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Post Your Most Memorable Pics of Italy
- Thread starter NoSpin
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NoSpin
100+ Posts
Colo, I think I took my pic almost from the same spot as you! We rented an apartment in Lerici for a week. It is a great base from which to tour the Cinque Terre and towns like La Spezia, Rapallo, Santa Margherita and Portofino.
A funny little story. There is a parking lot near the town center and it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how the meter machine worked. As I was putting the ticket on my car I noticed a woman having difficulty. I approached her to assist and found out she was an Italian but a tourist to the area. I joked with her that I'm American and she should have been helping me! We both had a good laugh.
A funny little story. There is a parking lot near the town center and it took me about 10 minutes to figure out how the meter machine worked. As I was putting the ticket on my car I noticed a woman having difficulty. I approached her to assist and found out she was an Italian but a tourist to the area. I joked with her that I'm American and she should have been helping me! We both had a good laugh.
I was lucky enough that my job required me to be in La Spezia for 3 weeks. My wife and some friends joined me for another 10 days after that. Just a beautiful place to hangout.
I really like La Spezia because it was a real town. Not as scenic as the smaller towns around it, but very easy to get to all of them. This was the few from my hotel.
The black yacht was said to be Giorgio Armani, but I never could get close enough to get a name. It never moved while I was there.
I really like La Spezia because it was a real town. Not as scenic as the smaller towns around it, but very easy to get to all of them. This was the few from my hotel.
The black yacht was said to be Giorgio Armani, but I never could get close enough to get a name. It never moved while I was there.
Ann
100+ Posts
I think it's Pienza.
NoSpin
100+ Posts
Yes, that's it! I plugged in Snoopy Bar Pienza in Google Maps and got the street view and that was the place. It is a delightful little town. I remember when we were there we saw a religious parade through the old town streets.
I also remember parking was scarce and we had to park some distance away.
I also remember parking was scarce and we had to park some distance away.
Missing Venice a lot....
October 26, 2018
October 27, 2019
Fedina
10+ Posts
Wonderful idea!!! I love this idea of sharing photos during these crazy times. Joe, we also stay at agriturismi as much as possible. A year ago we stayed a week each at two. As the only people staying at an agriturismo outside of Asti in Piemonte, we saw some of the wine being made and the process. Lovely warm people there. In Tuscany, we helped one day with the olive harvest and our hosts allowed my husband to go along as it was milled. Always love to see how things are done and made as we have, at home, a large garden, grapes and blueberries.
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Fedina
10+ Posts
NoSpin, when things go back to "normal" you should try it. I would be happy to share information, as I know others will. God willing, these folks will still be in business. We've heard directly from one that they are desperate. Very sad, because the agriturismo benefits often allow enough write offs for them to pursue their farming and/or artisanal business. Hardworking, good people is what we have found. Some places are upscale and gorgeous, some are rather primitive and rustic, but they typically are a good experience. I'll share more photos below.
Last year on Halloween, we lucked out. We happened upon, and stayed at a two bedroom agriturismo south of Bologna in the hills. The owner has a vegetarian restaurant there. Her family has lived for over 300 years. She had a multi-course candlelight dinner that began with mulled wine warmed over the fireplace, no electricity, then led all of us (about 25 people who had reservations for dinner) around the farm, telling us the farm and family history, how the Nazi's took it over in WWII, and then she had an outdoor fire and told stories. It was magical. The buildings on this farm were built with cut stones filled with fossils, mostly of seashells!
We have stayed at many agriturismi over the years in various locations and loved it. It is wonderful for lots of reasons. In Piemonte, for example, there are walking paths amongst and through the vinyards. Many have their own animals or horses for riding. My husband ran an agricultural school here, so we are into that kind of thing. My family is from northern Tuscany and Emilia, so we've stayed on porcini farms. We love that you can stay in the country, have breakfast, go out and explore or walk, then come back and usually you can have dinner on the farm. If it's warm weather, I always want a pool and most of them have them now.
