A Traveler's Photo Journal

Florence, taken from the Piazzale Michelangelo

My last full day in town we decided to go back into Florence, via the easy 15 minute train ride.  From the train station we took a bus up to the Piazzale Michelangelo.  For 1.20 euro you can ride the bus for one hour, as we discovered.  The view overlooking Florence from this piazzale is hard to beat, and is very popular.  While taking in the view, a limo pulled up and a bridal party emerged in full regalia.

To save ourselves some walking, we hopped back on a bus using the same ticket (thanks to the friendly bus driver who explained this to me), and rode it along the Viale Michelangiolo.  This beautiful tree lined street looked like one of the tonier areas, a very nice address to have.  We got off the bus at the bottom near the Ponte San Niccolo.

Basilica of Santa Croce

From there we walked along the Arno river to the Basilica of Santa Croce, the largest Franciscan church in the world whose construction started in 1295.  Our number one reason for visiting Santa Croce was to see Michelangelo’s tomb, but the church houses many more, including Galileo, Machiavelli, and Leonardo Bruni.  From the Museums of Florence website:

It is significant that Santa Croce, which was to become the resting-place of so many great Italians, has the first truly renaissance funerary monument: the tomb of Leonardo Bruni, Chancellor of the Republic, sculpted by Bernardo Rossellino (1444). Bruni’s successor, Carlo Marsuppini, is buried in another fine renaissance tomb on the other side of the nave, by Desiderio da Settignano (c. 1455), which follows the same scheme. From then on, the history of the Santa Croce is marked by its tombs.

Michelangelo, who died in Rome in 1564, was buried here beneath a monument with allegorical figures of Sculpture, Architecture and Painting, designed by Giorgio Vasari. Michelangelo’s tomb served as the model for others, such as the tomb of Galileo, who died in 1642 (his monument was made by Giovanni Battista Foggini). Funerary monuments continued to be added to the interior, including ones to Niccolò Machiavelli, Vittorio Alfieri, Gioachino Rossini and the cenotaph to Dante Alighieri (1829).

http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_opera_s_croce.html

Santa Croce interior

Galileo’s tomb

Michelangelo’s tomb. The sculpture on the left representing painting, the center is sculpture, the right figure represents architecture, the painting above is The Pieta, and the center sculpture is a bust of Michelangelo.

The sign inside the church describing Michelangelo’s tomb.

Machiavelli’s tomb

The monument, or “empty tomb” tribute to Danti Aligherio

We spent some time in the church, exploring all the rooms and admiring the frescoes, carvings, and stained glass.  It was impressive and a must see spot in Florence.  It was a bit upsetting to me to see two girls pose and snap a selfie in front of Machiavelli’s tomb, but it is unavoidable almost everywhere (Disney World has banned selfie sticks).  Most monuments, churches and museums, including the Louvre, don’t even try to stop photo taking anymore, only trying to prevent the use of flash.

Santa Croce altar

Tombstones in the floor

Four frescoes in the sacristy of the Basilica of Santa Croce
Top: Ascension by Niccolo di Pietro Gerini
Right: Resurrection also by Gerini
Center: Crucifixion by Taddeo Gaddi
Left: Ascent to Calvary perhaps by Spinello Aretino (1350 – 1410)

After touring the Basilica of Santa Croce we found a restaurant that looked like a local place, ristorante Pizzeria il Gatto e la Volpe,  and had another wonderful pasta meal.  Our plan was to tour the Palazzo Vecchio after lunch, but as we entered the building we found it closed at 2 pm on Thursdays.  Oh well, I guess not enough research and planning on our part, but sometimes you just want to wing it.

At that point, in retrospect, it would have been best to head back up to our hillside retreat and relax, as it was another very warm day.  But one of our guide books described the Boboli Gardens as a nice respite from touring and a place to relax.  So we crossed the Ponte Vecchio and walked to the Palazzo Piti to tour the gardens.  It was a bit of disappointment in that the fountains were not operating, it was past any kind of flower season, and the grass was marked as “Keep off”.  We ended up walking a lot on more pavement and found it no respite to the heat of the afternoon.

