to commemorate the Swiss Guards who gave up their lives during the war.

    The Lucerne Lakefront district is very picturesque, situated in the heart of alstadt (old town). We sampled some of the trafitional Swiss dishes and beers here. Much of the food had a german influence and german was the predominate language of Lucerne, with eastern Switzerland speaking german and western speaking french. This was a beautiful small city and one that should not be missed.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1

    Interlaken Switzerland

    July 14, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Quick post, Interlaken was nothing more than a train layover spot for us. However, while being a train hub, nestled between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, it serves as a beach town for this land-locked country.

    By the train station we only got to see the Aare river, but I got some good pictures so it seemed worthy of a post.

    You might want to add it to your own travel plans if you enjoy mountains and swimming in freezing cold water on a hot day (high of 83 today).    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    13Staubbach falls. These cliffs are massive 1000 ft. The falls spans 974 ft down2View from under staubbach falls1122

    Lauterbrunnen Switzerland

    July 14, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Lauterbrunnen sits in one of the most impressive trough valleys in the Alps, between gigantic rock faces and mountain peaks. With its 72 thundering waterfalls, secluded valleys, colourful alpine meadows and lonely mountain inns, the Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the biggest nature conservatories in Switzerland. Dave and I spent three days here visiting some of the waterfalls as well as watching one of the most extreme sports; basejumping which Lauterbrunnen is a haven for. We could hear the helicopter bring people up to the top of the cliff faces daily and even caught a few glimpses of a jumper at the tail end of his jump after pulling his parachusette and landing in the "garden" which is the green valley floor in the middle of the cliff peaks. There are 18000 jumps here every year, the death rate is 4 in 10,000. We saw Staubbach falls which is one of the highest free flow waterfalls in europe dropping 974 feet. This area is also home to the Jungfrau station the highest railway station in Europe as well as the Great Aletsch Glacier which stretches across the mountains which you can see behind the cliff faces in a few photos. This Glacier is 23km long and is the largest Glacier in the Alps as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    11Exit of the waterfallView of the outside portion of the walkwayView of the outside portion of the walkwayView of the outside portion of the walkwayLandscape around the fallsLandscape around the falls

    Trümmelbach Falls

    July 12, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Taken right from Wikipedia

    Trümmelbach Falls (German: Trümmelbachfälle) [...] are a series of ten glacier-fed waterfalls inside the mountain made accessible by a tunnel-funicular, built 1913, stairs, and illumination.

    To try to add more commentary to that, this waterfall seems to have been formed when water found a soft part of the inside of a mountain. Making most of the falls hidden from human view. Someone drilled a hole out of the mountain to create pedestrian walkways and a series of stairs to observe the falls first hand. It was amazing how we were in 80+ degree weather, then would walk 10 yards inside the caves and suddenly be in refrigerator temperatures. It changed quite quickly.

    It wasn't a small waterfall either, as you can tell from the videos, it was quite powerful.    Read more

    See translation
  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    That isn't a cloud, that is snow blowing off of the Matterhorn
    Apple Strudel and homemade tea at a mountain lodge along the hike routeI don't know what this is (besides the obvious).

    Zermatt Switzerland Matterhorn Hike

    July 10, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Today we got up early and hit the trail not long after sunrise to tackle the Zermatt Edelweiss Hohbalmen hike. It's a grueling 20km loop trail that rewarded us with great views of the Swiss Alps, Zermatt, wildflowers and Matterhorn along the turns. We stopped at a few huts for their homebrewed cold tea which was a berry and mint tea. We even rewarded ourselves with homemade apple strudel once we made it past the first sharp incline. It was beautiful out, with fresh mountain air, scenic waterfalls and even a mountain goat we spotted way up high.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Some of the old town buildings of Zermatt.The roof of this building was made of thin rocks.Bahnhofstrasse street

    Zermatt, Switzerland

    July 9, 2022 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Welcome to Switzerland!

    Our first stop, in the land of chocolate was to the town in the foothills of the famous Matterhorn mountain. The native language has switched from Italian to German (secondarily French). This gives us an extra initial hurdle to deal with. We had months to prep for Italian before our trip started, but we've only spent a couple of weeks trying to get basic German sayings down. Bad planning on our part. Thankfully we have a wonderful translator device Emily's Dad gave us, which helps us out until we can get our feet under us.

