Monthly Archives: August 2014

Montecarlo – Come take a look with me

28 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Montecarlo, Tuscany

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Almost every day in Italy for me is a wow day. Montecarlo was no exception,  it was definitely a WOW day. That is, Montecarlo in Tuscany.

So once again, in our little Fiat 500 we headed off early one morning to Montecarlo.  It is only about 45 minute drive so it was an easy drive on a glorious day. We stopped along the way at Buonamico Winery for coffee where they made us real Italian “wake you up in an instant” espresso, on the house. Not sure why they did not charge us, but they sure made us welcome.

Looking from Buonamico to Montecarlo

Looking from Buonamico to Montecarlo

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Montecarlo is a  commune in the Province of Lucca in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of Florence and about 12 kilometres (7 mi) east of Lucca.

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Montecarlo is a hilltop village perched above the surrounding olive groves and vineyards, with thick stone walls and a fortress dating back to 1333

The town was originally founded in 1333 by the future Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.  It is a sleepy little town with a very small population. Montecarlo is mainly known for its wine, and there is plenty of it! The town is surrounded by vineyards that produce excellent quality wines.

 

Although we had our own car and drove to Montecarlo it is also very easy to reach the town by bus. There are several buses that leave for Montecarlo from Florence and Lucca each day at regular intervals. There are also quite a lot of buses which reach the town from other smaller towns in the province like Altopascio, Pescia, Porcari and Caponnari. Buses are usually very comfortable and regular and the tickets are easily available even in peak tourist seasons.

As we arrived to this picture perfect little town with its cobblestone streets we were struck by the beauty of it.

We wandered around inside the walls of this sleepy little village popping in to little shops and chatting with the proprietors. We spent time in this gorgeous little ceramic shop, Puccini Arte and chatted with the artist. I could not resist buying one of his lovely little tiles for my kitchen.

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We stopped by a little enotecca where we sampled some of the local produce and of course could not leave without buying some of the cheeses and cold meats.

We happened upon a wine shop where they were having a very lively wine tasting so we joined in.

Lunch was at one of the very nice little restaurants in the town.

After several hours in this truly delightful and peaceful town we headed off back to Lucca and then later “home”

ps one of the nicest things about Montecarlo, is there are not many tourists.

 

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Greve in Chianti

21 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Greve in Chianti, Tuscany

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It is just under a 2 hour drive from the little village, Ponte a Seragglio where we were staying in Bagni di Lucca to Greve in Chianti. So we set off early one morning  in our little Fiat 500 for the trip up to the Chianti area in the Tuscan Hills.  It actually took us twice as long  to arrive to this gorgeous little town as we stopped a couple of times along the way also my navigation system failed.

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However, the stops were so worth it. The drive up to Greve in Chianti  was wonderful with breathtaking views of the Tuscan Hills.  We stopped many times to admire the vineyards on the hills and take photos of the magnificent panoramas that the Chianti offers.

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This Chianti area is one of the most beautiful areas in Tuscany.  Many of my photos remind me of postcards and calendars that I have seen of Tuscany.

 

Greve in Chianti is often considered to be the entrance gate into the Chianti region since it is the first major town you reach as you head south of Florence toward Siena. It is located along the SR222 provincial road, locally known as the Chiantigiana Road, and is  about 30 km south of Florence and 40 km north of Siena.

Piazza Matteotti is the main piazza in Greve and even if it isn’t “square”,  it is still the focal point of the town.  This main piazza was a perfect location for us to wander around.  You can enjoy a coffee, gelato, a glass of wine, or for us it was a delicious lunch.

We arrived about lunch time so after a leisurely walk around the piazza and stopping to look at several menus we chose our restaurant for lunch.  I must say, it was not easy.  There are several bars (coffee shops), wine shops, restaurants and pizzerias in the main square and in the small streets around the main square.  The menus all appeared to be meals of local Tuscan cuisine.

Wandering around this unique piazza was so easy and delightful as there is a portico or covered walk way framing the shops which sell the local produce, the artisan shops and the restaurants.  Although the weather on this particular day was perfect I can imagine this portico would be wonderful on a hot summers day or in fact would probably give some relief on cold days.

We stopped in to many of these shops.  Sometimes we just looked and in other shops we purchased. Here are a few of these lovely shops.

We left Greve in Chianti later in the afternoon and headed over to Siena.

