Italy – pierreo.com – Join me on my journey

A Week-End in Murano

Posted on 5 March, 2015 by pierreo

Bee and I go away each year for her birthday. In 2014, I surprised her by signing us up for a walking (trekking) tour in the Dolomite mountains of northern Italy, something she had said repeatedly we should do. That trip was already published on my blog last month.

Our trip started on Sunday from Venice and since there is a late flight from Brussels to Venice, we decided to leave after work on Friday. We would arrive very late, in August, at the airport and I did not want to have to fight the crowds in Venice itself. Looking at the Vaporetto Line from the airport into Venice, we noticed that the first stop was in Murano, and thus decided to stay there instead. It would give us one full day and one half day to wander around before we had to meet the rest of the group. We did not go to Venice itself at all on this visit.

Early Saturday, we started to explore Murano, which I knew a little from my previous trips to Venice and always enjoyed. However, the previous visits were fleeting since I was staying on the ‘main’ island and I was looking forward to spending more time, and especially the evening in Murano as well.

Throughout the island there are glass statues, or monuments from local artists. I particularly like the contrast between the very modern Glass Comet (the sculpture is called La Cometa di Vetro by Simone Cenedese) and the 19th century clock tower built on the foundations of a much older 12th century church steeple, long gone along with the church.

Around the corner, we ran into a lovely old house – what I like most about Murano is that it still has a human scale and feels suburban compared to Venice. This old house is surrounded by a garden and a majestic garden gate – you would not see something like this in Venice any more.

The back of the Chiesa dei Santi Maria e Donato (Church of the Saints Mary and Donato) – this is one of the oldest churches in the Venice lagoon, originally built in the 7th century with known restorations in 9th and 10th centuries, possibly some even later. Known for its 12th century mosaic floor. It houses small bones from St. Donatus of Arezzo and larger bones from a ‘dragon’ that the saint is reported to have killed.

The back of the church has a definite Moorish look, and so do the decorations inside.

The garden in the back of the Glass Museum gives a good view of the Campanile of Santo Donato (short name for the church above!)

A typical canal in Murano – this is suburbia – there is a three boat porch in front of every house – sorry, no cars. Continue reading “A Week-End in Murano” →

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Travel

Hiking in the Dolomite

Posted on 22 February, 201522 February, 2015 by pierreo

Bee and I had been talking about a trip like this for several years. I had thought about it ever since I had seen a picture taken by a friend of a refuge with mountains in the background. I took essentially the same picture on the trip I will be describing here.

This was my 5th trip with Wilderness Travel and was another fantastic experience. We had a group of eight people with three guides, including Giuseppe whom I had already met on my first trip with Wilderness in Slovenia. Giuseppe was joined by Leila and Sean so we had three experienced guides (with two vans) to help us on this trip. It was great to have that flexibility given the weather that we encountered on some of the walks.

We met the group at the airport in Venice and quickly got into our two vans for the drive to the first stop of the day – for lunch half way to our first real destination. We stopped in the small town of Vittorio Veneto, at the edge of the Alps in an old water mill converted into a restaurant and had a great meal outside even though it was somewhat cold for the season. We then continued to Passo Giau where we would spend the first three nights of our trip at the Rifugio Pass Giau.

As soon as we arrived, I recognized where we were. The mountain with a flat top in the background is quite unique – this is a similar view to the picture who had made me want to be here – thanks Bill.

The was also the view from our bedroom at the Rifugio. Sean and Leila have stayed here many times and therefore know the owners quite well – it is like being welcomed into somebody’s house!

Cannot have a view of the Alps without a cow here and there! The weather was not great, and was not going to be great for the whole week so we had to contend with a very heavy sky, not making the pictures as spectacular as they could have been. But when the sun did shine, we were rewarded with spectacular scenery.

The contrast between light and shade can also enhance the view at times.