    Zermatt feels more modern than much of what we've grown accustomed to it Italy. Apparently it was a farming community until a British expedition "discovered" it in the mid 1800s. After word spread, many tourist facilities are built quickly and it's been primarily a tourist town ever since.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1Borgo MedievaleBorgo Medievale1Borgo Medievale

    Turin's Valintine Park

    July 7, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    On our last full day in Italy, we took a walk to Turin' s Parco del Valentino. It was a little far from us so we hadn't done it before today, but it was pretty.

    We got to see Turin's river walk as well along the Po river. When we entered the park, we were also greeted by a baby rabbit. Also of note was a cute sculpture of two lamp posts cuddling on a park bench. Lastly, the park had a replica of medieval Turin as a free open air museum, called Borgo Medievale.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Piazza De Ferrari
    1Vascello NeptunePalazzo San GiorgioThe Lantern of Genoa (lighthouse) can be seen on the left in the deep background.San Pietro in BanchiBasilica di San Siro1Basilica di San SiroBasilica di San SiroBasilica di San SiroGaribaldi street (via Garibaldi)4Saint Lawrence CathedralSaint Lawrence CathedralChiesa del Gesù e dei Santi Ambrogio e AndreaChiostro di Sant'AndreaLeft is Porta Soprana (see two towers) and center is Christopher Columbus' house reconstruction

    Genoa

    July 6, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Genoa was almost cut for time from our trip. In our research there was no BIG attraction there, but almost everything we saw was just very nice.

    Today, we decided to take a day trip from Turin to Genoa and we were glad we did.

    Every part of Genoa we walked through was beautiful. The streets had amazing architecture, the churches were ornate, and the old town was cute. It felt like it was in its original condition more so than other Italian cities. Not upgraded, but well maintained.

    It is the sixth largest city in Italy, known for: hard salami, maritime superiority (back in the day), and being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. His rebuilt home can be seen in one of the pictures below (it's not big).    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Cantina Montarbaldi
    Barbaresco ItalyBarbaresco ItalyView on the outskirts of Alba headed to BarbarescoAlba town center in backgroundCattedrale di San LorenzoCattedrale di San LorenzoCattedrale di San LorenzoBarbaresco village in background from cantina MontaribaldiOutskirts of AlbaCantina MontaribaldiPatio of the Montaribaldi wineryPatio of the Montaribaldi wineryEmily and Dave took a shortcut through a winery during our walk. Probably wasn't supposed to.AstiAstiAsti

    Barbaresco, Alba, and Asti; Piedmont

    July 5, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Today we went to a wine tasting in the Barbaresco wine region. It ended up being a bit of an adventure as our bus was supposed to connect with another bus in Alba. However our bus was late and we missed the connection. We were fairly certain this would happen as our bus arrived and the next was scheduled to depart in the same minute.

    So to get to our scheduled wine tasting, ended up having to walk 1.5 hours one way through Piedmont valleys in 98°F heat and full sun. It was beautiful though, and the wine was good.

    After our wine tasting (and another 1.5 hr walk back), we took a bus to Asti for dinner. Alba and Asti are major eine producing areas of Piedmont.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Piazza Carlo Roberto
    Basilica of Saints Maurice and LazarusPiazzetta RealeSan GiovanniSan GiovanniSan GiovanniSan GiovanniSan Giovanni with a Youth Orchestra giving a concert.Resting place of the Shroud of Turin (apparently it was under the table cloth today).Palatine GateChiesa di Santa ChiaraChiesa di Santa ChiaraChiesa di Santa ChiaraChiesa di Santa ChiaraChiesa di Santa ChiaraPiazzetta RealeBoschetto ParkMole Cinema MuseumPiazza Carlo Roberto

    Turin Italy; Piedmont

    July 4, 2022 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Turin served as the first capital of Italy and has been a major cultural and economic centre for the country for many years. Located in the north westerly part of Italy, Turin is the capital of the Piedmont region and sits on the river Po. The city of Turin has a population of 892,000 and the greater metropolitan area has an estimated 2.2 million inhabitants.

