When people visit Italy for the first time (or two), the biggest destinations that come to mind are Rome, Florence, and Venice. Each has spectacular and unique sights to see – and also lots and lots of tourists. After a few visits to Italy, people often want to visit locations that feel more authentic without the throngs of tourists. We visited two of these locations recently – the Dolomites of Northern Italy’s Alps and Verona, known as the city of Romeo and Juliet. I also visited Mantua (called Mantova in Italy) which is filled with important art and history and seems to be mostly visited by Italian schoolchildren. This blog post will highlight my visits to these lesser-known but wonderful locations.
Diana and Jed are friends from Lucca; they recently purchased a condo in the Dolomites so that they could enjoy the winters skiing. And from their property, they are just a few steps from the ski lifts! They invited Pasquale, Jim and I to visit in April, with a special request – that Pasquale set up a few visits to wineries in the area, using his in-depth knowledge of Italian wine producers. This turned out to be a bit of a challenge because many wineries were unavailable due to “out of season” or they were preparing for Italy’s largest wine show in just a few days – more on this later. We visited three:
Weingut Lieselehof – on a beautiful mountainside near a lake. And they have a very interesting “wine museum” that has over 100 different types of grapes growing from all over the world. They study how they grow in this environment and are particular interested in disease-resistant varieties.
Markus Prackwieser Gump Hof – a wonderful family-owned winery that weaved the story of family, local history, and hard work together leading up to a wonderful wine tasting. Our favorite winery of the three.
Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella – a winery and an abbey together! This was quite a large winery that produces LOTS of different wines. The grounds, abbey and library were gorgeous. Too bad the wine wasn’t as good.
Beautiful and peaceful in the mountains – surrounded by vineyards and a surprise lake!
The vines grow on very steep slopes so all work must be done by hand.
Pasquale enjoying the wine at Markus Prackwieser Gump Hof.
This area looks, sounds and feels more like Germany than Italy! More people speak German than Italian.
Entrance to the abbey complex. Note the cute round building on the left.
We explored that cute building but then realized that it was closed – the door was only opened for the men working inside. Jim and I exited quickly, but Pasquale and Diana had begun exploring upstairs. The men started locking the door but I tried to explain in Italian that there were two friends still inside. Apparently they spoke only German but they did understand once I got animated!
Beautiful baroque library of the abbey!
The following day, Jed and Diana took us on a drive around “their mountain”. The views were spectacular and even though it was quite late in the season, we were able to watch people ski. I was surprised to learn that you can ski from town to town and essentially spend all day skiing through the entire area. I was also surprised to learn that the weather could be so warm with snow still blanketed everything. I brought all of the wrong clothes. Diana and Jed are great hosts – they prepared several wonderful meals for us and we even played billiards in their cantina! What a fun visit!
Group selfie! Pasquale, where are your sunglasses???
We went to a beautiful field surrounded on three sides by mountains. It was a gathering place for people and animals when invaders were coming. Today there is a beautiful community chapel for remembering locals who have died.
And a lovely mountain stream was flowing through the field.
More slopes!
We then headed south to Verona. Jim and Pasquale attended VinItaly, the largest wine event of the year in Italy. It gives them an opportunity to enjoy old favorites, discover hidden gems, and visit with producers and wine lovers. There are thousands of wines to try, and they typically taste (then spit) over 100 wines per day!
While Jim and Pasquale were tasting and spitting, I explored Verona. We have visited Verona several times, so I have already seen the biggest sights (the spectacular Roman arena that is still used today and the fictitious location of Juliet’s balcony from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet). My objectives during these days were to enjoy the pleasant piazzas and learn more about some of the Veronese artists. I had plenty of time to peek into courtyards, wander the streets, and enjoy a cappuccino at the cafes. And I visited more than a few churches… but I have included pictures of only my favorite: Basilica di San Zeno.
The basilica has a rather unusual layout – there are three different levels: the central church, a raised Presbytery and a lower Crypt.
The San Zeno Altarpiece by Andrea Mantegna, an important Renaissance painter from Verona.
The crypt houses the body of Saint Zeno and has 49 marble columns! You can also see the giant columns from the main part of the basilica. Very cool space!
Bronze door from the Medieval times. I’ve never seen anything like this!
Piazza dei Signori with incredible architecture and art, along with a fancy car for the VinItaly crowd!
Very elaborate tombs for the Scaligeri family from the 14th century.
Arco dei Gavi, white marble arch from the Roman times!
Verona is a very wealthy and elegant city, so I wasn’t too surprised to see this Masserati in front of the castle.
Nor was I surprised to see these elegant Afghan Hounds with their legs carefully protected.
I took a 40-minute train ride south to spend the day in Mantua, “a city surrounded by 3 artificial lakes in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. It’s known for the architectural legacy of the Renaissance Gonzaga rulers, who built the Palazzo Ducale. This imposing building houses the Bridal Chamber, decorated with Andrea Mantegna frescoes.” Unfortunately, no pictures and only 5 minutes were allowed in the Bridal Chamber but I was very pleased with myself for finding a way to visit it for two 5-minute periods!
