Food | The Travel Lady In Her Shoes

Absinthe, Pirates, History and the NOLA Charm

St Louis Cathedral

There are two ways to get to the center of The French Quarter from our spot in Marigny; stroll the seven blocks on Chartres St to St Louis Cathedral or take the Loyola-UPT Streetcar that ends near us at the French Market.

The French Market Streetcar

During our stay we do both. From the French Market we get off the streetcar at Dumaine St and walk a couple of blocks to our first stop, the Cafe Du Monde, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week!

Cafe Du Monde

A large area of indoor/outdoor seating, the cafe is packed. The menus are imprinted on the napkin holders. The choices are coffee, soft drinks, orange juice and two sizes of beignets, either 3 or 6, smothered in powdered sugar. That’s it! I really can’t see what the hub-bub about the place is, but every time we passed by the cafe it was full. It’s been a landmark in New Orleans since 1862.

Jackson Square

Jackson Square, NOLA

Continuing on we come to Jackson Square and behind that the beautiful St Louis Cathedral, the oldest continuously operating church in the US, built in 1720, rebuilt in 1789, becoming a cathedral in 1794.

St Louis Cathedral, NOLA

In front of the church on a wide band of street there are small booths of fortune tellers, ice cream vendors and musicians. Stepping inside the church we get relief from the heat and humidity which is quickly rising. Leaving the church and turning right and then right again we are on a small cobblestoned alley with St Anthony’s Garden behind the church. This alley is known to the locals as Pirates Alley. 600 feet long and 16 feet wide it is not listed on many of the maps of the French Quarter. The smell of New Orleans is more intense here, a smell of damp vegetation and a faint woodiness lingering with the latin rhythms, salsa music and blues coming from the corner. This corner was infamous for settling duels and debts of honor. Jean Lafitte, the famous pirate, who provided services to any country at war against another by attacking their ships, brought the booty to town and the goods were sold in the alley. Eventually the Spanish Colonial Prison called the Calabozo was built on this corner in 1769. Lafitte and his men were jailed here by Governor Claiborne of New Orleans. The prison was demolished in 1837, and the land was sold to make a long creole house which was the home of William Faulkner, where he wrote his first novel ”Soldiers Pay.” The creole house is now home to the Faulkner House Books. Now at the intersection of Pirates Alley and Cabildo Alley, where the prison was, is the Pirates Alley Cafe, known for caribbean drinks and absinthe.

Pirates Alley Cafe

Traditional absinthe was made of anise, fennel and wormwood (a plant) with added herbs and flowers making it green in color. The herbs and spices were soaked in alcohol and then distilled. The drink called la fée verte, (Green fairy) in French, was thought to be highly hallucinative also. Yes, drinking a couple of those today one might see fairies and pirates!

One afternoon, not far from Pirates Alley, we made our way to the Grape Vine Wine Bar and Bistro. We spent a lovely afternoon wine tasting and choosing cheeses from the cheese board. Then we were served large portions of appetizers. I had the crab cakes and they were fabulous. The ambience and service in this bistro is outstanding. With seating indoors or out this was our favorite spot in the old French Quarter.

Grapevine Wine Bar and Bistro

Another highlight of New Orleans is the WWII National War Museum. Traveling by way of the Canal Streetcar, switching to the St Charles Streetcar, we got off at Lee Circle and walked the rest of the way to the museum. The large museum is separated into different buildings and exhibits. Upon entering the ticket building in the Louisiana Memorial Pavilion we were greeted by veterans who are here every day and volunteer their services at all of the different venues. It was truly inspiring to see so many retired serviceman still giving of their time. Our first stop was the “Train Car Experience” where we boarded a train re-creating the tearful farewells and bittersweet returns of the men and women who went to war. Then we went upstairs to see the “America Goes to War,” “D-Day Invasion of Normandy,” “The Landing Beaches,” and the “D-Day Invasions of the Pacific.” All the exhibits were interactive and very interesting. One of the highlights of the museum was the short movie, “Beyond All Boundaries” produced and narrated by Tom Hanks. The movie is a journey of words and stories of actual WWII participants. The Solomon Victory Theater, where the movie is shown, has a screen 120 feet wide, with 9 digital cinema DPL Projectors. (a regular theater has only one) There are 27 surround sound custom speakers and 250 special effects theater seats that shake when the tanks are rolling by! Many of the props used to make the movie come alive are authentic pieces of equipment. There are 305 archival photographs and 517 film clips of actual footage shot during the war. You will not want to miss this special attraction.

