A Tour of Italy Installment 9 Rome

Walking from our hotel again, I visited many of the cities fountains and Piazza's, did some window shopping and stopped for some gelato!

The Trevi Fountain, built in 1762 - and yes I threw a coin over my shoulder to assure that I'll return to Rome.

The Fiumi Fountain was finished 1651. The fountains, in addition to being beautiful, provided water for the neighborhoods.

On the same Piazza Navono was this restaurant, I may have to do a painting of this!

The Spanish Steps, sadly with no flowers, still impressive - I did NOT climb them!

I stopped at this beautiful restaurant and bar for gelato (my favorite is lemon) and a cappuccino.

Again I don’t usually take photos of my food but I could not help it!

I don't know what that red & blue thing was but it was yummy!

The Pantheon, in continuous for almost 2000 years.

Fountain San Rocco

Next post - last day in Rome!

A Tour of Italy Installment 7 Sorrento and Capri

On our way to Sorrento we saw that everyones yard was filled with fruit trees and vegetable gardens. The soil there is very fertile from the constant erupting of Mt Viscuvious. As we approached Sorrento we starting seeing more flowers and beautiful vistas.

Our hotel in Sorrento was amazing. not right down town (but I walked it in about 25 minutes). It was part of a complex that was once a villa on the cliff looking at the Bay of Naples, Mt Visuvious, and the Isle of Capri.

Our hotel Parco Dei Principi was all done in blue and white tile. Floor to ceiling windows that made me feel at home and the grounds and pool were amazing.

This is the gate entering the grounds.

The view from our hotel.

Love Limoncello!!

The grounds were full of beautiful flowers.

Our view of Mt  Viscuvious.

The Villa that the grounds belong to.

It'a a quick boat ride to Capri from Sorrento. Both Capri Town and AnaCapri made me feel like I was in Beverly Hills. Some people might not like that but it was beautiful and I would go back.

We went on a boat ride around the island looking at the blue lagoon, a natural bridge, places where the romans and Phoenicians were. 

They even found that there were Stone Age inhabitants.The Greeks were there in 800 BC.

The Phoenician Steps (they say they could not have been built by the Phoenicians but anyway that's what they are called) went from Capri Town to Anacapri. Can't imagine making that climb.

View from Anacapri.

An ancient door leading to the Phoenician Steps.

The flowers are beautiful, the views amazing, and air is sweet.   I’m told the best time is in the evening after all the day tourists have left. I’m sure that is the case in any tourist area.

Once we got back to Sorrento I had the bus drop me off downtown, the shopping streets are the typical tourist shops, but some were quite nice. And I got some nice photos. 

A puppet show was taking place in the square and and a flea market on one of the streets.

I’m trying to travel light so only buying small, mostly consumable, items. couldn’t leave without some limoncello and lemon soap. 

Limoncello capitol!

Amazing to me that so many places with beautiful art are open to the outside.

I did NOT climb the hill from the ferry landing to the town!

After leaving Sorrento we drove to Pompei on our way to Rome!

A Tour of Italy Installment 4 Venice Continued

The last afternoon I walked all over the island, got lost, found my way, got lost and found my way again. 

You remember I talked about loving the windows, well here are a bunch of photos I took of them.

I walked to the back of the city, away from the crowds, by the hospital, and down streets with shuttered stores, vegetable vendors, the computer fixer and a few other local service people. 

This is far away from the high rent district and just the spot for some artist studios. 

Florence Faval

Across the street was a mosaic artist with a helper who cut the marble for her. If I went back I would spend more time finding the artists.

As I rounded the corner I came upon mass being said in the street. 

I finally found my way back to San Marco Square and sat down and listened to the music...

watched the sunset over the Basilica of San Marco... 

and - I usually don't take photos of my food but this was my dinner that evening.

Fruit, gelato, and limoncello!

The next morning we boarded our water taxis again and said goodbye to Venice and headed toward Padua, Pisa and Florence.