Broad Abroad

I don,t want to tell you this because I want to keep it to myself, but Siena is AMAZING. I love it! It is a gorgeous mix of antique and new, of hot sun and cool breezes, gelato and pasta, pigeons and people, tourists during the day and locals at night. The piazza is the largest in Italy and it is an experience in itself. Leanne and I arrived in the evening from Roma, and after much negotiation (the streets are in concentric circles coming out from the piazza, with a few spokes thrown in to mix up the tourists!) We went directly to the square after dropping our bags and got some gelato (full body sweat was starting to happen, gelato to the rescue!) -- fragola (strawberry) and anguria (watermelon) for me. Ok, now this ... read more

I am in despair! My camera batteries died and I did not get pictures of the breakfast room :-( I guess taking 6 rolls of film in the Vatican did it... The Royal BC Museum,s collection could almost fit in some of the rooms in the Vatican Museum. The sculpture rooms are so long that standing at one end you can barely see the other. My favourite was the newest gallery added in the 18th century - the mosaic floors carpet the way and walls cut-away for each massive marble statue tower up beside me as I walk and snap and snap - pictures of the black and white mosaic vases on the floor, the sculptures - particularly the carved marble fabric that seems to have just stopped moving before I turned the corner - the ... read more

Ciao ciao!! We (Leanne and I) have arrived in Roma and I shall pick up the story beginning last night (from what I hear anything older than that is too stale for some readers ;-) We decided (ok...um...I persuaded) to stay in Volterra (Tuscany) pool-side or wandering the village until the late afternoon, rather than having to check out at 7:30 in the morning and not only miss breakfast, but miss out on prime resting time too! I had spent 6 hours by the pool the day before (reading, napping, taking pictures, people watching, reading, napping), so I was not in the mood for a great deal of hurrying about or rushing here or going there. But....as always... when I leave a place thinking another will not be any better, it generally offers something spectacular and ... read more

The time has come for me to return to my homeland ;-) I'm heading back to Italy -- tomorrow! *yikes* Here's the plan: July 17-19 Fly to London and visit with Kim and Shane (Westminster Abbey / London Eye?) July 19 Fly to Pisa with Kim and Shane, pick up rental car and stay overnight July 20-24 Volterra (Tuscany) - meet up with Leanne from Victoria, explore surrounding area by car, relax by the pool July 24-26 Explore Rome with Leanne - staying in a convent a short walk from the Vatican July 26-29 Explore Siena with Leanne July 29-Aug 1 Meet up with Cheryl in Venice Aug 1-3 Explore Bolzano and Alpe di Suisse with Cheryl Aug 3-7 Cinque Terre with Cheryl - hiking, swimming, eating Aug 7-8 Stay in Milan, fly out from Milan ... read more

Hey everyone! I'm working on updating my blog and if you check previous posts (back to my first weekend in London) you'll see some of my pictures *YAY* Here are some pictures of my new place, and of my first trip to Alaska a couple of weeks ago. Hope all is well with you!!... read more

Really, really good: Gelato. Made with fresh fruits and ingredients, gorgeously presented in mounds of lusciousness. I tried about 20 different kinds. The best were limone, limoncello, limone di Sorrento (do you sense a theme?), fragola (strawberry), mirtillo (blueberry), frutti di bosco (berries, "fruits of the forest" - isn't that precious??), mela verde (green apple), melone, caffe, tiramisu. Gelato is served two flavours at a time... the combinations are worth playing with, going back for more. Really kind of unpleasant: 35+ degrees. It's hard to look and feel amazing when sweat is dripping from your body, mixing with the grime and dirt of the road, creating mud. The fix? Gelato. Mounds of gelato. So sweet: My guy at Caffe Pavia. There was a bar just down from the apartment I stayed in in Pavia. I ate ... read more

Back to Capri... Capri's buildings and harbour look similar to Amalfi... the sea is dark blue, deep green, the colour of lemonade closer to shore... We take a cable car up behind the harbour to the town of Capri, past lemon trees and bright flowers. We can see far beyond the houses, past the cliff, to the sea. It goes far, far into the distance. I cannot wait to dive in! The town of Capri envelops us as soon as we step up the stairs from the cable car - wildly expensive clothing shops, gelato in mounds behind glass (double the price if you sit while you eat it), layers of handmade leather shoes hanging from nails on the sides of shops, limoncello and lemony-lemon gifts spill onto the street from so many boutiques, scarves, sarongs ... read more

Oh dear. I am back in Canada, and though it's great to be home, I keep thinking that I will never be as happy as I was in Italy! *grin* Kim and Shane and I kept saying that to each other and I'm glad that someone else understands me. The experience was so amazing and surreal and wonderful and life-affirming that I hope to carry some of that with me and keep the bliss going until I am able to return (next summer, if not sooner!) I'm sorry that I didn't write more... I had intended to, but after I left the Internet place that last time I met some wonderful Italians staying in the same apartment/hotel as me and spent the next two days with them...including Pasca (oh Paulo, you have some competition!) I had ... read more