検索条件をリセット
Italy … finally!
  • Alphadog's Travels
  • Westella's Wanderings
5月 – 6月 2024

Italy … finally!

After a Covid caused delay we are finally travelling internationally again, four and a half weeks in Italy. もっと詳しく
フォローする概要カレンダー共有共有死ぬまでにやっておきたいことリスト
最新のものから
  • 旅行の開始
    2024年5月22日
    Italy … finally!
    Dubai airport
    Our trip

    Stopover in Dubai

    2024年5月23日, アラブ首長国連邦 ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After 14 hours we have made it to Dubai. We have about 3 hours here then board a 777 for a 6 hour flight to Bologna.

    The flight from Sydney was absolutely full but the airline was fantastic, can’t fault Emirates.もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Back yard of our hotel
    Hotel. Our room is top floor on the rightPiazza MaggioreBasilica di San Petronio. The white section is finished but the top dark area is notFountain in the PiazzaTowers in Bologna, will learn more about these on our tourInside the Basilica di San PetronioBasilica againBasilica outsideHail storm in BolognaBeers and a spritz

    Bologna

    2024年5月23日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    The flight out of Dubai was right on time and wasn’t as full as the flight from Sydney. It was an uneventful trip except for the route, it avoided flying over a few of the Middle East hotspots by flying up the western side of the Persian Gulf then over Iraq to its border with Turkey then a left turn to Italy.

    To say Bologna is a second tier airport would be accurate. There are no aerobridges and we had to get a bus from the plane to the terminal. The terminal itself was small and one section was actually an inflatable building (not kidding)! It took an age for the luggage to come through but immigration and customs was very quick.

    We found our transfer and made our way into the city. Our driver was a Cuban called Ramon and his hands weren’t on the steering wheel for much of the time as they were needed for talking!

    Our hotel is in the old part of town which once upon a time would have been within the walls of the town. The streets are very narrow and cobblestone. The hotel is small but very nice.

    We went for a walk up into the old town to the main square of Bologna the Piazza Maggiore. Wow it is old! There were lots of people around, a busker doing a reasonable job of Guns & Roses, some cops, people on bikes, lots of cars, and some buses. Chaos!

    The square is dominated by the Basilica di San Petronio. This unfinished building was started in the 1300s and is massive, you could fit St Mary’s in Sydney in this church and have lots of room to spare. It has a Meridien line running through it so every day at 12 noon the sun shines through a hole and falls on this line.

    We walked around town for a bit and stopped at a cafe for a a beer and a spritz before heading back to the hotel.

    After little sleep for 36 hours we didn’t even make it out for dinner.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Basilica di San Petronio in the morning
    Staircase in the town hallOutside of the town hall on Piazza MaggioreInside the Basilica di San DomenicoChapel inside the Basilica di San DomenicoSt Domenic's tombAmazing domes above the tombAltar in The BasilicaMore of the BasilicaMozart's musicBologna towers and porticosCanal in BolognaAfternoon hail storm. This is one of the gates in the wall of the old town

    Walking in history

    2024年5月24日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today was one of our free days in Bologna. The tour doesn’t start until Sunday so we have a few of these so we can scope out the place and recover from the trip.

    We walked down to the Piazza Maggiore early and looked around. The Tourist Information Office is in the Piazza so we scored a map for a self guided walking tour.

    There are so many Basilicas in Bologna. The first we went to on our tour was the Basilica di San Domenico. They started building this church back in the 1200s and has the tomb of Saint Domenic inside - very ornate. A young Michaelangelo did some of the artwork.

    One thing of interest was a piece of sheet music in a frame which was actually written by Mozart when he was 14. It seems Mozart performed in this church in 1770. The piece of music included some edits by one of his teachers. Google Translate is very useful in these situations.

    We then walked up to the Basilica di San Stefano which is four churches joined together.

    Then it was across to the other side of town past the two towers to one of the canals in Bologna. It looks like Venice.

    We then came up the main shopping strip to the Piazza again.

    After lunch we went outside the old town into the Giardini Margherita for a walk. This is a bit of open space and felt like Centennial Park in Sydney with lots of playgrounds for kids.

    There seems to be a bit of a pattern with the weather. Bright and sunny until about 3pm then an afternoon thunderstorm rolls in complete with small hail. This lasts for about 30 mins then it clears up.

    Dinner was a small restaurant across from the hotel. Ramon told us (among many other things) that in Bologna we should try the tortellini, tagliatelle ragu, and the lasagne so we started ticking them off. The food so far is, of course, excellent and very cheap.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Inside of the Porta Saragozza
    Portico di San Luca - the flat bit!Arco Del Meloncello, a gate on the way up - it also lets you cross the road!Portico againView on the way up, the portico on the left and Bologna in the distanceView from the top, a bit hazyBasilica di San LucaBasilica againView from the top. Portico on the left, Bologna in the distanceGreat viewsBasilicaInside the BasilicaInside the Basilica. The painting by St Luke is in the middleViewsPorticoPorticoPorta Saragozza from the outsideVia SaragozzaOur favourite cafe!Panorama photo of the main square Piazza Maggiore

    Pilgrimage

    2024年5月25日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Overlooking Bologna from the south west is a small hill with a big church on top it is the Basilica di San Luca. This church was founded in the 1200s but not finished until much later. It holds a painting of the Madonna and child which is said to have been painted by St Luke the Evangelist and originally hung in the Temple of Saint Sophia in Constantinople.

    To get to the Basilica there is a long covered walkway called the Portico San Luca which was built in the 1600s to provide protection for people making the pilgrimage to the church.

    So today we ticked off going on a pilgrimage from our bucket list.

    The walk is about 3.8kms and the first bit is nice and flat but the hill and associated steps soon arrive. We started early so it was nice and cool and it took us about an hour all up.

    The view was pretty good. It is popular with the locals with lots of people running, walking, or cycling up the road to get to the church.

    After looking around and viewing the painting we headed back through the old city gate called Porta Saragozza and along the street via Saragozza to the centre of town. The weekend is obviously when the locals get out and about as some of the main streets are closed and people everywhere.

    We wandered around for a bit before stopping at a restaurant on Piazza Maggiore for a couple of drinks and some lunch - pizza! Really good.

    After a bit of a rest at the hotel (going on a pilgrimage is tiring) we went out to a cafe for another drink and some lasagne.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    The Clock Tower overlooking Piazza Maggiore
    King NeptuneMain entrance to the clock tower. Saint Petronio aboveA model of old town BolognaImpressive room with loads of paintings and statues. This is part of the art galleryKing Neptune from the art galleryPiazza MaggiorePiazza Maggiore and the Basilica di San PetronioView from the Clock Tower looking south. Some of the houses on the hill looked very niceThe clock up closeClock mechanismLooking north. Note the towers Bologna is famous forThe Basilica di San Luca on the hill in the distance, this is what we climbed on our pilgrimage!BolognaViews againLooking eastPiazza MaggiorePiazza MaggioreKing Neptune againThe climb up was a bit tight!

    The Clock Tower

    2024年5月26日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    The Piazza Maggiore has a number of buildings around it including the local government offices. They started building this building in the 1300s and it evolved over a couple of centuries to be what it is today. The key feature of this building is the large clock tower that overlooks the Piazza and one of the best views in town is from the top so today we climbed it.