Beautiful and peaceful courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale
Piazza Erbe and Rotonda di San Lorenzo, a round church from the 11th century
Mantova and Verona are known for their incredible domes, especially with tiers of people, some of which may look like they are reaching down from the dome.
A quiet canal going through Mantova. I could live here!
As I bid farewell to these enchanting places, I carried with me a sense of gratitude for the opportunity to uncover the secrets of this captivating country. Where to next?
Jim enjoys attending wine tasting events with Pasquale, our friend who owns our favorite restaurant in Lucca. They attend several in Italy each year, and this is the second time visiting ProWein in Düsseldorf, Germany. I decided to come along this year, not for the wine tasting but for the travel and adventure.
The plan started out simple… Jim and I would stay in Cologne, Germany while Pasquale stayed with friends in Düsseldorf. Cologne is less expensive during ProWein and far more interesting. Then the plan grew a bit… why not go someplace else before or afterwards? We looked at the map and quickly picked Brussels. Hotels are expensive there so we decided to use some of my remaining Marriott points (leftover from all the business travel). Reserve 4 nights, stay the 5th for free. What a deal! We now had time for a day trip to Bruges and one to Ghent.
Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the administrative center of the European Union, giving the town two distinct flavors – historic/traditional versus international/modern. I liked the mix of the two…
My favorite in Brussels was the Grand-Place (their main piazza/square) at night. Magical! This large square is surrounded by beautiful buildings decorated with gold paint. The combination of the architecture, decor, gold, and lighting make it truly unique. The square was filled with people enjoying this special site. We returned during the day when we could see the buildings’ details and statues better, but the nighttime view couldn’t be beaten. The buildings were built, rebuilt, and restored several times, but are generally in the Baroque style. They were mostly built by the different guilds as well as the Town Hall and the King’s house (although he never lived there). One explanation for the highly decorated facades is that the guilds wanted to remind the King and the Town government that they were equally wealthy and needed to stay in line! The only thing better would be a visit at Christmastime for the Christmas market and beautiful festive decorations. Check out this blog post by our friends Ilene and Gary.
Here are a bunch of pictures – be sure to read the captions for a bit of context.
Enjoying our first Belgium waffle as we enter Parc du Cinquantenaire
Parc du Cinquantenaire, was built in 1880 for the 50th anniversary of Belgian independence. Today there are museums and lots of green space. We arrived to one of the early Springish days, so lots of people were simply enjoying the warmth of the sun.
Parc du Cinquantenaire, required touristy selfie!
Parc du Cinquantenaire is the home to a group of parakeets. I know that I shouldn’t be pleased to be seeing an invasive species, but I did enjoy watching these brightly colored birds soaring through the skies and trees.
Parc du Cinquantenaire with early spring daffodils and other wildflowers.
The Grand-Place of Brussels
The Grand-Place of Brussels
Mussels in Brussels is a must! Along with the ubiquitous French Fries, which Belgium claims they created.
The Manneken Pis, the most visited (and small) tourist site in Brussels. Many legends regarding why they built the statue of the little boy peeing…
New and modern buildings in the European Union quarter. We visited an EU museum and learned a lot about the history and purpose of the EU.
We took a 30-minute train through the Belgian countryside to the smallish city of Ghent, with one main objective – to see the Ghent Altarpiece. Many consider it one of the most important pieces of art in the world and was the first major oil painting. It represents the transition between Medieval art and the Renaissance in Belgium and the Netherlands. It was painted by Hubert and Jan van Eyck and was finished in 1432. It is also known as the most frequently stolen piece of art in the world, so there are lots of fascinating stories that go with the altarpiece. But the stories don’t compare to the beauty of the artwork – vivid colors, detailed faces, symbols, and depicted stories. I didn’t take a bunch of pictures because there are many high-quality pictures online that my phone’s camera can’t capture.
Oh, and we really liked Ghent. Parts of it are a bit seedy, industrial, and not beautiful – but the other parts have beautiful architecture. I especially liked one of its main squares that was filled with locals on this early Spring day. Check out this video I posted on YouTube.
Here I am contemplating (ok… perhaps gawking at) this great work of art.
Ghent Altarpiece, closer view of the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb panel
I saw lots of sarcophagus’ with the guy in this position. Just chillin… In Italy, they are usually laying all of the way down.
The stained glass windows in both Belgium and Germany were gorgeous. We don’t have a lot of windows like this in our Romanesque churches.
Italian churches usually have marble pulpits, but the ones in Belgium and Germany were mostly made of beautifully carved wood. So beautiful!
OK, this pulpit is a combination of wood and marble and looks like they were going for some prize in the fanciest pulpit!
I loved the architecture in Ghent!
The Taco sign caught my attention – so out of place. But check out those sculptures at the top of the building! Apparently this is the Masons Guild House on Sint-Niklaasstraat and those are dancing figures leaping through the air. And O’Tacos is a French fast food chain!
Korenmarkt (Wheat Market), one of the main squares of Ghent. Again, I love the architecture and the tangle of bicycles!
Belgium is serious about their beer. Lots of different kinds AND each one has their own glass. This was a fun stop for lunch, which did include a beer!
Selfie in front of Gravensteen Castle from around 1180. Right in the middle of Ghent!
