Tag Archives: history

Firenze

Posted on by
8

While staying at Benabbio, our wonderful friend, Debra, offered to escort we ladies on a day trip to Florence. On an overcast, drizzly morning, we drove to Lucca station and braved an hour long white-knuckle bus ride along the autostrada to Firenze (a much nicer name than Florence). We alighted the bus at the Piazza di Santa Maria Novella.

1.Piazza di Santa Maria Novella

The Basilica di Santa Maria Novella was stunning,

2.Basilica di Santa Maria Novella

a sample of thing to come.

3.Basilica di Santa Maria Novella

Our first stop was Caffe Giacosa for coffee and calories

followed by an amble along the main shopping street, window shopping along the way because we couldn’t afford to stop and buy.

Debra pointed out this interesting chap watching from the street corner.

17.sculpture

We made our way to the Duomo di Firenze and with the sun shining it was absolutely breathtaking.

18.Duomo

Nearby, the Baptistry, one of the oldest buildings in the city, constructed between 1059 and 1128, displayed its spectacular Eastern Doors. Described by Michelangelo as the Gates of Paradise, the panels took 27 years to complete.

There was a very long queue to see inside the Duomo so we opted to climb the 414 very narrow stone steps to the top of Giotto’s Campanile.

The view, as we climbed, was stunning

31.view32.Palazzo Vecchio Clocktower

and looking down on the Duomo highlighted the intricacies of the façade.

33.Duomo

There are seven bells in the tower and as we were standing at the top taking in the panorama of Firenze,

39.Basilica di Santa Croce40.view

all seven rang in the hour of mezzogiorno, a truly memorable moment.

41.Piazza della Republica42.view

A quick look at where we had been

43.Giotto's Campanile

and our excursion continued to the Piazza della Signoria and the statue of David

44.David

in the shadow of the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Firenze.

45.Palazzo Vecchio

He is in good company with Neptune, Hercules and Perseus

and a bit further on, more friends at the Galleria degli Uffizi.

On the wall of the Palazzo Vecchio is a Michelangelo graffiti, a profile etched in one of the stone blocks.

54.Michelangelo graffiti

The Ponte Vecchio was our next destination,

55.Ponte Vecchio

a medieval stone bridge spanning the Arno River

and occupied by an array of beautiful shops.

It was first built in 996AD and after being swept away twice, was rebuilt in 1345. Downstream….

63.downstream

is the Ponte Santa Trinita, destroyed in 1944 by the retreating German troops. The original stones were retrieved from the river or taken from the same quarry to reconstruct it in 1958.

64. Ponte Santa Trinita

Debra finally let us have a break and we lunched at Trattoria Bordino, a small ristorante in a very quiet lane.

65.Trattoria Bordino

After a wonderful meal and a little vino,

66.Trattoria Bordino

we were fortified for the afternoon. We visited the Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the longest continually operating pharmacy in the world. The sculptures and frescoes were magnificent as we wandered through the many rooms.

Founded in 1221 by the Dominican Friars, all products are still handmade in Firenze.

80.Farmaceutica

Our day was coming to a close and after a quick look around the leather market, we boarded the bus for Lucca and another animated drive home. Thank you, Debra, for those very special memories of Firenze.

81.Firenze

Cosmeston

Posted on by
4

After wrenching ourselves away from Cornwall, we continued on our travels to Wales. Staying in Penarth, we were able to explore the surrounding Vale of Glamorgan. We discovered Cosmeston Medieval Village.

13.Cosmeston

The remains of 14th century stone buildings were unearthed during the development of Cosmeston Lakes Country Park in 1978.

1.Cosmeston

A unique archaeological project restored the medieval village of Cosmeston on its original site and foundations. We were greeted by a man dressed for the year 1350, then left to roam at will.

2.Cosmeston4.Cosmeston

5.Cosmeston

The pigs had a very cosy house.

There was plenty happening in 1350 – Britain was in its twelfth year of the Hundred Years War with France

9.Cosmeston10.Cosmeston

and was slowly recovering from the Black Death of 1348, which killed almost half the population.

13.Cosmeston

Some of the pigs were shy

17.Pig

but the sheep seemed contented.

18.sheep

We wandered around Cosmeston Lakes, with 12 hectares of open water

19.Cosmeston

there was plenty of birdlife.

The park was beautiful

24.Cosmeston

and the autumn colours quite spectacular.

We had worked up a bit of a thirst and luckily, stumbled across the Traherne Arms. Situated on a hill called the Tumble, overlooking Cardiff, it was actually a very busy restaurant. The gentleman behind the bar was initially not very happy but took pity on us and served us a pint. He took the time out for a chat and then gave us a souvenir ‘Brains’ bar towel!

27.Traherne Arms

I like this story. Until the 19th Century it was known as the Tumbledown Dick Inn. Named after Richard, the son of Oliver Cromwell, following an ample lunch in the company of the Jones’ of Fonmon Castle, fell off his horse while descending the hill, giving him the alias of Tumbledown Dick.

Vico Pancellorum

Posted on by
8

Sunday was a day of rest for the hardworking luthiers so, having been recommended a certain restaurant, we drove to the village of Vico Pancellorum to sample for ourselves. The village is the last in Bagni di Lucca heading up the Lima River. We spent some time before lunch exploring the village

1.walk2.walk

and admiring the majesty of the countryside.

3.view

The houses cling to the steep hillside leading to one of the tallest mountains in Tuscany,

4.village

each had its own character.

This monument appears to be a memorial to those who fought in the Apennines.

8.monument

We paused to look back at the village

9.village

and the neighbours across the valley

10.village

before continuing up the hill.

11.walk12.walk

Once again, I was intrigued by the old doorways

and gates.

