Day trips or more to Italian location (and sometimes our neighboring EU states). Exploring the cities and their art and cultures, plus food obviously.
Can We Travel Yet? Now some light started to appear at the end of the COVID tunnel, maybe it is the time to think about travelling again. That is what we all hope. Piano, Piano There is still time ahead of us, but it is nice to think about vacations and logistics, maybe an alternative […]
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Something not to overlook when visiting any Italian city are the Monte di Pietà buildings. Often they are the most prominent buildings of the city. The “Monte di Pietà” was nothing more than the common “Pawnbroker.” What makes it very different in Italy is the beautiful, richly decorated building that once was the “Pawnbrokers” of […]
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Not Quite! With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging, it may not be a very good idea to schedule for the upcoming Spring/Summer season 2021. A “third wave” of coronavirus infections has been spreading across Europe; although Venice is not the most COVID-infected area, but there have been plenty enough of COVID-19 cases, and deaths have […]
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Opatija I know that this is no time to start packing suitcase, but the right time will come, eventually. The sooner the better. I visited Croatia often enough. It is close to where I live. A–not always so–pleasant car ride, but the main reason to travel to Croatia in COVID times is the Dentistry Industry […]
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I was always fascinated by the story of St. Mark, whose remains are richly guarded under the main altar inside the Basilica of San Marco in Venice. Especially when I look at the beautiful mosaic on the facade of the Basilica where the remains of San Marco are covered with a blue sheet… like he […]
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Acqua Alta occurs when winds from the south, south-east blow for a long time, with a force of more than 25 kilometers per hour (or 13.4989 knots). These winds push seawater into the lagoon. The water enters through the open mouths in the long sandbar that, from Chioggia to Punta Sabbioni, acts as a barrier […]
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For the Venice habitué when you say “Rialto” it is not just the bridge the first thing that comes to mind, but the fish market just off the famous bridge. Rialto Bridge is the undisputed symbol of the city and one of the most iconic bridges in Venice, the Rialto market also has another architectural […]
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Recently I read Follett’s latest book “The Evening and the Morning” A prequel to the [more] successful “Pillars of the Earth.” It was the Cathedral building adventures that captivated me, although much more so in the “Pillars” than on this last book. But it was the book that pushed me to visit a Cathedral as […]
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Foliage is a magical word, just by pronouncing it we are enveloped by that wonderful feeling that only autumn can give us. That sensation caused by the scent of chestnuts, the first heat of the fireplace, and the scent of citrus. I must say that nothing beats the majestic USA foliage display. It is just […]
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When there were impossible crowds in Venice, Murano was a great escape. It is still a great place to go to. In Murano, like in Venice the consequences of COVID are severe; very much so. Although walking the streets and visiting the famous sites is more pleasant now, it is painful to see their empty […]
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During my latest boat trip on the Venetian Laguna, I admired the “Six Pairs of Hands” at the Arsenale. They are quite visible from afar, and they are supposed to be admired also by the Biennale visitors. In 2019, at the “Arsenale”, a gigantic installation consisting of 6 pairs of hands that start from the […]
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So, we’ll go no more a roving So late into the night, Though the heart be still as loving, And the moon be still as bright. LORD BYRON San Lazzaro degli Armeni There is a small island just 20 minutes by vaporetto from Piazza San Marco, just in front of that long strip of land […]
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