PhotoHunt: Covered

While visiting Bruges (Belgium) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) last November I enjoyed seeing hundreds of  bicycles everywhere.  Some of them were pretty unique looking such as this one I found in Bruges, which has a big covered work bucket in the front.

I especially love the pretty lace lining under the rain cover. :)


To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Tnchick's website HERE!

PhotoHunt: Yellow

Smile and say cheese . . .

I took this photo at a cheese making farm near Amsterdam, Netherlands.  It was part of a tour that I took while visiting there last November.  Lots of yellow here . . .  :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Tnchick's website HERE!

In search of La dolce vita . . .

La dolce vita is Italian for "the sweet life" or "the good life". 

Mesmerizing sunsets and sunrises

Churches, Mosaics and Archeological treasures

Prosecco and Pizza

Winding roads and narrow pebbled streets

Lemon Groves and impressive landscapes

Friendly locals and a place of Old World charm

Rugged Cliffs and the Tyrrhenian Sea

Cozy Piazzas, inviting Cafes

and a Path of the Gods . . . .

Legend has it that the town of Amalfi comes from a nymph, whom the Greek hero Hercules loved. When she died, Hercules buried her in the most beautiful place in the world and then named it for her.

I'm really looking forward to my quest in search of La Dolce Vita this November.  I know that I'll find it somewhere, maybe everywhere on the Amalfi Coast!

PhotoHunt: Wooden

This guitar is made from a wooden White Horse Whisky box and it belonged to a Scottish folk musician/actor named Billy Connolly.  I saw it while visiting the People's Palace Museum in Glasgow, Scotland.

I was very tempted to stroke the strings with my fingers to hear how it plays, but it was hanging too high up on the wall.  I'm sure for a good reason. :)

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Tnchick's website HERE!

Rome: Laura, Lara and his Purpleness . . .

I had a dream . . .

After a 4 year absence, I find myself in Rome. 

I secure my 5th return trip to Italy,
throwing my traditional coin into the Trevi Fountain 

I then weave my way to the Spanish Steps.   

They are beautiful
radiating in a deep purple glow. 

Down walks Laura Pausini.

Lara Fabian follows shortly behind.

Their voices fill the night

with a beautiful performance of La Salitudine.  

A guitar solo begins

A figure appears at the top of the steps.
Down walks his Purpleness (Prince).

The Cool One continues to play 

as the two popular artists 

conclude their performance.

The crowd erupts. 

It would be

an Italian Purple filled night in Rome 

to remember! 

It's wishful dreaming I know, but I read on Prince.org that Prince is apparently still in Europe recording. 

So I can Dream . . .  :)



Trekcapri's 2011 Amalfi Coast Adventures: The Dream lives on . . .

I haven't been back to Italy since 2007 when I visited Venice for two whole weeks. It's been great traveling to places I've never been to like Spain, Czech Republic, Belgium and Scotland and also re-discovering new and familiar places in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything. But as the old saying goes, "absence makes the heart grow fonder".   

For my 4th trip to Italy, I plan to try something a little new with something a little familiar. New will be to see the small and charming towns along the beautiful Amalfi Coast and familiar will be to revisit the island of Capri.

It took me a while to decide on actually going on this trip because I was not only waiting for a good airfare, but I was also waiting for my asthma to improve. Like clockwork I've been taking my daily meds but my recovery has been slow and I'm still not 100% fully recovered.  But how could I not travel this year?  I have been drawing great inspiration from fellow Slow Traveler and blogging friend, Sandra (A Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with too much Luggage) who is about to fulfill her dream of moving to Rome to carve (and write) out an exciting new chapter in her life. I'm very excited for Sandra and I'm looking forward to reading about her awesome journey. It looks like I might even be lucky enough to meet her in Rome, which will be really cool.

As usual, I always draw travel inspiration from my fellow Slow Travelers. I am inspired by Sandra and her plans to move to Rome, by Kaydee who wrote a great trip report about her stay in Ravello with her family and by Mimi, who wrote a wonderful trip report about her experiences with friends basing in Priano and exploring around the Amalfi Coast. And it goes without saying that I am always inspired by Slow Travel Founder, Pauline Kenny, the Slow Travel Community and by all my blogging friends.

They say that great poets, song writers, novelists and even film makers are drawn to this part of Southern Italy in the Campania Region so why shouldn’t it also draw dreamers like myself as well. I've decided to base in the small town of Priano (Wikipedia) for the entire three weeks.  This is the longest I have stayed in one place and I'm really excited to try it for the first time.

I read an apartment review by fellow Slow Traveler, Mimi, describing this part of Southern Italy south of Sorrento as "old world." I love that description. Unlike my recent trip to the very vibrant cities of Amsterdam, and Berlin, there are no fancy modern museums, no art galleries, no super tall towers with precision elevators to lift us up for a spectacular view of the coast. No, not here. What I'm going to find and hopefully discover is an "Old World" charm that Mimi spoke of.

There's a paper mill museum, a miniature village display (YouTube Video) on the side of a winding road between Priano and Positano and there are hundreds of steps to climb up in order to earn my view.  Inspired by fellow Slow Traveler and blogging friend AnnieNC (Churches in Venice) I'm looking forward to visiting several of the beautiful small churches in the Amalfi Coast like the Church of San Luca Evangelico which features paintings by Giovanni Bernardo Lama (Wikipedia). For my dining pleasure there are small but charming places like nearby Vivaro Wine Bar (Official Website).

I plan on keeping my itinerary loose, simple and very slow. On my "must see" sightseeing list: Capri, Positano, Ravello, Paestum and as many of the small towns like Atrani, Scala, Minori as I can see. I will use public transportation (hoping not to get motion sickness on those Sita buses).

Although the apartment has a spectacular view, it does not have WiFi.  Several months ago I invested in a Novatel 2352 MiFi (Official Website) device and I plan to purchase a TIM SIM card in Rome so I can hopefully have a hot spot to connect to the web. If that doesn't work, I learned that there is a little bar nearby that has WiFi service for 20 Euros a week.  Let's see, pizza, prosecco and WiFi.  I know that WiFi isn't very "old world" of me, but I love writing live blogs on my trips and then reliving every special moment when I return home. :)

So there you have it.  I finally purchased my plane tickets, I've started working on my itinerary and I've dusted off my Italian Phrase book. Trekcapri's 2011 Amalfi Coast Adventures has officially begun.

And the Dream lives on . . . 

PhotoHunt: Greasy

I kind of like the slicked down greasy look  . . .

I took this photo in beautiful Venice, Italy.  I started out trying to capture the huddled group of Italian police standing in the middle of the magnificent San Marco Square, because the image looked interesting to me.

But as you can see here, we all know what my "focus" ended up being. :) 

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Tnchick's website HERE!

PhotoHunt: Wrong

I'd say that this dutch bike is parked on the wrong side of the railing.

I'm thinking that either the owner was a little tipsy when he parked it or this is one creative way of deterring a bicycle thief from stealing his bike . . . He, he!

This photo was taken near "my beautiful canal" :) in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  

To see more PhotoHunters, you can visit Tnchick's website HERE!