    The building was used as the Cardinal’s residence but now it is all administrative and contains an impressive art collection. Being the government offices it also hosts weddings and there were a few of these happening throughout the day.

    We bought our tickets and made our way up and the views are pretty good.

    Afterwards we scored some lunch, wandered around a bit and headed back to the hotel.

    In the evening we did what many of the locals do, sat on the steps of the Basilica and people-watched!

    We met up with the people in our tour group. All are Australians and suffice to say we would be in the younger age group.

    Tomorrow our tour starts!    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Frescos in the university showing crests from families and locations students were from
    Teatro Anatomico anatomy lecture theatre. This is where the lecturer used to sitThe table where the action happenedThe ceiling with Apollo in the middleTeatro AnatomicoHippocrates statueUniversity libraryCrests of families from GermanyFrescosFood marketCake shop!Note the mortadella in the windowMore foodPasta!Parmigiana cheese is also a local specialtyOld style porticoBologna towersMeridien line in the Basilica di San PetronioSan Petronio's chapel in the BasilicaPortico on the right and on the left the other way they built over the streetGelato!

    Walk around Bologna

    2024年5月27日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Today we did a guided walking tour of Bologna.

    There has been a university in Bologna since 1088 making it the oldest continuously operating university. We went into one of the old university buildings where they used to teach anatomy. The Teatro Anatomico is the main room where they used to conduct dissections usually on poor people or criminals. Back then they was the belief that anatomy and astronomy were linked so the ceiling is covered in the star signs and the god Apollo is in the middle. Around the walls are famous teachers like Hippocrates.

    The students sat around the marble table where the bodies were carved up. The church dictated the rules so they could not hold a heart in their bare hands and the toilet area had to be covered. The lecturer sat up high at one end of the room and his assistant did the dirty work.

    Unfortunately this room was badly damaged by a bomb in WW2 but they managed to save most of the statues and so rebuilt the room soon after.

    Back in the Middle Ages going to university was only for the very rich so the walls of the Uni are covered by family crests. Students used to come from all over Europe so these different locations were shown as well.

    After the Uni we walked around some of the back streets where they have food markets. You can see in the photos it was all pretty sensational. Bologna is known for its mortadella and pasta so most shops sold these and so much more.

    We then headed out to where we could view the two towers of Bologna. There used to be literally hundreds of these towers and they were mainly for defensive purposes. If someone attacked the town rich families could retreat to their tower and it would have been hard to get them out. These towers came it all shapes and sizes the tallest one still standing is 97 metres tall. They have a problem with the other one in that the ground has become unstable so it is leaning quite badly, something they are trying to stop.

    We then went into the Basilica di San Petronio. This church is the fourth biggest in Italy behind St Peter’s in the Vatican, Milan, and Florence. The Meridian line in the Basilica di San Petronio is the longest at about 60m. Every day at noon the sun shines through a small hole in the roof and falls on this line. At each solstice it stops and heads back the other way along the line.

    After the Basilica we headed across the one of the oldest gelato shops Gelateria Gianni. It was sensational! Yes even better than Messina - a big call.

    Bologna is famous for its covered walkways or porticos and many are UNESCO heritage listed. They evolved because land was tight within the walls of the city so people came up with ways to give themselves more space by building up and over the street.

    After the tour we had lunch and hung around town. Dinner was at a restaurant across from our hotel.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Stored for at least a year
    Cheese wheel with DOP stampsProsciutto hamsVinegar barrels, notice the different sizesRialto Bridge and gondolaCanalView from the water taxi taking us to our hotelView from our hotel windowCanalCanalVenice alleywayDesert!Piazza San Marco bell towerBasilica San MarcoDoge's PalacePiazza San MarcoDoge's PalaceBasilica San Marco. Amazing mosaicsPiazza San MarcoOur hotel

    Goodbye Bologna

    2024年5月28日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Today we left Bologna for our next stop - Venice!

    On the way we stopped at a couple of places in Modena to try some of the local cheese, prosciutto, and vinegar. The EU license production of various things to ensure the authenticity of things that have been made in a traditional way for centuries but are at risk of being replaced by mass produced non-authentic substitutes.

    The first place we stopped at was a cheese factory specialising in producing parmigiana reggiano cheese. We probably call this parmesan cheese in Australia but this is so much better. The process is very strictly controlled and this factory can only make 14 wheels of cheese each weighing 50kg per day. They have to stamp each cheese, store it for at least 12 months then get in inspector out to tap the cheese wheel and listen to make sure the cheese makes the right sound before they are allowed to affix the coveted DOP stamp and sell it.

    The DOP stamp means that product has been made in the traditional way and comes from the traditional location. No where else except producers around Modena can sell the traditional Modena cheese with the DOP stamp.

    Next stop was a prosciutto factory higher in the hills. Once again they follow a very strict process with every ham being stamped with an identity tag and then tracked through the production process from end to end. They are inspected at various stages to ensure the process is followed and that each ham is up to the correct standard. They open the windows of the storage areas as part of the process to allow the hams to dry so they have to be a certain height to properly cure the ham. The hams are checked using a piece of bone from the ankle of a horse as this bone doesn’t have a smell and will hold the smell of the ham for a few moments to allow it to be checked.

    Last stop was a vinegar factory. Once again a strict process with certain types of grapes to be used and checks along the production process. In the first year they have a set of 5 or 6 barrels of different sizes. They harvest and cook the grapes (which is different to wine production) and then fill all the barrels. The barrels are not sealed so some of the liquid in each evaporates over a year and they are stored in the attic to ensure temperature variations. After a year all barrels are checked and refilled from the next largest barrel - so the smallest gets filled from the next smallest and it in turn is refilled from the next smallest and so on. Eventually the largest barrel is refilled from the current year’s production and so on for 12 years for the standard ‘Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena’ or 24 years for the extra old version. All very interesting, have to say I didn’t know much about vinegar production but I do now! Once again the DOP stamp is attached and highly prized and they can only product a limited number of special DOP designated bottles each year.

    Of course all of these places could produce more of exactly the same product but the fact it wouldn’t be DOP stamped means they would not be able to charge a premium for their products.

    After our food lessons we headed up the autostrada to our destination for the next couple of nights - Venice!

    We took a water taxi to our hotel, ditched the bags and started exploring. By this time it was about 7pm so we had to find somewhere for dinner which we did down one of Venice’s mass of small lanes. After a seriously good lasagna we made a trip to St Marks square. A few people around but some interesting buildings - check out the photos.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Rialto Bridge in the morning
    Rialto BridgeView down to St Marks SquareBasilica with the 4 horsesDoge's PalaceArtwork in the Square looking towards the BasilicaGondolas looking across the Bacino di San MarcoMosaic ceiling. All gold leafDome of creation in the Basilica. All done in mosaicMosaic floors with 3-D effectThere are 14 statues the 12 disciples, Mary, and St MarkFloor mosaicMosaicsOutside view, in the left dome it is Byzantine the right is more modernCisterns like these are all over the city, though not this ornate. They contained drinking waterDoge's Palace ceilingBridge of SighsMurano Glass horseCanal with gondolaDoge's Palace

    Venice

    2024年5月29日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today we were up early and went for a walk to the Rialto Bridge and St Marks Square before breakfast. Venice is one massively crowded city during the day but if you get up early you can see these places with relatively few people.