Boboli Gardens

A short bus ride to the train station, then the 15 minute train ride back up into the hills above Florence ended our day.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…….

Early morning view from my window at the farm

Waking up to the sound of birds and nothing else really made me glad to be in the hills above Florence for my last four nights here.  Augie and Teresa are staying longer in the area after my departure.  Andrea’s olive farm is in the hills above Caldine, very near Fiesole, with a view of Florence in the distance.  Andrea’s cat Cleopatra crying at the door for milk first thing in the morning made me feel at home.

Santa Maria Novella

It was our first day in Florence, and we planned to do some sightseeing.  Andrea had suggested that we take the train from Caldine (5 minutes down the hill from the farm) into the main train station in Florence instead of driving.  We were all for that as no one wanted to try to find parking in Florence and it was only a short 15 minute ride.  It worked out well.

One of Paolo Uccello’s frescoes in the Green Cloister

A close up of the Lord’s dogs in the frescoe

Green Cloister frescoe

Green Cloister ceiling

As you exit the Florence train station the Santa Maria Novella is right across the Piazza Della Stazione.  None of us had toured this church before so it was a good place to start.  The foundation stone was blessed in 1279, and the church completed in 1420.  The most incredible frescoes detailing the Stories from Genesis, painted by Paolo Uccello in the first half of the 15^th century, cover the walls of the Green Cloister.  We spent some time in this room reading the descriptions and picking out the scenes of Original Sin and the Great Flood.  In the foreground of my favorite frescoe, “…in front of the pope and the emperor, the flock of the faithful is protected by two black and white dogs, the so-called Domini canes (the Lord’s dogs) which traditionally symbolize the Dominican Friars.”

In the Basilica we found the large Crucifix painted by Giotto and Botticelli’s Nativity.

Santa Maria Novella basilica interior with the Giotto crucifix

Botticelli’s Nativity in the basilica. Photo credit Teresa Favazza

From Santa Maria Novella we walked towards the Ponte Vecchio and did some window shopping.  That part of Florence is lined with expensive shops, so we just looked.  Animal prints seem to be in style for this fall.

Window shopping

Fall style

After crossing the Arno we found a wonderful local place for lunch, Trattoria La Casalinga, ordered the pasta specialty and the house red, and settled in.  It was definitely where the locals eat as we saw men in paint covered overalls tuck in for a bowl of pasta (the first plate), plus a whole fish (the second plate), and more.  We were happy with just the pasta.

The house specialty pasta at Trattoria La Casalinga

A satisfied customer

After lunch we made our way back towards the Ponte Vecchio and I found one item I had been looking for – beautiful shoes in a lovely color and on sale.  Teresa also found a beautiful pair of shoes, not hard to do here, making us both happy shoppers.  So we did do a little shopping after all.

The Ponte Vecchio from the back of the shoe shop

The other side of the Ponte Vecchio

Completely satisfied with a belly full of pasta and new shoes, we cruised by the Uffizi to see how long the wait was for tickets.  It was too long, and since I had already toured that museum many years ago, we decided to continue towards the Duomo and then the Galleria dell’Accademia to check out the line for Michelangelo’s David.  That line was about a block long and in the sun.  Since we were hot and tired, we headed back towards the train station, walking through the outdoor market, making deals on a purse, and stopping for a gelato.

Statues in the Piazza Signoria

The Duomo

The Florence market

We were happy to leave the hot and crowded city streets and return to our sanctuary in the hills above.  After a refreshing dip in the pool and nearing sunset, Teresa and I drove the short distance into Fiesole to try to capture a photo of Florence as the sun went down and the lights came up.  It was 830 pm when we finally got the shot we wanted, so back to the house for another pasta dinner, happy after a long day.