The easiest way to move around the entire region is by car, and one of the most scenic roads to take is the Via Chiantigiana from Florence all the way to Siena.

If you don’t have a car, Greve is luckily one of the easiest towns in Chianti to reach from Florence. You just need to catch bus 365 from the SMN train station.

 

 

 

Kangaroo Island – South Australia

14 Thursday Aug 2014

Posted by in Kangaroo Island, South Australia

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Yes, to answer your question, there are many Kangaroos on Kangaroo Island. Kangaroo Island has its own subspecies of kangaroo – named – the Kangaroo Island or Sooty Kangaroo, and is related to the Western Grey. Compared to Western Greys they are shorter, stockier, have luxurious chocolate-brown fur with black tips

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Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third-largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. It is in the state of South Australia

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I have just returned from South Australia and while visiting the state I was fortunate enough to have 3 1/2  days on Kangaroo Island. We took the Sea Link ferry across from Cape Jervis in southern South Australia.  We were originally booked on the 9am ferry but due to very bad weather the ferry was postponed till 12 noon, at 12 noon the weather was still gale force winds and torrential rain so the ferry was postponed till 3pm. At 2pm the captain of the large vessel gave the thumbs up to cross the ocean to Kangaroo Island. So, we drove our cars on and then made our way up to the passenger cabin on level 2 for the 45 minute ride across.  Mama mia, the waves were huge.  It was like being on a roller coaster.

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We arrived in the town of Penneshaw, and after driving our car off the ferry we drove 55 k’s north-west to the main town of Kingscote where we stayed for 3 nights. The island is 150 km (93 mi) long and between 90 km (56 mi) and 57 km (35 mi) wide, its area covering 4,405 km2 (1,701 sq mi).

Kangaroo Island is the epitome of variety, ripe with pristine beaches, historic lighthouses, conservation land, underground caves, rare honeybees, gourmet local delicacies, Aussie wildlife, sea lions, pelicans and… penguins.

Kingscote on a fine day

Kingscote on a Fine day

The Pub in Kingscote

The Pub in Kingscote

The daily feeding of the Pelicans. This man feeds the pelicans every day of the week for just the joy of doing it and has been doing so for many years.

Each day was full with sightseeing.  I was thinking that 3 days was more than enough time to see most sights but I can honestly say that we could have stayed several more days and still not experienced it all. Our days were packed to capacity, there is so much to say and so many photos I have to share so I will write part 1 and part 2 of my fabulous days on this amazingly beautiful island.

Pennington Bay

Pennington Bay

On our first rainy day, we stopped for a picnic at Brown Beach. The facilities were fabulous, including gas BBQ, toilets and showers and beautifully made timber picnic tables and seats.

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There is a variety of accommodation on Kangaroo Island,  from caravan parks, to backpackers, hotels, motels, cabins and holiday houses.  Unless you plan to do an organised tour you will definitely need your own car. We took our own car and drove to much of the island however the tours are very comprehensive and the folks we spoke with said they were great.

My Visit to Castel Sant’ Angelo – Roma

08 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by in Castel Sant' Angelo, Rome

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I have visited Rome several times however this was my first visit to Castel Sant’ Angelo.

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It was never on my list of things to do while in Italy but on this particular afternoon it seemed like the thing to do. The Castel is close to where we were staying in Piazza Navona making it an easy walk on a picture perfect day to this very interesting Castel. I’m so glad I did go. The history of this site is just fascinating, and it’s nice that all of the signs are in English. The architecture is amazing, and there are some really well-preserved rooms! The best part is the view of the city from the top though. Just WOW!

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Castel Sant’ Angelo is located on the banks of the Tiber close to the Vatican and although we walked, it is also easy to take the Bus service 40 bus from Termini or the Metro Lepanto Line A

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The entry was €8 each and totally worth it. Actually the views alone were totally worth the admission cost. Some of the best views I have ever seen in Rome. From the terrace you can see across Rome and the Vatican.

The Castel Sant’Angelo is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, Rome. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleun for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The Castel was once the tallest building in Rome.

The National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo inside retraces its history. The castle has various exhibits ranging from Renaissance paintings and pottery to antique military weapons. A huge spiral ramp ascends upwards the Castel Sant Angelo for about 400 feet. As in the last act of Tosca, admire the beautiful view from the terrace but don’t throw yourself off – go for a coffee instead in one of the rampart towers.

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