From our family post-Christmas lunch trip to al Cenacolo in Chiavenna.
Category Archives: Italy travel
Evidence of Global Warming?
I’ve seen this view many times (and it’s always astounding), but never captured it on film before.
Unfortunately, it demonstrates unusual dryness and lack of snow in the Alps for this time of year. Global warming? Climate cancer? Whatever you want to call it, it ain’t good.
You might also like:
Milan: Sant’Ambrogio by Night
Though not as grand as theDuomo, Sant’Ambrogio, named for Milan’s patron saint, is older, and decorated with bits of Roman architecture even older than itself. All these shots were taken without flash or tripod.
more photos from Sant’Ambrogio:
Travelling in Italy – Tips, Tricks, & Places Off the Beaten Path
top: Venice sunset
Travel Tips
- Rent a Tuscan farmouse from my friends Rita and Lino
- Tour Tuscany, Umbria or Sicily the relaxed way, with Tartaruga Tours.
- Travelling by train in Italy? Go here for all the information you’ll ever need.
- Article: Venice’s Anti-Pickpocketing Squad (read between the lines for tips on how to avoid having your own pocket picked)
- New York Times Italy Travel Planner
Useful online travel forums for Italy:
- Fodors.com Travel Talk
- Travelers to Go!
- VirtualTourist.com – Travel Forum – Italy
- Lonely Planet | Thorn Tree Travel Forum
Imaging in Italy
My friend Tony’s Imaging in Italy site has been updated – do drop in for a visit. For those who missed my report in 2003, Imaging in Italy is a wonderful thing to do in Rome: a photographic walking tour with Tony Boccaccio, who photographed for National Geographic for 30 years, and is an all-round fun and fascinating person, as well as a great teacher. I enjoyed the course and learned a great deal.
Links
maps and routes (for all Europe)
Cheap flights from and within Italy
AT&T USA Direct information for Italy – not the cheapest way to phone home, but it works
Please share your own little-known tips for travelling in Italy
Roman Street Signs
During the Imaging in Italy course I attended in Rome in October, 2003, I was much taken with the ancient signage I found all over – both the lettering and the language were charmingly antique.
Several were on the theme of “do not litter”, in this case “on pain of ten scudi (coins) each time”, by authority of “The President of the Streets”
– a grandiose title, in some cases further amplified with epithets like “illustrious” and “righteous”.
^ It appears that it was at some period customary to put a plate on your home indicating who insured it! Note that both of these logos are still familiar in the modern Italian insurance industry.
This plaque denotes one of the ancient quarters (rione) of the city, with its symbol, a gryphon.