    As with many regions of Italy, Turin saw Roman activity and a military camp was held here. Once the Roman Empire had collapsed in Western Europe, Turin was occupied by various different nations and empires subsequently. During the 1300-1600’s the city saw great growth and gained much of its fantastic architecture and cultural buildings during this time.

    In the modern era, Turin was rapidly rebuilt after WWII and its automotive industry became one of the defining influences in the Italian economic revival. The city is now a fantastic blend of old and new and provides a brilliant array of attractions    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Organ jarsBook of the Dead. Has translations on the panel above the parchment.Book of the Dead explanationSegment of the Book of the DeadTranslation of the previous segment of the Book of the DeadHow to "read" a PharaohMummified remainsMummy and sarcophagus. This one had an inner and outer shell.Ancient Egyptian GardenHall of Sakhmet statutes. She must have been a very popular goddess.

    Egyptian Museum in Turin

    July 4, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Today we visited one of the most popular museums in Italy, the Egyptian Museum in Turin. Turin is located in north western italy in the Piedmont region. It houses one of the largest collections of Egyptian antiquities, with more than 30,000 artifacts, and is considered the second most important Egyptology collection in the world, after the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. It was amazing, they had the book of the dead, numerous psarcofaguses as well as separate displays of Egyptian tombs and artifacts throughout time. It was very impressive and a must visit while in Turin.

    The Book of the Dead was a long stretch of parchment and had selected segments translated for you. Look for the two matching pictures in our photos. One of the parchment and one of the detailed translation of that section.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
    Entrance to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IICathedral side entrance to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele IIThe Turin Coat of Arms... poor bull.Statue of Leonardo Da VinciTeatro alla ScalaPiazza Castello FountainSforzesco CastleSforzesco CastleSforzesco CastleNeedle, Thread and Knot sculptureMilano Centrale train station

    Milan

    July 3, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region of Italy. It is Italy's 2nd most populous city after Rome and its full metropolitan area is the 4th biggest in Europe. It is also Europe's 3rd largest economy after Paris and Madrid. It is known for fashion, housing the Italian stock exchange, and of course the Last Supper.

    A few interesting notes from our walking tour:
    * Our tour guide took us to the galleria near the Cathedral and we witnessed a strange tradition. On the floor there is a mosaic of the cost of arms of the 4 great cities of Italy. Rome, Milan, Venice, and Turin. Turin' s coat of arms is blue with a picture of a bull. Apparently Milano's believe that if you spin on the testicles of the bill with your heel you get 1 year good luck. Could NOT stop laughing at this! Here is a video of people spinning from YouTube. Apparently the have to do restoration on the bulls testicles ever year.

    https://youtu.be/b_-aBa5xIq8

    * The 2nd to last picture is of some street art outside a major subway station. Our tour guide explained it's depicting a needle pulling thread. The 4 colors are the colors of the 4 subway lines. You can see the knot of the thread on the opposite side of the street. It symbolizes how the subway ties the city together and makes busy streets more accessible to pedestrians.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Piazza out the CathedralFront door of the Cathedral. Depicts the life of Mary. Most of the sculptures protrude from the doorFemale statue on the balcony was done by a French artist and was a prototype for Statue of LibertyInterior. Noticed that statues on three pillars.More statues on pillarsCathedral museumCathedral museumCathedral museumCathedral museumMiniature of Cathedral inside the Cathedral museum

    Milan Cathedral and Museum

    July 2, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano) is one of the most beautiful we've seen here in Italy from the outside. Second to Florence or Venice, but that is a tough call.

    The Cathedral began construction in 1386 and was actually only considered completed in 1965. Our tour guide said it was a bit of a local joke. You can call someone slow by saying the Duomo di Milano construction is faster than you (or something like that).

