Tag Archives: architecture

Art and Architecture, Europe - Northern Europe & Scandinavia, Uncategorized

A Battle with BATTLE

May 9, 2024 maristravels 27 Comments

Our battle was with the weather, and we were in Battle, Sussex, scene of the Battle of Hastings. If the wind and rain had been as bad in 1066 as it was during part of our stay, I think the Normans might have turned tail and gone back home.

As it was, we did what we Brits always do, grumbled a bit and then got on with it, struggling against the elements and elbowing our way into cafes to drink mugs of hot chocolate, in between sampling the Award winning local beer, Abbey Pale Ipa brewed by Battle Brewery. A shout out here to the very welcoming Abbey Pub just opposite the Abbey where the fire in the cosy nook added to the welcome.

English Heritage Accommodation

We had five days in the area so we managed to see and do a lot. We had a car, lots of reading matter and fabulous accommodation at The Lodge at Battle Abbey, an English Heritage rental which provided us with some of the best self-catering I’ve ever had. It was warm, the heating was superb, the bedrooms were luxurious and comfortable, the kitchen had everything one could wish for, from Jasper Conran china to Joseph utensils and state-of-the-art means of cooking. Oh, and a lovely hamper of local produce to start us off.

Photographs of The Lodge at Battle provided by English Heritage

We looked out on green fields where the sheep safely grazed and a flowering crab apple lit up the garden, our rental included VIP tickets to English Heritage sites in the area, discount in the shops and cafes, and access to the Abbey through the grounds in which our Lodge was situated. What more could travellers, history buffs and walkers want?

Location of Battle?

Lying just 50 miles from London and 27 miles from Brighton, Battle is well placed for visitors to the UK to include a day trip to see the attractive town and its Abbey. It gets its name from the Battle of Hastings, fought between Harold the Saxon king and William the Conqueror in 1066, a battle that changed the course of English history.

Battle Abbey & St. Mary’s Church

After he won the battle, William built the Abbey of St. Martin, something he’d vowed to do if he won. Built between 1070 and 1094, the high altar is believed to have been placed on the spot where Harold fell, although this fact is disputed today.

Looking up Battle’s High Street with cottages and houses dated form the 1700’s on the left.

The Abbey ruins and the battlefield are a magnificent sight as you look down the length of Battle’s High Street, past the Georgian buildings that line the street. At the northern end can be found the Almonry, built in 1090, which now houses the Town Council and the Battle Museum of Local History. At the other end of the street, the cottages and houses near the Abbey date from around 1700: the nearby parish church of St. Mary is for the most part 12th century in construction. This lovely old church is worth a visit for its rare 14th century wall paintings and its Norman font, but it also houses a modern tapestry in the style of the Bayeux tapestry, a community project conceived and designed by local Tina Greene. The contemporary tapestry is a three-metre long depiction of how the town of Battle might have grown between the years following the Battle of Hastings in 1066 to the founding of St Mary’s Parish Church in 1115. Started in 2016 and with contributions from 741 registered stitchers, not only from Battle but from the rest of the UK and abroad, the tapestry was finally completed in January 2017.

Dissolution of the Monastery in 1538

Battle’s influence grew over the years until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry Vlll and the closure of the Abbey in 1538. In later centuries however, the town achieved fame through its charcoal-making technique and Battle became famous in the 17th and 18th centuries for its gunpowder, rated by Daniel Defoe as the finest in Europe.

Battle Today

Now today, this quiet market town concentrates on the finer things in life and, apart from its great historical appeal, it offers the visitor great food experiences from the comfort of tiny cafés and tea rooms that spill out onto the pavements (and a special mention here to Bluebells Tea Rooms) to fine dining at chef Paul Webbe’s The Wild Mushroom, in nearby Westfield, right up to tastings at Oastbrook Estate Vineyard.

Shopping is a delight too, as Battle’s historic high street features many of the kinds of shops you don’t often see elsewhere, independent clothes shops, craft shops, wool shops and book shops, and my favourite, the delightful British Design British Made, showing the best of British design. For beer lovers, Battle Brewery and Bottle Shop is a don’t-miss, offering beer from their own microbrewery as well as other locally produced ciders, wines and snacks.