Every castle needs a moat and we spotted this European Coot on a nest. Soon the male came up with a fresh fish lunch for mama. Fun to spot a bit of nature in the middle of this city!
Bruges is home to the Bruges Madonna, a beautiful sculpture of Mary and Jesus created by Michelangelo. It was his only sculpture to leave Italy during his lifetime and I was eager to see it. It did not disappoint…
Both the Bruges Madonna and the Ghent Altarpiece are highlighted in the movie The Monuments Men. If you’ve never seen the movie or read the book, I highly recommend doing so. It’s a great story about how some art scholars were recruited into the Army near the end of WWII to find and return stolen art. And it’s based on a true story.
In addition to being the home of the Bruges Madonna, Bruges is a very cute town, but a bit touristy. The architecture is beautiful, lots of canals and waterways with bridges with cute squares. The one-hour train ride from Brussels was well worth it.
Madonna of Bruges by Michelangelo
Another one of those crazy wooden pulpits!
Colorful and cute town square, with everyone enjoying the early Spring sunshine
JoAn on a bridge over a canal
Jim enjoying the nice weather during our daytrip to Bruges
And our final stop was in Germany…
Jim’s wine event was in Düsseldorf but it is very expensive to stay there during the event and there is very little for me to do or see there. So, we decided to stay in Cologne (Köln), a 30 minute train trip from Dusseldorf. Jim would go back and forth each day and I would enjoy the sights of Cologne. I had heard that it was a beautiful city… quaint, fun, and the home to the most gorgeous Cathedral. We stepped out of the train station and there it was! We splurged on a hotel that was just a few minutes from the Cathedral and the train station. I was really looking forward to exploring this city. I had a list of things I wanted to see and do, but I also made time for wandering the city.
Our first morning I attended the church service at the Cathedral but couldn’t understand a word. But I enjoyed the beauty of the cathedral, watched the procession of priests and others with their candles, incense (lots of incense), staffs, etc. There was a choir made of young boys and men; they made beautiful music – a cappella, so I did not get to hear the church organs. Afterwards I crossed a bridge over the River Rhine and enjoyed the Sunday afternoon with many locals and tourists. It was delightful start for my time in Cologne.
Then it started to rain and frankly my visit went downhill from there… I tried and failed two times to go on a English-language tour of the Cathedral. I went inside one other time, but much of it was inaccessible due to another service. A bathroom attendant tricked me out of some money… I confronted him, but he denied it. It was just a few euros, but it was so annoying… I wandered up and down the main shopping street while getting slightly soggy despite having bought an umbrella.
Then we learned about the train strike planned for the last day of the wine event – Jim planned to take the train to and from Dusseldorf, and then we would both take a train to the Frankfurt airport for our early morning flight the next day. Some trains continued to run, so Jim made it to Dusseldorf but then decided to take a bus to Frankfurt instead of trying to get a train. I went to the train station early and planned to get on the next available train. One was supposed to come at 1:55, but was delayed 30 minutes, but then never came??? So, I got on one about an hour later.
Oh, I forgot to mention that Lufthansa was also striking and we had bought tickets through Lufthansa. Thankfully, the flight itself was provided by Air Dolomiti so we were fine.
Postscript… German precision was in play after the train strike. We returned to Lucca on Wednesday morning and I requested a refund from unused train tickets on Thursday. The money was in our bank account on Friday.
Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Cologne
Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Cologne, at night
Overall, I really enjoyed Belgium, struggled in Cologne and was glad to get home to Lucca after 10 days of travel. So how do they compare – a simple (over simple, for sure) chart:
Brussels
Cologne
Lucca
Languages spoken
French, Flemish and everything else
German and English for the tourists
Italian and English for the tourists
General attitude
Neat and tidy. Near EU: confident, busy, important
Compliant by day, boisterous in the evening
Relaxed
Foods
Chocolate, waffles, French fries
Pub food
Tordelli pasta
Drinks
Bottled Belgium Beer with matching glass
Local beer on tap
Italian wine
I hope that you enjoyed reading my blog post and looking through my pictures. Have you ever been to Brussels, Bruges, Ghent, or Cologne? How were your experiences similar or different? Leave a comment!
Our recent 4-day journey through several cities of northern Italy brought us back to familiar places, each with a unique purpose. In Bologna, our mission was Michelangelo; in Modena, it was all about balsamic vinegar; Parma beckoned us with Leonardo da Vinci, and Milan offered a wine-tasting adventure for Jim and another rendezvous with Michelangelo for me. Our final stop in Alba was a truffle extravaganza.
After the description of each visit, I’ve included photos with captions – most from Bologna and Alba.
Bologna
We have been to Bologna several times for short visits but never stayed long enough to really get to see the city. For this trip I wanted to see three sculptures by Michelangelo. A year or so ago I read “The Agony and the Ecstasy” by Irving Stone, a historical fiction about Michelangelo. It talks about each of the sculptures he made, the challenges, the circumstances, the subjects, etc. At the end of the book there is a list of all the sculptures and other art that he created that are still available to be seen; seeing each of the sculptures that are in Italy has become my objective. When Michelangelo was still fairly young, he created three statues for the Basilica di San Domenico. They are part of a large monument containing the remains of Saint Domenico. It is interesting to see Michelangelo’s statues intermixed with other artists’ work – you can see how Michelangelo’s style and capabilities are so much different than the other artists.