The narrow streets near the top of Fiesole

Me overlooking Florence from Fiesole

A Fiesole cafe in color sketch

The night shot of Florence we worked to get

Monday morning we bid farewell to Annalisa and Primo Franco and started driving along what is known as the Strada Del Prosecco,  the wine route.   The small winding road runs along the foothills of the Treviso province, through gently rolling hills, passing some of the loveliest vineyards we have seen yet.  We made many stops to photograph the beauty of the area.

Along the Strada Del Prosecco

http://www.prosecco.it/en/enoturismo/strada.php

Our first planned sightseeing excursion was the Abbey of Follina, what Primo considered a not to be missed sight.  The Abbey of Santa Maria in Follina dates to the 12th Century.  The beautiful old stone structure was quiet and peaceful, and still in use today.  There was one woman inside the church praying when we arrived, but otherwise we walked through the buildings undisturbed.

The Abbey of Santa Maria in Follina

Follina Abbey interior

Romanesque Cloister 1268

http://visittreviso.it/en/religious-sites/abbey-of-follina#.VefdbyVViko

From the Abbey we continued along the wine route towards Conegliano with its castle and Wine Academy.  The road leading up to the castle on the highest point of the city was so narrow that going through the city wall we had to pull in the side mirrors on the Audi to pass through the archway.  After surviving the drive to the top we discovered that the castle was closed, and many of the shops and restaurants as well because it was Monday.  We made a quick tour of the old town area and then continued on our southward trek, as this was our day to travel the most miles.

The old castle in Conegliano

Cathedral facade in Conegliano

Piazza Cima in Conegliano

From Congeliano we hopped onto the autostrade and made good time towards Firenze. We are staying in the small town of Fiesole/Caldine just north of Florence.  This is another property we found on VRBO.

The road leading up into the hills from Caldine to the Fattoria Il Leccio, the home of Andrea Passigli

Andrea sent us detailed directions from Fiesole, and without them we never would have found the 200 year old house hidden in the olive grove.  The small, mostly gravel road took us back up into the hills from Caldine.  Andrea, a concert pianist, greeted us and gave us a tour of the farm his grandfather bought in the 1920s.  The house we are staying in was one of the original farm houses and Andrea’s studio, complete with three Steinway grand pianos, was originally part of the stables.

Andrea Passigli playing one of his pianos in his studio

After settling in, we made our way to the local Co-Op for groceries and cooked ourselves a dinner of pasta with pesto.  We toasted the Prosecco country with the Nino Franco bottle of Prosecco given to us by Annalisa and Primo upon our departure.

Dinner on the patio

Breakfast at Villa Barberina included fresh figs from the estate and jams made by Annalisa

Walking around the Villa Barberina estate in the early morning, I ran into Primo Franco, the owner, and his grandson.  Primo introduced his grandson as “Generation Five” and a future winemaker.  The Franco’s are a lovely couple who consider themselves blessed to have had the opportunity to acquire Villa Barberina.

Primo Franco and the fifth generation future winemaker

The very gracious Annalisa Franco of Villa Barberina

After our breakfast at the Villa Barberina, Primo suggested we drive west out of Valdobbiadene on Sunday to tour the small town of Asolo and visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Villa di Maser.  So we did.

The very narrow streets of Asolo

All the roads in this area are beautiful and a great practice course for autocross.  The small town of Asolo is mostly single lane, with a signal light and timer at each end to control the traffic.  It seems to work for everyone except the bicycles.  It appears nearly suicidal to ride bicycles on these small twisting roads  – too narrow for two cars and a bike – but they are all over.

When we arrived, the Asolo square was full of motorcyclists

The bikers soon geared up and roared out of town

When we first arrived in Asolo, the square was filled, really filled, with joy riding motorcyclists.  It must have been a quick espresso stop, as they soon throttled up and left en masse.  We strolled the town after the departure of the bikes.  It may be a tiny little mountain town, but not too small for a Farragmo shop displaying the Fall collection.