The first four photos are from Ca'Maddalena in a town near Urbino. Behind my husband is the view from the dining area. The next three photos are from Podere Prasiano, where you feel you are at the top of the world, located outside of Modena. And the last are from Casa Vallona, south of Bologna where we spent last Halloween. This is just a taste. Hope it's not too much.
Last year on Halloween, we lucked out. We happened upon, and stayed at a two bedroom agriturismo south of Bologna in the hills. The owner has a vegetarian restaurant there. Her family has lived for over 300 years. She had a multi-course candlelight dinner that began with mulled wine warmed over the fireplace, no electricity, then led all of us (about 25 people who had reservations for dinner) around the farm, telling us the farm and family history, how the Nazi's took it over in WWII, and then she had an outdoor fire and told stories. It was magical. The buildings on this farm were built with cut stones filled with fossils, mostly of seashells!
We have stayed at many agriturismi over the years in various locations and loved it. It is wonderful for lots of reasons. In Piemonte, for example, there are walking paths amongst and through the vinyards. Many have their own animals or horses for riding. My husband ran an agricultural school here, so we are into that kind of thing. My family is from northern Tuscany and Emilia, so we've stayed on porcini farms. We love that you can stay in the country, have breakfast, go out and explore or walk, then come back and usually you can have dinner on the farm. If it's warm weather, I always want a pool and most of them have them now.
The first four photos are from Ca'Maddalena in a town near Urbino. Behind my husband is the view from the dining area. The next three photos are from Podere Prasiano, where you feel you are at the top of the world, located outside of Modena. And the last are from Casa Vallona, south of Bologna where we spent last Halloween. This is just a taste. Hope it's not too much.
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NoSpin
100+ Posts
Wow! What a fabulous post!
As I wrote in my initial post, "I’d love to see others photos and maybe a little description, or even better, a story about what we are seeing. Multiple pics and stories are encouraged."
This was just perfect, great photos and a wonderful story. Love it!
I am a little disheartened to learn some may be becoming "desperate". For some reason I thought these small entities may have been a little more immune, but obviously I thought wrong.
And BTW, my wife is more interested in the "upscale and gorgeous".
As I wrote in my initial post, "I’d love to see others photos and maybe a little description, or even better, a story about what we are seeing. Multiple pics and stories are encouraged."
This was just perfect, great photos and a wonderful story. Love it!
I am a little disheartened to learn some may be becoming "desperate". For some reason I thought these small entities may have been a little more immune, but obviously I thought wrong.
And BTW, my wife is more interested in the "upscale and gorgeous".
The view outside our Venice apartment
Acqua alta, October 29, 2018
Acqua alta, October 29, 2018
A beautiful day, October 30, 2018
Wish we are there now.
Hey, Paul, I don't remember when our first hand experience of acqua alta was. Of the ten top highest level of acqua alta, we were there in Venice to experience six of them.
I do remember the first really bad one on December 1, 2008 while staying in an apartment across from the Frari church when the level reached 156 cm. The water came into our front door. Forturnately, we were on the first floor and the water only got up to the first step.
I walked around for a while that day until the water got too high for my boots and then stayed in and watched from our windows as people dealt with it. There was a woman who stayed on top of the bridge in front of the church for at least four hours waiting for the water to abate.
I do remember the first really bad one on December 1, 2008 while staying in an apartment across from the Frari church when the level reached 156 cm. The water came into our front door. Forturnately, we were on the first floor and the water only got up to the first step.
I walked around for a while that day until the water got too high for my boots and then stayed in and watched from our windows as people dealt with it. There was a woman who stayed on top of the bridge in front of the church for at least four hours waiting for the water to abate.
By the way, we were also in Venice last year during the acqua granda (187 cm) on November 12, 2019 as well as the subsequent ones that month. It was a horrible time for Venice.