KELLY'S GONE AGAIN
…AND HERE'S WHERE I'M AT.Archive for Italy
#38. Torino: Last Stop in Pictures
This afternoon I’m on my way, finally, to France. Before I go though, a quick update on my last moments in Italy.
I’ve spent the last week in Turin, situated in the Piemonte region in the northwest of the country, and an interesting urban home to things like contemporary art, the bicerin (cream, espresso, chocolate), and the 2006 Winter Olympics. Aside from a day I spent in Alba (hazelnuts, Nutella, truffles), I’ve filled my time with walking, espresso, sculpture, gelato, city tram rides and, of course, people watching.
There is a lot to see here, and I only skimmed the surface. “Read the rest” to see what some of it looked like. Read the rest of this entry »
#37. Modena & Bologna: Eating My Way Through Italy
You may have heard about “eating your way through Italy” tours. Such itineraries are created solely around culinary pleasure, ranging from delicate, civilized wine tasting to achingly-full menus of meats, cheeses and pastas, the mere consideration of which constitute outright, glorious gluttony.
I’ve eaten very well here, but certainly didn’t plan for that kind of trip. And then I found Bologna. Though I only spent a short time in “La Grassa” (or, as translated, “The Fat One”), it’s for the best. In the words of one of my best friends, the food was “dee-licious,” and I shudder to think what could become of my cholesterol levels had I elected to stick around.
#36. Venice: Walking on Water
Oh, Venice. It’s true what they say: the architecture, the structural components and artistic, ancient beauty of this city was astounding. I was enchanted by the rustic, rust-colored buildings with large wooden shutters and copious hanging flowers dripping down intricate black iron railings, by the weave of waterways throughout the city, connecting each island to the next…
And though water is a predominant characteristic, exploring Venice by foot was an unexpected pleasure. We traipsed through the popular centers during the day, and then walked through the hidden corners and alleyways at dusk, discovering little local cafes and watching the city slowly start to go to sleep.
#35. Rijeka: Because Why Not?
I hadn’t exactly planned on hitting up Croatia while visiting Italy. Portugal? Probably. Scotland? Perhaps. But Croatia? Turns out that it was an excellent idea, and a great time, spending our Sunday there.
We left early for our drive out to beautiful, coastal Rijeka via Slovenia, and were on a dive boat by late morning. My friends were diving a spot in the Adriatic Sea. I would’ve loved to go, too, but ended up staying on board due to some lingering congestion and the strong likelihood I might injure my eardrum should I give in and go under. Not that hanging out on a dive boat isn’t one of my favorite activities of all time to date.
#34. Sarone: What Took Me So Long?
I’ve eaten more olives in the last five days than I have in my whole life. Already I’ve helped empty twelve bottles of wine… and that’s just at home.
After a month in the States, post-Australiasia, I’m away again, on my way to France for the summer. Today though, I am in Italy; Sarone, to be exact, in the Perdonone region of the north, about an hour from Venice and nestled under the Italian Alps. I’m visiting one of my best friends (Julie) who happened to move here 2 months ago with her husband (Cody), since I just couldn’t come up with a better way to get acclimated to Europe than spending a few weeks in Italy. It is my first time here, and I cannot, to save my life, figure out why that is.