Asolo

The main square in Asolo

Fountain in Asolo

Ferragamo Fall collection in an Asolo shop window

A single Vespa left in town after the departure of the motorcyclists

The joy of this area is the scenery and we soaked it in as we drove from Asolo to Maser.  The Villa di Maser, a UNESCO site since 1996 is occupied by its current owners.

http://www.villadimaser.it/en

We toured the upper level open to the public with its beautiful frescoes painted by Paolo Veronese in the 16th century.    The villas was built between 1550 and 1560 for the Barbaro brothers.

Villa di Maser

Villa Di Maser

View from inside the Villa di Maser

Paolo Veronese (1528 – 88): La moglie di Marcantonio Barbaro e Nutrice, Stanza dell’Olimpo in the Villa di Maser

My favorite frescoe in the house, from The Room Of The Little Dog, by Paolo Veronese, Stanza del cane, Villa di Maser

Presunto Autoritratto by Paolo Veronese

The Villa has its own vineyard and tasting room, where we sampled the extra dry and brut Prosecco.  Our plans were to also tour the Villa Emo, but we happened upon that site during the afternoon lunch time, so it was closed.

Tasting Villa di Maser Prosecco

Back to the Villa Barberina and resting by the pool, which I found too cool to dip into, but not Augie.

Villa Emo, closed when we arrived for a visit

Villa Barberina vineyard

Me and Augie from on top of Monte Baldo looking out over Lake Garda

We departed Lizise headed north along the east side of Lake Garda.  It was a small two lane road, mostly, that would be a great motorcycle road if there was no traffic.  Our first stop was in the small town of Malcesine, where we boarded the funivia lift up to the peak of Monte Baldo.  I’m still trying to figure out if we were in the foothills of the Dolomites or not, but the scenery really reminded me of the Alps.  At the top you are at the 1790 meter level.

We followed a few hiking paths, and I followed a few cows, many wearing large bells you can hear from quite a distance.  It was a pleasant temperature at the top and the views spectacular.

Funivie del Baldo

Cows with bells in the mountains

After our brief but relaxing mountain expedition we continued northbound on the narrow winding road, all the while wishing for empty roads.  (At least I was wishing for empty roads, but Augie and Teresa may have been happy for the cars impeding my ability to open up that turbo diesel Audi A6 to see what it could do.)  It could have been a very fun road in addition to the very scenic road that it was.  We had planned all along for a lunch stop in Riva del Garda, the northern most lake town.

Lunch spot in Riva del Garda

Local version of a Caprese Salad using black tomatoes

We were not disappointed when we found a small restaurant and enjoyed a tasty local rendition of a Caprese Salad with black tomatoes and a soft local cheese topped with olives.

Looking south from Riva del Garda onto Lake Garda

Pretty colors on the buildings

Riva del Garda waterfront

The real driving fun started as we headed inland towards Trento.  We bravely departed from the main road and pointed the Audi into the hills and onto the back roads.  They were single lane and in one spot there were mirrors at every corner to watch for oncoming cars.  Luckily, the roads were mostly empty and we could have some fun.  It was very beautiful and could only have been better if we’d been in a more sporty vehicle (something like an Aston Martin – which we saw – or maybe a new F-Type Jaguar).

This is NOT a one way street, but rather the main road for two cars. You are lucky if you don’t meet anyone coming from the other direction

Typical road through the mountains

Our final destination was the small Prosecco area town of Valdobbiadene.  We were staying in the Villa Barberina and had arranged to arrive around 5 pm, which worked out well.  Annalisa Franco, owner and proprietor, was there to greet us.  The Villa Barberina is heaven on earth, a true Venetian Villa surrounded by vines and nestled into the foothills.  Annalisa and Primo Franco were the perfect hosts and I couldn’t have been happier with the accommodations.

http://www.villabarberina.it/en/index.html

Valdobbiadene from the hills above

The Villa Barberina

After settling into our rooms (mine was adorable), we walked into town for yet another pasta dinner with local Prosecco.

