Tag: Italian
-
The Way of St. Francis: A puzzling Assisi reception
Our arrival at one of the most important religious places in the world did not go as expected. It left us puzzled. The Basilica of St. Francis stands on the mountaintop in Assisi and sets a high bar for spectacular settings. We had completed the 109-mile pilgrimage from another icon of Catholicism, La Verna. Now…
-
The Way of St. Francis: Mountaintop surprise
Three carryoncouple posts in one day, you ask? Probably too many, but please forgive our enthusiasm. The Way of St. Francis just gave us another reason to celebrate. After yet another climb, we reached our accommodation Saturday afternoon on an isolated mountaintop with sweeping views of Umbrian valleys. We were welcomed to the Casalotto Francescano…
-
The Way of St. Francis: All smiles in Italy
Our hotel lobby has the perfect answer for visitors to Gubbio who want the selfie without leaving the building. This city of 33,000, with most buildings dating to the 14th and 15th centuries, is a wonderful maze of alleys and passageways that author/philosopher Hermann Hesse loved to explore. A medieval church is never more…
-
The Way of St. Francis: On the 7th day, we rested
Our journey through the Umbrian mountains the past two days has provided stunning beauty, fascinating history and nearly constant trekking challenges. The 4th century church Pieve di Saddi (shown from the outside and inside) stands miles from any village. Caretakers welcomed us to picnic on the grounds and to tour the inside. A family…
-
The Way of St. Francis: Chiusi della Verna
The sleepy village of Chiusi Della Verna awoke to brilliant sunshine today, Friday. We started with pastry, strong coffee (yum!), tangerines and packaged toast and jam downstairs in the hotel Bellavista, in photos above. Our room’s small window shows a burst of early spring. We are pausing in this village, dating to the 13th century,…
-
Backroads Across America: RVing in Las Vegas
Yep, we are RVing on the Las Vegas Strip near this clown! (I didn’t mean it that way.) After two long days on the windy roads, we needed a walk down the Strip to the Venetian, where we had wine and a meal that would have made a Tuscan chef proud. So much for…
-
Learning Any New Language Is Foreign to Us!
Conventional wisdom says travelers should learn a few basic words in the native language for convenience and to show respect. I think this is true, so here are some Italian terms we found useful: First, I found many Italians spoke English as soon as I tried my Italian. My theory was that they were proud…
carryoncouple 