The Italian Riviera

Before we left the Tuscan region, we just HAD to stop and take pictures of the sunflower fields. (This reminded me of Lompoc, California when they have their annual Flower Festival and there are fields of flowers everywhere.)  While we were taking pictures, this cute old man walked up the road and we tried to talk to each other but neither one of us understood the other. He wanted me to take his picture because he said he was handsome. I agreed! Such a cutie pie!

Sunflower fields in Tuscany, Italy

Another pretty face.

Cute old man.

We got on the road and headed North-West.  Our destination was Santa Margherita De Ligure (Italian  Riviera) which is on the coast of the Liguarian Sea (an arm of the Mediterranean Sea). This is a part of Italy I have never visited before! After about 3 hours of driving, we arrived at our hotel, got checked in, had a late lunch and then hopped on a bus to go sightseeing in Portofino.

Let me just mention that we are becoming pros at navigating narrow roads and not losing our lunch during scary bus rides along the cliffs. Thank you very much!

Portofino is a small Italian fishing village with a small harbor and lots of little shops. I don't know very much about it, but look how pretty it is.

Portofino, Italy.
(taken from the church)

Stan was shooting right into the sun so it
was hard to get a good shot.

See the yellow church on the left?

Our main quest was to see a 15th century castle called "Castello Brown." It is perched waaaayy up on a hill. In fact, the pictures above were taken from the castle's terrace. So you can see how far we hiked to get up there . . . and it was hot . . . and I was sweaty . . . which is why I am not in any pictures today!

On the way to the castle, we stopped at the yellow church and people were gathering for a wedding. I took a quick snipet of the bride as she arrived in a little scooter car.

Little yellow church in Portofino.

Cliffs beside the church. So beautiful.

The water looked turquoise along the edges.

So, back to the castle. From what we could learn, the castle was a fortress that protected Portofino until it became strategicly unnecessary and was sold in 1867 to Montague Yeats Brown who was the English consul in Genoa, Italy. He renovated it and used it as a private residence until his death in 1905. His heirs held the property until 1949 and then sold it to an English couple, Colonel and Mrs. John Baber who restored several ruined sections. They in turn sold it in 1961 to the City of Portofino who turned the property into a museum.

Oddly, after all that, I didn't take a single picture of the castle! Can you believe that? LOL. I did, however shoot a short video on the way up. I also pulled a picture off the Internet so you can see where we were.

By the way, Elizabeth von Arnim wrote her book, "Enchanted April" here in 1922, and the 1992 movie was filmed here as well.

Castello Brown

Grape vines on the castle property.
Reminded me of my grandmother's house.

My Worship Counts!

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name. Psalm 100:4

God delights in our worship. He responds to our thanksgiving and expressions of gratitude. It's so important for us to incorporate the daily habit of worshiping the Father throughout the day.  

There are choirs in Heaven made up of angels and the redeemed who are continually before God's throne singing songs of praise and shouting declarations of His Glory.

Can you imagine the sound? Voices lifted up in unison glorifying His Name in spirit and in truth? I bet it rocks the house down!

But today I realized that MY praise and thanksgiving is distinctly audible to Him.

Wow! That is a sobering thought.

I am not lost in the crowd. My worship counts and it delights the Father. My gratitude connects us in a way that goes deep. He is near and I experience His blessing.   

It's so simple and the benefits are so great. Why do I make it so hard? Why do I allow the distractions of this life to keep me from something that is so rewarding? 

Worship can happen in a moment; in an instant. It doesn't have to be complicated. A simple acknowledgment of His greatness when we see a beautiful sunset. A "thank you, Lord" when we receive an unexpected blessing or when the Holy Spirit whispers direction in a time of need.  We can stop, just for a moment, and tell Him He's awesome. We can thank Him for His Goodness. We can acknowledge His Lordship over all creation. And we can tell Him there is none like Him, He has no equal, no competition for our love and hearts.

John 4:23 - Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

"Father, help me to always be the kind of worshiper You seek."

Last Day in Tuscany

I spent the day enjoying the hotel where we are staying and spending some time with the Father. I have a lot to be grateful for. (For more on this, see today's post under the "Spiritual" tab.)

This evening I had a relaxing dinner on the patio, listening to music and watching the sun slip behind the hills. It was so beautiful and I tried to make mental notes so I won't forget the sights and sounds. I hope that in the future when I am feeling low I will be able to summon these memories and feel the same warmth I felt this evening. And no, it did not have anything to do with the chocolate cake I had for dessert!

Tomorrow we leave for northern Italy.

At dusk.

