Travel of this beautiful earth
We enjoyed a full day of discovery yesterday, starting from Verona and driving into the mountains of Trentino and the Alto Adige, the South Tyrol region of the Dolomites. Our hotel is about 40 miles south of Innsbruck, Austria.
The weather has cooled significantly with temps in the low 30s at night rising to the mid 50s in the afternoons. The best news is the nice sunny Fall weather has followed us all week.
The Fall colors are popping out everywhere, especially as we explore higher elevations.
Greetings everyone! It was another great day. We took the train to the city of Mantua and its 48,000 inhabitants. It is a UNESCO World Heritage City highlighted by the Duomo (Cathedral of San Pietro), the Basilica of Sant’ Andrea and the Palazzo Ducale.
This is only three of over 25 significant sights worthy of a visit. Mantua is easily reached in 45 minutes Southwest of Verona.
Here are some of our favorite pictures from the day.
Today we traveled by coach to Verona, Italy. It was a quick trip on the A4 autostrada.
Verona enjoys its status as the crossroads of Northern Italy for over two thousand years. It’s home to the worlds third largest amphitheater built in 30 AD.
It has been overlooked by travelers for years until recently. Today thousands of visitors fill the streets, alleys and marketplaces.
We found the city to be relatively compact with an impressive Roman amphitheater, a vibrant city center including a Duomo, an ancient marketplace and excellent restaurants.
Here are a few pictures from our outing.
Caio! We arrived yesterday afternoon to Lake Iseo, Italy. It’s the fourth largest of the Italian lakes. We are staying in a great hotel overlooking the lake, Relais Mirabella. It’s well worth considering if you are in the area. Excellent service and an impressive dining room. Most rooms have a lake view.
There was time yesterday to squeeze in a visit to Ballducchi Winery, famous for Franciacorta, a sparking wine rivaling Champagne.
Today was a visit and lunch to Monte Isola, an island in the middle of Lake Isola. With two compact towns clinging to the hills it is famous for the art installation by Christo in 2016 that drew over 2 million visitors.
It was a pleasant way to spend a day.
Tomorrow, we are off to Verona!
J&J
Good morning from Tirano, Italy.
Yesterday was a pure delight! We took the Bernina Express, a UNESCO World Heritage train from Tirano, Italy to Bernina Diavolezza in the Swiss Alps.
The train station was 7,000 feet above sea level. We then took the cable car up to 10,000 feet. The views were literally breathtaking. It was an exceptional experience and encourage all travelers in the area to experience it.
And here are some of our favorite pictures.
Good Morning from Tirano. Yesterday was an exciting day for exploring the ruins of ancient castles and enjoying the beautiful fall landscapes.
Here are some of our favorite photos from the day.
We also explored the only Royal Palace in Tirano, the Palazzo Salis, home to the Count S. Salis of Switzerland. Some of the Palace has been renovated to its original condition and is currently open to the public as a museum. It’s quite interesting and unique.
Good day to you!
Yesterday was a long relocation day via coach from Milan to Tirano with a detour via Lake Como. It has been almost 30 years since our last visit to the area and much has changed and little has changed.
Welcomed was the wonderful views of the lake, the lakeside town of Bellano and the magnificent mountains in all directions.
We were only slightly disappointed with the overcast skies that made photos a challenge.
Nonetheless we share these images. We hope you enjoy.
We enjoyed a great lunch al fresco in Bellano in our free time.
Happy day to all!
Today was a crazy wonderful day packed with a variety of activities. First we toured the inside of the Duomo but with a bit of excitement. This morning hosted a huge Marathon with thousands of runners. The starting line completely surrounded the Cathedral. Fortunately we had advanced tickets and breezed through security without any inconvenience.
Next was a walking tour through parts of the city center followed by lunch and the afternoon on our own.
Before dinner we met our group for a conversation about immigration, Italy’s policy and the EUs position on the topic.
Here is our day in photos.
After a light lunch and a brief rest we decided to make one more walk through the fashion and design area nearby.
Hi all,
We were up early this morning and caught a fast train from Turin to Milano Centrale, a massive structure serving the city that is the country’s largest economic and cultural engine.
We were equally delighted to have tickets on the fastest train in Italy. It took less than an hour traveling at 180 miles an hour.
Our tour started as soon as we got to our hotel, located in center of the fashion and cultural center of Milan.
It is late now but we wanted to share a few photos from this afternoon.
J&J
We hope this finds you all healthy and happy. We have been in Turin, Italy the last two days with our longtime friends, Marilyn and Jim, from Switzerland.
Turin is a big brawny city nestled near the Italian Alps. It’s the home of Fiat and the first capital of Italy.
With our limited time we chose to visit the Palazzo Madama, the center of Turin, with five important museums. We decided on the City Museum housed in a fortress/palace and the National Museum of Cinema housed in a massive building originally built in 1896 for no special purpose other than to rival the Eiffel Tower.
Here are some of our favorite photos. Enjoy!
J&J
The next visit was the National Museum of Cinema.
