View from our Airbnb, Plemmirio Sicily, just outside of Siracusa
A Bridge In Vicenza
Villa Carlota, Lake Como
Photos From The Past
Waking Up To See A Different View
I follow a Facebook group which features posts on traveling to Italy. This morning I woke up to a post by Keith Mountford featuring a view of an Italian town and I knew I had been there.
I quickly went to my photo library and found the photo I took from the same spot. Keith had painted an amazing watercolor from the same spot.
We both stood on the same spot, and we saw the beauty that was there.
My photo is below. We are taking you to Bellagio on Lake Como.
Lake Como is in the background. This was taken in September 2019
This is Keith’s water color. It is beautiful
Visit Keith’s web site at
https://www.keithmountford.com
Keith has signed limited edition prints for sale on his website.
With everything going on and our all being restricted in what we can do and where we can go, seeing the post of Facebook mad my day a bit brighter. Ciao,,
Ci manca Roma. We miss Rome
We have been to Rome 5 or 6 times. Have lost count. Never see enough of the beautiful city. In October we walked most of the city and never stall the trash buildup that was posted on some news sites and in some newspapers in the US. It is a large city, but residential areas and tourist areas were clean. We can to wait to return. Here are some photos of the days in Rome.
Via Cappellari, out Airbnb was 100 feet away from this photo. The street was made into an art gallery for several days,
Art was hung all along the street.
\iew from the Tiber to St. Peters
A wedding im Trastevere
Museo di Roma
Piazza Navona from Museo di Roma
Then and Now
Piazza Navona
Coppede Neighborhood Roma
This area is know for it’s different and beautiful architecture
Below scuderie del Quirinale, the stables of Quirinale
We first came to the Scuderie del Quirinale three years ago for an exhibit by Picasso.
This time Pompei and Santorini both suffered volcanic eruptions.
Plaster casts from Pompei
Below a breathtaking view of Rome from the Scuderie del Quirinale
From Wikipedia
WHEN THE STREETS WERE CROWDED
Milan Italy, September 2019
It is hard to believe this city was alive and well when we visited in September. Vibrant, crowded, and totally alive with people.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan September 2019
The Apple Store, Milan September 2019
Starbucks, Milan September 2019
Street Vendor Blowing Bubbles, Milan September 2019
It is hard to believe this country has been hit so hard. Hopefully we will return to an Italy that will recover. I have visited Italy 20 times in the last thirty years, and I will return again.
Erice Village in the Sky and the Clouds
Greg’s Italy the web site
I read a book several years back that described this ancient villiage high up on the coast overlooking Trapani and the salt flats. I was intrgued by the description of the fog rollsing in on a reguar basis. I did ot have to wait long. It flowed through the town and then left as the sun came back out. It is well worth the visit.
The book
Dreaming of Sicily ~ A Travel Memoir by Betsy Vincent Hoffman and Kathleen Citrolo Gwinnett | Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC, is available as a Kindle Edition.
HERE IS A VIDEO TOUR OF ERICE
Three out of the four have canes. Considering this town is hilly to say the least, it makes for some intteresting walking.
The fog tolls in to Erice, high above the sea below, it is like being in San Fransisco.
The bell tower high in the clouds in the previous photo. now the sun is shining on it. I was treated to a rousing bell ringing that was very loud when next to the bells.
hThe coblestone streets of Ericie.
Notice the car coming down the street.
A quiet setting in our hotel.
The bell tower in Erice was built in 1315 and is a separate building from the Chiesa Matrice.
BREAKING NEWS,
JUST IN FROM WASHINGTON POST
WAITING FOR MORE DETAILS
PHOTOS FROM THE SOUTH EAST COAST OF ITALY
I always love to view some of my older photos of Italy. My library has about 20,000 photos covering 1998 to 2019.
Castello Aragonese on the island of Ischia off the coast of Napoli
Ischia Island
The real taste of buffalo mozarella , shop in Ischia
Procida, between. Napoli and Ischia
Trani
La cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta (cattedrale di Trani)
A trulli in Albrobello
The castle like roofs of the trulis
Many things come together and these photos bring back many wonderful memories of our travels.
TUSCANY BY BIKE Photos from a great trip.
