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When in Rome, Take the train north!

There is a lot in Rome, tourist related, and that includes lots of tourists. Its biggest selling point, for me, the train station that takes you to the rest of Europe. Stazione Termini - Roma.
When in Italy, wear walking shoes.

March 1, 2024 - Friday - Train: Treviso to Calenzano

Found a room in medieval Calenzano out on a country road, in the rain then drove out through the fog to a small Medici village of Scarperia. The main attraction is the knife museum and the bell tower.

Inside the castle.

See the castle bell tower...

Inside the castle is a Knife museum.

Early 20th century knives.

One view through the chicken wire in the bell tower.

Got to the bell tower bell at 2:59. Then it was 3:00 and THE BELL RANG 3 TIMES. Wow, that was loud.

Fog in the distance, maybe inside my head from the 3:00 bell. The chicken wire was to keep the birds out.

Another side of the tower, roofs, and some of the valley below.

Interesting cheese cutting boards.

Knives, board, and a knife pinned into the board for cutting slippery things.

February 29, 2024 - Thursday - Train: Treviso to Venice

A Roman checking his cell phone as he gets out of the shower from his penthouse apartment.

Would you believe, "Piazza San Marco" and another church? Venice, Italy.
I didn't realize Venice is an Island.

Saint Mark's Basilica/Cathedral/Church in Venice. I say, Holy Moellie, that takes a whole lot of money to build and maintain that place. It isn't made of Adobe. Oh, and the line to buy ticket to go inside, and the line to get to go inside after you have a ticket. Maybe an hour each. I thought a Cannoli and Cappuccino was a much healthier option.

One of the famous smaller canals with Gondolas and bridges. Even in a flood, live goes on in Venice. They live on the water.

Venice Water Taxi

Gondalero, cabeza blanca.

Sometimes... we take life too seriously.

Gondola with tourists.

Nice, friendly gals inviting me back to Japan as their Gondola went under the bridge where I was taking a pic of them.

Gondolas where the Grand Canal joins the ocean in front of the island of Venice near Piazza San Marco.

More arches and bridges and Gondolas. There are no cars here on the island.

Gondolas everywhere. I thought I heard it was 80€ per person, 30-minutes.

Gondolas at rest. Waiting on tourist season.

El Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal.

A water taxi, a vaperetto, and Gondoloas on the Grand Canal in Venice.

Preserved Food Store. About 25-cured hams hanging up high. In the lower left corner is a 25-lb wheel of Parmesan cheese ready to be cut. Also prosciutto, bologna, and dried sausage on the back wall under the hams.

A pre-dinner night stroll along a small canal in Treviso.

The day-trip to Venice was by 35-minute train from Treviso. 4-hours in Venice was enough, then a train back to Treviso. The Vaporetto from the train station on the outside of Venice across the island along the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco cost 25€. The vaporetto is a diesel powered public water ferry. Each one holds maybe 100-people and makes several stops along the way, much like a city bus would.

February 28, 2024 - Wednesday pm - On to Treviso (Venice-Lite)

It has been raining for several days. You can see it in the canals around Treviso. Treviso is home to Tiramisu, really good stuff. Also home to Asiago cheese.

I was so embarrassed for Giulietta (Romeo & Juliet), I was trying to shelter her, but instead... it looks like I was enjoying myself. Obviously not the first person to do that... See how shiny things in that area are? She was something like 13-years old, tall for her age and stacked like a brick wall. And, this was well before Hollywood and Silicone!

Several pieces of metal sculpture around Treviso. This one had night lights and sat in the middle of a traffic circle.

A very hot brick pizza oven.

Night view of the Sile River that runs through Treviso and much of the Veneto region. So much recent rain and the canals and rivers are near flood stage.

Look up. Interesting things up there sometimes.

My dinner date. Check out those legs.

Interesting color combination of stone and brick. Moss, white stone, and grey blocks on the lowest level and mixed brick colors on the wall.

The sign as you enter this church said, "No Photos". But how do you describe these domes in words. Another sign outside the door said "Sections of the church (additions) built in 11th century, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

A canal near the Centro Historico in Treviso.

Even in the flood waters, building are reflected on the glassy surface.

Flor de las Flores

Water mill

Bridge at near capacity.

Bridge entrance to "Fish Island" or Isola della Pesceria, the open air fish market.

A mermaid in a canal off the side of Isola della Pesceria.

River is full and a water wheel.

Water Wheel in one of the canals in Treviso.

From one bridge to another in the Centro Historico.

Another Canal with no Gondolas.

The main river Sile that goes around the Centro Historico. So much rain recently that many of the vineyards are standing in water.

