All posts filed under: travel italy

I’m on a Mission

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Day 1 & 2  Behind the Scenes “When you have something to write, get on with it.” So, that’s what I have intention of doing, just going with the flow. I’m participating in Kims & Xanthes Behind the Scenes: A creative guide to blogging your Passion on line course. With Kim & Xanthe at my side, we’re part of a group of innovative and creative souls. Inspiration flowing from all over the world. We’ve only just started, but there’s such enthusiasm and strong energy I know I’m going to enjoy this journey. As I’ve been only blogging for a couple of years, ‘blogging’ was a means of communicating with family and friends, of showing them where I lived in Italy, sharing my new culinary cuisine and the extreme climate changes, so different of what I was used to in Australia. Moving to another country has really ‘changed’ me, in so many ways. I have said it before and still to this day, moving to another country, with a different language, customs and politics wasn’t easy, …

A Colourful Week

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I know you’re all busy just as I am for this time of the year, and we still have to wait! Always for something, even if it’s the red traffic light to turn green…to go.. And how do you feel when we see that red light turn green? Or the second that you know that green light has changed to amber and yes you have to stop! How do colours make you feel? The cool blue, aqua colour of the ocean.(The memory of a holiday, relaxation) The green colour of a lush shady overhanging tree.(That wonderful picnic and nature walk) The rich bright colour of a sunset,(holding hands with your partner) or the grey cloudy sky of a thunderstorm (Rushing to take cover). Colours trigger emotions within us. This was one of the exercises this week in my e-course The Art and Business Surface Pattern Design. Making a colour palette of odds and ends around the house, we had to then add an accent colour and see how visually it changes. Throw a little colour …

A Magical Place

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One of the first vivid images I have of seeing the magnificent Dolomites was on my initial holiday here in Italy. I hadn’t seen anything like this wondrous, spectacular mountain cluster before. There’s such a magical feeling when you see this mountain range, I just stared in awe at it’s beauty.   Having the opportunity to visit again this special place, we take a drive to see the “queen of the dolomites”, the highest peak in this range, Mount Marmolada. Her highest point 3343m…my feet stay on the ground, and better to have a  lot of climbing experience to see her great beauty close up. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain “The fruit of silence is tranquility.” – Arabian Proverb “The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power …

Verona -Italy

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Verona is a wonderful easy one day visit, from where I live. A two hour train trip. Verona is a city of love,music,theatre, art and culture.Taking my Aussie friends, for a look at this special place, it was obvious that one of the first stops would have to be Juliet’s house…Just a bit of romance thrown in to start off the day…Read on for our day adventure…

Food Bliss…

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I’m not sure what the best thing about going away is… ..is it the relaxation,48 hours away from the 8.30am-7.30pm workload, the mobile phone on silent call, or away from the kitchen sink…what I do know is that I enjoyed every minute of my stay at the  Hotel Alpenhof. We get so into our everyday routines, that the simple things and pure comforts of 3 days away from home…having someone else making the bed, serving morning coffee and dishing out fabulous meals for dinner, I was overwhelmed, ecstatic and pleasantly surprised of the home comforts while away. Hotel Alpenhof is high in it’s fine dining service, a five course meal for dinner, with just the right portions, fabulous local produce and seasonal goods.A great range of wines and clear fresh natural water. Each evening the table settings were different, red roses,white orchards and orange roses…and the meals were…well take a look for yourself… Sitting down at our table, every night entrees were waiting for us… Beef carpaccio with herbs and champignons,Variation of potatoes from the …

