Positano pictures

Sunny day on arrival-it didn't last.Glad we got the taxi from train station-An's face isn't real- believe me-just for the camera-she was as happy as Larry heading down the stairs to the town for a shop-should have taken the swimmers though.

Second morning Positano

Our first wet day yesterday .Glad we got brilliant sunshine on day of arrival with mirror like seas as yesterday  a contrast.Stephano had prepared us-the owners son.Anyhow,the girls didn't mind as kicking back is easy-after busy sightseeing in Venezia.They've been busy making up songs and shows and were having fun doing silly things with the point and shoot camera.More to come today.Got a really good restaurant 20 metres from our appartment-Ithink I mentioned it already-went back with ann last night in the rain.Did a bit more shopping yesterday,had another dulci at the cafe in town-this time a bom rhum followed by granita limone and the bus interno home up the hill.The area we are staying is far away from the more touristy centre with its'own cafe internazionale for cafe,local acqua minerale limone(?),rice balls,pizza slices,pitate fritters plus grog -a community meeting place for all the community.Supermarket,internal and regional bus stops all close.Would't mind doing a boat ferry to amalfi today then bus back just to have a look.Weather still overcast ,clouds drifting around cliffs and peaks .Likely to Pompeii 1/7.

In Positano

View of St Marco from Grand Canal vaporetto

On vaporetto heading to Rialto-church Salute in background

Gondolier heading to Rialto bridge-no we didn't if you were wondering-Ijust couldn't handle toursitiness of it

Girls on Rialto bridge

Fish market -got some interesting responses

Burrano island

Big day of travel .Cruise on the No 2 vaporetto up the Grand Canal to Ferrovia Station-luckily caught train at right time as ticket booked fom Maestre not Santa Lucia which is on the canal not over the causeway.Speedy train via Bologne to rome then Naples.Glad I'd organised taxi pickup in Naples as very busy ,mad traffic and taxi a smooth transition and direct trip via Vesuvius and a glimpse of Pompei to Sorrento then to the south side of gulf to Positano.A brief stop for granita limone before descending to Positano.Narrow windy road reminiscent of Corsica -slight motion sickness adding to travel weariness.Vesuvius looks like it's  ready to overwhelm Naples so close is it to the city- a million people live in the impact zone.Get the feeling Naples is alot rawer and wilder than northern Italy.Just less organised ,glossy and more gritty.Lots produce-olive groves,masses of lemon trees growing under trellises ov grapes.Precipitous cliffs ,muliple terraces.Arrived at large appartment with graet views to Priano.Took a roam down the lattarina like steps to the dark sand beach.Lots shops selling Corso like pottery -handmade and pricey,nautical mens-wear and fantastic modern bronzes.Ac crashed after ashop and Tp and I went out to Taverna 20 metres down road withAc's permission.Had graet marinated anchovies,Swordfish in tomato sauce and Tp had giant ravioli with ricotta-didn't get to try but plate was cleaned out.Met really lovely German couple-been returning here yearly for 30 years.Gave us all the tips.From Stuttgart now retired.Lots options -obviously have to do Pompei but ?Capri or other boat trip.Winding down -so no great demands here-which is  great .

Last day and night in Venice-sadly

Girls asleep pre train trip to Naples via Bologne and Rome.Hoping there is only one change but unclear from ticket.6 hour trip on the fast train.
Had a day of basilicas and churches,visiting St Marco then the hallowed shopping ground of Rialto.Girls abit weary so they had a midday break whilst I went out to the Miracoli,Doges mausoleum and an amazing Slavic school with great paintings of St George and the dragon.
Ended the day at a Vivaldi concert performed by a Venetian Chamber ensemble.Ist violin looked just like Cate Blanchet-spine tingling stuff and very moving.
Exited an hour later onto St Mark's square looking like a scene out of Titanic with high tide pushing water up through the tiles whilst a band played the Bolero!!!

