This bridge was our first sight, a block from the train station that we arrived at from Florence. It is named The Bridge of the Constitution but more commonly known as Ponte di Calatrava after its Spanish architect. As you see it is new, having been opened to the public in 2008.
Throughout Venice buildings are painted colorfully.
Murano
We are with the owner of the Bed and Breakfast that we stayed at, Ca' Venier al Dolce Dormire, on the island of Murano, in her backyard garden.
Murano, which itself consists of about a half dozen islands, is part of the 117 islands of Venice, though a significant vaporetto (ferry) ride from the main tourist island of San Marco and the Grand Canal.
Murano is known for its glass factories.
Murano
Nancy with the toolmaker, Carlo Dona, from whom she purchased a number of tools. Surprisingly this toolmaker had his business only a half-dozen doors away from our B&B, on the same street.
Murano
Us in a restaurant in Murano.
Murano
Selling groceries from a boat.
Realize that though Venice has both rail and vehicle access, it is only to the one island that has the railroad station. The distribution to the other islands of all goods—small and large—is by boat.
Murano
We had lunch here. Just to the left, out of the picture, are some high stools and a tiny counter to sit at.
Murano
People are waiting for the casket being delivered to the church whose campanile is at the right.
San Marco. The main tourist island.
We are on the terrace of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum on the Grand Canal.
San Marco
Notice the high water.
San Marco
Is Italy religious?
Abstractions are also of interest.
Display hanging from the ceiling in the COIN department store. The store is a block away from the Rialto bridge.
The duomo (church) is the center of the city. It is famous because of its dome designed and engineered by Brunelleschi in the years 1419-1436 and the bronze doors of the octagonal baptistry.
This is a view of the dome from the campanile of the duomo. Don't the people look tiny.
Another view of the dome from the campanile. Now we are higher in the campanile.
View of the city from the campanile.
Frank at the top of the campanile.
Nancy at a bell near the top of the campanile. There were a number of, what is the word, landings, one walks up, up, up and comes upon a landing. This bell was near, but not at the top.
A part of the famous doors of the baptistry.
People admiring the doors.
Three wheeled vehicles, including small trucks, are common.
Nancy with two waiters who spent a large amount of time talking with us after our dinner.
The dome of the duomo. Frank walked up to that tiny top. Actually it is only a few feet higher than the campanile.
This picture shows the stairs in the shell of the dome. The dome actually was built as two shells, an inner that we saw in the previous picture and an outer. The stairs go between the two. So the picture is oriented correctly, the door below is vertical, the walls are very slanted and curved. In climbing the stairs one tends to lean over and it is disorienting.
Now this is the view of the campanile as seen from the top of the dome.
From the top of the campanile we could see a Merry Go Round. Here it is at ground level.
This ia a mosque in a Jewish part of the city. Next door was a restaurant with a Jewish menu.
A trippa (steamed tripe served as dim sum) stand.
The Arno river.
Lupompesi
We stayed at the Bed and Breakfast Bosco della Spina in the tiny village of Lupompesi.
It was like a "spa" in the Tuscany countryside. The view from our window was expansive of the countryside (though it was overcast). The rooms were energy-efficient in the sense that to turn the electricity on we needed to put our room-key-card into a particular recepticle for it in the room.
Lupompesi
Lupompesi
Notice the curved wall.
Lupompesi
Before we go on to elsewhere in Tuscany, possibly you might wish to see a map. Lupompesi is at the X, Murlo is the next village that we visit.
Murlo
This village is less than a mile from Lupompesi and had a small museum. It was mentioned in a 2003 article in the NY Times regarding Etruscan excavations. The article stated that Murlo had the largest building in Italy before the sixth century B.C.
Now the village consists of some two dozen buildings all joined together in a circle on a hilltop, with the museum on its own in the center.
What is it like living in a village with less than fifty families, no stores, only tourists appearing? The nearest town with stores—a town I have not mentioned—is only a mile away but walking there is walking along a road with fast moving vehicles even though through farm country.
Murlo
Here is the entrance to the museum at the center of the hilltop. We are approaching from the parking lot below.
Murlo
Just another picture of a home in this village. There is another entrance doorway for a neighbor on the left. The "front" window is tiny.