We ambled on,

22.walk23.walk24.walk25.walk

bursts of colour revealed themselves

and it was time to take in the gorgeous view over the village

29.village

before returning for lunch. There were some lovely surprises as we strolled back.

We had worked up an appetite and Buca di Baldabò didn’t disappoint.

39.Buca di Baldabò

With no written menu, we were happy to be guided by our hosts. Unfortunately, I didn’t take food photos but the four of us shared a selection of traditional Tuscan dishes including Gnocchi with Gypsy Sauce, Tagliatelli with Wild Game Sauce, Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli with Basil, Slow Cooked Lamb and Rabbit with Olives. I came up for air long enough to snap the wonderful finale of Biscotti con Vin Santo.

40.Biscotti con Vin Santo

Before leaving the village, we had a closer look at Pieve di San Paolo.

41.Pieve di San Paolo

Dating back to 873AD, it is the oldest church of the Val di Lima.

One last look at the gorgeous mountains and we were braced for the drive home.

44.view from Pieve di San Paolo

A perfect way to spend a Sunday.

The Bridge

Posted on by
4

Whichever way you look at it, Sydney Harbour Bridge is spectacular.

1.The Bridge2.The Bridge3.The Bridge

When it was opened in 1932, after eight years of construction, it was the longest single span steel arch bridge in the world.

4.The Bridge

Today, there are eight lanes of traffic, two railway lines, a pedestrian pathway and a cycleway connecting the city of Sydney with the North Shore.

5.The Bridge6.The Bridge

The closer you look, the more fascinating it becomes.

7.The Bridge8.The Bridge

Six million hand driven rivets and 53,000 tonnes of steel come together with artistic precision.

The Bridge Climb was on our bucket list for quite some time and we weren’t disappointed.

17.climb3

Dressed in regulation climbing gear, we had a safety briefing and practiced climbing narrow, steep ladders before the real thing. The climb started below the highway and after navigating catwalks with ease, we had to ascend four ladders that took us up through the traffic to the start of the upper arch.

The jelly knees soon settled and the rest of the 1,332 steps was quite leisurely. We weren’t allowed to take cameras or anything else that could drop to the roadway but we had a few photos taken by the leader.

21.bridge climb

Though a tad windy and overcast, it was pleasant for walking.

22.bridge climb

134 metres above the harbour, we lingered for a while to admire the breathtaking panorama.

23.bridge climb

Too soon, we returned to solid ground, vowing next time we will do a sunset climb. There is certainly something magical about that bridge.

24.The Bridge

Cornwall conclusion

Posted on by
4

There were so many beautiful places in Cornwall, it was difficult to decide where to go next. Our last day loomed and we made the most of it. Padstow was traditionally a fishing port, situated at the mouth of the River Camel estuary.

1.Padstow2.Padstow

It is now a popular tourist destination and yachting haven.

3.Padstow

The former customs house offers accommodation in a gorgeous old 3-storey building.

4.Padstow

Restaurateur Rick Stein owns several restaurants and businesses in the town, in fact, we have heard the town referred to as ‘Padstein’. There are also many eateries not owned by him.

5.Padstow

We had a bite to eat in the sunshine at The Shipwrights

6.The Shipwrights

while taking in the peaceful surroundings and magnificent view.

7.Padstow8.Padstow9.Padstow

Our next port of call (no pun intended) was Port Isaac, a fishing village since the 14th century. We explored the narrow, winding streets lined with old white-washed cottages,

glimpsing the majestic cliffs across the harbour.

14.Port Isaac

On top of the cliff, this impressive Victorian house, now a B&B, would have the most stunning views.

15.Hathaway B&B

True to form, we found a pub. The Golden Lion dates back to the 18th century and has a smuggling tunnel leading down onto a causeway on the beach.

16.The Golden Lion

We found a sunny spot on the terrace with a different perspective of the cottages

17.Port Isaac

and a fabulous view of the harbour.

18.Port Isaac

Those who have seen the TV series Doc Martin are probably thinking this is all familiar.

Bert Large’s restaurant was incognito

21.Port Isaac

but there was no mistaking this well trodden path.

22.Port Isaac

I don’t know how the Doc could be so grumpy with this outlook from his house.

23.Port Isaac24.Port Isaac

The time had come to move on, we were too late getting to Tintagel to walk up to the castle ruins.

25.Tintagel Castle

The legend of King Arthur has surrounded Tintagel since it was named as the place of his conception in the 12th century.

26.Tintagel Castle

This may have inspired the Earl of Cornwall to build a castle on this site in the 13th century.

27.Tintagel Castle

In the cliff below Tintagel Castle, Merlin’s Cave can be explored at low tide

28.Merlin's Cave

but not today.

29.Tintagel

The Old Post Office in the village of Tintagel was built in 1380 as a farmhouse. It has served many purposes but has always been a home, its final use as a letter-receiving office for the village during the 1870s.

30.Old Post Office

The nearest village to our accommodation at Trevigue Farm was Boscastle. We had ventured there the previous night and dined at The Wellington Hotel, one of the oldest coaching inns in Cornwall dating back to the 16th century.

31.The Wellington Hotel

The steaks were mouthwatering.

32.The Wellington Hotel

We returned to Boscastle for a closer look.

The area was settled in the 12th century and, being the only safe harbour along 40 miles of coastline, was a commercial port throughout most of the 19th century. The houses along the River Valency were idyllic

35.Boscastle

belying the devastating floods of 2004.

36.Boscastle

There were a few dining options

including The Cobweb Inn, an off-licence since the 1700s.

40.Boscastle

We had a wonderful meal at The Riverside, built around 1854. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a photo.