Lucca In Villa San Marco

... and cafes (and, of course, tourists posed t’ai chi-like so the photo they’re posing for suggests they’re either pushing the tower over or holding it up).

The cathedral was begun in 1064, and the baptistry in 1153. Both are built in Pisan-Romanesque style, with tiers of columns that diminish skywards. More interestingly, of course, is that darn Leaning Tower. The campanile (bell tower) for the cathedral ...

partie tot ce matin pour faire les 4.5 heures de train entre milan et pise, nous avons traverser plusieurs petit tunel. le paysage de la toscanne est beaucoup moins plat que ce que nous avons vue du nord-est de l'italie.

une fois nos bagage depose a l'auberge, on est partie vers la fameuse tour de pise. effectivemnt, elle ...

Cinque Terre photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/album. php?aid=163678&id=613699523&l=b ae7645b89

Stayed at Affittacamere Patrizia Hostel in Rio Maggiore in Cinque Terre and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
When we got to the Hostel it was just an office and no one was there. Our keys were stuck to the door with instructions on how to get to our dorm room. There was another set of keys there too so we could have taken those too and ...

We are finally home and it is actually Nov. 20th. We finally got in last night around midnight and could not download anything for the last several days because WiFi is too advanced for the small town we were in. It was the most relaxing of all the ...

... market (without the sampling) with lots of lovery deli's, cafe's and patisseries. Ofcourse we had to buy the local pastry called a buccellato which is kind of a cross between a biscuit and a fruit loaf... yummy with the morning coffee.

Before too long Kim pointed out her favorite bar from last time and pull me in to join her in a wine or 3. The tapas were as good as Kim had ...

Hi Everyone!

After the miserable week of midterms…

I celebrated a friend's birthday at a restaurant called Dantes. It caters to students, as there is no cover charge and a free drink included with the meal. I can honestly say the food was delicious. We had a large group so it was a lot of fun. I think the birthday girl, Davita also had a good time celebrating her 21st in ...

... out to be a complete reconstruction/reimagination of the old farmhouse and buildings. We stayed in the barn. Think barn as designed by the most well-polished and accomplished contestant on Design Star and you begin to approach the stunning beautiy of the place. The location doesn't hurt. It's on top of mountain around 25 Km from Lucca, one of the great walled cities of Tuscany - an ancient rival to the ...

Today we joined the group for a day trip to Lucca and Colle Verde. Lucca is a quaint city surrounded by a medieval stone wall. It is historical because the first triumvirate was signed there by Caesar and others. We spent a couple of hours walking around the city and the wall. There was once a amphitheater ...

... I was doing just great and what I trouper I was. I'm beginning to think that these words of encouragement may have just been ways to keep me going up the mountain.... But despite the pain of the climb, it was all worth it. Looking down on the towns of Cinque Terra, far from the tourists and giftshops, I suddenly saw their quaintness, was finally able to enjoy their unique beauty. Standing amongst the famous terraces, surrounded by grapevines, and sharing a path with local field ...

... beaches. The Hotel Europa was once a palazzo, and our room has extraordinary frescoes painting on the ceilings. It is large and comfortable. Ferrara is a quiet town, perhaps because most of the populace gets around on bicycles. You see fashionably dressed women with capes, businessmen, and even very elderly, scarf-headed ladies whizzing past on their bikes. The streets are very medieval but, unlike Bologna's, they are not foreboding. We walk along the cobbles ...