There are mapped walks ranging from 4.5 miles to 37 miles and the helpful tourist office can offer guidance on these.

In fact, the weather doesn’t really matter in Battle as there is just so much to do. I know this for a fact, five days in Battle flew by and we even made time to visit Hastings (more about that another day).

Facts:

For a selection of English Heritage accommodation: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/holiday-cottages/ I have previously stayed at Walmar Castle in Deal and Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, both of which I highly recommend.

Europe - Mediterranean, Uncategorized

Venice, La Serenissima

April 2, 2024 maristravels 27 Comments

I finally made it back to Venice.

I’d wanted to return to La Serenissima for years but the thought of elbowing my way through the crowds, queueing for a restaurant, queueing to visit the Doge’s Palace, queueing even for a Gondola ride, was just too much. I thought of a winter visit: then I read about Venice’s floods, the rain, the mist, the dark medieval streets one has to negotiate at night, and thought again.

Desire overcame caution however, and two weeks ago I returned to Venice and I can now thoroughly recommend a winter/spring visit. I wouldn’t travel later than the second week in March though, as the number of tourists was increasing daily and the queues were already beginning to lengthen.

Canals and Crumbling Houses

Misty mornings gave way to sunny afternoons and Venice worked her charm as always. Wandering around the maze of streets that lead of Piazza San Marco, stopping for hot chocolate and coffee when we spied a particularly attractive place, walking across the small bridges that span the green waters of the canals and stopping to watch the gondolas gliding under them, in areas away from the crowds, was something we never tired of.

We had a map but still got lost. How could one not in Venice, when crumbling houses and palazzos, fading murals and ancient wooden doorways lured one into areas unknown. The tall buildings hushed the noise from the surrounding streets and often the only sound was that of the gondoliers’ oars swishing through the water as they ferried locals to their doorways on the canals, or transported tourists beyond the tourist spots.

Gondolas – their history

In the 14th century, horses were outlawed from the streets of Venice and the Nobles embraced gondolas as a respectable form of transportation. It then became the way to get around the lagoon’s islands. In order to navigate over the sandbars, the boats had to be flat-bottomed and the gondolier had to stand up to see ahead.

Two hundred years ago, there were 10,000 gondolas. Today there are about 400 licensed gondoliers only. When one dies, the license passes to his widow, so keeping the skill and the tradition in Venetian families.

A law enacted in the 17th century decreed that all Gondolas be painted black to eliminate competition between nobles for what were status symbols at that time. Today they are still painted black and decorated extensively, their detailed carvings embellished with gold, and with unique upholstery, trim and detailing. .

St. Mark’s Basilica and The Doge’s Palace

We arrived in a Venice which had more people than I’d expected, even for late spring, but the queues for the main sites were already huge.

Day 1, the time on the board for the queue to St. Mark’s Basilica said 1 hour 15 minutes. Want to jump the queue? Of course, you can, for just 90 Euros, and then you are whisked inside in 10 minutes to shuffle around with all the others. It was a mere 1 hour queue for The Doge’s Palace with the same 90 Euros to jump the queue and by the time we left, six days later, the time queue in both cases, had increased by half an hour.

What will happen at Easter and after, when the two local airports welcome increased flights from all over Europe and the cruise ships disgorge their thousands daily, is anyone’s guess.

Rialto Bridge

Of course we spent time window gazing at the expensive Murano glass items in the shops by the Rialto Bridge, the jewellry, the bags, and the multi-coloured pastas, pestis and ricottas packaged for easy packing.

In fact we spent a lot of time in the area, fascinated not just by the food, but by the selfie-taking photographers balancing precariously on the Rialto Bridge, sure that one of them would fall into the murky waters and secretly hoping one of them would.

Grand Canal

We took boat rides on the Grand Canal with both the slow Water Bus and the Vaporetto, the commuters’ form of water transport. Below are just some of the houses along this magnificent waterway, some still occupied by old families, some now rented out, and some now AB&Bs. As you can imagine, photographing from a moving, and sometimes rocking, boat, was not easy.