My cute room in the historic Villa Barberina

More pasta and the local specialty, Prosecco

The harbor in LIzise, Italy

We had been relaxing and getting to know the streets and local places of Lizise for a few days, so we decided to take Friday and check out the town of Sirmione, a short 40 minute ferry ride from Lizise.  It was a nice day to be out on the water, as every day so far has been clear skies, sunny and very warm.

Approaching Sirmione on the ferry

Sirmione is best known for its castle, but I will always remember it as the best pasta we have had so far this trip.  We walked through the crowded streets from the ferry pier, passing expensive shops and restaurants one after the other.  Teresa has a rule that we must get “off the beaten path” for meals, so we walked away from the main square and found a little cafe on a side street for lunch.  I had spaghetti with clams, and it was indeed the best pasta so far, really stellar, as was Teresa’s.

La Nuova Botte, the best spot in Sirmione for pasta

Ready for lunch

Salute!

The best spaghetti with clams I have ever tasted

After lunch we toured the castle, the main attraction in town.

Sirmione castle

One view from the castle

The main square and ferry dock from the top of the Sirmione castle

The local in-town beach was crowded with kids feeding the ducks and swans.

Sirmione beach

One of the many swans on the lake

This swan is playing hard to get.

As we walked through the streets we saw a shop with the most gorgeous man’s tie I have ever seen.  I just had to go into the shop to ask the price.  The beautiful tie with crystals was 200 euros.  We also saw one shop window with a Vespa AND a Ducati on display.

200 euro man’s tie

Ducati in a shop window

Vespa in the same shop window

As I was taking the photo of the Vespa in the shop window, the shop attendant came out to admonish me, but when I said “But it’s a Vespa”, she shrugged her shoulders and said “Well, ok.”

Ceramic vegetables on display on a shop wall

We headed back to our comparatively sleepy town of Lizise for the afternoon and a dinner on our own private patio.  It was nice to see another town on Lake Garda, but we were happy to be staying in the less expensive and trendy town of LIzise.

My dear friend, best friend’s husband, travel companion and political sparring partner Augie is also blogging from this trip.  Although I usually post more photos, he is a writer by trade and his blogs are usually more entertaining.  Here is a link to his blog:

https://augieblog.wordpress.com/

The main square in the lakeside town of Lizise

Last September when my friends and I spent one night in the hills overlooking Verona, we liked it so much we thought the area deserved a closer look.  So here we are back again, staying in the small town of Lizise on Lake Garda.

The waterfront in Lizise

For this trip we rented a car instead of relying on the Italian train system that last year had a strike during our visit.  We landed in Milan and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Lake Garda.  Lizise is a small tourist town enjoying an end of summer boom.  Streets are full and we hear a lot of German spoken.  Pizza and gelato shops are numerous, as well as shoe stores.  We have enjoyed lunch on our rental house patio, drinking local wine at 5 or 6 euros per bottle, fresh bread and cheese, and pizza of course.

Lunch on our rental house patio. Augie uncorks a bottle of local white wine.

Lunch of local wine, cheese, grapes and pizza

Passeggiare is the most popular past time, the evening stroll along the waterfront, followed by gelato.  Gelato shops must make a killing as every day, morning and night, the lines are long.

A street performer along the waterfront at sunset

So many choices

Our nightly gelato ritual

We drove up into the hills NE of the lake and found the scenic hillside vineyards and olive groves we were looking for.  The small twisting roads climbed up towards the Parco Regionale Della Lessinia where we found the Parco delle Cascate di Molina.  Just a little hiking was all it took in the warm weather for us to look for a lunch spot.  Fortunately we stumbled upon a small family restaurant with homemade pasta.

Heading back to Lizise from the hills we drove along the lake from Torri del Benaco southbound to Garda, then Bardolino and home.  It was a beautiful drive.

The small town of Albisano

Local transportation, perfect for the tiny roads