The narrow section on the left for fish to move upstream. The rest of the water flows free over a dam wall.

February 28, 2024 - Wednesday am - Verona

In Verona... but Made in China?

Arena in Verona 30 AD.

Arena walls in Verona. The metal sculpture is a Heart, symbolizing Il Amore di Romeo e Giulietta.
On the left, the column with a marble sculpture on top caught my attention.

Arena in Verona. Pics can not really express the scale of this place.

In with the Gladiators

In with the Gladiators, Lions, Tigers, and Bears.

I want you to chisel steps into the seating area.

Hard to imagine this Arena when it was all new. This is one of the best preserved ancient buildings in Italy. Built in 30AD.

Section of wall plugged with red brick?

Balcony where Giulietta and that guy...

Giulietta in Verona.

A cemetery in Verona in a church courtyard.

February 27, 2024 - Tuesday - Bologna to Modena to Parma to Verona

A whole lot of miles today, too many, and a late start so a late arrival in Verona. But, the Balsamic Vinegar tasting in Modena was awesome, Parma Cheese was fresh and not a powder, then on to Verona. Everywhere, very helpful people. BTW, Google Maps suck - In downtown anywhere Italy. Period.

Zero Feet in 45-minutes - trust me...

0.3 mi... Not a spaghetti bowl, more like 26-elbow macaroni, two linguini, a bit of spaghetti, and finally some lasagna, all in .3mi?

Struck Gold at one Hotel Pastry Bar for Breakfast. Cappuccino delivered to your table.

Hotel Hot breakfast bar. Cappuccino delivered to your table, again.

Sculpture looks different in the rain, dry vs. partially wet.

From a Piazza to another Piazza to ... don't tell me, another duomo, chiesa/church, basilica or something.

Poorly built houses only last 4-500 years here.

But it is the newer additions that only last 100-years.

A good selection of preserved meat in Parma.

A whole lot of Cotto salami and Bologna (15lbs?) in Parma.

Thin sliced ham rolled into ground beef, then that is rolled in bread crumbs. Like Fillet Mignon but from the inside out.

Real Parmesan cheese, by the wheel.

Parma: selling preserved meat and cheese.

Other ingredients for Charcuterie.

Hot Fresh Pizza, nice kitchen at the "Bread" Cafe. BTW, They didn't sell bread.

The Pizza Lady. What a face! and pretty good pizza.

The wine guy at the "Bread" Cafe in Parma.

Another pile of rocks.

A sculpture at a traffic circle: A human figure with a truck on its back, in the rain.

Wiki: Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced from the juice of just-harvested white grapes (typically, Trebbiano grapes) boiled down to reach a minimum sugar concentration of 30% (brix) or more in the must, which is then fermented with a slow aging process which further concentrates the flavours. The flavour intensifies over the years, with the vinegar being stored in wooden casks, becoming sweet, viscous and very concentrated. During this period, a portion evaporates: it is said that this is the "angels' share", a term also used in the production of bourbon whiskey, Scotch whisky, wine and other alcoholic beverages.

None of the product may be withdrawn until the end of the minimum aging period of 12 years. At the end of the aging period (12, 18 or 25 years), a small portion is drawn from the smallest cask, and each cask is then topped up with the contents of the preceding (next larger) cask. Freshly reduced cooked must is added to the largest cask, and in every subsequent year, the drawing and topping up process is repeated. This process where the product is distributed from the oldest cask and then refilled from the next oldest vintage cask is called solera or in perpetuum.

February 26, 2024 - Monday - Bologna

Dash from Perugia to Florence/Firenze, Bologna. Wet and some rain, cool but not miserable. The views on the train ride was nice with rolling hills and a mix of vineyards, pasture, olive orchards, mountains...

A Hop On/Hop Off type of bus showed off some highlights of Bologna but my gosh, a bit overboard on churches, there is another one every other block. I show only <2%...

I don't remember this guy either but he is pointing a finger at the birds. Maybe a different city, different day?

Train station leaving Perugia to Firenze.

The complexity of the facade of this "other" church was odd, interesting, and didn't really match.

Barcelona: Piazza Maggiore.

A Multi-level water fountain live with water from many ports.

A Ducati on display at the Tourist Information office in the square.

Gothic Porticoes around Piazza Maggiori.

Bologna Cityscape

Stone sarcophagus resting on the columns with a green roof.

Flying Buttresses are quite awesome.

Close-up of Flying Buttresses

Lights, water, arches, and porticos.

February 25, 2024 - Sunday - Northern Adriatic?

Ancona, Rimini, and Ravenna.