Near the Rifugio, there was a small chapel, as always called Santa Maria (or something) delle Neve to indicate that it is often covered in snow. They are usually dedicated to the memory of mountain guides who lost their lives doing what they loved to do.

We went on a ‘warm-up’ hike from the hotel in order to open our appetite for dinner. The Rifugio where we stayed is the first structure on the right and is quite a popular place at lunch and towards the end of the day, when people have finished their hike and are ready to go home. The crowd was thinning significantly as we were walking around. Continue reading “Hiking in the Dolomite” →

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Culture, Food, Travel

Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast – Part 2

Posted on 9 February, 20159 February, 2015 by pierreo

After 5 days in Naples, Bee and I moved to the relative tranquility of Sorrento, on the Bay of Naples, on the Amalfi Peninsula, and the gateway to the Amalfi Coast and Capri. We had ten more days to explore this part of Italy, rich in History, Art and Nature.

We went to Capri on our first day there – the weather forecast was not ideal for the week to come and we thought we wanted to take advantage of a reasonable day to explore the island.

Unfortunately, two cruise ships had arrived overnight, and all passengers from the ships were also going to Capri. Our ferry into the island was full and we could not get the return trip we wanted, so had a return earlier than we wanted initially.

Still, the day started positive – we booked a boat trip around the island, which included a visit to the Blue Grotto and wandered around the harbor while waiting for the departure. It was very interesting to see that even though this is a very touristy island, there are still people here doing traditional work, such as fishing out of small boats.

Here is a general view of the main harbour. On the side of the mountain in the background, you can see the first few houses of the second town in Capri called Anacapri.

Taxis on the island have been somewhat modified to cater to the expectations of local tourists. It is obvious that the maximum expected speed on the island is very low, or this type of roof on a car would not survive very long.

On the trip around the island, we first passed by the Blue Grotto. We were told that unfortunately the tide and the wave were too high to be able to visit the grotto that day. The entrance is very tight and it is often impossible to go through. However, it looks like some people are making it, so I am not sure if the boat captain was telling us the truth or not.

At the Western tip of the island, on Punta Carena, stands a very tall light house. It is critical to mark the entrance to the Bay of Naples where there has been a busy port for many centuries.

Again, we can see that normal life continues around tourism – this gentleman was fishing probably in the same way they were doing it 100 and 500 years ago!

Continue reading “Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast – Part 2” →

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Travel

Napoli and Amalfi – Part 1

Posted on 15 September, 201413 February, 2015 by pierreo

If it is not obvious already from the amount of time that I spend there, I love Italy. I have been there many times and every time I do, I come back more enchanted and convinced that I should come again.

In all my previous trips, I had spent a grand total of 3 or 4 days in the area around Naples, and all of that when I was 11 and 13 years old. I had memories of Paestum, Monte Cassino, Heculaneum and Castel del’Ovo. But these were very vague, and I was not sure what was what any more.

Bee and I decided to spend the time between Easter and May Day in and around Naples so that we could take advantage of two holidays. We arrived in Naples on 19 April, rented a car and drove to our hotel right in the center of the city. The hotel was situated on a pedestrian street and so had left good instructions of where to park. We found the parking and walked to the Hotel Il Convento. We had booked a room with balcony, at the very top of the hotel and it was very nice.

We went for a walk in order to discover the neighborhood. On Piazza Plebiscito (Suffrage Square), we saw this sight of a cruise ship leaving harbor. Naples and, as we will see later, Sorrento are major stops on the cruising Italy scene.

There was not much going on in the low town around the square, so we decided to go up with one of the old cable cars (Funicolare Centrale) up to the Vomero Hill. The car runs underground all the way up to the top of the hill.

We first went to visit the Castel Sant’Elmo, located right at the top of the hill and built by the Spanish in 1538, with spectacular views of the city and Mount Vesuvius just behind it. At first, I was not sure that it was Mount Vesuvius, as I did not remember the second “hump” on the side of the mountain, and all the photos and paintings of the volcano showed it more with the typical conical shape. However, comparing with the location of Vesuvius on the map, and when we went there, I can confirm that the big mountain just outside the city is indeed Mount Vesuvius.

