Rome, Florence, Cortona (Tuscany),
Cinque Terre, Lake Como
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Rome, Florence, Cortona (Tuscany), Cinque Terre, Lake Como |
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Our trip in a Google map. It shows our travel route and important stops. .... (Amap.code) Many thanks to Birgit Navarre at McCabe World Travel in McLean, Va., for taking.... (An-mccabelogo.jpg) The Trevi Fountain on our first day in Rome (IMG_8885 Trevi Fountain.JPG) Throwing three coins in the fountain (IMG_8889 Three Coins in the Fountain.JPG) An Egyptian obelisk in a Roman piazza (IMG_8896 obelisk.JPG) Giolliti, an older established gelateria with a popular name. All the locals.... (IMG_8901 Giolliti interior.JPG) Here is where we went instead, Gelateria Le Palme (The Palms). They offer.... (IMG_8902 Le Palme.JPG) This was an arch that Rabab paused to explore on our way to the Colosseum. (IMG_8912 stairs through arch.JPG) The Colosseum as we approach from a side street. It's an awesome sight when it.... (IMG_8915 approaching colosseum.JPG) The Colosseum (IMG_8916 colosseum.JPG) |
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Interior of the Colosseum. The damage is primarily due to cannibalizing.... (IMG_8921 colosseum interior.JPG) Nora and Eric in the Colosseum (IMG_8933 kids in colosseum.JPG) The Foro Romano (Roman Forum) (IMG_8939 Roman Forum.JPG) While driving I saw many inscrutable street signs. This one seems to mean, "The.... (IMG_8944 this is the street.JPG) Eric and Rabab in Il Ponentino, a small restaurant where we had lunch in the.... (IMG_8948.JPG) (IMG_8949.JPG) Castel' San Angelo as seen from a boat tour along the Tiber River (IMG_8954 Castel' San Angelo.JPG) An odd display we saw near the boat dock. No idea of the story behind this. (IMG_8955 swimming heads.JPG) All that's left of the Circus Maximus (Greatest Circle) is a grass and dirt park.... (IMG_8963 remnants of Circus Maximus.JPG) Nora, Rabab and Eric at the foot of the Spanish Steps (IMG_8965 family on Spanish Steps.JPG) |
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The Trevi Fountain at night, with hundreds of our closest friends (IMG_8975.JPG) (IMG_8977.JPG) Egyptian sculpture found in the Vatican Museum (IMG_8990.JPG) Sculpture in the Vatican Museum using crystal for realistic eyes (IMG_8998 sculpture with crystal.JPG) (IMG_9002.JPG) (IMG_9009 mosaic.JPG) (IMG_9023.JPG) (IMG_9024.JPG) Michelagnelo's "La Pietà" (The Pity) in St. Peter's basilica (IMG_9033 Pieta.JPG) Interior of St. Peter's (IMG_9035.JPG) |
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Our guide said you would be blessed if you rubbed St. Peter's foot when passing.... (IMG_9043 Eric rubbing foot.JPG) (IMG_9044.JPG) Swiss Guards at the Vatican (IMG_9057 guards.JPG) A by-the-slice pizza shop near the Vatican in Rome (IMG_9064.JPG) The Colosseum at night. No info on the big face out front, sorry. (IMG_9083 Colosseum 2.JPG) Nora and Eric relax during the train ride from Rome to Florence (IMG_9084 train.JPG) Nora considers merchandise in one of Florence's street markets (IMG_9085 market.JPG) Jeff and Eric at dinner at Il Porcospino (The Porcupine), the worst dinner we.... (IMG_9089 Il Porcospino.JPG) Some guy on a bike has found a chick magnet second only to a Lamborghini (IMG_9090 chick magnet.JPG) The Baptistry. In the background are the Duomo and Campanile (IMG_9093.JPG) |
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The family on the roof of the Campanile (bell tower) overlooking Florence (IMG_9142 family at campanile.JPG) (IMG_9151 Jeff and Rabab.JPG) Nora pauses while descending the 414 steps down the bell tower (IMG_9168 Nora in bell tower.JPG) The Rape of the Sabines in a piazza in Florence (IMG_9183 Rape of the Sabines.JPG) Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) across the Arno River (IMG_9199.JPG) (IMG_9203.JPG) Life imitates art at a cafe where we had lunch (IMG_9209.JPG) The Duomo (IMG_9217.JPG) The Campanile (IMG_9219.JPG) Shopping at the Ricceri Giuliano ceramics shop in Florence (IMG_9233 ceramic shop.JPG) |