Ancona is a port town with ferries coming and going from other places like Slovenia, Albania, Greece, Monte Negro. There are also cruise ships that stop by here on an Adriatic cruise. The city is the usual huge churches and other buildings in the Historic Old Town areas.

Rimini is basically a beach town. 15km of flat sand beaches and along that stretch there is a long row of restaurants. It was mostly abandoned this time of year being too cold for laying out on the beach.

Ravenna is known for mosaics and lots of piazzi each with its own huge church. Wandering around for over an hour on a Sunday afternoon there were a lot of people about but we couldn't find the famous mosaics and wall paintings.

And of course that church in Ancona. I think the statue is of Clemente XII?

The plan is to visit places like: Perugia, Assisi, Gubbio, Todi, Spello, Lago Trasimeno, Ravena (Adriatic), Padua. From the looks of these places on Google Images, definitely work checking out, and associated walking up very steep village hills, my legs have told me.

Oh, the duomo in Ancona.

Which Church was this one?

Otro Duomo?

Stool bench storage. Up tight and out of sight.

Crazy Women Everywhere!

February 24, 2024 - Saturday - Perugia to Assisi to Santa Maria to Spello to Lago Trasimeno

Spelo is another very nice scenic hillside village south of Santa Maria and Assisi. It is probably the most scenic of the hillside villages in the area around Assisi, just south of Assisi.

A cloudy day in Spello. A nice travel day with no rain and not hot or cold. Pretty comfortable actually.

More beautiful countryside.

Building at the top left with rocks steps built into the wall. Steps are for the room on the inside.

Olive trees, with a silver green color, growing on all the hillsides. Standing on a curve of the road taking scenery pictures is a good way to get to heaven fairly quickly, I 'm told. The sculpture left of the tree was interesting.

The arches are not for pretty. The keep walls from buckling outward with the weight of the building above. Still, they add a lot to the feeling of being sheltered as you walk along narrow streets catching glimpses of the sky above.

Someone here really liked ceramics. The stairway rail is adorned with ceramic colorful pots. The path going up and left at a steep angle is a typical street here in the village of Spello.

Santa Maria Maggiore in Spello - Scaffolding inside and outside restoring the old dome of Santa Maria church, about 3km from Assisi. A mass was being performed inside mid-day on a Saturday. The Padre under a plywood and OSB temporary roof under the scaffolding protecting his head. Lots of guys maybe 25 in white robes and regular people in the audience/congregation.

Basilica di San Francesco d'Assisi - the mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Friars Minor Conventual in Assisi. Pretty cool!

Front entrance to the basilica

A courtyard behind the basilica. Traffic control takes you in the front, one-way, through the main church, down below the church to the see tombs of Santo Kiko and several other padres from the year of about 1200 to about 1225. Then back up and out to this courtyard to climb up another level to see the inside of another section of the church. No Pics Allowed inside, although some people did. Damned rule breakers. Overall the architecture was impressive and the alfresco style painting on the ceilings and walls was well done, if you like that kind of subject matter.

Stairs in the corner going up a level.

Back in front of Kiko's Basilica looking up toward the town of Assisi.

View from the basilica looking west across the valley toward the village Santa Maria.

Off in the distance, the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels. Plowed fields. The Olive trees being pruned in the area as spring is rapidly approaching.

February 23, 2024 - Friday - Rome to Perugia

Up 4-flights of escalators, instead of steps to go up about 1,000 feet from the Hotel level on the mountain to the Historic City Center on top of the hill. Raining, quiet, pasta lunch, and another church.

February 22, 2024 - Thursday - Rome Again

There were a few more pics I wanted and by now I have become an unlicensed Tour Guide. As before, anywhere but the Vaticano.

Pantheon front facade on a cloudy day.

Grapevine arbor, stone walkway, Statues, Clock Tower.

Bridge over the Tiber River. Approximately between the Vatican and the Pantheon/Spanish Steps.

Leaving Rome: Roma Termini (Station).

February 21, 2024 - Wednesday - Rome

It took 3-hours to walk around a good part of tourists in Rome. Enough for one day, more tomorrow then heading north.

Walking outside from the underground Metro/subway, I see this old thing. The Metro stop is named Collosseo. My guess, The Roman Colosseum.

Another view of the Colosseum.

Arches from an old wall. Pretty massive.

From a distance, the Coliseum. What would this have looked like when the Romans built Rome.

Palentine Hill Ruins across the dry river bed at the Circo Maximo. One of the 7-Hills of Rome. Lupercal Cave - She Cave: Remus & Romulus. Romulus killed Remus, became the 1st King of the Rome, named after himself.