Going outside the exhibits we looked at a WWII Victory Garden complete with posters!

The National WWII Museum

The Marine Corps Band, NOLA

Victory Garden Poster

Victory Garden

Victory Garden Poster

WWII Museum, NOLA

The other feature that I enjoyed was the “USS Tang” experience. Upon entering the submarine we are given actual sailors’ ID cards. Using the ID of the sailor, we were assigned to his station and duty in the sub.

Submarine Sailor ID’s

We had an interactive encounter recreating the last war patrol of America’s most decorated submarine in WWII! What a great time we had visiting the museum! There is the Stage Door Canteen and the American Sector Restaurant to eat in and then to wrap up our day we were entertained by the Marine Corps Band of New Orleans, part of the Memorial Day Concert Series. New Orleans has so much to offer; great food and drink, stunning architecture, history and perseverance. I think you will enjoy including NOLA to your list of “Not to Miss.” Enjoy!

Weekly Word Challenge: Food

May Spring Garden Party

The Front Porch

Spring is the time for a Garden Party! These are pictures of one one of the best “Spring Parties” we ever had! The garden is in bloom and it is not too hot outside so we can entertain moving in and out of the garden. My next door neighbors are professional chefs and they made all the fine food for this party! How lucky am I? Enjoy!

For more “FOOD” follow Susie’s Weekly Word Challenge this week !

Pineapple Strawberry Kabob

May Spring Garden Party Spring

Dessert!

May Spring Garden Party

This is the garden!

Cottage Garden

May Spring Garden Party

The Garden

The Garden

Cottage Garden

To B or Not to B: That was the Question

Marginy BnoB

Fleur-de-Lis

In the past week I returned from a 5 day stay in New Orleans. I have never been before. When I first mentioned going there, SB’s remarks were, “I went there in college, you won’t like it.” My daughter went this winter for a conference and texted me, “Mom, you won’t like it.” Really? “What’s there not to like, I asked?”

“The drinking, that’s all anyone does there.”

“You mean like during Mardi Gras?”

“Yep.”

Then I started to check out the hotels. Hmmmm…….. They were very expensive with more than the average reviews by unhappy campers. After spending many hours pouring over reviews I decided to look at a different venue. Hmmmm….. What was the AIRB&B website? Now this was interesting! People rent out rooms in their house? Hmmmmm… I felt uncomfortable about showing up in a strange town AND at somebody’s house, who I didn’t even know! “Knock, knock, I’m here, glad to meet you, show me my room!” So I typed in “private apartments.” One looked very promising, the Marginy BnoB in the Frenchman Area.

The listing stated, “I am and have been a “New Orleans Public School Teacher” for 27 years. I have 3 children and 1 grandchild. I own a double shotgun house in New Orleans. I converted part of it as a bedroom for my daughter. When she moved out I converted to a Bed no Breakfast. I look forward to meeting new people ”

I liked her sense of humor and I liked the reviews I read about her place, so I booked it. The owner, Ginger, sounded responsible, the location in a residential neighborhood looked good, and the price was VERY REASONABLE. I looked forward to the trip!

Marginy BnoB was perfect! It was a Double Shotgun House, a long narrow house with a door at each side of the rectangle, revealing twin houses, divided by a center wall, one of the very popular style homes here. Our side consisted of a private entrance, large living area, with TV, microwave, coffee pot with tea/coffee and bottled water, and large bedroom area with a bathroom. Everything was spotless.