    We went on a guided walking tour of the Basilica di San Marco and the Doge’s Palace.

    The Basilica is really fascinating. Venice was originally a separate country to Rome until Napoleon conquered it all in the early 1800s - no love lost there, even today! Before that though it was quite different in that they democratically elected a leader every few years - the Doge. He was seen as a servant of the people. He could only rule for a set number of years and then he was replaced. There was a group of 6 who supported him and there was also a senate of a couple of hundred who supported them. So it was very democratic for its time.

    The Venetians were very much focused on trade and had become very wealthy as a result. This meant when the Vatican tried to enforce control the Venetians said no we will do it our way. So of course they are Catholic but they are not tightly controlled by the Vatican, a situation which still exists today.

    Given the location of Venice the Basilica has a strong Byzantine influence with many of the icons looking more like Greek Orthodox images. Over the years as various influences came and went some of the imagery was changed so you have a mix of styles.

    The Basilica, like the rest of Venice, is sinking and very high tides can flood St Marks Square so it is now surrounded by a water barrier.

    All the gold and pictures on the walls and all the patterns on the floor are made from mosaic tiles. There are millions of them and they are stunning.

    After the Basilica we went into the Doge’s Palace which was where the Doge lived, the seat of government, law courts, and also a prison. It was very opulent!

    As well as having all the democratic processes in place they did have a secret police to monitor and report on any untoward activity. There were also slots where people could dob in someone who was breaking the law, if you did dob someone in you had to do it in writing and have it witnessed by two others - but be careful, get it wrong and you as well as your witnesses were punished!

    The prison sits just across the canal. Criminals accused of certain offences were tried in the Palace and if convicted sent across the Bridge of Sighs to prison. We walked through the prison and it was also very advanced for its time with limits on the number of prisoners in each cell, they could have visitors, they were allowed to buy wine, and they had to work.

    After the tour we went to a demonstration of Murano glass blowing and a talk about some of what they make. Really interesting. They make drinking glasses and decanters as well as chandeliers, jewellery, ornaments, plates, and so much more.

    We then shared a pizza for lunch and had the afternoon to ourselves. By this time St Marks Square was packed and it was a hot day so we went to the Museum Corro which had a heap of statues, paintings, coins, maps, etc all impossibly old. As I said Venetians were traders so map making was very important.

    By this time it was spritz and beer time followed by dinner in a cute restaurant in one of the alleys. Venice has a myriad of alleys and even maps become hard to follow so we have to use Google Maps to get around, much easier.

    So far this holiday has been fantastic. The things I really like:

    - the history is just fascinating
    - the food is sensational and cheap

    The things I don’t like:

    - Italians have not got the message about smoking, everyone smokes and cigarettes are very cheap
    - pickpockets, you do have to be careful, one of the ladies on the trip was targeted but they didn’t get anything

    Tomorrow we are off the Lake Como with a stop in Verona.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Water taxi, these take about 10 people plus their luggage and take you from the bus stop into Venice
    River Adige and castle. River was really flowingRiver from the bridgeCastleCastle towerFresco on building in the main squareMain square of VeronaMain square againJuliet's balcony, you can't see the thousands of people taking the same photo!ArenaArena againOld part of townStatue of DanteTombs of the Scaliger family. Noble family from VeronaTombs againVerona streetWinery and hillsPoppy. These grow wild everywhereWine cellarWinery

    Wherefore art thou?

    2024年5月30日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today we left Venice and headed west. Final thoughts on Venice - I really liked the history and the canals are great but it would be a pain to live there, imagine renovating a house where everything had to come by boat!

    We hit the autostrate and headed to our next destination - the city of Verona.

    Of course this city is famous for being the location of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. While a good story it is just that, a story, Shakespeare didn’t visit Verona. Our guide filled us in, apparently Shakespeare based the story on another story written by someone else and it is a bit of a political statement on the tension between the Vatican and the Emperor. Anyway Verona has cashed in on it and you can visit Juliet’s balcony - the original owners in the 14th century had a name similar to Capulet - along with a few hundred of your closest friends, yes it was packed!

    Verona’s other claim is a first century arena that is older than the Colosseum. They still use it for concerts and shows.

    Verona is on the river Adige which is the second longest in Italy after the Po. It is dominated by the Castel San Pietro which sits on the river.

    After looking around we made it back to the bus and onto the autostrade for our next destination - Como, on the lake of the same name.

    Some comments about Italian traffic. It is bad! The cities are worse than Sydney as they are usually tiny streets not meant for cars but outside the cities the autostrades are also bad. Most of the time traffic flows OK but there are so many semi trailers it is always heavy. They have to pay tolls but it isn’t fully automatic tolling you have gates to pay by cash, card, or auto-toll so it is usually a mess. Of course road signs and rules are seen as guidelines which can be broken if desired.

    We stopped on our way to Como to visit a winery making Franciacorta wine. Despite the name this doesn’t have anything to do with France it is the type of wine they produce. These sparkling red and white wines can only be made in this area of Lombardy and the process has similar controls as the cheese and prosciutto manufacturers we visited the other day.

    To date the land we have been travelling through has been flat agricultural land. Como is not far from Milan and is starting to get up into the hills and mountains at the top of Italy. We saw some on our way and there is still snow up high, great views!

    After our wine tasting we continued on to Como. Arriving quite late so we haven’t looked around yet, that happens tomorrow.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Villa on Lake Como
    Looking north to the mountainsView of the lake. Varenna across the lake and Bellagio on the rightLooking from Menaggio to BellagioHotel Grand VictoriaStreets of MenaggioNice boat!Our ferry to VarennaVarennaStaircase in VarennaVarenna. Traditional Lake Como boat in foreground, they put a cover up when it rainedSt John the Baptist church. Built in the 10th centuryInside view. Behind me was the pit where full dunking happened as part of a baptismCrowds in Bellagio. Our guide, Valentina, is holding the red umbrella on the leftBellagioInside St Giacomo church in BellagioBellagio piazzaBellagioBellanoOur ferry to Bellano

    Hello Lake Como!

    2024年5月31日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We didn’t get much of a chance to look around the town of Como as we were up and moving pretty early. We were on our way to Menaggio.

    The road up was tight. In some spots vehicles could only go in one direction at a time and you could see some buildings had been scraped. These roads were built in the time of the horse and cart! Luckily our bus is small so managed to get through. During peak season this road would be choked!

    Seems this has always been a popular place to visit but it wasn’t until celebrities (like George Clooney) started to buy villas that its popularity really took off. Queen Victoria visited here as well which made it fashionable with the English so there is the Grand Hotel Victoria and even (gasp) an Anglican Church!

    Lake Como was formed by glaciers and is very deep at 400 metres. This big mass of water tends to keep the climate around the lake a bit warmer in winter and cooler in summer, coupled with the stunning scenery you can understand why it is so popular. It is shaped like an inverted Y.

    Many of the locals actually live on Lake Como but drive into Switzerland each day to work - the cost of living is lower in Italy but wages are higher in Switzerland.

    The lake is well serviced with ferries and even a hydrofoil to move people around.

    We were visiting a couple of towns on the lake so we boarded the ferry on the western side of the lake in Managgio and went across to our first stop Varenna on the eastern side of the lake.

