We had to catch 3 trains from Milano, but I would have caught more if I had known what was at the end. The first 2 trains took us through the rice fields of northern Italy where we started our walk 10 weeks ago. The third train was much more adventurous taking us to 500 metres through the Aosta valley. This lush valley, it’s lower walls draped with grape vines, was straddled by the imposing [...]
Is there anything like this nearly underwater city - its intricate canals of course, varying in size from ‘Gondola width to a ‘good hit of a tennis ball distance’? These are the life blood of Venice distributing all the necessary nutrients to every part of this vibrant body of land, it’s inhabitants and its visitors. The people, no matter who - what age they are - what condition they are in, must walk, go by [...]
Florence has the look of a giant artist’s gallery and studio: the street painters sitting quietly going about their work, the art shops silent as the artist waits for last minute purchases, the footpaths outside the famous galleries full of the only people not moving, the galleries filled with mostly curious visitors taking photos, the more serious casting a critical look, while others seemed to be digging deeper for hidden meanings. Streets (like mostly everywhere [...]
Assisi is a beautiful village clinging to the western side of Monte Subasio. Steep and long winding narrow streets (a common feature of so many villages) carve through the village dipping off into cave-like crevices, reaching up into geranium lit alleyways, with no 2 houses identifying as siblings. Our home was unique, with its stairway leaning off the side of the house. Inside, we climbed to our room up curved stairs with village paintings framed [...]
Our walk continues but packless, poleless and pedestrian. Strolling the streets of Rome was delightful. The tourists are always there, because the Sistine chapel is always there. The weather is temperate, and on the odd hot and humid day, there is shade in abundance in those tall narrow streets that have not forgotten the past. Walking anywhere in Rome provides so many feasts. Bars are everywhere, and if you don’t mind leaning against one (as [...]