Marginy BnoB

The Living Room

Marginy BnoB

Showing us around and making sure we had everything we needed, we asked her if her house had been affected by Hurricane Katrina. She told us how the Marigny Neighborhood was the highest point of land in New Orleans, but she knew that so many others had not fared as well. She was very proud of her Cajun heritage and the recovery process of so many people, especially the children she taught. Then she showed us her fleur-de-lis tattoo on her arm and told me we would see many people with the tattoo. The tattoo represented perseverance and solidarity after Katrina. Talking with Ginger was like going to an old friend’s house, and after giving us the layout of the land she returned to her home next door. She was there if we needed anything. Perfect! For an interesting background on the Marigny Neighborhood read my photo narrative HERE!

Artwork in Marigny

I was excited about exploring my new digs. I loved all the different styles of homes jumbled into long skinny lots. AND the color! It was a spilled paintbox of brightness! It was like a box of chocolates, you never knew what to expect.

One of My Favorite Houses in NOLA

My Other favorite House

We were close to some of the best rated restaurants in New Orleans. One of our favorites, The Praline Connection, was one block from the apartment. Soul Food/Cajun at its finest! BBQ ribs, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, catfish and one of the side dishes was my favorite, crowder peas and okra with rice, rice, rice! The restaurants were frequented by locals, standing room only, and the crowds (drink in hand) did not mind waiting in line to get in. New Orleans, allows the possession and consumption on the street of any alcoholic beverage in an open plastic container. I want to think this started due in part to the intense heat and humidity.

Another of our favorites was the Port of Call Restaurant. Here they served their famous Monsoon Drinks (tropical juices, with or without booze) with their specialties of steaks, hamburgers and scrumptious huge baked potatoes with all the trimmings! It was very dark and cool in this restaurant, especially in the heat of the day. You will notice closed shutters on all the windows in New Orleans, even on the doors, which I though a bit odd at first. The shutters are kept closed to keep the cool air in because the heat and humidity are fierce here. We walked the neighborhood at night to get a peek at the chandelier ceilings and the tiny romantic interiors of these homes. It was the only time of day you could actually see inside. Many of the homes had outdoor gas lamps which also added to the charm.

Our favorite morning spot was the Cake Cafe and Bakery. Further up the street we walked through the charming neighborhood to reach this icon on the corner for breakfast. Clearly a local favorite, I could have sat here all day (well until 3pm when they close) just to watch the people. One gentleman and his friend was here every time I was. He walked with the assistance of a walker and his friend would park the car near the entrance whether there was room or not. When the servers saw them coming they went out of there way to open doors and help him into the restaurant and would quickly find him a seat. He clearly was a favorite and well known. I was struck by his features, his style of dress, his jewelry, his soft spoken demeanor and the reverence the locals had for him. As I was snapping shots of the cafe, he watched me. He knew I wanted to take his picture and was hesitant. Then he nodded and I clicked twice. I just love his picture and I bet he has a fleur-di-lis somewhere too! I can’t begin to tell you how many people would pass us on the street and start up a conversation. The people are clearly proud of New Orleans and wanted to make us welcome.

Cake Cafe and Bakery

Interspersed among the restaurants were the jazz clubs, crayfish boils, and a small neighborhood grocery that would have given the small Italian markets I love so much, a run for their money.

So, I was very impressed with our first venture with AIRB&B. But, I was greatly moved by the people of New Orleans and their motivation to keep their lifestyle alive and well. Next…… What else did I do and see in New Orleans? Yes, I reluctantly left Marigny to see other neighborhoods in the city. Part 3 NOLA is next to come! Enjoy!

Visiting Carmel, Indiana: Heaven on Earth

Monon Depot Museum, Carmel, IN

Carmel, Indiana, located in Hamilton County, just north of Indianapolis, is a paradise for the young and old. In 2012 Carmel was selected as the Best Place to Live in America by CNN Money Magazine and I totally agree! Until 1874, the town where Carmel now sits was called Bethlehem. In 1924, one of the first automatic traffic lights in the United States was installed at the intersection of Main Street and Rangeline Road. The signal that was installed was the invention of Leslie Haines and is currently in the old train Station on the Monon. Today, Carmel has become the unofficial roundabout capital of the World, due to the installation of over eighty roundabouts and demolition of seventy-eight sets of traffic signals! That is huge compared to the small town that I live in, Davidson, North Carolina, where we have three! The roundabouts are user friendly (once you get the hang of them) and places for beautiful landscaping design as well.