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Eric and Rabab at dinner at La Farmacia. The restuarant is in space that was.... (IMG_9243 dinner at La Farmacia.JPG) A gelateria in Florence, one of the best we tried (IMG_9247 anitca gelato.JPG) The gelateria from the front. The woman at the table worked there. (IMG_9250 anitca gelateria.JPG) The gelato was great but I still don't know what they were trying to tell us in.... (IMG_9250 z brochure.jpg) Streets of Florence (IMG_9253 Florence.JPG) The Boboli Gardens. This is a central point in the gardens. The pots hold.... (IMG_9264.JPG) Life imitates art (IMG_9267.JPG) This sculpture in Boboli Gardens turned out to be only 10 years old. (IMG_9269 10.JPG) Lunch in Arezzo at La Lancia d'Oro (The Golden Lance), on the town's Piazza.... (IMG_9277.JPG) The main piazza in Arezzo. A scene from "Under The Tuscan Sun" was shot here. (IMG_9282 Arezzo.JPG) |
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View down the street into the piazza in Arezzo (IMG_9285.JPG) The pool at Villa di Piazzano, our hotel outside Cortona in Tuscany (IMG_9291.JPG) A passion fruit plant sprawled over a stairway at Villa di Piazzano (IMG_9305 passion fruit.JPG) Eric climbs the second-floor spiral staircase at Villa di Piazzano. The.... (IMG_9320 Piazzano double staircase.JPG) Enjoying dinner at Villa di Piazzano. We enjoyed two fabulous meals by the.... (IMG_9333.JPG) The chapel on the grounds of Barone Ricasole, a winery and private castle we.... (IMG_9340 p;rivate chapel at Ricasoli.JPG) The family's crypt (IMG_9342.JPG) Part of the castle exterior. We were disappointed to find on our arrival that.... (IMG_9348 Ricasoli castle.JPG) Eric and Nora on a terrace outside the castle (IMG_9358.JPG) View from the terrace (IMG_9362 view from castle.JPG) |
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Inside the winery. These are the fermentation tanks. Grapes are dropped in.... (IMG_9368.JPG) Barrels of wine (IMG_9374 barrels.JPG) (IMG_9385 more barrels.JPG) Wine boxed into cases and preparing to ship (IMG_9388 cases.JPG) Preparing for the wine tasting (and Eric clowns around) (IMG_9389 wine tasting.JPG) The whole family at the wine tasting. A French couple who produce wine in.... (IMG_9396 family at wine tasting.JPG) Bees on a passion fruit flower at the Villa di Piazzano (IMG_9403.JPG) (IMG_9409.JPG) (IMG_9414.JPG) Eric and Nora at La Bucaccia, a restaurant in Cortona. (IMG_9419 kids at La Bucaccia.JPG) |
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View of the valley from the top of Cortona. (IMG_9428.JPG) A street in Siena (IMG_9431 Siena.JPG) The main piazza in Siena (IMG_9438 Siena.JPG) This sculpture in Siena illustrates the myth of Romulus and Remus being nursed.... (IMG_9448.JPG) (IMG_9467 view.JPG) For some reason, everywhere we went we encountered Museums of Torture, like this.... (IMG_9473 odd museum.JPG) San Gimignano with its many towers (IMG_9482 towers of San Gimgnano.JPG) (IMG_9483 San Gimignano.JPG) View of the countryside from our room at Villa di Piazzano (IMG_9495 Piazzano view.JPG) Villa di Piazzano (IMG_9496 Piazzano courtyard.JPG) |
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Jeff and Rabab at dinner at Villa di Piazzano (IMG_9513.JPG) Pisa (IMG_9514 Pisa.JPG) (IMG_9521 family at tower.jpg) There's one that at all tourists in Pisa seem to do instinctively.... (IMG_9521 family at tower video.code) Overlooking the beach at Levanto (IMG_9536.JPG) Dinner at Centro Anitca Trattoria in Levanto (IMG_9540 Centro Antica.JPG) View of Chiesanuova and the countryside from our room at La Sosta di Ottone.... (IMG_9546.JPG) Eric on the boat ride to Portofino (IMG_9550 eric on boat.JPG) Approaching Portofino by boat (IMG_9580 Portofino 2.JPG) Source photo for the following modified photo. (IMG_9600 Portofino Finery 2.jpg) |
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This photo was taken in an alley in Portofino.