A getaway…

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This picturesque scene is by a lake on our way to Rasun di Sotto, located in the Anterselva Valley.Close to the Italian – Austrian borders. Surrounded by the Dolomites mountain range – a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s simply a getaway with nature and a wonderful place to explore the adventure with nature and all it’s beauty. Our destination was for Hotel Alpenhof. The family Preindl share a truly home- country feeling in this hotel, a warm welcomed feeling as soon as you enter this magical place.They share their love of South Tyrolean tradition, and you find a mixture of mystical past and magical present facilities and decor. The original building was built in 1580,it was a farmstead, and there are still many original artifacts displayed in many corners of the hotel. Our room for the weekend…   Decorations throughout the hotel… This is one of the relaxing rooms…with a cozy stube,fireplace and cowhide chairs…   Hotel Alpenhof features a range of wellness facilities…all the more reason to visit. Sauna’s, spa’s, a sea water pool, …

Relaxation

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I’ve just spent four wonderful days relaxing with Silvano and friends in the mountains, on the Italian – Austrian border. A great getaway, staying in a Wellness Centre, spa’s, sauna’s, fine dining, visiting local spots and relaxing. The mountains are just beautiful this time of the year, and we had great weather to travel around sightseeing. I hope you can enjoy with me through this visual impact a few minutes of the serene atmosphere I felt during the last couple of days. Truly a magical atmosphere through the beauty with nature.

Italian Summer Food Fairs

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In our Summer months, there’s always a local sagra –fair to visit. It’s a celebration of food, and family entertainment.If you visit Italy during this time of the year, it’s a great opportunity to support local groups,volunteer “cooks” with a passion for food, eat cheaply, trying traditional dishes and enjoy live entertainment.There’s fairs of food like asparagus, rice, chicken,tripe, and even larger fairs with an event like a music/singing contest,a bicycle race, a water craft boat regatta , country line dance contest and rodeo, to name a few. We had the opportunity to visit the “Festa dea Sardea” meaning Festival of Sardines in Silea,Treviso,Italy. Sardines at this fair are available grilled,crumbed, and traditional venice style with sweet/sour onions. Sardines are rich in numerous nutrients that have been found to support cardiovascular health. An excellent source of Vitamin B12 and concentrated in Vitamin D, packed with protein. Sardines are best eaten fresh,and as I don’t prepare them often at home,we decided to venture out to this fair, with a grand surprise of how many people were …

Carole…a colourful visit

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Carole is a city of ancient history. It’s a beautiful, historical sea – side tourist and holiday spot. The cathedral and the bell tower are of the year 1000, two important monuments in Carole, and the  history of Carole follows an evolution the same as Venice. The historical centre, closed to traffic is a buzz, filled with tourists and locals, street cafe’s, bar’s,restaurants and fabulous shopping. A relaxed Summer vacation spot. The shops sell their local goods from ceramics, linen,wines,chocolates,and ice-cream. It’s one of those special spots where you can sit outside along the cafe strip,on relaxed chairs,red and white checked tablecloths an espresso or a glass of prosecco in hand and watch the world go by. Today, the beach of Carole offers to the tourists who come to visit this part of Italy, all it’s beauty,with it’s fine sand, colourful beach fronts and a view of the Adriatic Sea. The two coasts, the West and East are pleasantly interrupted by a huge stone wall. A beautiful scenic walk along the Adriatic from the beachfront …

Walk on my Clouds

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Silvano and myself had the opportunity to take a Sunday drive this morning. Heading for Susegana,Province Treviso, Region Veneto, Italy’s well-known region for its wine – Prosecco. Prosecco is a white grape and makes a sparkling wine. This picturesque drive takes us through a region of winding roads with a canopy of shady trees and hillsides overflowing with vineyards. Characteristic of the film,( which always leaves that romantic feeling at heart) A Walk in the Clouds.    This drive is just breath-taking, stopping nearly every five minutes to take photo’s, we continue along a tourist trail, actually called ” Prosecco Road”. It’s also a well-known tourist attraction for cyclists, trail bikes and trekkers.    Travelling along this road we arrive at the ruins of one of Susegana’s castles, The Castle of Collalto. Most of the castle was destroyed during the great war (1915 – 1918), and today there’s little left of its walls. What ruins there are remain covered by overgrown greenery and forest. Two guard towers remain today with the entrance arches.    The church of Saint George was reconstructed in the 1930’s after it’s destruction in the …