I would recommend a Grand Canal trip to everyone visiting. It’s the only way to see the magnificence that once was Venice, the mansions, palazzos, and houses of minor aristocrats that line this great watery thoroughfare.

There were churches to visit which we didn’t, islands to visit which we didn’t, and even a Lido which we neglected, as the experience of just being in Venice proved enough to satisfy us. We seemed to retrace our steps most days, always starting at Piazza San Marco for a coffee and then just wandering, lost in the magic of this wonderful city that is Italian, but totally of itself. Venice is the only place in Italy which doesn’t appear to have a statue of Garibaldi but they honour their famous playwright son, the 18th century writer, Carlo Goldoni of Commedia dell ‘art fame, with a bronze statue in Campo S. Bartolomeo, not far from the Rialto Bridge.

I didn’t take a gondola ride as mobility problems made this an impossibility, but I would have done so if I could. After all, where else but in Venice can you experience this. I watched enviously as my friend went off in her black and gold gondola, her straw-hatted gondolier skilfully avoiding the other boats as he steered them across the lagoon and under the Bridge of Sighs. I know, I know, it’s touristy, isn’t it, but who cares when you’re in Venice and doing what Venice is famous for?

And as we walked back to our hotel at night, over bridges under which dark waters flowed, I tried not to think about the chilling figure in the red cloak that haunts the Venice of Nicholas Roeg’s classic film Don’t Look Now – but it was hard to dispel the image, it is so part of the Venice I know.

I have plans for a return visit in 2025. What better recommendation than that?

Getting from the airport to Venice hotels:

Water Taxis – 30-45 minutes, from 140 euros (1-4 people)

Shared Water Taxis from 60 Euros per person.

Allilaguna Line – Comfortable water bus to Piazza San Marco takes 1 hr 14 mins with stops along the way. 15 Euros

Vaporetto – fast commuter boat takes slightly more time as it stops more often, but you may have to stand. Costs 7.5 Euros.

Bus from airport to Train station, then taxi to ferry, then boat.

Whichever way you travel, you eventually have to go by water to reach San Marco & surroundings but you can stay on the mainland and travel daily by waterbus.

Art and Architecture, Europe - Mediterranean, Uncategorized

VERONA – A SHORT STOPOVER

October 16, 2023 maristravels 21 Comments

It’s no secret that I love Verona, and just two of the reasons for loving it are a) the city is highly walkable, and b) it is a place where tourists take second place to locals who live and work in its historic centre.

That’s not to say that visitors aren’t everywhere, but as you stroll through the medieval streets, charmed by faded frescoes and hidden gardens, or sit at the foot of an enigmatic marble statue in one of the huge piazzas, you never feel part of mass tourism.

Simply strolling through Verona leads one to magical places, like the splendid Piazza del Signori. Italy’s most famous poet, Alighieri Dante, lodged nearby with the ruling Della Scala family during his exile from Florence in the 14^th century, and so the square also answers to the name of Piazza Dante. Surrounded by ancient buildings which played an important role in Verona’s early civic life, whose façades, although faded, are still beautiful, the square still resonates with a sense of medieval life.

Scaligeri, Napoleon and Castelvecchio

Nearby is another tiny square in which can be found the tombs of the Scaligeri family. They dominate the area, massive Gothic-like edifices, some behind a gated courtyard, and one above the church door. Intriguing, certainly, and something not to be mi

More Scaligeri family history can be found at Castelvecchio, best approached along the Adige River and across the bridge into the city proper. Castelvecchio (in Italian ‘the old castle), a red brick building with crenelated walls and square turrets was built by the ruthless Scaligeris in the 1350’s as a home and a fortress. A later ruler also used it as his residence, during his time in Verona – one Napoleon Bonaparte who had conquered most of Northern Italy in the early 1800’s.

During the 1920’s it was converted into a Museum and then in 1985, a renovation project to repair the damage done during the second world war was started by Italian architect Cala Scarpa. The result of that renovation is the splendid red brick castle one sees today the interior of which has been converted into one of the best Museums in Northern Italy.