Day 3 Venice

Girls wanted to shop so after a lazy start I took them up to Rialto.My role is to hang around and search for a comfie seat whilst they browse-not easy in a city pressed for space-you often need to take your daypack off to turn around especially in a glass shop.Girls didnt want to go to the Accademia which houses the breadth of Venices art history so I headed on whilst they did diaries et al.Still some homework to do.Annie pretty phlegmy but perked up after a slow start-no fever .I'm still coughing,reckon I have had some left base pneumonia again but generally less wheezy.Tp got ac's cold.Oh travel has it's drawbacks.In pm went to Salute church a hive of activity with restoration of marble floor and apses.Beautiful madonna and child over altar-stunning octagonal marle floor-located at entrance to GC.The architect spent his life creating it and died 5 years pre completed-1637started-finished 1687-redefines lifes' work.Then walked along to the modern art gallery at Peggy Guggenheims palazzo -an artpatron&' collector in the 50's with Picasso's,Dali,Jackson Pollock,Modriani and a fantastic sculpture garden.Very interesting special exhibition on Vortism -a movement in the late ww1 involving linocuts,drawings and printed work with angular figures and straight lines often  with political undertones based in the UK.Walked thru to Zattere(southside of Dorsoduro) with artisans  glassblowing and working timberWent back to Rialto and walked through San Polo and Santa Croce to Ferrovia where cough the no 2 back home for pizza.The  trek thru the Ghetto with alleyways and muliple small bridges opening into a campo with another church and well was intriguing-greatful for arrows to San Marco,Ferrovia,Piazzale Roma which we haven't got to yet.

venezia

Padua astronomical -il troppo costoso -clock

Outside a glam cafe in Padua

2 nd oldest uni in Italy,founded122-first woman to graduate did so here.

Gondola races

Rialto bridge

Palazzo facade

Salute-built when city delivered from plague

Timber bridge in front of Arsanale

San Marco

I think it's Neptune on Giants Staircase,Palazzo Ducale-looks like a character out of Pirates-he's a symbol of Venice's power

venice update

4th day here and some light rain this am been so lucky with weather-have to check forecast.Don't think it will upset plans too much as planning to see Basilica San Marco and a palace on canal-tp planning room decorations already!!Arrived early on Easter Monday by train from Padua where I was chased by touts in the streets ?drugs or women.I just when down to station to buy tickets to Venice-honestly...Padua was  dead on Sunday with no shopping and only a few cafes open in main piazza.Some nice architecture but the highlights were inside laocked duomos and baptistries-bit churched out anyhow.
Caught early train to Venice,crossing the causeway and pulling up right on the Grand Canal just like in the movies.Caught the vaporetto down the canal from Station Ferrovia,saw gondoliers practising their races off Arsanale.`Managed to liaise with owner of appartment ,Deborah-a resident of 35 years from the USA originally who let us move in early and gave us the local eating and transport tips.Appt a good stones throw from GC and near Arsanale and the Bianale sight-a relatively new area of Venice but great as not the throngs of tourists or gimicky shops.Spent the first day roaming up to St Marks square on amazing sight and shopping.Dropped into Doge's palace as queues had dissipated by mid afternoon.Fantastic place with amazing halls  decorated with grand artworks of political ,moral and religious themes of the great days of Venice.No furnishings as the doges brought their own in and out.Walked later around Arsanale where Venices boating was made-a galleon a day in its peak and its military harbour.Fantastic site with large tesselted brick walls.Had dinner down the road where the owner crooned and played guitar-maybe Sam could give it a go-ha.
Next day-Easter Tuesday now it will be known as dad was very remiss on easter Sunday-after the chocolate hunt,spiced up with clues- went up to Rialto bridge,a hive of activity with Asians and Russians(new money)in the gondolas,vaporettos,water taxis,barges and the markets.Fantastic place with amazing variety of fish,shellfish and squid/cuttlefish(!!)/octopus.Strolled through the narrow alleyways checking out glass,masks,gelati and pizza.
In the afternoon after a rest took a vaporetto to Burrano and Torcello islands north of Venice about 1/2 an hour.Torcello was very quiet but had a  fantastic church with beautiful mosaics and frescoes-gruesome scenes of Judgement day in the lower right corner.Burrano was a colourful-as in all the houses were different pastel colours- fishing village renowned for it's lace-tp tell me it is back in vogue.Dead tired and a bit seasick after ferry-trip had to have a daddy nap ,take a bex and some travelcalm-did the trick after 45minutes .Had fresh pasta and pesto for dinner-always a great fallback on this trip as buckets of fresh pesto in delis-less so in Venice.Will sign off here and reblog with photos

some updated photos

Lucca Torre-yes another tower conquered.AC very driven to get to top.