    It is a cute little town with a number of churches. The oldest is St John the Baptist’s church from the tenth century but there was also the church of St George and a couple of others which were only from the 13th or 14th centuries. We had a bit of time so we wandered around town before catching the ferry across the lake to our next stop Bellagio.

    This is bigger than Varenna and sits at the point between the two arms of the lake. Given it is not even peak season yet it sure was busy! Lots of shops and narrow streets with cars and bikes trying to squeeze past pedestrians - chaos!

    Our last stop was Bellano back on the eastern side of the lake where we met our bus and made a quick trip down the freeway to Milan. The government is trying to improve access to Lake Como so on the eastern side there is a freeway and train line all with lots of tunnels.

    We made it into Milan and found a nice restaurant for dinner. Tomorrow we start to look around Milan.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Outside of the castle
    Inside the castle, it is huge!Michaleangelo's unfinished last statueMichaelangeloCastle moatNapoleon built this gate similar to one in ParisMilan tramGaribaldi. He founded modern Italy which only came into being in 1861Milan streetMilan buildingsA few trams aroundGalleria. The guide warned us about pickpockets before we went inMosaic on the floor of the GalleriaCathedralOutside the GalleriaA few people around!Inside the cathedralAmazing windows. It had a Meridien line but not as fancy as Bologna'sStatue without skin! The robe over his shoulder is his skin. Based on drawings by Leonardo Da VinciStunning main window

    Milan

    2024年6月1日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Milan is the commercial and financial capital of Italy with all the big companies based here. It is also the fashion capital of the world with many of the big fashion brands originating from here.

    Our bus took us up to the main castle in Milan the Sforza Castle. This is a huge 15th century castle built on the remnants of an older one. It is very impressive. Our guide gave us all the history and walked us around. One of the highlights is that it contains Michaelangelo’s last statue that he was working on when he died at age 88 in 1564.

    We then headed out of the castle to walk up to the main part of the city, the Duomo. On the way we passed the famous Milan opera house the Scala but this is being renovated at the moment so was covered in scaffolding. The Duomo is where the big shopping centre the Galleria can be found and also Milan Cathedral.

    The Galleria is very impressive with all the big fashion brands. Prada has had a shop here for over 100 years. The mosaic floor had links to the various parts of Italy.

    They started building the cathedral in the 14th century but didn’t finish it until 1965! Amazingly it was not damaged in WW2 despite Milan and the Duomo being heavily bombed.

    The cathedral is the largest one outside of the Vatican and is made entirely of marble, not bricks with marble attached. They are always working on it inside and out so a section of it is usually covered in scaffolding. It is stunning. Amazing leadlight windows from the 15th and 16th centuries and lots of statues.

    After walking around the cathedral we went for lunch and headed back to the hotel for a rest - with a stop off for gelato!

    Diner was a very simple take away pizza and a couple of local beers.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Main square looking towards palace
    Cafe, in operation since the 1800sCakes!Turin streetsTurinMain palace. European, Italian, and Piedmont flagsCeiling in the palaceThrone roomArmouryArmourySuit of armourView of the main square from the palace. The skyscraper in the background was built in the 1930sDining roomChapel of the ShroudPalace gardensOutside of the church of San LorenzoChapel of San LorenzoDome in the Chapel of San Lorenzo from the insideDome of San Lorenzo from the outsideOur hotel in Guarene

    Turin

    2024年6月2日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Today is a special day for the Italians. The 2nd of June marks their national day, their equivalent of Australia Day. It is a public holiday and there are lots of celebrations happening.

    We left Milan and hit the autostrade heading for Turin in the Piedmont region. Turin has an interesting history, when Garibaldi united the various regions to create modern Italy in 1861 Rome remained part of the Vatican until 1870 so between 1861 and 1870 Turin was the capital of Italy. Interestingly Italy was actually set up as a monarchy but after 1946 they held a referendum and it became a republic.

    Turin has the original palace and lot of other really interesting buildings. There are the usual porticos but also cafes dating back to the 1800s that are still in business today.

    We met our guide and headed over to the palace. This faces the main square of Milan and is quite impressive. It is now a museum but you can visit the throne room and other rooms plus they have a very big armoury showing various weapons up until about WW1.

    Turin is known for the Shroud of Turin and while there are questions about its authenticity it is still a revered artefact. It used to be stored in a chapel attached to the palace but is now stored in a smaller chapel in Turin. They bring it out for public display every 25 years and next year it will be on display again.

    After the palace we went out to the square again and in a very nondescript building we found one of the most interesting churches we have visited to date (and let’s face it if you come to Italy you are going to visit a lot of churches!). This was the Church of San Lorenzo, see the photos.

    Like many other churches this one is designed around the sun and every equinox the sun shines through a number of holes and lights up various alcoves in the church, very clever.

    After the chapel we had some lunch and walked around town.

    After Turin we headed for our accommodation for the night in the village of Guarene in the hills south of Turin. We are a bit off the beaten track but we are here for a couple of nights. It is a cute little village and our hotel is very comfortable.

    Tomorrow we go truffle hunting!    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Truffle hunting
    It was a beautiful spot for a walkTruffle!Church in MonchieroAnother view of the churchOur lunchtime viewMonchieroThe castle at Serralunga. It's unusual as this style is usually only found in FranceView from the castle, vineyards and hazelnut treesCastle viewCastle viewVillage of SerralungaTop floor of the castle. It used to be open but a roof was added at some stageCastle room. There were only a few rooms, this was the main oneOutside the castleCastle againAlba church - the Chiesa della MaddalenaBaroque styleInside the churchCastiglione Falletto

    Truffle hunting

    2024年6月3日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We had a full day around the town of Guarene today. This area is famous for a type of wine called Barolo, which can only be produced in this area of Piedmont, as well has hazelnuts with Ferrero, makers of Nutella, being founded in this area.

    It is also known for truffles. Today we went up to the village of Monchiero to visit the property of a truffle producer. They find white and black truffles with the white version being the most sought after. Truffles are a fungus and grow underground on the roots of specific types of trees and under specific conditions. This producer uses hazelnut trees to grow the truffles and dogs to sniff them out.

    We parked the bus and went for a walk through the woods. Our guide was Walter and his dog was Leo. It was a very pleasant walk and it wasn’t long before Leo found his first truffle.

    We walked through the trees and the woods and all up Leo found three truffles.

    After our walk we went up to the main house at the top of the hill overlooking Monchiero and needless to say eating lunch next to a seminary from the 14th century with a view across Piedmont to the alps was pretty sensational!

    After a leisurely lunch we went across to the castle at Serralunga. This is also from the 14th century and was a defensive tower built to protect the locals from marauding gangs. The tower was very cleverly designed with lots of means to rain harm down on anyone who tried to attack. The castle was actually breached once at the end of October 1616 by the Spanish. Their sneak attach caught the local soldiers, of which there were only 12, napping so the Spanish took anything of value - mostly tapestries - and left.

    Anyway the view was sensational and the history fascinating.

    We then headed into the local town of Alba to walk around and have the daily gelato. Really nice old town but it was siesta time so most shops were shut.