We were surprised to learn that the day that we arrived was the biggest festival day of the year in Bologna. There were many events in Piazza Maggiore in the city center, including music, dancing, drums, flag throwing and even fireworks! We were both quite surprised that they were going to do fireworks in the middle of a historic square but they certainly did; we saw fireworks that were let off from the ground 100 meters from us and on top of a historic building
On our earlier visits to Bologna, we were disappointed in the number of graffiti, the random mix of new and old buildings near the city center, and the general grittiness of the city. We saw too much graffiti, but also saw more beauty during a two-hour walking tour that helped us to understand the history of the city. For example, we learned that Bologna was bombed heavily during World War 2. Today you might see a beautiful old building but it was likely restored after the war and then next to it is a new building because the earlier building was totally destroyed.
I have a much better sense of Bologna and look forward to returning in the future.
Bologna has beautiful porticos throughout the city. Great on rainy days!
The Arca di San Domenico where remains of Saint Domenica, founder of the Dominican Order. Can you spot the Michelangelos?
The Michelangelo statues: St. Petronius (the patron saint of Bologna), an angel holding a candle and St. Proclus. (St Proclus is on the back of the monument.)
The door of Basilica of San Petronio, in the main piazza of Bologna. The carvings are by Jacopo della Quercia who also created a lot of art in Lucca.
Cassini created a meridian line in the church in 1655. From this, he was able to calculate the duration of the tropical year, the timing of equinoxes and solstices, and the tilt of the earth.
This small hole projects an elliptical image of the sun, which at local noon falls exactly on the meridian line and every day is different as to position and size.
The beautiful Chapel of the Magi, with stained glass window, frescos and beautifully carved choir seats.
We unexpectedly arrived on the Festival Day for Saint Petronio. Lots of activity in the piazza!
What would an Italian festival be without flag throwers?
Very energetic choir performing in front of the basilica!
Later on, a pop group with lots of Italians dancing in the piazza. I’m not sure what Quercia would have thought about that lighting on his beautiful carved exterior…
We took a two hour walking tour and learned a lot about the history of Bologna. Our turn to be tourists!
We weren’t able to enter this library, but we did get a peek through an open door. Wow!
We loved their market street, especially in the morning when the locals were buying their food for the day.
Lots of tourists in the afternoon checking out the fish in the marketplace
Bologna is very serious about their pasta!
We bought a vegetable peeler at this great kitchen store on the marketplace street.
A striking memorial recalls thousands of Bolognese men and women killed fighting fascists in World War II.
Closeup of the Memorial
Modena
Next, we headed to Modena, a small town about an hour from Bologna with one simple objective: visit Acetaia Cavedoni, a small farm that we’ve visited several times before. They make balsamic vinegar and we have been on their tour several times (see my friends’ blog post that describes the tour and how balsamic is made. Fascinating!) Today our goal was simply to buy some balsamic for ourselves and for our friends and to catch up with the owners. A bonus was the beautiful grapevines that are turning color for autumn.
Beautiful grapes still on the grapevines
Parma
You may not have recognized the name of Parma but you certainly know its primary product – Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, which is very different than “Parmesan” cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano DOP can only be made in the province of Parma. Today we were not visiting to learn about the cheese or even buy some, but to see a particular painting by Leonardo da Vinci. As I was planning this trip, this painting popped up and I was transfixed. The painting is called “La Scapigliata” and I love the precise detailing of the face and the use of shadow, next to the sketch-like hair and torso. How does this work together? No idea, but it does! The painting was in one of several museums located in a huge palazzo (palace) that was owned by the Farnese family. The surprises were the incredible wooden theater, built for a visit of Cosimo de Medici, and an incredible library that is still used by students of the University of Parma and others.
“La Scapigliata” by Leonardo da Vinci
Another gorgeous library! This one is still used today by the community and the college students. (They also have new books.)
Wouldn’t you love to read each one???
Milan
Our next destination was Milan. Jim would be meeting two friends from Lucca at a wine tasting. They tasted about 100 wines in four hours. How do they do that? Well, they don’t drink each of the tastes, but rather take a small amount then spit it out. Then they talk about it (a lot)!
My objective was to see a Michelangelo statue at Castello Sforzesco called Pietà Rondanini. A Pietà (Italian meaning “pity” or “compassion”) is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Jesus Christ after his descent from the cross. Michelangelo created three different Pietàs… one at the beginning of his career (in the Vatican), one mid-career (now in Florence) and one unfinished as he was working on it when he died (now in Milan). Each shows Mary’s sorrows as a mother grieving the loss of her son while also understanding the special spiritual nature of His life. Each is profound, but I have to say that the one in Florence is my favorite.
BTW, there are 33 statues by Michaelangelo in Italy; I’ve now seen 27 of them!
There was also lots of other museums within Castello Sforzesco. My plan was to see the Pietà, check out the Castello for a while, then walk to the Duomo (Cathedral). I spent way too much time at the Castello, so just headed back to the hotel. I met Jim after his wine tasting and then we headed to our final destination for this trip.
