Posted in Orvieto Experiences, Orvieto Italy on May 31, 2014| 2 Comments »
Palazzone is a beautiful vineyard where they make wonderful wines. It was a spectacular day for our visit this week. The vines have soft new growth, vibrant in the afternoon sunlight. As always, an idyllic few hours
A view of the countryside from Palazzone
And another
Orvieto in the distance
Yes, we did sample Palazzone’s wines!
Posted in Umbria on May 29, 2014| 3 Comments »
We went to Civita yesterday. Such a place!
But it is always good to get back to sweet Orvieto!
Posted in Adventures in Italy Teachers, Orvieto Experiences, Orvieto Italy on May 27, 2014| 5 Comments »
Sue Spargo had things ready for the beginning of her workshop
Those in Discover Orvieto head underground to Etruscan caves.
This particular one has 20 years of an artist working on the walls.
There are some medieval ceramics on display – below.
And here we have a tunnel that connects different caves.
New growth in the San Lodovico garden
Sue's birthday!
Beauty on the street
About a dozen dishes for or dinner!
A blissful end to a beautiful day.
Posted in Orvieto Italy on May 24, 2014| 4 Comments »
From the last few days.
Discussing the upcoming election!
Soft afternoon yesterday
Coming home from dinner last night
Posted in Vicenza on May 21, 2014| 3 Comments »
Truly a nice city. Very walkable, and great scale. Palladio’s Basilica provides wonderful detail shots.
One of the charms of Vicenza is the multiple courtyards visible from the street. Many are grand and impressive, but there are some small, cozy ones as well
The city has abundant colonnades. Most aren’t as grand as Bologna’s, but they are a nice scale and provide shelter from the elements. The capitals are up close.
Just north of our apartment, across one of Vicenza two rivers is Parco Querini. Beautiful and we’ll used.
One last view of the city – a building whose colors caught my fancy.
Posted in Vicenza on May 20, 2014| 2 Comments »
La Rotonda is considered by most to be Palladio’s best building. It sits a few miles south of Vicenza, built as the home for Paolo Americo. It is a “villa-temple”, one of many Palladian UNESCO World Heritage sites in the areas. The interior was not open and the interior is a large part of the renown of the villa. Still, a nice place.
Posted in Vicenza on May 20, 2014| 1 Comment »
It is just so incredible how different cities can be. And the newness and surprises of a new place delight. Palladio was from here. In fact his first workshop was in the building in which we are staying. There are some twenty buildings that he did, and his influence, as well of that of Venice, the dominant power of his time, is felt everywhere. Wonderful!
The “Basilica”, so called by Palladio though not a church. He did the white skin which sits over a brick medieval building that was falling down at the time.
Statues everywhere.
Three Venetian lion.
Posted in Croatia on May 18, 2014| 2 Comments »
The last two days have dawned to clouds only to clear to brilliant, sunny days. Yesterday was calm, today quite breezy.
This is the bell tower for Rovinj’s Euphemia Basilica, copied after St. Marks in Venice. Quite beautiful. And inside the basilica below.
The morning’s view the last two days.
Yesterday Kristi and I walked a couple miles along the coast past a couple of resort hotels and to a forest preserve. By this time the sun was shining.
One of the resort beaches
Along the coast of the preserve
Rovinj from the preserve
Today we were lucky enough to be invited by Shannon Essa, who owns Grape Hops, one of the other companies in our Slow Travel cooperative, to accompany her group on a boat ride around the area.
Again, the morning was gray, but by afternoon it was beautiful.
The return trip was windy and we had a fun trip back.
Rovinj from the Adriatic
I’ve loved watching the acrobatics of the seagulls in the winds here. They are graceful, acrobatic, forceful, impressive.
This has been our shining view for our last two afternoon machiattos.
Truly, a beautiful place.
Posted in Croatia on May 17, 2014| 2 Comments »
We drove to Porec yesterday to see Euphrasian Basilica. After visiting Ravenna we are fans of Byzantine mosaics and the Porec basilica is listed as a World Heritage Cultural site. It has some wonderful 4th and 5th century floors and 6-7th century mosaics in the ceilings and walls. Beautiful
The Istrian peninsula was Venetian for years so you see the influence in the architecture.
Porec has a nice setting on the Adriatic.
Sunny today, so some pictures of Rovinj in good light to come!
Posted in Croatia on May 16, 2014| 2 Comments »
This is a beautiful town in a picturesque setting. Colors, vistas, details, the Adriatic. Just charming
You might just make out the Alps in the background
These pictures, for the most part, have been taken in flat light. So imagine what it would look like when the sun is out. Then there was last night’s sunset.
Make Haste Slowly 