    Dinner was in a local restaurant near Castiglione Falletto with great views across the vineyards and hazelnut trees.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Genoa streets
    Genoa cathedralInside the cathedralStriped marbleAltar and domeCathedralCathedralGenoa streetsMain squareGenoa streetsGenoa streetsPiazzaDocksGenoa, see the apartment buildings on the hillsNice boat!Lighthouse on the portGenoa portThis one is owned by a billionaire and is worth a mere 330 million euros!Replica galleonPort view

    La Spezia

    2024年6月4日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We were up early and left Hotel Le Botti. We have been across the northern top of Italy and now starting to head south. Our first stop was Genoa.

    This is an interesting city. The road went through lots of tunnels and soon we could see the Mediterranean. Genoa is a major port city and the city is built around the docks. This is where Christoper Columbus left from when he discovered the Americas.

    We had some free time so we wandered around. You can see in the photos there are lots of apartments built on the hills and down to the city. The city has lots of small alleyways a bit like Venice but without the canals.

    The main cathedral is dedicated to St Lawrence and is built from black and while marble, hence the stripes.

    Genoa is popular with the wealthy people and there was a nice selection of super-yachts down at the marina.

    After Genoa we headed for La Spezia which is the gateway to the Cinque Terre which is where we are going tomorrow.

    La Spezia is also a key port and has a large naval base. We had a sensational dinner of risotto and a few beers at a nice restaurant (total cost was 40 euro, very cheap).    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Manarola
    Manarola streamManarola bayAlley wayVernazzaVernazza churchHole in the rocksVernazza marinaMonterosso beachMonterosso villageMonterossoMonterosso second beachMonterossoMonterosso from the ferryVernazza from the waterManarola from the waterFort at the entrance to La Spezia portFort at the entrance to La Spezia harbourPortovenere near La SpeziaThey have monster sea gulls!

    Cinque Terre

    2024年6月5日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Cinque Terre is a cluster of 5 villages spread along the coast and they are now part of a national park. They can be accessed by train, boat, walking, or by a small car (not recommended!). We took the train from La Spezia and were at the first village Riomaggiore in about 20 mins. We were heading to the second village Manarola which was 10 mins further.

    This is a very cute village built on a very steep slope. The hills are terraced and grow olives, grapes and lemons. We walked out to a headland and the views of the town and the sea were beautiful.

    We then hopped back on the train, skipped the next town Corniglia, and went to Vernazza. Once again very cute with a breakwater protecting a small marina. Some people were swimming and while the water was very clear the beach wasn’t really up to Australian standards. By this time it was getting very crowded with large groups coming through. We had a great lunch at one of the restaurants on the piazza.

    Our final town was Monterosso. This is the largest of the towns and the one with the biggest beach - mostly pebbles with some sand.

    We walked around town and stopped for a spritz and a beer before catching a boat back to La Spezia. The views along the coast were sensational.

    While you can walk between the villages it would be very difficult and would take a few days. The hills are very steep and you could see a number of landslides had happened.

    Tomorrow we are off to Pisa and Florence.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Pisa
    TowerCathedralBaptisteryCeiling of the cathedralInside the cathedralStunning!Composanto. Tombs around the edges and graves in the floorComposantoGrave on the floorTower againOur lunch spot was pretty good!FlorenceFlorence baptistery and cathedral. Note the green marble, this was a very rich town!Florence cathedralBaptistery doorsPalace. Replica of David out the frontBridge over the ArnoStradivarius violaDavid

    Pisa and Florence

    2024年6月6日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We hit the autostrade and headed south. Today we are going to Pisa and then to Florence. We were up pretty early so the traffic from La Spezia to Pisa was pretty good.

    On arriving in Pisa we have to park the bus a couple of kms away from the cathedral and catch a small tourist train to ferry us in to the key sights.

    There are a few buildings that make up the main sights of Pisa: the cathedral, the bapitistery, bell tower, and the composanto (cemetery). Of course this is one of the most popular tourist attractions so the place was packed. One of the funniest things was watching people trying to take photos with them holding the tower in some way.

    Unfortunately the baptistery was closed for renovation so we couldn’t visit that but everything else was open. The cathedral was very impressive as was the composanto. We wandered around and then went to a cafe close by with some great views of the various buildings.

    After Pisa we continued on to Florence where we are spending the next few days. Our hotel is close to the centre of town and is a bit noisy. We had a walking tour booked and our guide took us around the main sights.

    Florence cathedral is magnificent. It also has a separate baptistery and the reason for this that the patron saint for this area is John the Baptist. This is one of the largest cathedrals in the world and the dome is massive. We didn’t go inside as it was getting late and we still had a bit to see.

    We headed down to the palace and this is where the statue of David used to stand. There are a few statues in this area but David is considered a masterpiece so in the 1800s it was moved inside a specially built museum to protect it.

    We then went over to the river Arno to view the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. In the 13th and 14th centuries Florence became very rich and the key family was the Medici family. They lived in the palace but had a villa on the other side of the river so this bridge was built with a secure walkway above it so they could walk from the palace to their villa. The bridge used to be where all the butchers were located but the smell was so bad they moved them out and put jewellers in there instead.

    After the bridge we went to the Arts Museum. The Medici family had a lot of power and developed much of the cultural side of society including music. The museum contained some early pianos and a Stradivarius violin, considered almost priceless given its history.

    The biggest attraction in the museum is of course David. At 4.5m tall it is impressive. Of course Michaelangelo could paint but he preferred sculpture and always worked in private, this is because we think he was left handed which was frowned upon at that time. He lived to the age of 89 and given the average life expectancy back then was in the 50s he was very old for that time. This also explains why there are so many of his works around. He did the statue of David when he was 26.

    He had an unusual approach in that most sculptors of that time worked from various sides of the stone block at once, Michaelangelo worked from the front of the block to the back. This is called a bathtub model as the image emerges like water flowing out of a tub.

    After viewing the statue and a few of the other paintings in the gallery our tour ended and we had to find somewhere for dinner. Our guide had pointed out the old markets as a place where you could buy a range of food types at reasonable prices so that’s where a group of us headed. It was really good. There was a couple of musicians playing and singing and there were heaps of different food options. The big difference with an Australian food court would be the ability to get alcohol.

    Tomorrow we go to Siena.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    View of Siena
    She-wolfMain square, around this square is where the Palio happensMain square againSiena CathedralInside Siena CathedralCathedral againStable door. Note the horse head door knockerSt Domenic's where some of the remains of St Catherine are keptSan GimignanoViews of Tuscany from San GimignanoSan Gimignano from the fortTuscanyTuscany from San GimignanoWalls of the old fort at San GimignanoViews of TuscanyPuppet show in the main square of San GimignanoDesert! You dip the biscuits into the wine and count to ten before removing and eatingVineyard buildingsIt is a great time of year to visit, plants are all flowering

    Tuscany

    2024年6月7日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today we spent hanging out in Tuscany. This is a famously scenic area of Italy and it really lived up to expectations.

    Our first stop was Siena which is a large-ish town on top of a hill. It is famous for a horse race that happens twice a year around the main square of the town - the Palio. This is a race of seven horses because there are seven districts, the jockeys ride bare back and there is great excitement when it is on.

    During WW2 Siena had an arrangement with the Red Cross where it was designated a hospital town and so it was not bombed. The war did so much damage to Italy’s heritage it really is tragic.

