Yooper Tales

One of my favorite places to visit. Italy always delights, and when you have some time to really slow down and enjoy life - it's always amazing!

I'll finish this post when I get a bit more time!

Enjoy!

Cassini used to hang out here...

Look at the ceiling... notice the circular spot?

This is the Basilica di San Petronio. The meridian line revealed the need to understand "mean time" and to reform the calendar.

The leaning towers of Bologna! You can climb to the top - around a 26 floor journey, for a fantastic view....

The MAN... Garibaldi united Italy and was promptly excommunicated! By the way - Perugia a large city in Umbria has been excommunicated three times! The relationship Italy has had with the Vatican has always been tense.

These Twizzy's are great urban transport, especially when space is so limited.

I never knew Ducati got started as an electronics company...

More popularly known for this - these days!

This is the gate you must pass through if you want to take a factory Lambo out for a test drive.

I actually like the older lines better than the new

I know it all works well with the carbon fiber capsule design...

Here's how the V12 and transaxle get bolted on to the capsule. The load paths are so well thought out... really a magnificent piece of engineering.

Press event anybody?

As you near the Lamborghini plant you see more and more of these... drivers dawdling around trying to figure out how to drive a super car.

*Yawn* the cool part of the experience is watching new customers gingerly drive around town, then from afar - you hear somebody on the nearby test track run up that V12. An unmistakable sound.

Yeah, we walked up all the way...

When it got steep, steps were involved!

and we saw this!

The Sanctuary of the Madonna de San Luca!

Built in 1723-57 it replaced the first church.... This Sanctuary has a 4 kilometer long covered archway consisting of 666 arches. That's right, the symbolism is a stark example of the defeat of the devil every time your traverse the portico's.

Rome is still very busy and very cultural

One of two English Setters we saw on this trip, the gaze upon the local birds was classic. Hazel stayed at home and we sure missed her.

Ancient Rome is an exploration all by itself. On this trip - just an afternoon - we didn't do much more than a hike on foot. Classic to my experience with this city, we were stuck in a 12 car chain reaction pile-up on the way back to Fiumicino.

Each one of these fountains has a story to tell.

Sunset over the Vatican

Remember when chariots were a thing?

Perugia is one scrappy town! This is the main piazza, looking closely you may see the griffin and lion in the building. These were plundered hundreds of years ago when Perugian soldiers decided they would take the creatures off of the gates of Sienna and bring them back...

We had an excellent tour guide, a grad student who was studying archeology, give us a walking tour under and around this ancient city. An amazing history!

Back to Siena

Siena's Cathedral is another structure rich in symbolism. This was the view from our apartment.

The design reminds me of several of the Portuguese cathedrals.

The leaning tower of Pisa... imagine dozens of people holding posses of themselves trying to keep it from falling over in front of a friend with a camera... a little this way... hilarious.

Ornate edifice on the church in Pisa

The Baptistry at Pisa...

The Tuscan country side is the definition of idyllic.

Coming home late last week from cooking class, we ran across this celebration.

Experimenting with long exposure evening picture outside the Perugia city wall.

If your ever driving from from Siena to Perugia - Montepulciano is on the way... apart from excellent wineries the views from the mountain top town are extraordinary!

We were walking around town when I discovered this e-bike shop. The owners shared their business model with me - e-bikes are profitable and I'm glad to see - really taking off. These lines really reminded me of the old BSA's from the 70's.

If you're ever in Montepulciano and it's noon - you'll be treated to this amazing bell tolling clockwork.

Leonardo's Horse

Perugia's Griffon, this is on the roof of the building built upon "the rock"

Assisi too? Yup!

Street mime and small child meet!

Inside the Cathedral

Typical street facing window in Italy. This one was in Assisi, they are all the same AMAZING displays! I learned how to cook a few of these in my cooking class this year.