Carmel Arts and Design District promotes small businesses and local artisans and walking down Main Street there are fifteen bronze life-size sculptures, part of the “Man-on-the Street Series, created by J. Seward Johnson, Jr., “The Norman Rockwell of American Sculpture,” starting in the 1980s. These sculptures look so real and are placed in front of store fronts that depict their actions.

“Eternal Spring””

Fun in Town

“Holding Out”

“Sidewalk Concert”

“Ambassador of the Streets”

“One Man’s Search”

“Unconditional Surrender”

“Whose In Charge?”

“There Now You Can Grow”

“Confusing Predictions”

“First Ride”

Walking past the storefronts in “Old Town” you come to a crosswalk where the sculpture of the policeman is. Look both ways here because the Monon Trail crosses this section of Main Street and is always busy with bikers, walkers, joggers, skate boarders, men and women walking dogs, families with prams, you get the picture, it is WONDERFUL!

Oh, It’s You Welcome!

The Monon Trail, completed in 2003, measures 10.4 miles from 10th Street in Indianapolis where it connects at 96th Street, to the 5.2-mile Monon Greenway in Carmel. Used more than 1.2 million times in 2005, this makes the Monon Trail one of the busiest in the nation. The inviting part of the Monon Trail in Carmel is the restaurants, coffee shoppes, shopping and the Carmel Farmers Saturday Market, to be found along the trail. One can walk, bike, or jog and stop along the route for a cuppa, lunch, or shopping and then return to the trail! Also, along the trail you pass lovely kept turn of the century neighborhoods sprinkled with the pastel cottage and arts and crafts style home. For the newbies there are new townhouses built within a few yards of the Monon Trail too. Just walk outside your door and here is the trail, the restaurants, the shopping! Who wouldn’t want to live here, is my question!

The Streets in “Old Town” Carmel, IN

“There Now You Can Grow”

The Streets in “Old Town” Carmel, IN

“The Monon Trail”

Carmel City Center is a one million square foot mixed use development located in the heart of Carmel. The Monon Greenway runs directly through the project. Here is the location for the Center of Performing Arts which includes a 1600 seat concert hall named “The Palladian” and the 500-seat theater named “The Tarkington” and a 200- seat black box theater. The large park located next to the city center is the location for the Carmel Farmers Market, so it is easy to get there on the Monon Trail on Saturday mornings or park your car in the covered parking garage just 150 feet from the Market. The Market, founded in 1998, is a growers and producers-only market with over sixty vendors. There are fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses, jams and salsas, COFFEE, eggs, honey, plants and prepared foods. (like the Walking Waffle, one of my favorites) In addition there are cooking demonstrations, children’s activities and live music all in one place. All workers are volunteers and there is even a bike parking lot that is manned by local youth organizations so you can park your bike and go!

The Bike Lot

The Police Vehicle

The Walking Waffle

The Carmel Farmers Market

In 2007, a 24.5 million dollar water park and mega-fitness center was opened in the 55 million Carmel Central Park. You guessed it, situated right on the Monon Trail! The Outdoor Water Park consists of two water slides, a drop slide, diving board, a lazy river, a kiddie pool, a large zero depth activity pool Flowrider and a lap pool. The state-of-the-art fitness center consists of an indoor lap pool, a recreation pool with it’s own water slides, snack bar, gymnasium, 1/8 mile indoor running track and the Kids Zone Childcare Center. The building is connected by an elevated walkway over the Monon Trail, where the Carmel Clay Parks Department offices are located which has a banquet center and activity rooms that can be rented out. Carmel is truly one of the special small towns in the US and I hope you make it a point to check it out! It makes a lovely Weekend Getaway, or a week for that matter! Enjoy!

