While in Caltabellotta, Sicily, we hiked up to the highest peak. The view was tremendous, from La Chiesa della Madrice to the ocean and everywhere in between.
Category: Photography
Did Someone Say Pecorino?
Many different kinds of Pecorino cheese adorn a shop in San Gimignano in Tuscany. What is your favorite?
The Other Star
The Pisa Baptistery of St. John must endure the popularity of the Leaning Tower when, it’s beautiful in its own right. Snapped this photo right before a terrific rainstorm.
Michelangelo Plays with Light
Rays of light fill the dome inside the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano – St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in Rome. It is the tallest dome in the world and was built with the explicit instruction that it was to rival Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence. Do you think he accomplished this?
A Master’s Tools
Decades of tools, handed down from generation to generation outlined on the worktable of master wood carver Filippo Romagnoli located in Chiantishire near Firenze. His grandfather’s original frame work hangs in the Louvre. Over the decades they fashioned furniture, candelabras, chandeliers, etc. to adorn some of the most famous Florentine homes. I visited his workshop in June 2016 and was able to see where the master works, and learn about the history. His work continues along with corzetti pasta stamps, rolling pins and much more. These are are available to you via his Etsy shop. His Facebook page has great videos and photos of his work.
All Roads Lead Up
Hanging on the edge of the earth, Caltabellotta is a small town in the Province of Agrigento in Sicilia. An intriguing place that will steal your heart and your breath – literally. Be prepared for climbing steep walkways that will leave your heart pounding.
It’s a Caravaggio!
Do visit the Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi while in Rome. Take your time and marvel at the three Caravaggio paintings – including the The Calling of St Matthew , The Inspiration of Saint Matthew and The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew. I found them by happenstance, as I did the church. I ducked in while waiting for a walking tour to start and the Caravaggio paintings cascaded into my lap reminding me that this is the BEST part of visiting Italy – finding out what you don’t know and then starting to understand how the pieces fit together. Magic.
What have you found lately?
Get Me to the Church On Time.
Why did the wedding cake cross the road? Deep in Chianti in the town of Panzano, we had lunch at Solociccia a restaurant of Dario Cecchini – the Butcher of Tuscany. He has several restaurants near his famous butcher shop – Anticia Macelleria Cecchini. and the day we visited they were just bursting to the seams with wedding guests. I looked out the window from our table and noticed that traffic had stopped – so the cake could cross the road, TO GET TO THE RECEPTION ON TIME. Voila!
Just One Bite.
An evening in Firenze…. that’s all it took. Photo taken in June 2016.
Roma. Roma. Roma
The Colosseum in all it’s splendor. I arrived early and watched the sun come up behind it… rising into the blue sky. I craned my neck to see it. Up, up, up. It was glorious.