Here is a wider panorama of the Bay of Naples. Vesuvius is on the left and then you can see the low hills of the Amalfi Peninsula. The last two dark spots on the right of the photo are the two hills of Capri – we had excellent visibility that day as the sun started to come down.

After the castle, we went to the Certosa di San Martino, located only 100 m from the castle. It used to be a Monastery, build in the 14th century and rebuilt in the 17th. A constructed view (180 degrees) of the cloisters inside the monastery – this is Chiostro Grande.

There are ancient carriages used by the former occupants of the Certosa – I guess the chief abbot was used to travel in style!

Continue reading “Napoli and Amalfi – Part 1” →

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Food, Travel

Tuscany after New Year

Posted on 5 August, 2013 by pierreo

After five great days in Florence, Bee and I decided to go explore the Chianti area between Florence and Siena. We took the long way there, stopping in Pisa first. I had not been in Pisa for a few years and the last times I was there, the Campanile, also known as the “Leaning Tower of Pisa” was leaning a little too much and under severe renovations. That is all done now, and the view coming into the Piazza dei Miracoli is back to where it should be, to me, one of the best sights in the world …

We started by visiting the Battistero, not visible on the picture above but facing the Cathedral. The interior was surprising to say the least. It looked as much as a formal meeting place for political discussions as a place where young babies are introduced to the Catholic faith.

You can climb the tower again. This is done in groups of about 20 people every 1/2 hour. You book your ‘time’ in advance and hope the weather does not change too much just before you get to go in. It was threatening to rain, but held off while we were in line. The visit begins inside, at the bottom of the tower which is hollow! I forgot that. There is an explanation of the history of the tower and the restorations, which reduced the lean by a few degrees and actually stopped it from going further. Quite a success considering that 10-15 years ago, people thought there was nothing to do and the tower would eventually collapse.

There are instruments inside the tower which measure its position to make sure that everything remains safe.

It is a bell tower and therefore there are bells at the top. Here is a panoramic view of the carillon. Being so close, I Was happy it was not time to ‘ring’ the hours, or call the faithful to mass. That would have been very painful, I bet.

The view of the Piazza dei Miracoli from the top is spectacular. The Cathedral is in front, obviously, then the Battistero and to the right, you can see the roof of the Campo Santo. In the distance, Marina di Pisa, now a place where beachgoers go to private beach resorts but formerly the source of the wealth of Pisa with access to the Mediterranean Sea and the spice trade.

Continue reading “Tuscany after New Year” →

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Culture, Travel

Florence at New Year

Posted on 23 June, 20134 August, 2013 by pierreo

Ok, so I am a little behind. I have been busier than usual since this trip in Florence at the end of 2012, but I am still within almost 1/2 year…

Bee and I decided to spend a few days in Florence and then a few in Chianti right around New Year. I had just removed my cast and so needed the exercise.

An absolute “must” if you go to Florence is the “Firenze Card”. You can get one for one or several days and it gives access to many musea, free use of public transport, but best of all, you can cut the lines at most musea and churches as if you had pre-booked your ticket. A huge time saver. While visiting the Uffizi Gallery one early morning, we discovered, through a window, this great view of the Ponte Vecchio – difficult to get this vantage point anywhere else.

One evening, I took a night shot from the other side. Without a tripod, I had to place my camera on the edge of the other bridge and use my remote control to trigger the shot – 2 second exposure!

Still in the Uffizzi Gallery, we found a terrace, with a coffee shop where we had more unusual views of Florence. The Duomo is so crowded in the middle of other buildings that it is not easy to get an overall view of it.

The Palazzo Vecchio is a different story. It was so close that even with my wide angle lens, I was not able to get a good shot. This is none photos stitched together. The tower looks even thinner and flimsier in this shot, but I really like the whole ensemble.