This is the only photo in this.... (IMG_9600 Portofino Finery 6 8x10.jpg) Lunch at Portofino (IMG_9601.JPG) A Pizza Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons). This is one the classic pizzas in.... (IMG_9604 pizza.jpg) Portofino (IMG_9610.JPG) Some messages suffer in the translation (IMG_9614 sign.JPG) Dinner at Le Palme Pizzeria in Levanto, recommended by the saleswoman in a.... (IMG_9618 Eric at Le Palme.JPG) The path leading to our inn. The inn is not directly accessible by road. We.... (IMG_9637 path to the inn.JPG) Our inn, La Sosta di Ottone III, was a little off the beaten path. Here is the.... (IMG_9637 path to the inn walk.code) Levanto as seen from the boat to the Cinque Terre (IMG_9639 Levanto.JPG) The town of Riomaggiore (IMG_9659 Riomaggiore.JPG) |
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(IMG_9670.JPG) The public "bathroom" in Riomaggiore. Hope your aim is good. (IMG_9673 bathroom.JPG) Food market in Riomaggiore (IMG_9675.JPG) Nora heads down the Via dell'Amore leaving Riomaggiore and leading to Manarola. (IMG_9677.JPG) Lovers leave "locks of love" here to ensure their love will last. (IMG_9683 Jeff and Rabab on Via dell'Amore.JPG) The focaccieria in Manarola, where we got a bite for lunch. (IMG_9693 focaccieria.JPG) Manarola. All of us but Nora decided to stop here to go swimming but there are.... (IMG_9696 Manarola 2.JPG) Continuing on the path from Manarola to Corniglia (IMG_9705.JPG) Corniglia (IMG_9720 Vernazza.JPG) Corniglia is the only town in the Cinque Terre that is not at water level. You.... (IMG_9729 Corniglia.JPG) |
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The church in the eponymous Chiesanuova (IMG_9738 Chiesanuova.JPG) View of the valley as seen through a Chiesanuova arch (IMG_9743.JPG) The next town over as seen from Chiesanuova (IMG_9745 the next town.JPG) Cats of Chiesanuova (IMG_9751 cats of Chiesanuova.JPG) Grapevines growing at La Sosta (IMG_9754 grape vines.JPG) Sitting down for dinner at La Sosta. Jo took our picture. (IMG_9755.JPG) View of hillside towns at Lake Como in the evening (IMG_9784 Lake Como at night.JPG) View of Lake Como from our room at Grand Hotel Imperiale in Moltrasio at Lake.... (IMG_9790 view from hotel balcony.JPG) Moltrasio as seen from the dock of the public boat line (IMG_9794.JPG) (IMG_9823.JPG) |
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Villas in Nesso as seen from the boat trip up the lake
(IMG_9827 Nesso.JPG) The boat trip was hours end-to-end (we were not on for the entire trip) and.... (IMG_9831 luncheon boat.JPG) We are not sure if this was a symbol of support, or just pandering to Americans (IMG_9856.jpg) Bellagio (IMG_9857.JPG) One surprise was the cost of sodas. The kids ordered a couple of Sprites at.... (IMG_9857 receipt.jpg) Turtles at Villa Carlotta in the gardens. The villa serves as an art museum but.... (IMG_9875.JPG) Dinner in Como (IMG_9891 dinner in Como.JPG) This waiter struck up a rapport with the kids. Nora doesn't know Italian but.... (IMG_9892 Brutto.JPG) Piazza del Duomo in Como (IMG_9896.JPG) Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como. (IMG_9902.JPG) |
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View of the lake from Villa del Balbianello (IMG_9907.JPG) View of the lake from Villa del Balbianello (IMG_9908 view from Balbionella.JPG) (IMG_9909.JPG) Eric savors some bread at lunch. (IMG_9911 eric eats.JPG) Nora prepares to dig into a gelato creation (IMG_9916.JPG) Dinner in Cernobbio, the next town down on the lake from Moltrasio (IMG_9917.JPG) (IMG_9924 night lake.JPG) (IMG_9930 mist.jpg) We took the funicular from Como to the top of a mountain. The ride was a few.... (IMG_9946.JPG) (IMG_9949.JPG) |
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(IMG_9951 Como from hill.JPG) The machine room for the funicular (IMG_9953.JPG) Back to the Piazza del Duomo in Como for lunch (IMG_9964 back at Piazzano del Duomo in Como.JPG) (IMG_9965 Como.jpg) This was a small parking lot where we parked for dinner, right after I parked.... (IMG_9973 tight parking spot.jpg) Dinner at Ristorante Orso Bruno, one of the two or three best meals we had.... (IMG_9978 Rabab and Nora at Orso Bruno.JPG) Dessert. Although it was a warm chocolate cake with a molten center that is.... (IMG_9982 dessrt at Orsu Bruno.JPG) (background.jpg) (letterheart.jpg) (photosicon.jpg) |