Jim’s destination – The Slow Wine tasting!
JoAn’s destination – Castello Sforzesco
The Pietà Rondanini
yep, Michelangelo made it!
Alba
We stayed between Milan and Alba at Il Cascinalenuovo that they describe as a “restaurant with rooms.” This is a Michelin-starred restaurant with a few rooms that allow you to stay on property so that you don’t need to drive after a lengthy meal with wine. It met our needs perfectly. This is white truffle season and we splurged for a multi-course meal that included white truffles as a part of each course. Still, my favorite was the simple pasta with those wonderful truffles on top. The most interesting was a small piece of Robiola cheese, a bit of pepper and olive oil, and truffles – how can something so simple be SOOOO good?
So, what is a truffle? Truffles are edible fungi that grow underground near the roots of certain oak trees. They have a very distinct look—that sort of resembles a dark, small, lumpy rock or potato—and a flavor that’s savory, earthy, and completely unique. Some describe the aroma and flavor as a cross between honey and garlic. Actually, the aroma is much stronger than the taste and is the driving aspect of the experience. There are different types grown in various locations in the world, but most people would agree that the White Truffles from Alba are the best in the world. I do need to add that they are quite costly, so eating truffle shavings is truly a special experience!
Alba has a Truffle Fair each October where they sell these truffles to people who come from across the world. This is our third time visiting the Truffle Fair and we planned to buy two truffles – one for us and one for a friend. We found our truffles (36 and 41 grams, respectively), enjoyed the fair, then headed for home. We enjoyed several meals with our truffle and I was even able to duplicate the cheese dish for some friends that visited a few days later.
Truffles, truffles, truffles!
Here are the five courses
Jim and Chef!
Alba’s Truffle Fair
Here’s a typical display of white truffles on the left and black truffles on the right. The white ones are the best!
The happy sellers of our two truffles
Truffles and pasta with the simplest butter sauce at home. We ate truffles for 4 meals and shared some with friends with cheese.
Retiring in Italy has allowed us to embark on numerous adventures throughout Italy and Europe. It has been a joy to revisiting our some of our favorite cities, uncovering new layers of history and experiences with each return.
Our Ireland trip by the numbers: 13 days, 5 hotels, 2198 pictures and 22 videos, 1500 KM/1000 miles driven, 2 beer breweries, 2 whiskey distilleries, 33 birds identified and many of them photographed, and countless ruins. Rather than providing a comprehensive description of our vacation, I will share my highlights along with some random observations that surprised us. Click left or right on each photo to see others from that location. At the end of this post, I provide a description of our itinerary and changes made during the trip.
Random Observation: I forgot some of my medicine. ☹ I printed my two prescriptions from my Italian doctor (who sends these via email) and took it to a pharmacy in a small town. One of them was filled quickly and at a reasonable cost. The second was not available anywhere in Ireland, so I couldn’t get it filled at any pharmacy. I was able to stretch that medicine out and all was fine, but I was very impressed how the EU medical systems work together so easily across country boundaries.
My favorite location was the Cliffs of Moher – the ocean, the green land, the birds and of course the cliffs. Together they were magical! The cliffs are 200 meters high and they run for 14 KM/9 miles. The scene in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” in which Harry and Dumbledore venture to a cave in order to destroy a horcrux was filmed here!
The Cliffs of Moher. The tiny dots on the green land are cows. Lots of cows everywhere!
Closeup of one of the cliffs. Each of those dots is a nesting bird. The ones near the top and bottom are Gillimontes which are related to Puffins. And lots of seagulls in between.
A zoomed in version of one of the cliff areas and we found puffins! A first time ever spotting for Jim and I.
It was cold and windy, but the wind died down for this selfie.
Random Observation: The food is so hot! About half of the food served was so hot that we couldn’t eat it for five minutes or more. I like my food hot, but this seemed excessive. I burned my tongue twice.
One of the touristy things to do in Ireland is to participate in a falcon or hawk walk. We choose a Private Hawk Walk with Kingdom Falconry in Dingle, Ireland. We spent an hour with Emily, a very experienced birder and falconer, talking all things birds. We spent most of the time with one Harris Hawk then had a walk through their aviary to see their other birds of prey. Click on this link to see a video of “our” hawk flying to me.
Closeup of “our” Harris Hawk. These are not native to Ireland but are brought here and bred here for hunting. They are very trainable and well-behaved.
It was a delight to spend time with Emily and she clearly cares for the birds here and enjoys educating people about birds of prey.
Harris Hawk in flight
Random Observation: We drove on many tiny roads, often for long distances. They typically have only one lane (but two-way traffic) with no space on the left between the vehicle and the stone wall, bush, trees, or signs. But speed limits are high; the most common speed limit was 80 KM/hour or 50 MPH. I didn’t get used to it – I learned to look away from the obstacles on the left.