Last post of 2019, I was off line while transferring all my photos to a new computer and should be doing posts on a far regular basis in 2020, Buon anno a tutti
To really see this ups and downs of Tuscany, do it on a bicycle. Above View from Piazelle de Michelangelo view of Florence
Always stunning views.
There were a lot of hills on this ride, but everyone finished.
Monteriggioni
Monteriggioni
Monteriggioni
Easy riding through towns.
Terre del Mangia, Siena
October brought fall colors to the region
Land of Chianti
A nice days ride, GPS track from San Gimignano to Siena
Brunello one fantastic Italian red wine
I was riding by a grove of olive trees when a gentleman offered to take my photo.
Beautiful Cypress trees line the roads into this BnB in Tuscany.
The freshest tomatoes are from Italy.
Last day it rained in Pienza, but the ride was over.
My Favorite Streets In Rome
This year we returned to Rome for eight wonderful nights. In 2017 we were in Rome for two weeks, and enjoyed becoming familiar with the city. It was no longer intimidating. On our last visit we stayed in an Airbnb on Via Dei Bianchi Vecchi. It was a great location to walk to many of Romes’s attractions. This year we found an Airbnb that did not have 67 steps to climb to the second floor. It was located on Via Cappellari about 200 feet from the Campo Dei Fiori.
From our location which was “Via dei Cappellari, 124 primo piano” we were able to walk to the following sights.
Chiesa Dei Santa Barbara Dei Librari
Chiesa Dei Santa Barbara Dei Librari Interior
Well worth the visit, small and beauitiful
Campo dei Fiori
The Campo dei Fiori is a great place to wanter and view the sights night and day. Surrounded by restaurants and shops, it transforms from a daytime tent city to vendors selling everything from fruits and vegetables to clothing and other items to a huge area wandering people.
Stalls and shops at the Campo
St Peters is about 10 min from the area. Walk down Corso Vittorio Emanuele and cross of the bridge by Castel Sant’Angelo and make a slight left and you will see it ahead.
St Peter from the dome
St Peters Interior
On to lunch in Trastevere
The chiesa of Santa Maria in Trastevere was another short walk
Always a wedding seven days a week
Crossing the bridge headed back to our Airbnb a beautiful view of St Peters in the distance
MILAN, ROME, LAKE COMO AND MORE ONE MONTH FOR TWO $4500
In five days my wife and I leave for a month in Italy. The cost is about $4500 which includes airfare, car rental for fifteen days, Airbnb apartments with wifi, ac, and kitchens, one extra night in Miami on return. A similar tour from Globus costs $5,400 and does not include airfare. And it is for 10 days, not 30. I have not included meals in my trip, and Globus usually does include some meals. Globus states it’s meals as follows “Full buffet breakfast daily; 2 lunches in Gabiano and Vercelli; 2 three-course dinners at a local restaurant in Milan” So that is two lunches, two dinners, and breakfast each day.
If we were t compare the Globus tour to mine, it would cost approximately $15.000 plus AIRFARE to get close to mine. PS, I purchased my tickets from AirItaly in February. I flew with them last year and it was a perfect trip.
The best way to travel so inexpensively is shoulder season, We fly out of Miami on Sept 19th and got airfare for $780 round trip non stop for two people. Flying into Milan less expensive than going to Rome. You can get rail or air transit to Rome at very reasonable prices. So why not see more, do more and enjoy more with the $10,000 you can save by doing it on your own.
Our Airbnb in Milano. Elevator service and lots of windows.
Our Airbnb in Vicenza
Each of our reservations has reasonable rates. Rome was the most expensive costing $120 a night for a first floor apartment in the Campo Dei Fiori neighborhood. We like this area as you can walk to the Vatican, the Ghetto, Piazza Navona, and many more locations. Bust stops are just a block away.
Vicenza, Italy last fall.
Milano, trams are the best way to travel.
Prada, Milano
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II , Milano
Prada, Versace, Pasticceria Marchesi, Luisa Spagnoli. Tod’s , Giorgio Armani, Gobbi 1842, all these and more await you at the Galleria
Follow the blog next week as I report on our trip. Airbnb review, dining, shopping, and doing it on a budget.
gregsitaly 