Siena, Italy

Happy Independence Day! It feels so strange to be away from home during our nation's birthday celebration!  Today at lunch, we met a mother and daughter from Kansas. We lifted our glasses and toasted our great country. May God bless America and keep her safe from harm.

Today (Wednesday) we got up early and headed to the city of Siena. As we were driving to the city, I took this picture of a vineyard. It was a little before 8:00 AM.

Tuscany

Maximilian had an appointment for his first 1200 mile service, so we dropped him off at a BMW dealer and headed to the city center in Siena.

Piazza del Campo
Siena, Italy
This city center has been declared a World Heritage Site.

My introduction to the heart of Siena was passing through the massive gates that once protected her. It felt like I was being transported back in time. Suddenly, I was standing in an ancient walled city.

Our first stop was the Piazza del Campo (pictured above). Stan, armed with his trusty iPhone, began to look up the history of the city and thus our tour began.

We learned that Siena retains a "ward-centric culture" from medieval times. I think there are 17 districts and each one has their own boundary and distinct identity, and each are represented by a mascot (usually an animal). There are ward rivalries which play-out in a big way during the annual horse races (Palio).

We found out that the infamous Palio had just taken place in the Piazza this past weekend. The Palio is held twice per year (July and August) and lasts for eight days. All 17 districts take part in the race but only 10 (by rotation) get to nominate their jockeys for competition.

In a nutshell, riders wearing historic medieval costumes, race around the Piazza three times (riding bare-back no less) and the winner is awarded a flag that will adorn the streets of his district for the following year. (I was  disappointed I missed the event by two days . . . although we heard the whole town goes crazy . . . maybe just as well.) I found a YouTube video from last year's race that tells the story. This is great and it gives you a view of the city as well. The race seems a little dangerous - not much protection for the riders or the spectators!

Our next stop was the Siena Cathedral. It is a marvel. It is a feast for the eyes. It is overwhelming. I could never do it's description justice.  What amazes me is how these great cathedrals were constructed without the aid of Autocad and power tools! What further amazes me is that these buildings are hundreds of years old. This cathedral was built in the 1200-1300's.  

Siena Cathedral
Santa Maria Assunta

We were not allowed to use flash inside the cathedral so I pulled this photo off the Internet. The resolution may not be very high.

The alter at Santa Maria's Cathedral.

Adjoining the cathedral is the Piccolomini Library. My jaw hit the floor when I walked in.  There are frescoes (1502-1507) painted around the entire room that tell the story of Siena's favorite son, Cardinal Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who eventually became Pope Pius, II. The ceiling is covered with painted panels of mythological subjects (1502-1503). There are no words. Again, I was not allowed to use flash, so here are some shots from the Internet.

Frescoes in the Piccolomini Library

Frescoes in the Piccolomini Library

Piccolomini Library Ceiling

Just a few shots around town . . .

I love the detail in these doors.

The streets are so narrow,
the delivery trucks have to be small too!

Clothes lines are very popular in Siena.
Notice the pulley system!
Makes access from the window much easier.

Love the pulley system!

This smart lady covered her clothes
in plastic to protect them from bird poop!

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More of Italy, 2012

My eyes popped open at 5:00 AM! What in the world??

I am typically NOT an early bird so I tried to go back to sleep . . . but I finally gave up. Today (Tuesday) was a travel day so the morning consisted of packing, breakfast, and check-out. I was sorry to leave Lezzeno. I really liked the village, the people, and especially the villa.

We held our breath as Max navigated the narrow streets through all the little towns until we got to the highway at Como.  Whew!

On the road we headed south. Destination: Tuscany! Yeah, baby!  (Have I died and gone to Heaven?)

Along the way we saw mile after mile of farming towns. It looked like they were growing mostly corn and hay but I'm not certain. We commented that the area looks very similar to the farmlands in our area of California. As we got further south, the terrain changed and looked more like the typical rolling hills you would expect to see in wine country. We drove 4-5 hours and finally turned off the highway to find our hotel which is located in the Tuscan hill country in a town called Castellino in Chianti.  Oh. My. Goodness.

The area is absolutely stunning. There are vineyards every where the eye can see. There are also olive groves, cypress trees, and sunflower fields all around the area.  

View from the pool.

View from the pool.

Hotel Belvedere di San Leonino is actually an old converted animal farm! According to the brochure, the Falassi and Orlandi families set up two hotels in two 15th century buildings in the area.  The one we are visiting is in the country surrounded by it's own vineyards. It is rustic and charming and feels more like a Bed and Breakfast. There are only 29 rooms here - all decorated with Tuscan furniture, wrought-iron beds, terracotta floors, wood beam ceilings, wood shutters, and brick archways throughout.  The original trough for feeding pigs, is still in the sitting area! This is such a departure from the places we usually visit. We are literally out in the country. I can envision spending quiet, peaceful, relaxing days by the pool or in the garden enjoying the spectacular view. 