A Word a Week Photo Challenge: Carry

This week I am starting a series of posts about small towns in the USA. Here we are in Carmel, Indiana, one of the most charming towns to be found in the midwest! For this week’s challenge: “Carry,” let’s get the Walking Waffle at the busy Saturday Market!

The Walking Waffle

One of the features of the town is the fabulous “arts” district. The Carmel Public Arts Collection includes a variety of media and supports community interests. J. Seward Johnson, Jr., an American realist, was born in 1930. He is the grandson of the founder of the Johnson and Johnson Company. After a career in painting he turned to sculpting in 1968. Johnson has designed and created more than 250 life-size bronze sculptures in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. “The Man-on-the-Street” series began in the 1960’s and continues as Johnson creates new ways to express his subjects. Fifteen of these sculptures can be be found at different locations throughout the Carmel Old Town and Carmel City Center. See a map of sculptures Here! Walking through Carmel’s “old town” is such a delight! The sculptures look so real and are located in front of shoppes that relate to the sculpture. For more about Carmel, IN, follow my postings on “Small Towns in the USA” that begins tomorrow! Enjoy!

“Whose In Charge?”

“Who’s in Charge”
A young boy in overalls and hat sitting on a man’s shoulders

Located in front of Simply Sweet Shoppe at 30 N. Range Line Road, one block north of the Main Street & Range Line Road intersection, Carmel, IN

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Broadway

The Fuchsia is Sooooo Beautiful!

The Parsonage in Broadway, UK

Broadway’s name fits the village. Village life is lined along a broad grass-fringed, red chestnut way, so we started at the end with the Christmas shop and made our way to the center of the village. Broadway will not disappoint you, as it is chock full of restaurants, inns, pubs, antique stores, coffee shops, and gift shops. Whew! In one gift shop we had a big time looking over one gift item in particular! Here is one. Can you guess what it is?

The Nose Knows

A porcelain, hand painted nose for glasses/spectacles! Never lose your glasses again! The nose knows! The English have such a sense of humor! It is a gift for my mother-in-law!

There is also a local market, the Broadway Deli, and a larger grocery, called Budgens, located down a narrow strip of walkway deep in blooming lavender and pale pink shrub roses! It was the first large grocery we were to find in our Cotswolds travels. More dogs lounging here! The dogs are either sleeping under the benches or waiting patiently at shop doors!

The Village Deli in Broadway, UK

Shopping at Budgen’s Grocery in Broadway, UK

The Pathway to Budgens in Broadway, UK

Shrub Roses and Lavender in Broadway UK

My favorite discovery in Broadway was a public restroom right next to the large central parking lot. Maintained by a meticulous gentleman, he promptly made us aware that the restroom had been declared, “Loo of the Year.”

The “Loo of the Year,” Broadway, UK

The sign was proudly displayed and rightly so. The loo was spotless and the squarish Cotswold stone building fit right in with the architecture of Broadway. Who wouldn’t want to live in a place that can boast the “Loo of the Year”? My other delight were all the hanging baskets of pink fuchsias and purple cascading vines. They were beautiful and hanging outside several of the shops. We spent a lovely and lively afternoon in Broadway. You will want to add Broadway to your Cotswolds calendar!

Beautiful flowers of Broadway, UK

The Beautiful Flower Baskets of Broadway, UK

The Lavender of Broadway, UK

The Pathway to Budgens in Broadway, UK

The Lavender of Broadway, UK

Budgens Grocery, Broadway, UK

A Tired Puppy in Broadway, UK

On the Broad Way of Broadway, UK

A Coat of Arms in Broadway, UK

Lavender and Rose Path in Broadway, UK

Dog in Broadway, UK

Broadway, UK

St Michael’s Church Converted to Shops in Broadway, UK

The Cottages of Broadway, UK

The Christmas Shop in Broadway, UK

A Garden across from the Christmas Shop in Broadway, UK

For your reading enjoyment I have selected a hand printed and watercolored book by Susan Branch, titled A Fine Romance; Falling in Love With the English Countryside, that I literally devoured. A travel journal of her two month ramble through the backroads and small villages of the English countryside, it is filled with pictures, witty captions and charming detail of her dream to visit her long awaited England. For more information on Susan’s work see: http://www.susanbranch.com