Romeo & Juliet

The Crowds Below Juliet’s supposed balcony, 2023

Everyone knows that Romeo & Juliet are fictitious characters dreamt up by William Shakespeare, but that doesn’t stop the crowds pouring into the courtyard of the supposed home of Juliet in Via Cappello, to touch the statue of the young heroine, and to pose on the balcony for a selfie. So many people have touched Nereo Costantini’s bronze statue that her right breast has now been burnished to gold. But even though the balcony you see today was erected only because tourists kept demanding to see the balcony, it is worth a visit even if you are in Verona for only one day. The house once belonged to the rich Veronese Dal Cappello family, and to visit the house and its courtyard gives an idea of how families lived in Verona in the 14^th century.

My last visit was some 14 or so years ago, the courtyard then was almost empty, we had time to explore the house and surroundings and even read some of the letters received daily asking for advice. This time, however, the search for the ultimate selfie by the crowds queueing and surging into the small space under Juliet’s balcony was a major distraction, yet I would still return to feel the magic that the place possesses. It is but a short step away from the city’s two major Piazzas linked by its famous shopping street, Via Mazzini.

Lovers’ Locks

Verona was the first place to have love locks on bridges, something that is now defacing bridges all over the world.

Piazza del Erbe and Piazza Bra

Piazza del Erbe, named after the spices that were once sold there, (erbe=spices in Italian), Verona’s most ancient piazza, was ‘the Forum’ during Roman times. It is now Verona’s commercial centre, a hub for shopping, café life, and people watching. Beautiful old buildings surround the Piazza in front of which lively market stalls sell food, spices and household goods, while the traders entertain the public as they have done since Roman times. It is around this area that you will find the prettiest streets and alleyways.

The Via Mazzini, a high-end shopping area where the shops all bear famous fashion names, from Chanel to Dolce & Gabbana, links Piazza del Erbe with Piazza Bra, home to the famous Amphitheatre of Verona, usually called The Arena. Elegant ladies with tiny dogs parade down this street which on Sundays can become very crowded when it is time for the passeggiata, the ritual Sunday evening parade when all Italy turns out to display la bella figura.

The Verona Arena

I kept the best till last. The impeccably preserved Amphitheatre in the heart of old Verona and the city’s most famous site, is deserving of that much abused word, awesome. Rows of arches and curves dominate the skyline and form a centrepiece in Piazza Bra, the city’s largest public square.

The square is lined with bustling restaurants and imposing buildings, notably the 19^th century Palazzo Barbieri, a yellow building with a neoclassical façade that now serves as Verona’s Town Hall. Nearly two millennia old, the Colosseum used to hold up to 30,000 spectators at gladiatorial fights between men and men and men and beasts, who fought to the death on the sandy stage. And this glorious arena is not a dead relic of the past: it still entertains the masses although in a different way. No more are the crowds offered bread and circuses but performances of high art, most notably the world famous Verona Opera Festival which takes place every summer.

Verona is a city for all, young and old, the seeker after history & ancient cultures and lovers looking to re-kindle an old love or find a new one, opera lovers who fill the Arena night after night during the summer, and fans of William Shakespeare who watch his dramas play out under the stars. There’s a jazz festival, a festival of street games, and even a horse fair. As I said, Verona is a city for everyone.

Art and Architecture, Europe - Mediterranean, photo challenges, Uncategorized

THURSDAY’S DOORS.

September 14, 2023 maristravels 12 Comments

A Door in Garda on the Lake of the same name.

photo challenges, Uncategorized

Lens Artists Challenge: Picking Favourites

July 30, 2022 maristravels 16 Comments

Linked to Toonsarah who is hosting this week’s Lens Artists Challenge

It is with great trepidation that I sit down once more to enter one of the photographic challenges on the site, but I’ve been looking at various entries in different categories and especially Sarah’s today so here I am. I haven’t posted for a few months now but I have managed to dip in and out of the site and kept up with what’s been happening.

I said “with great trepidation” and I meant it, because after seeing some of the entries in today’s challenge and some of those from former weeks, I realize how far short of “artistic” my work falls. Being more interested in the words than the pictures I’ve never looked really closely at my images, or taken enough time to get them right.