    Some things of note:
    * The front door is gorgeous (see picture 4). I think it beats the Florence Bapistry Doors of Paradise, and the Crypt doors of San Francisco di Assisi.
    * In picture 5, there is a sculpture of a lady on a balcony. That sculpture was done by a French artist and was a prototype for the Statue of Liberty.
    * This place is COVERED with statues. Both on the outside (zoom in) and on the pillars on the inside. If you zoom in looking at the inside roof, every pillar has probably 8 detailed statues art the top. It was very impressive. No wonder it took so long to complete.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    The Last Supper
    Diagram of the Last Supper naming depicted personsExplanation of The Last SupperPhotograph from 1940 showing protections against bombingsCrucifixion fresco opposite the Last SupperDiagram, with depicted persons in Crucifixion fresco.Explanation of Crucifixion paintingExplanation of restoration efforts on The Last SupperTime lapse of restoration efforts on The Last SupperSanta Maria delle GrazieSanta Maria delle GrazieSanta Maria delle GrazieSanta Maria delle GrazieSanta Maria delle GrazieThe courtyard of Santa Maria delle Grazie

    The Last Supper

    July 2, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    One of the most anticipated events of our tour of Italy happened today. Prior to researching every corner of Europe we had no idea that Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper was even a work of art that was open to the public. It's housed in its original location (since it is a fresco and they're kinda hard to move) in a relatively modest church in Milan.

    It's home is the Santa Maria delle Grazie. This church was the private family church of the Sforza family. They invited Da Vinci, from Florence, to paint the Last Supper in the church's refectory (it's not in the church itself).

    We couldn't get tickets, because it seems that tour guides buy up all the tickets, so we did have to book a tour. The tour guide was actually petty insightful. Why is this painting so famous? Apparently it was petty scandalous back in the day. Take a look at the link below. It's probably a better write up than I will, but it shows The Last Supper painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio. Our tour guide had a photo of the same painting. It was apparently pretty standard for the day. The Apostles showed no animation whatsoever. Also the order of the Apostles depicted was always kept consistent in paintings, showing Judas directly across from Jesus.

    http://arthistoryblogger.blogspot.com/2011/09/l…

    Da Vinci's painting broke one of those barriers, giving the Apostles life and animation and depth. Jesus' mouth is depicted slightly open as he is supposed to be captured in the exact moment he is stating that one of the Apostles will betray him. One of the more interesting parts of the painting are the three Apostles to the left of Jesus. Judas is seen with his elbow on the table. He is being pushed to the side by Peter. Peter was considered a protector. He is whispering to John, the youngest Apostle, who is closer to Jesus, to ask Jesus who is the betrayer. As he whispers, you can see he's clutching a knife with the hand behind his back. In doing so, he is exposing Judas to us by pushing him into the foreground.

    Also of note, both Judas and Jesus' hands are out-stretched towards pieces of bread on the table. It is meant to show that they shared the Eucharist as friends that night before the betrayal.

    Opposite, the Last Supper there is a painting of the crucifixion of Jesus. It's funny, no one seems to care about that painting.

    Lastly, the Church and its refectory were bombed in WWII thankfully, preparations were made just in case, as shown in one of the pictures of this post. They supported the wall of both the Last Supper and the Crucifixion with scaffolding and sandbags and that fits the trick. Most of the two structures were reconstructed after the war.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    11Basilica of Como1

    Lake Como

    June 30, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Lake Como in Italys northern lake region is of glacial origin, dating back to the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago. It’s famous ‘Y’ shape was formed from the movement of an enormous glacier, which also displaced the huge mounds which now form the promontory, known as Bellagio which divides the two ‘legs’ of the lake. It is Europe’s deepest lake (410 metres at its deepest) and the third largest on the continent, with a perimeter of 170km. It is fed by the icy waters of the Adda River. We stayed in Lecco, one of the quieter larger towns at the base of the right leg. We enjoyed a scenic boat cruise yesterday, and did some town hopping between the villages of Bellagio and Como as well.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Main square Bolzano
    Downtown street BolzanoMain piazza BolzanoBolzano11Beautiful 4 star hotel accessible by gondala or hike in Col RaiserRandom HutRural Santa CristinaChurch in OrtiseiInterior church Ortisei1Spicy goulash soup german sausage and sauerkraut with a homebrew german hells beerGovernment building BolzanoChurch Bolzano3

    Bolzano? Bozen? And South Tyrol

    June 27, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Bolzano is considered a bridge between Northern Europe and Southern Europe due to the three spoken languages in South Tyrol (Italian, German, and Ladin) and the confluence of Italian and German-Austrian culture. When we first arrived we were expecting a small mountain city, and in that regard Bolzano/Bozen did not disappoint. We were surprised that the city was split with half speaking German the other italian and some English as well.

