Travels with John, Spring of 2006

Another Romance for John.  We both like smart cars, no matter what their reputation.

 

In front of San Giovanni in Laterano.

 

The Vatican in the distance got Guido very excited.

 

John has his coin ready for the Fountain of Trevi.

 

 

We often ate at a little cafeteria at the head of Via Babuino, near Piazza del Popolo.

 

Guido took the picture.  The top of the Castel Sant Angelo.

 

I do not know what to say about this.

 

Saint Peter's

 

On the cliffs over the harbor of Sorrento looking towards Naples and Vesuvius.

 

Waiting for Gnocci alla Sorrentina.  John had them in Gorgonzola sauce I think.

 

Wild seas kept us from sailing to Capri.  This is Amalfi.

 

On cold wet days, even I like Cappucino and pastry in Amalfi.

 

Evening on the Amalfi coast.

 

The city of Orvieto in the distance.

 

Bill in Orvieto

 

The Cathedral in Orvieto.

 

Ok, So I will explain...wild Boar is a big thing in Umbria..  It is sort of a bread basket area.  It tends to be more temperate in climate and is noted for wines, vegetables, truffles and hunting...hence the boar.  You find boar sausage, prociutto, and fresh meat for stews, and the like. I like stewed Cinghiale in tomato sauce over Pappardelle.  This is in Orvieto.

 

 The site of the papal conclave in Viterbo.

This is an interesting site.  The building to the right , out of the picture, is where the college of cardinals met to choose a Pope...Gregory the tenth.  The papal palace is behind the camera.  When the cardinals did not choose a Pope for more than a year.  The townspeople tore the roof off the building after locking them in(Con Chiave{with a key}) and let them come to a decision....They had been consuming resources all that time and the people decided to put a stop to it and reduced their food to bread and water.  They chose a Pope soon after.  That is the origin of the practice of Conclave they use now, when choosing a Pope.

 

This is the actual Conclave building.  Viterbo is not usually thought of as a big tourist destination, but I found it to be a very pleasant and atmospheric city, at least inside the old walled city.

 

Bill In Café Florian in Venice.  Pastry and tea for me.

Café Florian is a centuries old café on Saint Mark's square.  Beautiful, rather small and very expensive.  Though, we have found more expensive places where such things as a Coke...something you should avoid like the plague if you do not want to be accused of buying "American Champagne"...will cost upwards of 8 or even 12 dollars a whack!

 

Cappucino for John

 

 

This is Bill in front of the shop from Summertime with Rosano Brazzi and Catherine Hepburn.  To the left is the canal that she fell into during the movie.  Hepburn got an eye infection that she never got over.  It was an antique shop in the movie, but it now sells masks.  We were there during Carnivale.  The building just out of the frame to the right was used as the "Library" in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".  Campo S. Barnaba as you can see in the sign on the top right.

 

 John is standing on the Rialto bridge over the Grand Canal.  The bridge is famous and quite interesting, but it is in a very uninteresting part of the canal.

 

Guido in front of the Doge's palace and Saint Mark's cathedral in the background.

 

Our room was in the oldest palazzo on the Grand Canal.  Probably the maid's quarters though!

 

It is cold that time of year, so I guess the Carnevale costumes would be nice and warm.

 

Ready for a night out at the Casino of Venice.

 

Just shopping is an adventure in Venice.

 

What can I say?  I know it is off the subject, but I have to include the costumes.