Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Images of Italy

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Thank you for sharing

John, your above shot of Varenna shows the local Albergo. We stayed there a couple of years prior and befriended the owner family. For several years afterwards, their young daughter's classroom exchanged an ongoing series of letters with the International Pen Pal Club that I used to run as an extracurricular activity at my schools. Each boy and each girl who sent us a letter, would then be matched up with a student of their own age.

Btw, the above Albergo family also owned an exotic cat, one of the most photogenic felines that we ever saw on all our travels.

I am done. The Varennians.

zebec - Varenna is such a lovely little town. Did you climb up to the Castello di Vezio? The views from there are incredible. I'll try to post a couple of pics. I had completely forgotten I had a pen pal that was set up by my school when I was very young (jeez - probably 60 years ago now). I can't remember where he was from but it was exciting to get a letter every now and then from him. I did a quick search and I'm happy to see that pen pal programs still exist. When my 4 year old great grandson learns to write I think it would be great if he could have a pen pal.

P.S. I hope I don't have nightmares after looking at your last picture of the eel. LOL.

From Castello di Vezio

What a unique perspective John! No, we didn't climb to the Castello, so thank you for this trio of shots, great stuff. Wasn't it great to take the lake ferries here and there?
In Varenna one day there was an unannounced Fashion Show down by the waterside. The models would strut down the pier then back. Just after the show concluded, there was a serious storm, the kind with eerie clouds and much wind throughout the night.

One of the local trattorias had promised me that I could later return to photo their gorgeous little antique table lamp, a real beaut' with red glass and shiny metal trim. So I arrived at the eatery with camera in hand, only to discover that alas, the storm winds had knocked the lamp over. It was shattered.

So was I. But worse things happen.

I am done. The end.

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Piazza Navona

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Pantheon

Here are two pictures of the famous squares of Rome, Piazza Navona and Pantheon. Very close is my favourite Campo di Fiori as well, we did a walking tour with What a Life Tours and we enjoyed the history behind the monuments:

https://www.whatalifetours.com/

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Locals catch up in Chiavenna

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Quiet streets of Chiavenna (but noisy at 3am!)

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Great little store in Chiavenna

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Locals of Chiavenna

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Simple lunch in Ravenna.

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At Cascata delle Marmore in Umbria (this is just one little bit of the falls, which are large--impossible not to get drenched as you walk up)

So many great photos! Isabel and denisea, thank for the Positano photos I (my wife and I honeymooned there) -- and denisea, I'm thinking we should stay at the Albergo del Senato the next time we're in Rome. Chertor, thanks for the Dolomites pix -- those are definitely on my list for a future visit. Zebec, thanks for everything, but especially the Venice pix, the fountain in Castelluccio, and the pasta in Norcia.

And here are some pix from my wife's and my return visit to Italy in 2018 for our 25th wedding anniversary.

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View of the Grand Canal, with the Ca d'Oro in the center

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The bronze horses of St. Mark's

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Church door on Murano

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The back yard of the Villa Pisani in Stra

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Panorama of Florence in the late afternoon from the Piazzale Michelangelo

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View of Manarola in the Cinque Terre

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Interior of the cathedral dome in Siena

Jeffergray, thank you for saying those things. Agreed about the many inspiring Dolomites shots above. And your own Venetian horses are striking!

Fingers crossed that everyone stays safe and healthy.......and gets to travel once again.
Jayzus.
I am done. The Wish.

I have been remiss. The name of that National Geographic photographer from d'Aosta whom we hung with in Castelluccio in 2015 prior to the quakes was actually 'Stefano Unterthiner.' His wife was Stefani. My muddled memory had been that his name was 'Francesco' and his wife was Francesca.

I wince now at recalling my efforts to advise him on 'fox photo ops', not yet realizing who he was and his qualifications! One of his latest coffee-table books was about Estonian foxes. Seems that he stayed in an animal hide there in the wilderness for months.

Do check out his site and his many wildlife books.
I am done. The Italia.