Cee’s Fun Photo Challenge: Roads
My favorite road in the world! The road to La Foce, home of Iris Orego and her beautiful house and gardens outside Montepulciano, Italy ! Enjoy!
The Road to La Foce, Italy
Posts tagged ‘Travel’
Venice, A New Day!
A New Day in Venice, Italy
9am. Up early, eat breakfast, out the door we go. We couldn’t wait to explore Venice! Oh, woe is me! We are bumper to bumper, head to head, squeezed together! The cruise ships are in and hordes of people are in groups of twenty to thirty! At the top of the bridge way, the group stops and takes pictures and the group behind them, waiting on the stairs, practically rear ends them! We need to re-think our picture taking times! I can’t see anything, but the back of someone’s head! Back to the hotel to re-group.
The Masses are Arriving!
New day! 6am. We are up and out. The streets are empty! Yeah! We can take lovely pictures. What is that man doing? It’s a UPS man delivering goods. What a job that is! Pulling and pushing the dollies up all those stairs and bridges! What’s that in the boats? Fluffy white bundles of laundry, pick up and delivery of sheets and more sheets! What a job that would be! The men row up to little doors along the water. The doors open and out comes the bundled dirty laundry and in goes the fresh! The vegetable man is in another boat, delivering fruits and vegetables in the same fashion. Wow, it pays to be up early and see all the action! 9 am, done with pictures for this morning. Back to the hotel to eat breakfast. Good morning, good morning, lovely day! We’ll rest up after breakfast and head out again after 1pm when the cruisers are done. Perfect day!
Delivery Day!
Another Dock, Another Delivery!
Vegetables and Fruits!
Ah, Quiet Walkways!
Quiet Here Too!
Peaceful Here!
All Tucked in Here!
Shh!
Parked and Waiting!
What’s down this way? Oh, it dead ends at the water! Re-tracing our steps. Have we been in this area before? There certainly are a lot of little walkways! We need to drop breadcrumbs, we never go the same way twice! Look up! Oh, I see it! The Rialto Bridge is this way!
Always Look Up!
Look Up Again!
Rialto Bridge, Early Early Morning! Venice, Italy
St Marks Square that way. As long as we can find these markings we will be able to find our way back, I think! Look at all these shops!
Fancy Pants!
Need a Mask?
Gloves Anyone?
How About a Hat?
Tea and Milk!
Candy!
One sells just gloves! One sells just hats! Wow, that certainly is skimpy underwear! A little bar here. A juice shop there. Oh, another little church. Oh, look at this small shrine!
A Shrine in Venice, Italy
Oh! What a Lovely Balcony!
1pm. Where are we? Are we on this map? I need to sit down. I guess it’s time for some vino! How about here?
Very Quiet Here!
This Looks Like a Perfect Spot!
Or This Place!
Or Here!
How About This One?
Let’s just try them all! Another perfect day in Venice!
Ok This One!
6pm. Repeat the above! Oh, I need to sit down! Time for vino! How about this restaurant?
This One Looks Great!
Maybe This One? We Haven’t Been Here Yet!
Our Favorite!
Our Favorite! Rosa Rossa! Enjoy!
We’re Not Going to Starve in Italy!!
Venice: A Palette of Light
The Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
The Vaporetto on the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
Traffic Jam on the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
Just Cruizin’ the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
For Stage 2 of the AIT Tour, (Austria, Italy, Turkey) there couldn’t be an easier way, for us, to get to Venice, Italy from Vienna, Austria. Thanks to the Austrian Rail System, a train takes you from Vienna’s Meidling Station to the Villach, Austria train station, where a very cushy, comfortable bus awaits to take you to Venice. There was even a concierge car on the train to help you arrange hotels, cars, sights, whatever the case may be! Arriving in Mestra I was concerned with the industrial look of the area around the Mestra Train Station, where we were supposed to get off the bus. However, the bus driver told us to stay on and he took us all the way to the docks; to the vaporetto that would take us on to Venice. So on the first day we had traveled by train, bus, and boat! We got off the vaporetto and walked to the right entering St Mark’s Square to the left.
One of Many Vaporetto Stops on the Grand Canal, Venice, Italy
It was early evening and the square was filling with guests, listening to the fine music coming from the restaurants in St Mark’s piazza.
Music in the Night, Venice, Italy
St Mark’s Square, Venice, Italy
We walked on to our hotel to the tune of the clickety-clack coming from our suitcases on cobble stones. Now, I have to tell you I was shocked to discover that there was water in between the buildings with lots of stairs, small bridges, narrow sidewalks and more stairs over strips of water that slapped against the buildings. For some reason I had it in my head that the water would just be on the Grand Canal. Oh no, there is water everywhere here. The large buildings do not sit on land; they sit on water and a lot of the first floors of the buildings are under water. Will they sink eventually? Just how long can the support beams from the water’s floor hold up the buildings? Just a thought, but I couldn’t get over it!
