We spent a night at beloved Hotel Villa Pagoda.

Many moons ago discovered and a long overdue return. Genoa shows off it’s best crumbling villas, creeping plant life and croaking frogs. Plus the Ligurian puddle!

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The aerial photograph proudly displayed in the lobby of our charming (and only regional) hotel, Le Terrazze, had rectangles of ocean photo-shopped into the pools, which remained empty of all but fog during our stay. The hotel sits next to the cemetery where my honey’s namesake is buried, and the locals and on-duty carabinieri who [...]

We had a few days of (relative) rest in the midst of our race, in Castelnuovo della Daunia (Foggia, Apulia), in the family town of my honey.  Here meals have a three-course minimum (including, yet not limited to: octopus salad, handmade pasta, grilled fish, cheese plates, tiramisu, dusty red wine, family-made walnut liqueur, espresso, basta!).

We [...]

Our four-day, 2600-mile driving odyssey began with a  two-connection flight that left San Francisco and arrived at the rental car desk of Charles de Gaulle airport  20 hours later, at 8am. The next leg of our trip began promptly and extended over twelve hours. It was as though we were in some hair-brained, screwball, cross-continent [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]