View over Lucca

Angel vanquishing the dragon.

Puccini's cafe allegedly.

Cinque harbour scene,Vernaza

Easter decorations.

Cinque-reknowned for its dessert wine.

Corniglia where we stayed.

update cinque

twice weekly market in lucca,lots cheap clothes,shoes,undies and socks .oh but look at the shoes

Joy of mountain water direct from fountain,fresh,clean and cool.Lucca.Was an evening walk for me  down Santa Croce to nearest fountain

Fairy floss or zucchero something a rare treat,believe it or not

Outside walls,couldnt find the gate so tryingbto scale

Dont know how this got here.Ac at Boboli gardens,Firenze

spent 1st night here of Corniglia tiny 3 restaurants,a gelitaria,a couple bric a brac shops.looks like it is about to fall into sea,400 odd steps from train to get here,though bus an option at intervals.lovely view to manarolo east of here with setting sun light.had busker playing guitar on viewing platform which was great riders on the storm-no storm in sight.girls still asleep in big double bed,travel days take it out.firdt encounter with gypsy women and babies(real)at la spezia though police are onto them in a flash.plan train to 1st station then walk here.really like vernazza 1 village west ,nice little harbour,but busier than here

photo udate 19/4/11

piazza in lucca

market lucca,vats olives

my attempt paorama pisa

lucca anfitheatro

pisan romanesquw church facade san michele in foro

dancing in the streets after dinner with n@v

casa de tess=uto

lucca

up early with noisy rubbish collectoes,at least they are back on job.big issues with wages here for municipal and civil service and already seen garbage and train strike.
saw neil @vic last evening had beer on terrace then met for dinner at trattoria in side alley recommended by Bernadette,Friendly,low key place,vino rosso,minestroni,pizza and spag.Then searched and eventually found free violin and piano concert at musical institue,a piazza suffragio,tucked away off the main drag.Lovely big  church with comfie chairs like cinema,good acoustics.Somewhat difficult pieces to my ear,classical a bit  confronting but enjoyable.n @ v off to bed with jetlag.a and c headed back to appt after dinner full of beans dancing in cobbled streets to watch charlis angels too late for concert and  wouldnt have coped.All minutes away.Lucca sp contained amd convenient,trying to stay xtra night ie 2 more,leaves 3 c-terra but sounds like enough.Pisa yesterday mid am,by train 1/2 hour.Spectacular site a must do like the taj,colosseum or eiffel tower.Extraordinary site coming on the field of miracles-the tower,duomo and baptistry set on a field of green.touristy but no ott.Lot africans selling rolexes and wrist bands and nearby shop keepers bit money driven but overall very easy and worthwhile experience.Actuaaly on same train as neil and vic but didnt   see them,despite it being only 3 carriages.Met really nice older us couple from Conneticut,sharing travel stories and recommendations with kids.will send photos

some photos from picasa maybe i am a modern man????

view from top of duomo firenze,an exhausting x perience

detail from baptistry roofie mosaic in firenze

bobboli gardens tp resting neck in siena

siena duomo detail facade

pinocchio,a recurrent performer

street scene siena

bobboli gdns

trying more picasa rome-the pantheopn 2000 year old roman temple),sena,rappolono terme,moneriggioni

la cuccina

the pantheon-said to be highlight of rome due to state of preservation of roman temple

view on walls monterrigioni our 1st stop out of siena in car

rapolano terme south of siena ,at the beach in italy in spring

sienas torre of thevpalazzo pubblico-good climb for view

view san gimignano too touristy for us