Apologies over. Here are a few of my favourites, and I stress the word favourites as I can’t claim they are great!

This is one of the monuments to World War ll spotted along the coast of Normandy. I do like this picture mainly because of the sky, the clouds were wonderful on that day and seemed to change shape every few seconds so I was lucky to get them just when they looked especially good.

I didn’t get to know the Normandy coast well until a few years ago when, with a friend, I spent 10 days touring the area. I loved the horses trotting along the beach, their passengers snugly wrapped up in carriages behind them, the serious tourists with their maps and photographs of relatives who landed on these beaches during WWll, and the fact that the food in Normandy was as good as I remembered from many years back. And I loved the fact that the museums and monuments, cemeteries and commemorative parks are still there to tell the story of what happened in France between 1939-1945.

The Library of Celsus at Ephesus, Turkey

This is Ephesus in Turkey. It’s a print taken probably about 30 years ago and yes, it did win a prize.

I don’t think it’s a great image but I think it does show the magnificence of that place and when I look at it I can still remember my awe as we walked in and faced this extraordinary facade.

Ephesus was an ancient port city lying just 80 km from Izmir, and whose well-preserved ruins are in modern-day Turkey. Once considered the most important Greek city and the most important trading centre in the Mediterranean region, it survived multiple attacks and changed hands many times.

Today it is one of Turkey’s most significant ancient cities and it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2015.

Ephesus came to prominence under the ancient Greeks and became a city under the Romans in 133 BC and the capital of Asia Minor in 27 BC, seen as its historical turning point as it then became second in importance only to Rome.

Ephesus is also important from the point of view of Christian history in that St. Paul wrote his “First letter to the Corinthians” from here, St. John wrote his gospel here, and it is believed to be the final resting place of the Virgin Mary.

The facade of the library of Celsus which looms over the city and which you see above has been very carefully reconstructed from original pieces. It was originally built in 125 AD and Celsus is buried in a sarcophagus beneath it.

Apart from the facade of the library, there are many impressive ruins to see in Ephesus. Allow at least 4 hours to see it all, the amphitheatre (largest in the ancient world), the Odeon with its Corinthian-style pillars made of red granite, the 2nd century Temple of Hadrian, the aqueducts and the Agoras.

Sadly, Ephesus died, by reason of silt building up in the harbour to the point where no ships could reach the city. Without ships, trade died, and without trade the city died and was abandoned.

I have so many Torii Gates in my files that the problem was picking out the one I like best but then the problem was, do I want one with a boat, with a beach, or set in a forest? In the end I decided on this misty morning scene.

I think everyone has seen images of Torii gates, the most famous of which is probably the above gate near Hiroshima, but there are many dotted around the seas, all calling out for a photograph.

A Torii gates represents the boundary between a sacred shrine and the human world. Once you pass through the torii gate you have entered the sacred, special space.

Originally Torii gates were white, but now they are mostly painted red because the colour symbolises vitality in Japan and it is believed red gives protection against evil. (It is also said that as red paint contains mercury, the gates are preserved for longer – practical as well as spiritual).

White was the original color of torii gates which were more common than red ones until the arrival of Buddhism in Japan. After the separation of Shinto and Buddhism was officially implemented in the mid-to-late 19th century, some shrines started to paint over their red torii gates with white again, but they are fewer in number than the red.

Although the most photographed appear to be those that are located in the waters, torii gates appear in many inland spots such as the base of famous mountains, or along forest routes. These gates are said to embody the deity which is believed to exist in nature, sacred mountains and the ocean.

If you do come across a torii gate on your travels in Japan, as a mark of respect and if you wish not to offend your hosts, it is a good idea to bow before entering through the gate.

Linked to Toonsarah who is hosting this week’s Lens Artists Challenge

Europe - Northern Europe & Scandinavia

Eton -More than a College

October 15, 2021 maristravels 20 Comments

There are few people who have never heard of Eton College but the town itself is less well-known as it sits in the shadow of its nearby sister town of Windsor. Situated just across the river from the Royal Borough and accessed via a pedestrian footbridge, the town of Eton, a settlement since at least Saxon times, has a rich and diverse heritage.