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Ebrington

Oaks Cottage Gate, Ebrington, UK

I met a lovely man in a Chipping Campden clothing shop on High Street, who asked me what brought me to the village. When I answered, “my ancestors,” he invited me to his village and church in Ebrington. You see, I am making my way to Kinlet, Shropeshire, UK and St John the Baptist Church, where my ancestors, Sir Humphrey Blount and his wife Elizabeth, are buried.

Ebrington, UK

Ebrington, a village of narrow lanes and tiny streets of Cotswold stone cottages and thatched roof cottages, is a just a short walk from Chipping Campden. The Ebrington Arms Inn and Pub, is a great place to eat and quench your thirst before exploring. The Inn features guest rooms, a restaurant and pub, the hub of village life. The Inn was packed and will not disappoint you. Walking up a short hill I came to a narrow lane, walked past the Church Steps Cottage and on into the gate of St Eadburgha, named after Eadburgha, the daughter of King Edward the Elder. The tower and south doorway of the church are believed to date from the 13th century, but the church, like most ancient churches, has been enlarged and restored over the years. Stepping inside the church, which is not locked like so many these days, there is a stone coffin, lepers seat, and other ancient architectural details. Be sure to read St Paul’s Admonitions to Wives and Husbands to the left of the font! St Eadburgha’s Church stands on a commanding position on one of the highest hills in the Cotswolds and the tower can be seen for miles around. We loved the thatched cottages, stone walls, garden gates and abundant flowers in Ebrington. I discovered that the bird, that I thought was rather still for a long time on one of the cottages, was part of the thatched roof and made of straw! Every cottage had a name, and upon returning home I was determined to name my own, The End Cottage. Not far from Ebrington, is Hidcote Manor, a National Trust Garden, one of the most lovely gardens in the UK. The day we were here it was closed, bummer, but what a wonderful excuse to come back to the village of Ebrington! Enjoy!

For more information about the Ebrington Arms Inn and Pub see:

Home

The Cottage Roofs of Ebrington

Vining Flowers of Ebrington, UK

Church Steps Cottage

Church Steps Cottage, Ebrington, UK

The Cottages of Ebrington, UK

The Stone Walls of Ebrington, UK

Ebrington, UK

The Graveyard at St Eadburgha’s

St Eadburgha’s Church

St Eadburgha’s Church, Ebrington, UK

St Eadburgha’s Church

The Graveyard at St Eadburgha’s

Inside St Eadburgha’s Church

Ebrington, UK

The Gardens of Ebrington, UK

Oakes Garden Gate, Ebrington, UK

The Cottages of Ebrington, UK

Ebrington Cottage

The Cottages of Ebrington, UK

The Straw Bird, Ebrington, UK

Ebrington, UK

The Church Cat at St Eadburgha’s

A Cottage in the Cotswolds: Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden

Gold Colored Stone, Chipping Campden

Walking through the village of Chipping Campden, we come to St James Church, a beautiful golden-yellow colored stone sanctuary set in the meadows. The path to the church is flanked with old tombstones that have been moved here and huge trees that seem to have another tree growing inside them!

The Road to St James

Road to St james

The Gate to St James

Entry to St james

St James Church built by Wealthy Wool Merchants

The Path to St James

The Trees of St James

St James Church

The Gravestone Path

Then we walked along the lanes and through the hamlets of straw covered cottages, gardens, and old street lamps. It felt like walking in an old English fairytale! Proud holly hocks were basking in the dappled sunlight everywhere! After our walk we took a short stroll off High Street to the Eight Bells Inn for dinner. Originally built in the 14th century, to house the stonemasons that built St James Church, it later was used to store the peel of eight bells that were hung in the church tower! Hence the name, Eight Bells! The Inn was rebuilt using most of the original stone and timbers during the 17th century. In front of the Inn are bountiful hanging baskets of flowers to welcome you and usually a fancy car of some kind outside! Enjoy the day in Chipping Campden!