The Dingle Peninsula, on Ireland’s southwest Atlantic coast, is ringed by sandy beaches and craggy cliffs. Inland are rolling hills and mountains populated with interesting historic points, tourist stops, farms, many cows and many many sheep. The Slea Head Loop goes around the peninsula and is only 50 KM / 30 miles but the idea is to stop lots of times at beautiful vistas, ruins from prior civilizations, and everywhere in between. Most people take 3 hours… after 4 hours, we decided to skip the last few stops that I planned. Star Wars – The Last Jedi was partially filmed on this peninsula.
One of the many beautiful views of Dingle Peninsula. The Blasket Islands are in the background. Cows and sheep were everywhere!
Loved this beach and the fog in the distance.
Wild flowers everywhere!
We enjoyed some of the local cheeses for our Italian-style picnic.
Rock with ancient carvings
Random Observation: They had laundry machines at some gas stations! You just pulled up your car, loaded the washing machine, moved it to the dryer and drove off within the hour with clean clothes. So easy and fast but not cheap…
There are numerous ruins across the Irish countryside, including cathedrals, monasteries, castles, small churches, round towers, and many unidentifiable buildings. Some of the biggest, such as the Rock of Cashel, are considered national treasures with pre-booked timed tickets, guided tours, and souvenirs galore. Others simply have signs that describe what you are seeing and provide brief histories. And then there are the unmarked but still striking ruins that you can wander through with only your own imagination. We stopped at so many that we skipped one of our planned stops – another ruined monastery, no thanks!
Kilmacduagh Abbey, near the Burren National Park. The cemetery included both old and new graves. The round tower was used by the monks for protection during attacks. The medieval days were violent!
While I was photographing Kilmacduagh Abbey, this cow decided to check me out. She was a friendly cow!
Jim welcoming me to the Rock of Cashel. “Cashel is reputed to be the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by Saint Patrick in the 5th century. The Rock of Cashel was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster for several hundred years prior to the Norman invasion.” http://www.wikipedia.org
Interior of the Rock of Cashel
I spotted this ruin from the Rock of Cashel. Neighboring ruins?
Random observation: We stayed at five different hotels (yuck!) but I was surprised at the ease of check in and check out. Mostly I just said my name and they gave me a key. No forms, no passport checks, no receipts on checkout. I asked one person about it and they said “Well, you said your name and the name is on my list, so it seems likely that it is you!” So different from Italy where a passport is always required along with receipts and papers galore!
Throughout the trip Jim and I were on the lookout for birds. We didn’t have any specific birding activities, but took our binoculars and my “birding” lens whenever we wandered into birdy areas. We discovered several new species for us as well as many that we were already familiar with. It’s been a while since I did any bird photography so this was a fun additional activity for me.
European Robin: Much smaller than the American version. They have little fear of humans.
Great Cormorant: Similar to the Double-crested Cormorant in America. These are bigger and have a different color beak.
Mistle Thrush: This is a pretty large bird that can be found scurrying along the ground. Love those markings!
Mute Swan: Flying in a park. I seldom see them fly, they mostly seem to bob in the water!
White Wagtail: Love this black and white birds that can be seen in the grasses!
Eurasian Treecreeper: There are similar treecreepers in America. So much fun to watch… they creep up a tree then fly down and start over again.
Random Observation: Very few crosswalks in larger city, smaller towns, and the countryside! So, people crossed wherever they wanted to, whenever they wanted to. In Italy, the crosswalks are frequent and well-marked; people can cross at anytime and drivers are required to always stop.
We saved Dublin for last. Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and is well known for pubs, the Temple Bar area, breweries, and whiskey distilleries. We did all of that, but also learned more about Ireland’s difficult history during walking tours and museum visits.
Trinity College’s Old Library was filled with precious and old books. They are currently undergoing a restoration project that includes removing all of the books – you can see some empty stacks in this photo.
Oh, the smell and sight of old leather-bound books!
The Republic of Ireland uses a harp as a symbol for the country; this is the original! BTW, Guinness Brewery uses a different harp and even faces the opposite direction to prevent copyright issues.
Interior of Kilmainham Gaol where many Irish revolutionaries, including the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, were imprisoned and executed in the prison.
One of the many cells in the Kilmainham Gaol.
Jim enjoying the beautiful weather we had in Dublin – the locals were all surprised to have several consecutive blue sky days!
No longer an active church, the Pearse Lyons Whiskey company restored and renovated this beautiful local church and its cemetery. Check out the crystal spire – the original could not be restored. Now used as a distillery!
Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery interior. The copper stills were imported from Kentucky!
St Patrick’s Cathedral exterior (taken with an ultra wide lens that makes you feel like you are falling backwards!)
St Patrick’s Cathedral interior. This is the National Cathedral so it has items such as flags to remember past battles and losses.
St Patrick’s Cathedral interior.
Random observation: Water pressure in the showers was great! The owner of one of the B&Bs we stayed at had the perfect explanation: “We have lots of water.” With all that rain, they don’t feel the need to limit it for showers and other usages. In fact, they have pumps in their plumbing system to increase the water pressure. I’m going to miss this!
Trip Itinerary and more
Here’s the day-by-day high-level plan:
Date
Focus of the Day
Activities
Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Welcome to Ireland
Fly from Pisa to Dublin (17:30 to 19:20). Rent car at Dublin airport and head to Slane, close to Bru na Boinne for our first night.
Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Prehistory and first castle
Visit Bru na Boinne, one of the world’s most important prehistoric landscapes. Visit Trim Castle, the largest, best-preserved & most impressive Anglo-Norman castle in Ireland. Drive to Doolin, close to the Cliffs of Moher.
Thursday, 18 May 2023
Cliffs of Moher and Burren
Drive to the dramatic Cliffs of Moher. Then explore the rocky moonscape of the Burren to learn about its unique ecosystem and hardy prehistoric residents.
Friday, 19 May 2023
Heading to the Dingle Peninsula
Drive towards Dingle Peninsula. Along the way, stop to visit County Limerick’s lovely village of Adare, brimming with thatched cottages and flower gardens. Stay in Tralee, central to all of the nearby attractions.
Saturday, 20 May 2023
The Dingle Peninsula
Experience some of Europe’s wildest natural beauty and most ancient Christian sites. Start the day in Dingle, the pastel-painted, quintessentially Irish harbor town. In Dingle, visit Kingdom Falconry for their private bird of prey activity. Then take the driving tour of the famous Slea Head Drive, one the most beautiful road in Ireland. Stop to tour the strikingly situated Great Blasket Centre, to get a close-up look at the language, literature, and daily life of a traditional Gaelic Blasket community.
Sunday, 21 May 2023
Killarney National Park
Visit Killarney National Park to see forests (Ireland’s largest), mountains, and lakes. At the Slane Sheep Farm, watch sheepdog demonstrations, where sheepdogs gather the sheep in the mountainous terrain of the farm and herd them into a sheep yard – if demonstrations are offered this day.
Monday, 22 May 2023
The Rock of Cashel
Drive from Tralee to Kilkenny. Stop to tour one of Ireland’s most historic and evocative sights: the Rock of Cashel. St. Patrick himself was here more than 1,500 years ago, and ever since, the Rock has been the spiritual heart of Ireland. Arrive at our beautiful country estate for two relaxing nights.
Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Kilkenny
Take an orientation walk through the medieval town center and visit Kilkenny Castle, a symbol of Norman occupation since the 12th century. Take a walk through its restored Victorian interiors and extensive parklands.
Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Glendalough and Powerscourt gardens
Visit Glendalough, Ireland’s most impressive monastic settlement with the iconic Round Tower, ruined churches, and the lakes that give Glendalough its name. Then visit Ireland’s best aristocratic gardens at the Powerscourt Estate and see the nearby waterfull. Return car to Dublin airport and head into Dublin.
Thursday, 25 May 2023
Dublin Day 1 – History and Culture
Start our Dublin visit at Trinity College for an illuminating look at the remarkable Book of Kells, a beautiful illustrated copy of the Bible’s Gospel books and see the college’s Old Library. Take a historical walking tour through Dublin learning about the city’s often-calamitous history, from the days of Viking raids to the hard centuries of British occupation to its remarkable literary legacy to the modern city of today. Then visit Dublin Castle, the seat of British power in Ireland for 700 years.
Friday, 26 May 2023
Dublin Day 2 – The Gaol and Drinks
Start the day at Killmainham Gaol, where many of the leaders of independence rebellions were detained and executed in the jail, but many ordinary citizens, including children, were incarcerated here, too. Then shift our focus for a visit to the Guinness Storehouse then the Pearse Lyons distillery. In the evening we visit the famous Temple Bar area.
Saturday, 27 May 2023
Dublin Day 3 – Museums
We will start at the National Archaeological Museum which specializes in Irish and other antiquities dating from the Stone Age to the Late Middle Ages. Then visit EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, a highly interactive museum that covers the history of the Irish diaspora and emigration to other countries. Visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the national cathedral of Ireland.
Sunday, 28 May 2023
Return to beautiful Lucca
We have time in Dublin in the morning to squeeze in any other activities, then start our journey home to Lucca. Fly from Dublin to Pisa. We arrive late in the evening so a driver picks us up and bring us to Lucca.
My goal was to not be rushed… I generally planned two or three activities for each day. And then we cut out some activities (indicated with strikethrough above). It was nice to have activities that we could easily drop out of the plan; I wished that we didn’t have to pre-book so many reservations because this decreased our flexibility. And we moved around some of the activities in Dublin so that we could visit a second whiskey distillery.
We want to return to see the northern parts of the island and will likely visit Scotland on that trip as well.
Overall, we had a fabulous time – spending time in nature, learning so much history, being surrounded by people speaking English, and just enjoying the differences between Ireland and Italy. Before our trip I dug into my genealogy and learned about my Irish ancestors, including their names, when they traveled to America and some other tidbits. This added another dimension to the history – my ancestors emigrated to America due to the potato famine, along with millions of others.
Then we traveled home to Lucca and have re-started our day-to-day life here. A great trip, but this is “Home, Sweet Home”!
After we arrived to Lucca in 2020 and the lockdowns started to be lifted, we began to recognize our “neighbors” on the streets. We live near one of the main entrances to Lucca and on the busiest shopping street of the city. So, we see visitors, tourists, Lucchesi, and our neighbors on a regular basis. Our neighbors include people that live close by, those that work in the businesses, and a variety of interesting characters. Some are well loved characters, such as Mario, who wanders the streets of Lucca singing, greeting the locals, and begging from others.