    We first noticed this when exiting the train station. We had gotten comfortable following signs showing us the exit ("uscita") in Italian. However we noticed these signs were now accompanied by "Usicta / Ausgang." The city was formerly part of Austria until Mouselini took it over. Today the architecture looks mostly Austrian and Dave and I definitely had our first "we aren't in Kansas" anymore moments. The area of South Tyrol is breathtaking full of small mountain towns and quaint villages. Outside of local busses the most common form of public transportation is cable cars and gondalas between mountain towns.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1The rock protruding from the ground seems to have fallen from the nearby mountain.A closer shot of the same protruding rock.1A closer shot of the same protruding rock.1Our lunch of Italian Salumi and German Bier.Odles was one of the many bier halls nestled in the Dolomites1

    Dolomites Hike - the Italian Alps

    June 26, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Wow, what an amazing hike. With our homebase in Bolzano/Bozen, Dave and I went up to Ortisei today and took the cable car up to Secada mountain and proceeded to hike from there to Santa Christina. We combined a couple routes to make a day of it and we were so glad we did. The dolomites were one of the to-dos we were most excited for in Italy. This tormented landscape did not disappoint.

    Our hike started with a cable car ride up to Seceda Mountain. From there, it was mostly a downward walk back to town. The trail was dotted with the occasional hut where we stopped for some local beer (carb loading?) and to rest briefly. Every single view was amazing, and it was so hard to narrow it down to only a few photos.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    2

    Verona Italy

    June 24, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    On our way up to Bolzano we stopped off at Verona for lunch and a walk around old town. It was a beautiful city with tons of charm. There was a band playing in the piazza as we walked through. From there we walked along the water that runs around downtown.

    Verona was the setting of two of Shakespeare's plays, Romeo and Juliet and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Verona is also famous for it's Roman amphitheater, built in 30 AD. It is still in use today and is known for the large-scale opera performances that is hosts. That theater will also be used for the closing ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    5In Casino Royale, this is the house they sink with CGI that kills Vesper.San Marco PiazzaCuomo di San MarcoCuomo di San MarcoCuomo di San MarcoCuomo di San MarcoCuomo di San MarcoLido islandLido islandLido island1

    Venice and the Grand Canal

    June 23, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Founded in the 5th century and composed of over 118 small islands, Venice became a major maritime power in the 10th century. The whole city is an extraordinary architectural masterpiece. It is also known as the birthplace of composers Tomaso Albinoni and Antonio Vivaldi. Venice and its lagoon are a UNESCO World Heritage site. It used to be an independent republic, and remains one of Italy's most important cities, with a quarter million inhabitants. Dave and I took a ride through the Grand Canal as well as a trip over to Lido an island not far from Venice known for its beach. After we came back to Venice and explored Saint Marcos Cathedral and piazza. Venice has decayed since its heyday and suffers from overtourism, but the romantic charm remains.Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    41Piazza Maggiore and Basilica di San PetronioPublic movie night at Piazza Maggiore. Showing '79 The WarriorsBasilica di San PetronioBasilica di San Petronio2Basilica di San PetronioFountain of NeptuneParco della MontagnolaParco della MontagnolaParco della Montagnola

    Foodie heaven; The city of Bologna

    June 22, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Bologna’s Italian nickname “La Dotta, la Grassa e la Rossa” ("The Educated, the Fat, and the Red") may seem odd but it sums up the very best of what this central Italian city has to offer. The educated as it has the oldest continuously operated university in the world. The fat not because of the people but the city itself is known as the foodie capital of italy. And the red because of the terracotta red roofs that adorn the homes and buildings. Known as an underated city in Italy it was easy to tell why. It for me (Emily) is almost my favorite large city. The metropolitan was clean, lined with restaurants and shops and the city itself had many historical attractions. There also were very few tourists which made Bologna a true winner. This city is truly foodie heaven, we got to sample a few local dishes like lasagna, mortadella sandwhiches, and we had our best gellato of the trip a melon (Cantaloupe) gellato scenza latte (without milk). We even watched part of the "Warriors" movie in the main piazza at night. This city does not disappoint.Read more

    See translation
  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Arco Del Meloncello

    The Porticoes of San Luca

    June 21, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    The Porticoes of Bologna are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among them, the Porticoes of San Luca are the longest uninterrupted series of Porticoes in the world. These Porticoes start near Porta Saragozza (an arch way) and continues for almost 4 km to the Sanctuary of the Madonna of San Luca.