Manor House in Chipping Campden

Chipping Campden Holly Hocks

Which Way?

Cottage in Chipping Campden

Flowers of Chipping Campden

Cottage in Chipping Campden

The Eight Bells Inn

Fancy Car in Chipping Campden

The Roses

The Eight Bells Inn

High Street Chipping Campden

Walkways of Chipping Campden

For more information about the Eight Bells Inn see: http://eightbellsinn.co.uk/

Traipsing Through Tuscany- San Casiano dei Bagni

Today head south through the beautiful Tuscan hillside to the village of San Casiano dei Bagni. The village was discovered by the Etruscans and known for the abundant (42) thermal springs which were later developed by the Romans. There are still 5 star spas to be found here!

The Drive to San Casciano dei Bagni

San Casciano dei Bagni, a hill town overlooking the Val di Paglia, springs from a thick woods of oaks, chestnuts and ancient pines. The medieval village reveals a labyrinth of narrow roads winding around a church. Today the main entrance from the south, the “Porta,” leads to the Piazza Matteotti, where there are spectacular views of the valley below. There is also Ristorante Daniela, located right on the piazza. I was drawn to the charming cave-like ambience. Greeted by Daniela herself, we were delighted with the specialties of the house. Our meal of Tuscan ham, cheeses, homemade soup and pasta, was washed down with good local wine. Enjoy a day in San Casiano dei Bagni!

San Casiano dei Bagni

La Porta

San Casiano dei Bagni

Ristorante Daniela

San Casiano dei Bagni

Ristorante Daniela is located at 6 Piazza Matteotti, San Casciano dei Bagni, Italy.

Traipsing Through Tuscany- Florence and San Gimignano

Palazzo Vecchio

Rooftop Sculpture in Florenc

The Window of the World

Thinking about our visit to Florence I can’t get over all the beautiful art we have seen in the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace, the Duomo Museum and the Accademia. I was especially excited over the artwork of Artemisia Gentileschi, (1593-1653) that SB pointed out to me in the Uffizi Gallery ( Judith Beheading Holofernes) and the Pitti Palace (The Conversion of Magdalena, Judith and Her Maidservant and David and Bathsheba). I first read about Artemisia Gentileschi in a book called, The Passion of Artemisia: a Novel, by Susan Vreeland. Delving into the themes of art, history and the lives of women, this is is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Gentileschi painted many pictures of strong and suffering women from myth and the Bible. Her works include victims, suicides, warriors and especially, the Judith story. When you read the book and then see her paintings, her real life and her paintings intertwine and give you perspective of the times and how this woman lived and painted, and why she did so. Even her style of painting called chiaroscuro, which represents a strong contrast between light and dark, gives us a glimpse of her life.

One of Gentileschi’s works, David and Bathsheba, completed in 1635, had been found after centuries of deterioration, in a storage deposit area of the Pitti Palace, revealing decay, color flaking, due to improper storage conditions, and humidity damage. The re-evaluation of the Gentileschi’s courageous life and works were brought into focus with the attention of the Florence Committee of National Museum of Women in the Arts, who decided to fund the restoration of David and Bathsheba. Today, Gentileschi is regarded as the most progressive and expressionist painters of her generation.

Thinking of that book, brought to mind another book, called The Birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant. This historical novel of Florence is a story of love, art, religion and power as told by Allessandra Cecchi when her father brings a young painter to paint the chapel walls of the family’s pallazzo. This story is told while Florence is caught in a state of turmoil imposed by the fundamentalist monk Savonarola, who is seizing religious and political control and the Medici State, with it’s love of luxury, learning and art. On our walking tours of Florence we learned a great deal about the Medici family and Savonarola. Recalling that book, brought to mind The Lord’s Supper, painted on the wall of the Santa Maria della Grazie Church in Milan, which I have been lucky enough to see.

