Ecmomma

This morning we went on a two hour walk with Katerina, our local guide, who was extremely knowledgeable of Venetian history. We saw laundry boats and all kinds of deliveries being made, making it easy to see why it’s expensive to live here. We paused under the window of an elderly woman who is not usually kind to tour groups which stop under her windows. She waters her plants on them or has been known to sprinkle breadcrumbs on them. Katerina explained that Venice’s population has been shrinking since the 1500’s when there were 200,000 people living here to 53,000 today. Two thirds are between the ages of 75 and 100. They are losing population at the rate of about 1000 per year. Many people are using homes as air b’n b’s or if they are ... read more

We once had an exchange student for a brief weekend visit and he was from Bolzano. He said it was a beautiful city in the Italian Alps that not many people outside Italy know about. It is Tyrolean in character and totally bilingual-German and Italian. It is in the area that was ceded to Italy from Austria after WW I, then treated very badly during Mussolini’s rule. After WW II Italy tried to heal the wounds and unite this area, but it is very independent and would like to secede. In the morning we took a cable car up the mountain to Sopranolzano/OberBolzen. It is hard to describe the exquisite beauty of the day we had. The fog lifted from the mountaintops revealing clear views of the craggy Dolomites. The meadows under the cable car were ... read more

We left Florence early to drive through the beautiful Tuscan countryside to the walled city on a hill that is Siena. The typical Italian houses with red tile roofs dot the hills. At one of the gates in what seems like a bustling town if you gauge the traffic traveling In around it. Our guide Camilla was a lot of fun. She is s long time resident and obviously loves living there. We walked up to the Duomo, one of the most beautiful inside and out. The outside is striking with its alternating Black and white stripes and its highly decorated facade with sculptures all over. But inside, not an inch is left undecorated. The floor is covered with marble inlay scenes. The vaulted ceiling is covered with Biblical scenes. We went into a library, where ... read more

Today we left the gorgeous Ligurian coast and headed south and west to Lucca and then on to Florence. We spent most of the day in Lucca, a walled medieval town, although its first walls were built in Roman times. In 56 B.C. Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus agreed to rule Rome as a triumvirate. It is known for its towers, one of which is very prominent today because it has trees growing from its top. The towers were built by the rich of the town on their palaces and the town was a republic and didn't want any one to get ahead of their neighbors--so they limited the height and the plantings were a way around the limit. Lucca has over 80 churches, many of which are not used as churches any more. One such building ... read more

Weather in Italy!! Mamma mia!! That's what Igor, our tour director says, and today he was right! We started out early and toured the lovely town, with Igor pointing out the important places like restaurants, pharmacies, churches, enoteca(wine store), etc . We were heading to the ferry for Portofino. While Igor arranged the tickets, Allan, our art historian, proceeded to conduct a chalk talk on the sidewalk nearby. He taught us some basic architecture principles--regarding types of arches, Roman, Gothic, extensions of principles of the distribution of loads to domes and buildings with flying buttresses and stained glass windows. Then we got on the ferry for a short ride to the little gem which is Portofino, not named for a fine port, but for little dolphins. Portofino's small harbor is surrounded by shops of just about ... read more