    There is much animosity between Siena and Florence dating back hundreds of years when Florence gave Siena to the Spanish to settle some debt. Siena still celebrates victory over Florence in a battle that happened centuries ago. Now days there are still differences but they seem to get on OK most of the time.

    The Cathedral is dedicated to St Mary of the Assumption and is, of course, spectacular. Striped marble, ornate ceilings, a separate baptistery, and beautiful artwork. It isn’t as big as Florence Cathedral and they did try to expand it but found the ground was unsuitable as the columns were going out of alignment so they stopped.

    There is another large church dedicated to St Domenic and it houses some relics of the patron saint of Italy, St Catherine. By relics I mean her skull, a finger bone, and some bones from her shoulder. The rest of her is in Rome.

    After some lunch and daily dose of gelato we hopped back on the bus and headed to our next stop the small hilltop town of San Gimignano. This town is very well preserved and looks untouched from the Middle Ages - though there were a lot of tourists walking around. The old fort at the very top of the hill provides postcard views of the surrounding countryside. The town’s other claim to fame is a gelato shop that has won the best gelato in Italy award multiple times so we had to sample that and yes it was pretty good!

    Our final stop was a vineyard where the lovely lady gave us a talk about how to cook Tuscan style. It was really interesting, everything was pretty much what we have at home except for the garlic, it was massive! She cooked a ragu and talked about how to cook pasta properly. We then had ragu with thick spaghetti for dinner washed down with loads of wine.

    The bus trip back to Florence was memorable. Listening to Pavarotti and other singers singing opera while rolling through the Tuscan countryside was pretty special.

    Today marks half way through our holiday. It is really good and we are both loving every minute.

    Tomorrow we have the day to ourselves in Florence so we plan to look around and see what interesting museums we can view.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Main doors to Florence cathedral
    Gate on the Piazza della RepubblicaLion outside the palace of Florence, now the town hallAnother statueStatues outside the town hallWedding on the balcony of the town hallEntrance to the town hall. Replica of David as the original was moved in the 1800sForecourt of the palaceMachine from the 15th century showing the movements of celestial objects, Earth at the centreThe same machine. You could crank a handle and make them all moveThe great man himself GalileoGalileo's finger boneEarly telescopesVarious devices for learning about electricityMore advanced telescopesPonte VecchioPitti Palace on the other side of the river. Built by the rich Medici family who also ruled FlorenceArno RiverPiazza della RepubblicaFlorence Cathedral. We just happened to be walking past again

    Chillin’ in Florence

    2024年6月8日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We have been going hard on our tour now for nearly two weeks so today we had a free day in Florence. It was good to have some time to rest and catch up on the life admin chores.

    Like churches there are loads of museums in each city we have been to and today we went to the Museo Galileo down on the river behind the palace. This is a science museum not just dedicated to Galileo (1564-1642 aged 77), who was actually from Pisa but lived in Florence, but to scientific developments during the 15th and 16th centuries especially in the fields of physics, chemistry, astronomy, and navigation.

    We were out and about reasonably early so there wasn’t the crowds around as we walked down to the Museum. As we walked past the palace, which is now the town hall, there was a wedding happening with the happy couple out on the balcony.

    The Museum itself is in a very old building and was super interesting. Back then stuff we take for granted nowadays was not so clear cut. Measuring temperature or air pressure or the properties of liquids was not an easy thing to do back then, especially when there were some deep rooted assumptions (like the Earth is the centre of the solar system) that had to be overcome.

    One of the big issues of the time was navigation. In order to navigate properly ships needed to be able measure time accurately which was difficult. So they had things called astrolabes to work out positions from stars and the sun. Back then they didn’t just make a simple instrument each one was a work of art.

    There were early maps of the world - one even had western and northern Australia mapped - as well as telescopes and microscopes.

    In all it was an excellent museum and hard to believe just about everything in it was older than the discovery of Australia.

    After the museum we went down the road to the Ponte Vecchio which is the famous bridge across the Arno River I mentioned previously. It is now all mostly gold and other jewellery shops. We battled the crowds across and found a cafe where we had a sandwich followed by the obligatory daily gelato. We walked around that side of the river before coming back for a rest.

    By this time it was late afternoon and time for dinner. We went to a nice cafe on Piazza della Repubblica, had a few drinks and people watched for a while.

    There are loads of tourists around most seem to be Americans but there are a lot of French and Germans as well.

    Tomorrow we leave Florence and head to Rome.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Gates to the town of Assisi
    Assisi buildingsViews across UmbriaBasilica di Santa Chiara. Note the pink and white stoneAssisi villageMain square of AssisiRoman era church in AssisiAssisi streetsBasilica of Saint Francis of Assisi Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi. You can see the two levelsAssisiUmbria viewsSt Francis'UmbriaAnother gate to AssisiMarmore fallsLower fallsLots of waterLooking down to the (dry) people at the bottom of the valleyFallsFalls again

    Hello Rome!

    2024年6月9日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Goodbye to Florence!

    I quite liked Florence though it was very crowded. It’s historically significant and, most importantly, the food was excellent!

    We hit the autostrade for our first stop Assisi.

    There are two parts to Assisi. The old town on the hill with buildings dating back to the time of Jesus and the more modern lower town in the valley where most of the population now live. We had a guide for our walking tour so he explained things as we walked around the main sights of the old town.

    The town was originally a Roman era town and started with a big fort built on top of the hill. The old power struggle between the Pope and the Emperor meant Assisi needed protection as it was part of the Papal States and there were regular clashes.

    The town evolved further so walls were added and baths built.

    There are a number of churches in Assisi but of course its big claim to fame is the place where St Francis of Assisi started his Order. It is also where St Clair founded her Order so there are the remains of two saints in Assisi and lots of pilgrims come here to visit them both.

    The town itself is very picturesque. The guide said they worked out when the last building was built in the old town and the reckon it was around 1750 so it is all really old. Being on a hill it has spectacular views across the wide valley.

    There is a supply of limestone nearby so the churches are pink and white as the stone varies in colour. Most of the building was done in the 13th and 14th centuries.

    The first church was St Claire’s and given we visited on a Sunday of course mass was happening. We couldn’t take photos. What is left of St Clair is in a glass coffin.

    We then walked down the hill through the old town towards St Francis’ church. This one is much bigger and is actually two churches built on top of each other. When he died St Francis left instructions his church was to be very plain and simple - well that sure didn’t happen!

    This church is very ornate with frescoes on every surface. This area is subject to earthquakes and one in 1997 caused the roof of the top church to collapse though it was completely restored in the years afterwards. We started with viewing the tomb of St Frances (he is not on display) which is in the crypt below the lower church, then the lower church itself, finally the upper church. It was built this way to handle the number of pilgrims that were coming at the time.

    After Assisi we continued down the highway to our next stop Marmore Falls near the town of Terni. These are the highest man made falls in the world and were originally built around 271BC to drain wetlands near a town on the top of the plateau. They evolved and were added to over the centuries to what we have today.

    The amount of water going over the falls was huge and the spray made us a bit wet. We walked up to one of the viewing platforms and it was quite impressive.

    We then headed on the Rome. First impressions are this is a very very big city with ancient ruins on just about every block. The streets are lined with orange trees, don’t know why, but the traffic wasn’t too bad for a Sunday evening.

