the golden pretzel of München.
We made a short stop in Munich, to visit Alfonso’s old friend and check out the town: Marienplatz, Viktualienmarkt, even a little Dirndl shopping.
converted train station/microbrewery at Großhesselohe Isartalbahnhof. the menfolk discuss whatever it is menfolk discuss.
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beer garden of Viktualienmarkt (victual market)
Augustine Bier [...]
Leaving Toscana, we drove over the legendary alpine Brenner Pass, where Hitler and Mussolini liked to take tea together. It is an incredible drive with a pitstop that includes an epic view of the valley from… McDonalds. The new style: panorama collage from vehicle moving 180 km/h?
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We drove down to Umbria, to Civita di Bagnoregio, aka il paese che muore (the dying town). It is perched on a bit of volcanic ash which regularly crumbles, dropping buildings into Tiber river valley.
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The current population is 12. The modernish town of Bagnoregio (two images above) links Etruscan Cività to [...]
After some days of half-vacationing and half-working, we suddenly came to our senses, abandoned all adult behavior, and thus were seized with the desire to see some of Cinque Terre.
We hightailed it to Monterosso al Mare to dinner on the terrace of the converted bunker at L’Ancora della Tortuga. There we had fresh cured anchovy, [...]
Lucca is a town known for eats, and as the birth place of Puccini (of La bohème and Madama Butterfly fame), but the lost grandeur seen in the Belle Epoque signage (particularly on Via Fillungo) is what caught my eye.
A lovely town, another half work day, so more of a walking tour of Siena/quest for internet cafe.
We missed the Sanctuary of Santa Caterina, which incorporates the birth house of the levitating gal who called the pope “Daddy.” We did manage to have a fine lunch at the lovely Enoteca I Terzi.
Piazza Del Campo (click [...]
Storm, battistero di San Giovanni ceiling mosaic, dinner, and spooky night drive: birthday in Florence.
The work of many unknown Venetian craftsmen dates from 1225. The mosaic cycle depicts the Last Judgment, the rewards of the saved (at Jesus’ right hand), and the punishments of the damned (at Jesus’ left hand).
Do-gooders.
Do-baders. Sorta [...]
Alfonso in his natural habitat. We still have a tiny piece of parm and a bottle of olive oil. sigh.
local old-school restaurant Da Marino, where we lunched a handful of times, along with the local work dudes, or (as in these photos) in a sudden, fierce storm.
dinner on the farm comes with Dingo the dog, [...]
An afternoon in Fiesole, maintaining employment by establishing internet connectivity in the wilds of Toscana. Never again (she wrote with a smile, but also determination.) Incredible storm brewing as I wandered the hilltop, spying on grandmas, getting lost and found and lost and found.
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We spent my birthday week at fattoria il poeta, an agriturismo above Pontassieve, in eastern Tuscany. The farm is near the top of a windy mountain road, it was very spooky returning late at night when even the bats are asleep.
Our apartment included the two doors on the right.
We drove 4000km from Switzerland to Italy [...]