I was curious to learn how all this beautiful artwork was saved during WWII. Now, I am currently reading, Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation’s Treasures from the Nazis, by Robert Edsel. In particular I am interested in, General Karl Wolff, a German officer, who risked his life to save the collections of the Uffizi Gallery and the Pitti Palace. Robert Edsel also wrote, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, now made into a motion picture of the name, The Monuments Men.

Skyline of the Hill Town

The Walled San Gimignano and Porta San Giovani

The Towers of San Gimignano

The Wall Fortifications of San Gimignano

Skyline of San Gimignano

San Gimignano

Defense at the Rocca

The Olive Garden

Layers of Different Bricks

Wall Flowers

The old Buildings

The Loggia

San Gimignano

The Duomo

The Buildings of San Gimignano

Tower in San Gimignano

The Walk Through the Town

One of the Towers

Tower in San Gimignano

The Streets of San Gimignano

San Gimignano

The Fountain

The Old Fountain Outside San Gimignano

San Gimignano, twenty-five miles south of Florence, will be our first stop on our way to Montepulciano, where we will be making our home base for our Tuscany visit.

The parking lot outside the main gate, Porta San Giovanni, was very busy as we approached. The village itself is pedestrian only. Getting in the car parking queue we had to wait for a car to come out before we could go in and take the spot. One in, one out. San Gimignano gives you a glimpse of a real Italian countryside experience, but with just enough shops and restaurants added to make it interesting for tourists. The towers are restored replicas of the original, but they look authentic.

San Gimignano is a small, walled, medieval hill town with fourteen towers of various heights, replicated of the original seventy-two. Before the walls were developed around the town, these towers were a refuge, when ruffians and rival city states were sacking the town. If under attack, the tower owners would set fire to the external wooden staircase, leaving the sole entrance to the house and it’s strongholds, unreachable. Today you can see all these tiny slit entrances way up on the second story of the towers, minus stairs to get to them. Also, notice that the buildings are made of different colored stones and brick. Heavy stones were used for the bottom floors and lighter cheaper bricks for the upper floors. In the year 1300, about 13,000 people lived within the walls. In 1348, a six-month plague left the town with 4,000 survivors. Crushed and demoralized, the town came under Florence’s rule and was forced to tear down it’s towers, and the trade route was re-directed away from San Gimignano. The town never recovered and poverty drove the well-preserved city to be as it is today.

Our walk takes us through the Porta San Giovanni up to the Piazza del Duomo, and the church itself, which features Sienese Gothic art_ Old Testament to the left___New Testament to the right. Further up the hill is the is Sant’Agostino Church, built by the Augustinians, who arrived in 1260. Here there are English speaking friars, who are happy to tell you about the church and their way of life. We stop and have lunch at the Locanda di Sant’Agostino, right next door to the church on a beautiful small piazza. The restaurant serves typical Tuscan home cooked meals, which would be paninos, pizza, pasta and insalatas, served with a local fruity white wine. Walking back down the hill, along the ramparts, there are superb views of the Tuscan countryside. Soon we are inside the Rocca, originally another walled defense area, now a small walled garden of olive trees, where a group of men are singing and playing instruments. I loved our time in San Gimignano, but it is time to move on to Montepulciano. For more interesting history and scenes of Sam Gimignano, view the movie, Tea With Mussolini, a 1999 drama of the plight of American and English expatriate women during WWII. Most of the scenes are of Florence and San Gimignano, where the movie was filmed. In particular it reveals the artworks inside the Duomo of San Gimignano and how the women came to be there and tried to save the art. For more readings about the war and art see my blog postings on Milan, https://cadyluckleedy.com/2014/02/14/one-day-in-milan/ and the War in Val D’ Orcia, https://cadyluckleedy.com/2013/04/11/war-in-val-d-orcia near Montepulciano. See you next in Montepulciano!

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