The mile-long High Street leading down to Eton College has remained unchanged for many years but the name has always been Eton, or Eyot-tun, meaning ‘settlement on an island’. In the 1086 Domesday Book, the town is listed as ‘Ettone’, with two mills, a meadow, woodland and fisheries and it was concentrated on the higher land. Many royal processions have made their way along the High Street, most notably the funeral procession of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, in 1537.

This elegant little town is an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary retail outlets catering to its local population and a year-round tourist trade, with high-end gift shops, antiques and modern art establishments sitting alongside shops selling traditional medicines and complementary beauty therapies. The traditional shop fronts and the boys in their traditional school dress (often seen around town) give a sense of stepping back in time.

The Thames has always been important to the town which initially flourished due to fish farming, and goods into and out of Eton were conveyed by barge – including the stones used to build Eton College Chapel.

**Photos 1-2 – Boats on the River Thames at Eton. 3 – The River at Eton by Eduardo Vieira (Pixabay)**.

Connected by the footbridge from Windsor, Eton has an importance of its own, and the Eton Walkway, a 2-mile/one-hour circular walk, connecting 18 points of interest in the town starting at Windsor Bridge is the perfect way to find out about the historical importance of the town. This walk is marked out by permanent, bronze, lozenge-like symbols set in the ground to identify the route, the 18 shields marking: The King’s Stables, the Cockpit, Porny School, Baldwin’s Bridge, Eton College, the Burning Bush, Eton Wall Game at the Timbralls, Skinners’ Bridge, Herschel Observatory, the Gormley Statue, Keate House, the Natural History Museum, Museum of Antiquities, St John’s Church, Jubilee Square, the Brocas and Eton Boat House. Information on each point of significance is included on the Outdoor Guide website.

1. Eton Chapel 2. Eton 3. The Quad at Eton 4. Tudor Chimneys at Eton

It’s impossible to speak of Eton without reference to Eton College which occupies the whole of Eton north of Barnes Pool bridge and is second only to Winchester as the oldest public school in England. The College was founded by Henry VI in 1440, modelled on Winchester which had been founded by William of Wykeham, and Henry decreed that there were to be 70 King’s Scholars, who were to be educated for free and housed in the College. Outside the College, so-called Oppidans were lodged in the town and received the same education. Originally the houses were run by Dames, but more recently they have been run by House Masters. Today there are 24 boarding houses for Oppidans and over 1,300 boys in all.

**1. Classroom entrance at Eton 2. Cloisters 3. A much-graffitied desk in a classroom at Eton, and 4. King Henry Vl Founder of Eton, by Francis Bird (1719) in the cobbled school-yard.**

The College looks after thousands of historic, artistic and natural objects, and welcomes visitors to its Museum of Eton Life, Museum of Antiquities and its Natural History Museum, which are open to the public free of charge on Sunday afternoons between 2:30pm and 5pm.

So if you are in Windsor and find yourself with an hour or two to spare, just walk across the bridge into another world where time seems to have stood still. The shop-fronts look almost Dickensian but in Eton they are cleaner than those depicted in any of Dickens’ books – this is one of the cleanest towns I have ever visited. You will be amused by the items for sale in some of the shops, the old-school tailors, the haberdashery, even a sweet shop selling long forgotten sweets from jars.

And when you’ve had enough, just stroll back across the bridge into the real world again. Or nearly. It is, after all, the Royal Borough of Windsor.

Europe - Mediterranean, Uncategorized

AMALFI – Italy’s Gem

August 19, 2019 maristravels 6 Comments

Amalfi, tiny and expensive is one of the easier coastal towns to walk around as it rises gently up the hillside from the waterfront rather than clinging vertically to it, like Positano for instance.

It is hard to believe that this very small town had a glorious history as a maritime republic on a par with Venice and Genoa, but Amalfi was a trade bridge between the Byzantine and western worlds for centuries with a population exceeding 70,000 (today, less than 5,000). Unfortunately, there are very few historical buildings of note to see as most of the old city, and its inhabitants, slid into the sea during the 1343 earthquake.