Continue reading “Florence at New Year” →

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Culture, Travel

Northern Italy – Part 2

Posted on 6 November, 20116 November, 2011 by pierreo

Unfortunately, I had to leave Venice. While I was there, I discovered that a new exhibit about painters who lived in Paris in the twenties was opening soon in Ferrara. I had one night of unplanned stay and so decided to head South.

I made my first stop in a town I first visited in 1971 and again in 1980. Ravenna is not well known amongst international tourists and yet it should be. There is a lot to see here.

I first stopped at the Basilica San Vitale. This, I believe, is the oldest church I have ever visited. It was consecrated in 547 (I did not forget the 1 in front!). It’s design is octagonal as most early churches were and the walls are feet thick. However, it is an unbelievable edifice!

The inside is sparsely decorated, but there is a very nice mosaic right over the altar. In a place like this, it almost seems as if time has stopped. I can only imagine the 1000’s of people who have come here over the many many years to pray, to gain some comfort, to believe and to admire. One can easily understand the power that the church had at that time considering the available choices.

A detail of the extremely intricate mosaic over the altar.

Next to the Basilica is the Mausoleo di Galla Placidia – the half-sister of Roman Emperor Honorius who reigned between 395 and 423 and died in Ravenna. I could not find out when it was built, but probably in the first half of 400AD! It is small and cramped, and poorly lit, but quite exquisit… Galla Placidia is not actually burried here (she died in Rome) and no one is sure who was intended to be in the three sarcofagi (their contents were apparently burnt in the 1500’s).

You know you are in a “special” place when the “New Church” was built in the 6th century! That is the case of the Basilica di Sant’Appolinare Nuovo.

Continue reading “Northern Italy – Part 2” →

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Culture, Travel

Northern Italy – Part 1

Posted on 1 November, 2011 by pierreo

In September, it already seems like that was ages ago, I went on a 2-week trip to Northern Italy. The first part of the trip gave the first opportunity my car has had to “stretch its legs” – I went down the German Autobahn from the Belgian border to the Austrian border towards Innsbruck. Even with the traffic, there were opportunities to see how well it performs. I discovered that at 220 km/hr, my fuel consumption goes up significantly, over 8 liters per 100 km! When the road was clear, I would cruise at 180-190 km/hr, very comfortably and therefore I made it to Innsbruck in the early evening. Even though I had driven through the city once or twice, I had only stopped there on a dark wintry day in 1969, the first time I drove with my parents back to Belgium for Christmas. This time I had the opportunity to visit this very nice city a little bit. The old quarter is very pleasant and from the window of my hotel, I had a great view on the Olympic Ski Jump, used in the 1964 and the 1976 Winter Olympic Games.

One of the reasons for me to stop in Innsbruck was to have the opportunity to do the ‘Old Road’ on the Brenner Pass between Austria and Italy. There is now a highway and a tunnel that by-passes this road that did not exist in 1969. I did not want to do this after driving 1000 km so I did it first thing in the morning. There was not a whole lot of traffic and therefore I had good fun. From the border, on my way to San Daniele in the Friuli, I decided to detour via Cortina D’ampezzo, coincidentally host of the Winter Olympic Games in 1956. It seems that I was touring the Old Continent’s classic winter locations! During a walk above the town, I caught a glimpse of the Ski Jump from the earlier Olympics…

I also had beautiful views of the valley and mountains around Cortina d’Ampezzo, one of the most glamorous ski destinations in Italy – at this time of year, it is a sleepy little town, especially on a cold and cloudy September day. This is the top of the Cable Car that takes visitors into the main ski area.

I took a short walk and found an even better view further along the path.

The town of Cortina is completely surrounded by mountains. It is hard to get to as there are only a few, small roads heading there. So I had a lot of fun driving in and out of it as well. A closer look at the town itself.

Continue reading “Northern Italy – Part 1” →

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