Venice is a fantasy city for me. It leaps directly out of the pages of a book. Actually it is probably the other way around, the intrigue and romance of Venice has influenced so many books. One thing that links the fantasy and reality is the concept of Illusion. Foggy dark alleys, confusing sounds with […]
I am totally not a crowd person. I get antsy very quickly in crowds of people. Travel is great and going to see the big sites usually means big crowds. Ali and I are both introverts, so being around so many people all trying to get in our way and in our picture can really […]
Food is a big thing in Italy. They take is quite seriously. There is a sense that things need to be done correctly and must be enjoyed in the proper way. Sauces and pasta shapes are paired and wouldn’t be served otherwise. Wine fits to the meal as well. This was definitely a sense that […]
What is Italian food? You probably think you know. I thought I knew too. Italian food is about fresh! Fresh in this sense means two things, regional and seasonal. So each region of Italy would traditionally have its own cuisine that would shift based on the time of year. Whatever could be gotten local and […]
Even though we spent most of the week happily ensconced in Minori, we ventured to Amalfi Town and Positano one day. We figured if we were in the area, we wanted to see the towns. They are indeed quite pretty, but mainly pretty from the sea. In the town, there are hordes of tourists and […]
Bologna is known for its food. In English, the name is synonymous with slices of large sausage named after the city. The city has earned this reputation well. If you like to eat, and eat Italian, Bologna is the place to be. Food is never very far away in Bologna. This is one of the […]
Minori on the Amalfi Coast in Italy was our favorite stop on the summer Beyond Vacation trip. We spent a week in an apartment 87 stairs up from the street. This gave our little terrace a wonderful view of the town from above. As I have done a few “from above” posts lately (Nice and […]
During our week in Minori, I got up early one morning to take pictures of the town before the people came out. So here is a look at Minori in it quietness. Our Terrace Terracotta tiles often too hot to step on during the day are night cool and smooth under my feet as I […]
Rome is a city of 7 hills, a thousand piazzas and a million tourists. Historic Rome is cuddled in the bend of the Tiber river. Across the river to the south is Trastavere, which translates roughly to “across the Tiber.” In this area though there is a hill. A hill which looks over Rome. It […]
Naples is not on the main tourist track in Italy. Sure if you are going to Pompeii you might base yourself here, but it is does not have much else to draw you. We were even warned by quite a few people to be very careful here. It does however have 3(!) castles. We had […]