We also noticed a guy outside our palazzo that kneeled on a pad most evenings while begging. How could he kneel for so long without being in terrible pain??? We call him “Kneeling Guy”. Very creative, eh? He doesn’t really beg, but holds up a sign that says “Un Po di Aiuto” which roughly translates to “Some Help?”. I also noticed that many the locals stopped and chatted with him; he stands up and engages with them in lively conversations, just like many other groups on the streets. He often talked to the shopkeeper across the street. After a while, I greeted him with a friendly “Buono Sera” or “Good Evening”. He seemed like a healthy man in his late 40’s and Jim and I wondered what his story was.
One evening I was sitting on the step waiting for someone to arrive and we acknowledged each other. A person then left the B&B across the street and left the front door open. You don’t do that on our street – too busy! “Kneeling Guy” and I both looked at the door and exchanged puzzled looks. He got up, closed the door and I acknowledged his neighborly action. Our first interaction beyond simple greetings. I never gave him any money and he never asked for any or even seemed to expect it from me.
Over time we chatted briefly. He spoke Italian and was quite difficult for me to understand. For Christmas 2021 I made American-style muffins and gave them to many of our acquaintances. I gave him some muffins and a monetary gift. He was very appreciative and there were many “Buon Natale” greetings exchanged.
Through 2022 we continued to chat. I asked his name at one point but didn’t really understand what he said. I learned that he had a heart condition and was not allowed to work. One day Jim and I were walking down our street for the Italian tradition of an evening stroll called “passegiate”. I was shocked to see him in a different place – he was always right outside our door. Not every evening but several times I week. He saw my shocked looked and explained that it was just too busy at his usual location so he decided to move. Funny how we react when things unexpectedly change in our world.
The week before Christmas I saw him on the street, still in his “new” location. I gave him the gift and again he seemed quite pleased. He even mentioned the muffins that I gave him last year – I was touched that he remembered the gift! We chatted for a few minutes and he mentioned something about getting a new job, but I didn’t fully understand what he said.
For Christmas this year, I didn’t plan to bake but I wanted to give him a gift. I want it to be appropriate and useful, but more like a gift than a handout. I discussed this with my Italian tutor and she suggested socks or a hat, common gifts in Italy. There is a family that has sells socks from a stand on our street; I also consider them neighbors. They helped me select some warm socks and they even put them in a festive red bag with a bow. Perfetto! I included a Christmas card with a monetary gift and now I just need to carry it each evening when we out until I saw him again.
The next evening, we saw him again and he stopped us to chat. Again, he thanked us for the gifts and then shared his good news with us. That day he had succeeded in finalizing a contract for a new job. It sounded like he would be delivering the vehicles and then taking the train back. But that could be wrong… my comprehension with him is pretty low. The contract part is key; in Italy, with a work contract you have many protections and it is assumed to be a long-term position. He said that he would start at four days a week, but that it would increase. He would be starting on January 2nd and would need to buy some new clothes (which I assumed would be purchased with our monetary gift).
He also said that he would be here this evening and the next, but then no more. That is, no more kneeling on the street and he pointed to his sign. And he told us this with such gratefulness but not with a sense of shame either. He said that he hoped in the future to see us on the street but not kneeling, instead he would be walking on the street, greeting those that he knows. And he would greet us. We stood on the street celebrating his news and congratulating him. He remained kneeling, but not for much longer…
When Jim and I moved to Lucca, we set a goal for ourselves to “become part of the community” which includes learning the language, developing friends (both expats and Italians) and eventually to volunteer in the community. But that evening on our street, while celebrating with “Kneeling Guy,” I truly felt like a member of my community and especially my special neighborhood.
And none of my blog posts can be complete without some pretty pictures, so here are a few pictures that I took of my “neighborhood” – within a minute’s walk of our front door.
The front door to our palazzo
Closeup of the ironwork by our front door
The door to the Bed and Breakfast across the street
Beautiful marble sculpture above a store’s door
Former church, now a clothe store
Closeup of former church
Beautiful carved brickwork about the gelato store’s door
Sign outside of our neighborhood bar
Epilogue… 22 April 2023
What a wonderful morning! Jim and I met a friend for coffee and breakfast this morning. An older Italian woman came in… one that I see there often. A few weeks ago we started chatting beyond the standard “Buon giorno”. Today we had a good 10 minute chat including exchanging names. Paola is my new Italian friend! As we were leaving, the man formerly known as “Kneeling Guy” steps in. I asked him how he was and he said “Molto bene! Tutto bene” – very well, everything is good. Work is going well and he is enjoying a few days off because of the national holiday on 25 April. His posture has changed. His face has changed. He is a proud man.
This is also the start of our local Festival of Santa Zita that fills up our oval piazza with flower vendors. What a glorious morning!
The week before Christmas I saw him on the street, still in his “new” location. I gave him the gift and again he seemed quite pleased. He even mentioned the muffins that I gave him last year – I was touched that he remembered the gift! We chatted for a few minutes and he mentioned something about getting a new job, but I didn’t fully understand what he said.
My Next Adventure 