We haven't had an opportunity to explore or take pictures yet, but I took a few shots just before dinner to give you an idea of where we are. 

Hotel Belvedere.

Front gate to hotel.

Hotel side view.

The pool.

Front patio area.

The garden patio where we had dinner.

The original well.

Tomorrow we have a busy day planned. Lights out early tonight!

Rainy Day - Perfect For Relaxing

I don't even know what day it is! Or what time it is!

Today was overcast and we had a little refreshing rain in the afternoon. The air smells sweet, like flowers. I opted to stay in my room and catch up a little on emails, bills and laundry and enjoy the view of the lake.  It's so nice here.  I definitely want to come back and stay here again.

Tomorrow is another travel day.

P.S. Italy lost last night. The locals were so bummed . . .

Villa del Balbianello

I love, love, love Italy!

As I am writing this post, it is Sunday evening and the little town of Lezzeno is gearing up for the big championship soccer match between Spain and Italy. I am going to go downstairs and hang-out with the locals as they cheer for their team.  It should be exciting!

So, let's back-up.

First thing this morning - view from the balcony:

Lake Como, Italy

Lezzeno, Italy in the morning.

After a quick breakfast, we walked up the street to the bus stop and hopped on a bus to Bellagio.  All I can say is they should give everyone a T-shirt in Bellagio that says, "I survived the bus ride from Lezzeno to Bellagio!" The streets are so narrow, there are almost no sidewalks, and the buildings come right up to the road. It's bad enough if you are on a motorcycle or in a small compact car . . . but can you imagine what it's like in a BUS? I hope the bus driver gets paid hazardous pay because he sure earns it! Bless his heart!

So we arrived in Bellagio in one piece and we only had about an hour to walk around before catching the ferry to the other side of Lake Como.  We visited Bellagio three years ago and it is such a charming place.  I was sorry I didn't have more time, but I was excited to see the Villa. Perhaps we will get to spend more time in Bellagio tomorrow.

We took a ferry across to Lenno, found a place to have lunch, and then took a water taxi to Villa del Balbianello.  This is what the Villa looks like from the water.

Villa del Balbianello

Villa del Balbianello

Can you see how the house is connected to the
old facade of the church?

The Villa del Balbianello and the Loggia were built in 1787 on the site of a Franciscan monastery by Cardinal Angelo Durini when he  acquired the Punta di Lavedo (a peninsula on the shoreline of Lake Como). He built two connected square structures - the Villa, and a Loggia (a separate building for the library and the music room).  When you look at the pictures, you will see the remaining facade of the church and the bell towers attached to the Villa. It's so cool that he incorporated the exterior of the church into the house.

When the Cardinal died in 1797 the Villa was inherited by his nephew, Luigi Porro Lambertenghi.

He sold the property to his friend, Giuseppe Arconati Visconti. (You must read this name with a strong Italian accent. It sounds so much better!)

He and his wife turned the Villa into a prestigious summer salon and they enriched the Villa with the stone parapet that defines the terrace. But the family was slowly dying out and the Villa was abandoned for thirty-nine years.

In 1919, the Villa was purchased by General Butler Ames from Boston, Massachusetts. He and his family used it as a vacation home and he restored the Villa in an attempt to save the decor that once belonged to the Arconati family.

After the general's death in 1954, his heirs sold the property to Guido Monzino, a prominent businessman from Milan who was a fervent collector and an explorer. The Villa was again restored and modernized and in part turned into a private museum where Monzino displayed his travel memoirs, art pieces and souvenirs of the famous expeditions he participated in.

After his death in 1988, the Villa - complete with his collections and furnishings - were left to a non-profit foundation along with a trust fund that helps to cover its maintenance.

Stan and I took a tour of the inside of the Villa and it was so interesting. Monzino was a perfectionist and had excellent taste in decorating. I was disappointed we were not allowed to take pictures. He has a very rare glass art collection and I wish I would have had more time to take it all in.

Remaining church facade.

The Loggia.
Library on one side, Music Room on the other.

The Loggia.

The gardens are beautiful.

Last bit of trivia:  The terrace of Villa del Balbianello was used in the "Lake Retreat" scenes of the movie, "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones."

The Terrace.

Scene from Star Wars. Notice that they removed the city from the background!

View of Lezzeno (where we are staying) from the Villa.