    I (Dave) have to confess I didn't research this landmark very well, but Emily really wanted to walk the Porticoes. We waited to the start of the landmark on foot from the center of town. The walk starts off benign enough. It's very level and repetitive with shops besides you. Once you hit Arco Del Meloncello, everything changes. The rest of the walk is straight up. San Luca is on top of a very large hill, and we had no idea.

    Along the walk are 15 "chapels" retelling serves from the life of Jesus and Mary. Good places to catch your breath. The view from San Luca was beautiful and with the walk. I don't recommend doing it on a 95° day like we did. 😆

    Between the trip up, and down and walking assertions bologna that day, we must have walked 18 km total that day.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    1
    4

    Biblioteca comunale dell'Archiginnasio

    June 21, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Emily as Dave didn't quite know what we were walking into with this landmark. A library and a courtyard said to once be one of the most important buildings of Bologna. It was also the main building of the University of Bologna, the oldest university in continuous operation in the world.

    Inside the library, the walls and ceilings are lined with small family crests of students who attended the University (as well as other art). Also on display were old books from the 15th and 16th century. Trying to understand what we were looking at was a little overwhelming, because there was SO MUCH history on the walls and ceiling. Many of the plaques were in Latin or Italian.

    From wikipedia:
    The library was founded in 1801 at the convent of San Domenico to collect the book heritage of the religious orders suppressed by Napoleon.
    [...]
    The library has about 850,000 volumes and pamphlets, about 2,500 incunabula , about 15,000 sixteenth -century books and about 120,000 old books (up to 1830). The periodicals section includes 7,500 publications, of which over 1,300 are in progress.    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023

    Italian Hospitality & Proscutto -Bologna

    June 20, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    We had an amazing tour of a local prosciutto factory: Prosciuttificio Montevecchio S.r.l. in Bologna. We learned about the process of making high quality Procutto. They start in January provide two seven day salt cures and massages followed by a 70 day pre dry room and a 9 month aging process thereafter. To be considered a DOP prosciutto it must be aged for 14 months rhen inspected. Ricardo our tour guide had an amazing story he was the victim of a car accident and was in a coma for 20 days and pulled out of it. Now he gives tours as well as works in Agriculture nearby.

    Allessandro our host was certainly an entertainer and he and his girlfriend were fun getting to know. He spoiled us with extras like homemade mozzarella and tomatoes, strawberries with a 25 year old balsamic (consistency of syrup) poured on top, as well as pasta, sauce, and wine to take home. It was Italian hospitality at its finest. The prosciutto we sampled was some of the best we ever had. When we were done for the day Ricardo gave us a ride back to the train station. What a great find (Dave)!    Read more

  • Europe 2022 - 2023
    Welcome to Modena, via train
    Surprise kitty on the train!!!Public gardensCorso DuomoDuomo di ModenaDuomo di ModenaDuomo di ModenaDuomo di Modena2A random Ferrari we saw on the streets of Modena.Tempio Monumentale di San Giuseppe ai Caduti in GuerraTorre Dell'OrologioMarble statue of Perseus

    Modena; Emilia-Romagna

    June 19, 2022 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Modena is world renowned for two things. First, as it is more commonly used, Balsamic Vinegar (any fancy vinegar you have at home may even say "Balsamic Vinegar Di Modena"). Secondly, it is known as the upper class sports car capital of the world. Sports car manufacturers: Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati were all based here at one point or another.

    Modena was much less touristy than its neighbor Parma and had less of a metropolitan vibe. Restaurants were busy yet it didn't feel crowded. The piazzas and cute city center was littered with colorful buildings and there was a surprise church that awaited us every few blocks that was always prettier than anticipated. We were pleasantly surprised with this smaller city.

    While scholars do not know the exact founding of the city, one important note about Modena's history is that Hannibal, the Carthaginian general, laid siege to Modena with his elephants, on his way to conquer Rome.    Read more

  • 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

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