The Small Waterways Between the Buildings, Venice, Italy
The Waterways of Venice, Italy
The Bridge of Sighs, Venice, Italy
The Waterways of Venice, Italy
Small Waterways, Venice, Italy
Small Waterways, Venice, Italy
Small Waterways, Venice, Italy
Small Waterways, Venice, Italy
We came to a wrought iron gate and pushed it open entering a small courtyard and there in the corner was our boutique hotel, the Locanda Orseolo. The small lobby was elegant and inviting. There was the breakfast room to the right, which overlooked the water. We could watch the gondolas float by! After talking to our hosts, who made us so welcome, we were off to our room on the 4th floor. That would be 8 flights of stairs! Stairs, landing, turn, stairs, Floor 1. Stairs, landing, turn, stairs, Floor 2. You get the picture. No elevators in these old buildings! And I was limping before I even got here! Barbara, one of the hostesses, took one look at me and offered to change our room the next day to the first floor! I was so thankful!
LuiGIGI and Barbara, our Hosts at Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
The Courtyard to Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
Room 1, Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
Room 2, Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
So we have fantastic pictures of lively murals on the walls of two rooms here at Locanda Orseolo! All the staff were very friendly; suggesting restaurants, concerts, shopping and sights to explore. Nothing was too much for them. The breakfast room was ideal, we could enjoy the other guests and watch the world go by outside the open window! The breakfast crepes and omelets were made to order and the buffet offered a large spread of meats, breads, cheeses, desserts and juices. Coffee was made to order. It’s another day in this beautiful city! Enjoy!
Raspberry/Banana Crepe at Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
The Breakfast Window, at Locanda Orseolo, Venice, Italy
Travel Theme: Orange
We are arriving just as the sun is setting in Venice, Italy. The beautiful, soft, terra cotta orange of Venice!
Evening Shadows of Terra Cotta Orange in Venice, Italy
Travel Themes: Horizon
Venice is the most magical of places on earth! Won’t you join me in Venice on the AIT Tour? (Austria, Italy, Turkey) We’re exploring Venice the next few days! Enjoy! Look for other Travel Themes here.
A Look at the Horizon in Venice, Italy
A Word a Week Photo Challenge: Arches
Arches, arches everywhere! Duck your head! We’re in Venice! Won’t you join me? The story begins with arches! Enjoy the photo challenge!
Arches of Venice, Italy
Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette
One last look at Vienna! We’re off to Venice! Enjoy!
Kunst-Historisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
The Boat Tour to Krems, Austria
The View of Dürnstein from the Boat to Krems, Austria
After visiting Melk Abbey we are ready for Part 2 of the Combi-Ticket, the boat ride to Krems. Buying this ticket has made our journey so easy! The details are all arranged and all we have to do is show up! Enjoy the boat trip to Krems!
The Walk to the Boat Moored in the Danube Channel, Melk, Austria
The Walk to the Boat Dock at Melk, Austria
The Boat at Melk, Austria
Dürnstein, Austria
Dürnstein, Austria
The Nose Knows!
The Walk Through Krems, Austria to the Train Station
In the US We Call This a Smoke Tree
In the US We Call This a Smoke Tree
Krems, Austria
Krems, Austria
Melk is in Makeover, Again
Looking up at Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
Using our Combi-Ticket, from Vienna to Melk, we get off the train in Melk and look up. The glory of Melk is the baroque Benedictine Abbey, established in the 11th century, later destroyed by fire, and after selling the Gutenberg Bible to Yale in 1929, a restoration was started. The church is under a makeover on the grandest terms today. Even the village of Melk is sprucing up. Has the church sold something else? Or did Melk receive a windfall? There are workers everywhere! The easiest way to reach the Abbey is to go all the way to the right of the train platform and make a beeline straight up the hill through the newer section of town. At the top follow the cobblestones to the left, the rest of the way up to the Abbey. After visiting the Abbey we will go down to the village by another path that will take us into the heart of the historic village.
Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
The Gold of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
Melk Abbey Makeover, Melk , Austria
The Gold of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
The Dining Room, Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
The Rose Colored Marble of Melk Chapel, Melk Abbey, Austria
The Rose Colored Marble of Melk Chapel Melk Abbey, Austria
The Chapel of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
View from Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
View from Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
View from Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
Entering the Garden of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
The Pink Pavillion in the Gardens of Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
The Blackbirds of the Melk Abbey Gardens, Melk , Austria
The Blackbirds of the Melk Abbey Gardens, Melk , Austria
The Restaurant in the Garden, Melk Abbey, Melk, Austria
It is starting to rain! I can’t look at the entire garden! Darn!!!!
The Village of Melk, Melk, Austria (Look at the new street paving)
The Village of Melk, Austria
Re-do of Hauptstrasse, Melk, Austria
The Village of Melk, Austria
Yum, Yum! At Restaurant zur Post, Melk, Austria
When leaving the grounds of the Abbey walk down the cobblestone path to the village and turn right. Hauptstrasse is getting a new look. They are re-doing the street so follow the planks. Walking to the Hauptplatz we stop at the Hotel/Restaurant zur Post for the tastiest Austrian cuisine we’ve experienced in Austria to date. Yum! Melk is beautiful even during a makeover! Next we are off to find the boat dock to take us to Krems! It is part 2 of the Combi-ticket! Enjoy!
Weekly Photo Challenge: Texture
We’re making our way to Venice, Italy! Isn’t this sculpture of the Doge amazing? The marble sculpture of the Doge is in the Doge’s Palace, the seat of the Venetian government and the home of the ruling duke of Venice, or doge. He was the supreme authority in the Republic of Venice. The texture is smooth! Enjoy!
A Marble Sculpture of the Doge of Venice, Italy
The Travel Lady In Her Shoes 