Life is a patchwork of experiences
There are over 1000 years of history in this photo. The round church in the background is the Rotonda di San Lorenzo in the city of Mantua, Italy. This is the oldest church in this UNESCO designated city, built in the late 11th century, and still has some of the original frescoes visible inside. The red Vespa in the foreground is another classic Italian legacy, but only since the 1940’s.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
Quilt Inspiration – I made this quilt to commemorate our 30th wedding anniversary trip to Venice. Blue and red seem to be the traditional colors of Venice – gondoliers wear blue-and-white or red-and-white striped shirts. The traditional carnival masks tend to use red or blue diamond patterns, so I knew those would be the predominant colors in the quilt.
Continue reading ““Remembering Venice” – Original Quilt Design”
When I first saw the puddles in St. Mark’s square in Venice, I thought it had rained while I was having dinner. But when the puddles kept getting bigger, I realized that the high tide was seeping in from underneath the paving stones in the plaza. I could not resist the opportunity for another reflection photo.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
The gondola is a form of transportation that is totally unique to Venice. For many, a trip to this city is not complete without a gondola ride through its canals. Most people though take a gondola near St. Mark’s square and as a result, their gondola experience is nose to tail with other tourists. For a less touristy alternative, I picked a gondolier on one of the quiet back canals in the Dorsoduro district of Venice. This district is an easy vaporetto boat ride across the Grand Canal from St. Marks square, yet not many tourists seem to go there. As a result, I had peaceful and relaxing gondola ride that gave me a different perspective of this city built on top of the water.
Thanks for visiting
Rose
Quilt Inspiration – This Burano Sampler quilt was inspired by the many colorful houses on the island of Burano in the Venetian Lagoon. Each of the houses on Burano is painted a different bright shade, so that as you are walking through the town, it feels like you are in the middle of a big box of crayons.
Continue reading ““Burano Sampler” Quilt – An Original Quilt Design”
One final view of Italy’s majestic Dolomite granite peaks before we move on. This view is in the Rosengarten/Cantinaccio region. The German name, Rosengarten, derives from a legend about the dwarf king Lauren who supposedly had a rose garden here, but because of a curse, it can only be seen at sunset. These peaks average around 9000 ft. and since they are west facing, beautifully capture the orange glow of sunset. As with other regions in these mountains, there are ample scenic hiking opportunities in the area.
Thanks for visiting
Rose
With over 6000 square miles to explore in Italy’s Dolomite mountain region, we decided to make our home base in the town of Castelrotto/Kastelruth near the area of the Alpe Di Suisi (in Italian, or Seiser Alm in German). This high alpine meadow claims to be the highest and one of the largest alpine meadows in Europe at an altitude of approximately one mile above sea level and covering an area of approximately 23 square miles. Continue reading “Photo Essay: Hiking in the Alpe Di Siusi High Alpine Meadow in Italy’s Dolomites”
The Dolomite mountain region is northern Italy’s outdoor playground with numerous options for skiing in winter and hiking in summer. The 6000 square mile area is also protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Driving through the area the views present granite peaks soaring over lush green meadows and picturesque towns with characteristic church steeples.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
I like hiking the Italian way. On a recent trip to Italy for a Dolomite trekking holiday with my husband and daughter, we discovered that in Italy, “la dolce vita” or “the sweet life”, applies equally to hiking as it does to all other things Italian. Continue reading “Hiking Like an Italian on My Dolomite Trekking Holiday”
The Dolomites are a spectacular mountain range in northern Italy. 6000 square miles of jagged limestone peaks, they have been a tourist destination since the mid 1800’s. But it was the 1956 Winter Olympics in the region that put this mountain range on the winter skiing map. In the summer, the high alpine meadows are shared by hikers and the local cows as they move to the higher pastures for grazing.
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