    Our hotel has a roof top bar so we could see the dome of the Vatican, very exciting!

    Tomorrow we go to the Vatican.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Quirinal Obelisk
    Trevi FountainFountain againBasilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs from the outsideInside the BasilicaMeridian line with Pisces star sign representedVatican Museum. This is only some of the thousands of people!Vatican domeInside the MuseumEgyptian StatueSphinx in the MuseumPiazza in the VaticanCeiling in one of the roomsPiazzaSt Peter'sInside the BasilicaSome amazing statuesNotice the skeleton down belowSwiss Guard. They really are Swiss Soldiers and their uniform was designed by MichaelangeloPapal Apartment, he appears at the second window from the right on the top floor

    Michaelangelo’s Masterpieces

    2024年6月10日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We had the morning to ourselves so we headed up early to the Trevi Fountain which is a few blocks from our hotel. Google Maps is a life saver and took us past the Quirinale which is the former Royal and papal residence. Now it is the presidential palace and museum.

    Out the front of the Quirinal is the Quirinal Obelisk and fountain. The obelisk came from Egypt when it was a Roman province.

    We found the fountain and even at about 8.30am there were a number of people around. Unfortunately they had turned the fountain off and were giving it a bit of a clean but it was still impressive. We didn’t toss the obligatory coins in as we will be back here again at some stage and hopefully it will be running.

    The weather has been getting noticeably warmer as we head south and it is very humid so we slowly started to make our way back to the hotel. On the way we dropped into the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and Martyrs on the Piazza della Repubblica near our hotel. This was originally designed by Michaelangelo and was built on the remains of an old Roman bath. Looking at it from the outside it looks like a Roman ruin but inside it is huge and stunning.

    We then met up with the rest of the group and braved the Rome metro to get to the Vatican Museum. It was pretty easy.

    The Vatican Museum was seriously packed and getting in is kinda difficult as the Vatican have all sorts of random rules. Anyway we made it through and walked through the galleries. Given the Vatican archives are famously massive there wasn’t a lot on display. We went through a few rooms and looked at a few statues but that was about it.

    The Sistine Chapel was beautiful but we couldn’t take any pictures. The guide did explain what the frescoes meant and Dante’s Divine Comedy was the basis for the Last Judgement with the three stages - paradise, purgatory, and inferno - depicted. The ceiling was just stunning. As usual Michaelangelo painted the whole lot on his own and in private. It took about 4 years to do.

    Michaelangelo was seriously clever man. He was a sculptor, painter, architect, and fashion designer (he designed the uniforms for the Swiss Guards). Plus he lived until he was 89 in a time when life expectancy was about 50!!

    After the Sistine Chapel we went into St Peter’s, the largest Catholic Church in the world and it really is massive. Unfortunately the Pieta (the famous statue of Mary and Jesus) was under restoration so not visible they are also restoring the bronze canopy over the main altar so it was covered in scaffolding.

    We looked around the square and saw where the Pope usually appears at the window. Given he is a Jesuit, hence has a vow of poverty, the current Pope has broken with tradition and refuses to live in the Papal Apartment and instead lives in a small apartment close by.

    After the tour we were tired and it was beer o’clock so we went back to the hotel, had a couple of drinks at the rooftop bar, and then went to a nice restaurant for dinner.

    A memorable day!    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Fountain of Moses near our hotel
    Statue of St Theresa by BerniniStatue again, amazing how he carved the stoneChiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria insideInside the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary MajorInside the churchJesus' mangerBronze Bernini statue of King Philip IV of SpainColosseum! With a few of my friends visiting at the same timeClose upRoom for 80,000Colosseum againOutside viewArch of Constantine, the first Christian emperorRoman forumChurch in the ForumForum againMonument to Victor Emmanuel IIInside the Basilica di San ClementeClose up of mosaic

    Colosseum and a three level church

    2024年6月11日, イタリア ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    There are so many churches in Italy and of course Rome has masses of them. This morning we had a bit of free time so we went to Chiesa di Santa Maria della Vittoria which was only a couple of blocks away as they had a statue by Bernini.

    Gian Lorenzo Bernini came after Michaelangelo and is considered one of the greatest Baroque style artists of his time - 1598 to 1680.

    In this church they had a statue called the Ecstasy of St Theresa and it was pretty good. There was some question about whether it sexualised St Theresa as her habit was slightly open and she was showing off her bare feet but either way as a piece of art it was amazing. How he managed to create the folds of her habit out of stone shows real talent.

    Anyway we needed another church fix so we went across the road to Chiesa di San Bernardo alleTerme another interesting though simpler church with no windows except one at the top of the dome.

    And if that wasn’t enough we then went to Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major which had another Bernini statue made of bronze showing King Philip IV of Spain. Once again, stunning! This church also holds what is believed to be the remains of the manger Jesus was born in.

    We then headed across town to view the colosseum. Amazing. First century AD, held about 80,000 Romans from the Emperor to the plebs, was covered, and offered fantastic entertainment - feeding christians to lions, gladiator battles and much more. Of course once Emperor Constantine 1 came along, the first Christian Emperor, some of the activities were no longer viewed as appropriate so it fell into disrepair. Over the centuries it was restored, damaged by earthquakes, plundered for valuable stone and iron, restored again until we have the mix we have today.

    The colosseum was originally made from travertine and tufa, which is volcanic ash mixed with water and dried. Cement had not been invested yet so large iron staples held the big blocks together. Over time it was changed with Hadrian using bricks and cement around the year 123.

    It really is a must-see. Thousands of other people thought so as well!

    After the colosseum we went next door to the Roman Forum which dates back even further to the 5th century BC and is where markets, meeting places, church services, and other communal activities happened. It is quite humbling to stand among ruins that are more than 2,000 years old.

    After viewing the Forum we walked around to the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II which is also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WW1. We took some photos from the outside and by then we needed a rest so went for lunch.

    After lunch (and gelato) we needed another church fix (4 churches in one day must be a record!) but this one was really interesting. We went to the Basilica di San Clemente a couple of blocks from the Colosseum.

    This church looks like a lot of others with the obligatory Saint’s tomb and amazing artwork but it is what is under it that really gets interesting. At the top it is a twelfth century basilica, underneath that they have excavated a fourth century church complete with frescoes, columns, and tombs, AND under that they have excavated a first century building which is believed to be associated with the mint of ancient Rome or possibly a noble person’s house. The bottom level had running water thanks to a spring that had been incorporated into the structure. Suffice to say it was pretty interesting though we couldn’t take any photos on the lower levels.

    St Cyril’s tomb was discovered in the second level and since he is important to the Slavic people there are a lot of pilgrims going to this church. It has also had its fair share of popes visit with John Paul II being a recent visitor.

    After visiting the church we headed back to the hotel for a beer and some dinner. A very interesting day.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Monastery of Monte Cassino on top of the hill
    Pompeii, gladiator training arenaSmall arenaPompeii buildings, Vesuvius in the backgroundWine jars with benchesWell made streets with wheel rutsRich family's house with frescoesStepping stones so people could cross the streetPompeii with Vesuvius in the backgroundPompeii streetMain Street of Pompeii leading up to the piazzaBrothel frescoeBrothel sign postWater fountain with fresh drinkable water thanks to the aqueductPiazza with Vesuvius in the backgroundPlaster mould of a victimAnother plaster mould, based on the poses they can work out if someone was crushed or burntLooking towards SorrentoView from our hotel, Vesuvius on the left, Pompeii in the middle, and Sorrento on the rightView again. Naples is on the left of Vesuvius

    Pompeii and Sorrento

    2024年6月12日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today we left Rome and continued our journey south. It is getting noticeably warmer with the temperature getting up to 31 degrees at one stage.