There is a delightful promenade along the waterfront and a marina full of colorful boats but the focal point of the historic center is the Piazza del Duomo with its striking cathedral dedicated to St. Andrew. There are sixty steps leading up to the Byzantine-style church with its Moorish-influenced arches and decoration and inside the church is a forest of columns and Arabesque arches and the hidden Cloister of Paradise, dating to 1266. The Piazza is lined with bars, cafes, gelaterias, artisan and tourist shops, and is a perfect place for people watching – if you can bag a table. It seems to be permanently busy. Don’t forget the water if you decide to walk up the steps, those 65 can feel like 100 when the sun is out.

Famous for the manufactire pf paper, the Paper Museum (Museo della Carta) is well worth a visit to see how the products were made by hand. There are still some family-owned paper mills that carry on the tradition of hand-made paper which can be bought in some of the high-end shops – good, if expensive buys, for that special present for someone who still likes to write letters.

How Many G & T’s could that Lemon serve?

However, the primary product of the area is lemons, enormous in size, picked fresh to make limoncello liqueur and to be used in local dishes. Lemon ice-cream features a lot in restaurants and gelaterias, the one by the town gate serving quite the biggest lemon sorbet I have every seen (or eaten).

If you don’t spend too much time over lunch or coffee, there will still be time to visit hilltop Ravello, full of historic, artistic, monumental and architectural treasures – another expensive town but exquisite in its layout, and its 13^th century Villa Rufolo which has breathtaking views from gardens overlooking the sea. Famous names you’ll hear mentioned a lot in Ravello are Richard Wagner who was inspired by the Villa to compose some verses of the Parsifal, Boccaccio who stayed here while writing the Decameron, D. H. Lawrence who supposedly got inspiration for Lady Chatterley’s Lover while holidaying in the town and Gore Vidal who came for a visit and stayed for 30 years!

Shopping is rather special in Ravello too, as there are many craft and high-end fashion stops where you will find one-off garments – at a price, of course. Even the ice-cream advertises as ‘gourmet’ gelato though what that is I have no idea.

Interesting items for sale in Ravello- Wine and Drugs. I hope it doesn’t mean what it says!

Restaurants bars and bistros abound, but walk around the interesting narrow backstreets of cobble-stones, peering in at dark interiors, looking over dry-stone walls fronting overgrown gardens and vegetable plots, if you want to see what this hill-top village is really like. Ravello is a great starting point for walks in the surrounding Lattari mountains along ancient paths.

Amalfi’s trading importance may have declined but its maritime importance continues, as you can hop ferries and hydrofoils to Capri, Salerno, and Positano. For me, the best way to view Amalfi is from the sea and the best way to do that is to take a boat trip around the bay, either in one of the 45-minute trips or by hiring a boat to take you to hidden coves to enjoy some private sun and surf. You will see the homes of Gina Llolabrigida, Sofia Loren, George Clooney (before he moved to Como I presume) and other famous names, smaller than you’d imagine because of their position built into the rocks. In the above slide show of scenes from the sea, the blue and white house set ino the hillside is that of Sofia Loren.

Europe - Mediterranean, Uncategorized

Syracuse – The Other Bits

February 2, 2019 maristravels 10 Comments

After my earlier Post on the Greek and Roman theatres in Syracuse, I thought I’d like to show you a few of the more colourful parts of the city. I hope you’ll enjoy the photographs that follow of the transparent seas around the island, Piazza Archimede and its magnificent fountain, the food market, a few more ruins – for how could one not include them as they are part of the street furniture.

Just to recap. In the 5th century, when Dionysus reigned, Syracuse was one of the biggest and most powerful cities in the Mediterranean, embellished by gardens, fountains, palaces and temples. Plato called it “an ideal city”, one of enormous military power capable of withstanding the might of Athens and Carthage.

With your back to the sea, you can walk either straight ahead to the old town and the Duomo, or to the left through the Porto Marina and into the old town and Ortygia. Either way, strolling around Syracuse at your leisure is sheer pleasure.