Montalcino
The name of the city seems to indicate a mount/hill and looking into Wikipedia I see that the name means an Oak tree.
Sant' Antimo
Old olive tree.
Sant' Antimo
A Romanesque church.
Sant' Antimo
A view from the church grounds.
Siena
The main plaza.
Siena
Cathedral.
Volterra
Volterra
Volterra
A street scene of locals.
Voterra
Three wheeled vehicle are not uncommon. For example our maid in Lupompesi had a siginifcant three wheeled truck.
Volterra
Nudity in a Catholic country.
We were looking for wineries and came upon this.
Where are we? We're lost. Its a dreary late afternoon somewhere in the vicinity of our hotel, we think. Our GPS does not know the name of the street that our B&B is on. After some time we realize that the GPS does know of a somewhat similar street, but we come upon a church in an otherwise deserted area (not pictured here), rather than a hotel. Our cell phone does not have reception in this area as it seems.
Monterosso al Mare
Five towns, from Northwest to Southeast:
Well, we drive to what appears to be the center of the town where our B&B is located and the phone works. So we find our hotel.
This is it, La Casa di Limoni, in Monterosso al Mare. You can see the lemon trees.
You enter the B&B from the left. The very steep climb from the street far below is barely seen in this picture. This staircase actually has a street name, Via Soviore. When we arrived in Cinque Terre we were using our GPS, but it did not know this "street". This "street" continues past our hotel steeply up to the top of the mountain.
Monterosso al Mare (1)
The crane is near our hotel.
I walked up from there on the "street" that the GPS could not find. And what do I come upon? On of the streets we were driving on the day before when we were lost. In fact that church is nearby.
Monterosso al Mare (1)
Another view from where I stood after my steep climb.
Monterosso al Mare (1)
Along the main street of the town.
Here are two web sites I liked regarding Cinque Terre: 36 Hours in the Cinque Terre, Italy (New York Times) and Hiking Guide
Manarola (4)
This was the second town we visited.
A train was a convenient means to travel between the towns. Some 5 or 10 minutes train ride though the wait for the next train was longer.
Manarola (4)
The town.
Manarola (4)
Notice the terracing with grapes and olives.
As you can see there are walks both horizontally and vertically through the terraces. We walked one horizontal walk about half up the hillside which continues for about a quarter mile.
Path from Riomaggiore (5) to Manarola (4)
We are along the "Via dell' Amore", the hike between Riomaggiore and Manarola. For some reason it became a tradition for people to put locks along this trail.
Path from Riomaggiore to Manarola
Nancy in rain. Again notice all of the locks.
Manarola (4)
Nancy with menu.
Manarola (4)
Frank trying to get onto a closed path. The trails/paths/walks bewtween the towns are controlled by the national park service and require a fee for walking them. A little outside of each town there is a booth along the trail where a park employee requests to see one's pass. At times whether conditions cause paths to be closed. This one looks as if it has been closed for a while.
Manarola (4)
The Manarola cemetary: Where suitable land is not available, one stacks.
Manarola (4)
Nancy is there, but also look at the terracing on the hillside.
Manarola (4)
Us.
Path from Vernazza (2) to Corniglia (3)
We were down at the boats below an hour earlier.
Path from Vernazza (2) to Corniglia (3)
Frank with cactus behind.
The Italia jacket was bought in Siena. I constantly refused to bring along adequate clothing and so I was cold much of the time. So in Siena I bought this jacket.
Path from Vernazza (2) to Corniglia (3)
Nancy
Path from Vernazza (2) to Corniglia (3)
Frank
Path from Vernazza (2) to Corniglia (3)
Us
Path from Vernazza (2) to Corniglia (3)
I converted this picture to B&W.
Corniglia (3) seen from the path from Vernazza (2).
Corniglia (3)
This is the only one of the five towns that is built high on the rock rather than at the coast. Thus these stairs from the railroad station.
Monteroso al Mare (1)
Nancy enjoying pesto.
Monterosso al Mare (1)
Us
Monterosso al Mare (1)
Nancy enjoying fish soup/stew.
Monterosso al Mare (1)
On our last evening the weather was better. Here we are back in the town of our B&B on the beach side of the railroad. Nancy looked for seashells while I took pictures.