    We took the autostrade past the town of Cassino and its famous monastery on top of the hill. This was completely destroyed in WW2 but rebuilt afterwards.

    Next stop was Pompeii. In 79AD the whole town of about 20,000 people was covered by 3m of rock and 2m of volcanic ash all blasted out of nearby Mt Vesuvius. There were lots of warning earthquakes before the big eruption but volcanology was not really a thing back then so no one took much notice.

    There was so much debris from the eruption it moved the shoreline 2kms west so when everything settled down again and people came to try and find Pompeii they couldn’t so it was left as a snapshot of first century Roman life until it was rediscovered and excavations started in the 1700s.

    Our guide took us around showing us some of the key buildings. In true Roman fashion it had running water thanks to an aqueduct and the streets were well built. We visited the brothel which had some interesting frescoes as well as a rich person’s house, a bath, and the main piazza.

    Afterwards we continued our journey to Sorrento with a short stop off at a limoncello factory - really nice!

    Our hotel has views across to Naples, Vesuvius, and Pompeii so it was tough having an afternoon drink.

    After dinner we went to a small theatre for a performance of local folk dancing called tarantella. Very good and very entertaining.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    View from our hotel
    Sorrento port looking up at the main town and the valley the road runs downCapri portView from Capri. Marina down below and Anacapri on the rightPath leading down from Capril. We took a bus!Anacapri looking up at CapriAnacapri was very prettyPiazza in AnacapriAnacapriAnacapri againFernicularCapri beach, pebbles!Capri portSorrento 'beach' frontRoad down from Sorrento town to the portSorrentoSorrento streetsLooking down at the portChurch courtyard in SorrentoSorrento piazza at sunset

    Capri

    2024年6月13日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Our hotel in Sorrento is up the hill a bit out of town but it has fantastic views across Sorrento and the Bay of Naples. Having a drink on the terrace in the evening or eating breakfast looking at the view is pretty hard to take!

    Today we were visiting the Isle of Capri. It is only a 25 min boat trip from Sorrento and the views on the way were excellent. As usual it was very crowded and there were multiple ferries taking people across.

    Capri has been popular for centuries with numerous emperors having villas on the island. The towns are split into three main areas - Capri, Anacapri, and the Marina area. There are multiple small shuttle buses running between the various areas and being a bus driver would not be easy. Most roads in Italy are tight but the ones on Capri are even worse than usual! This was actually the first place I have seen cops helping to manage traffic.

    The town of Capri is the highest point and has great views. There are a few shops and restaurants so we stopped for lunch and a gelato. There is a chairlift taking people to the peak of the island but the queue was too long so we gave it a miss.

    Next level down is Anacapri and this is where the beautiful people hang out. There are all the big hotels and the expensive shops. Needless to say we didn’t stay here very long!

    To get between Anacapri and the Marina there is the fernicular - a kind cable car. The marina is very busy as it not only handles people but all freight being moved on or off the island so there are people, cars, buses, and trucks everywhere.

    We found a quiet spot for a drink and to people watch.

    After the ferry trip back and a freshen up at the hotel we went into the town of Sorrento for dinner - I had a pretty good pizza, T had the risotto - and a walk around. It is a very nice town with lots of laneways and alleys to explore. We took some photos and went back to the hotel for a nightcap on the terrace.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Positano
    Positano againMadonna statue overlooking PositanoAmalfi coastAmalfi coastAmalfi coastAmalfi near the port. Roman era watch tower on top of the hillBasilica in AmalfiWeird fountain but you can fill your water bottlesAmalfi beach. There is a small strip of public beach the rest you have to pay to use. It was pebblesAmalfi coast from the town of AmalfiAmalfi portAmalfi with mountains behind itAmalfi coast. It was beautifulRoad up to RavellaRavellaRavella piazzaPiazza in the other directionView down from RavellaRavella street

    Beautiful Amalfi coast

    2024年6月14日, イタリア ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    On the northern side of the Sorrento peninsula is the village of Sorrento but on the southern side there are a number of small villages including Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello - it’s called the Amalfi Coast.

    The road in and out of these towns is tight and winding so we had to switch to a smaller bus. Buses can only go one way around the peninsula to avoid making the already bad traffic congestion worse.

    We stopped at a lookout above the village of Positano. Access to the town centre is so difficult we didn’t actually go through it as it requires switching to a small shuttle bus or coming in by water. Needless to say it was beautiful and there were a couple of super yachts parked off shore.

    We then continued on to the town of Amalfi. It reminded me a bit of the towns on the Cinque Terre being small and right on the sea. Our bus dropped us in the main port and we walked around town. Lots of people and lots of shops so we went up one of the side alleys and found a gem of a seafood restaurant. Lunch was tuna, calamari, and prawns all with a big dash of peace and quiet! Excellent!

    They actually had some police officers directing traffic in the middle of town but not sure they were helping that much as the traffic was so heavy. Even in the main pedestrian areas where it is really crowded with people cars and scooters will come through honking the horn to get people to move. It is chaotic.

    Our bus picked us up and took us to our next stop Ravello which is high up in the mountains behind the Amalfi coast. It was a lot cooler and a lot less crowded. The main square had the usual cafes and shops with the church taking centre stage. The composer Wagner found inspiration here to finish one of his operas so there are a few references to him around the town.

    We then hopped back on the bus to go through the rest of the mountains and drop us back at our hotel in time for an afternoon swim.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • Italy … finally!
    Hybrid Yaris
    Lots of Smart carsElectric thing, think it is a Renault. Don't know which way is the frontNear SienaThree wheeler with what sounds like a lawn mower engineSo small they don't have to park parallel to the kerbAnother EV, a two seat RenaultScooters and bikesNeed one of these in Sydney!You can hire theseVespaWeird!Old Fiat on Capri. I am guessing the wicker panels are to protect it from scrapes and bumpsCapri busCapri TaxiSorrento scooter. There are thousands of scooters everywhere you go

    More Cars!

    2024年6月14日, イタリア ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    I have added a few more photos of Italian cars to this entry from the other day. Lots of odd ones on Capri!

    Italians can always find a parking spot, you simply park wherever you stop. They park in the middle of intersections, on the footpath, in front of driveways, anywhere!

    There are some different cars running around Italy. While mostly there are European brands like Mercedes, Renault, and BMW there are of course the Italian brands like Alfa Romeo and Fiat we have seen a few Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

    Less common are Japanese brands like Toyotas and Mazdas and less common still are the Korean brands.

    Scooters and motor bikes are ubiquitous.

    Have to keep in mind the roads in Italian cities are narrow and crowded so small cars and bikes are logical.    もっと詳しく

    翻訳をご覧ください
  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • ホーム
  • 当社について
  • グループ追跡
  • プレス
  • 規約
  • プライバシー & Cookies
  • ヘルプセンター
  • 印象