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Gender: Male
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New York, New York
United States
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Ex travel agent, now adventurer.
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Live Your life as You Can

My Journals (2)

 

 

This is the story of our latest trip in Italy to visit Tuscany. We were Me, my wife and our brothers.

In the Florece’s city center, we remain curious about the House of Dante. Climb up the stairs and begin the visit, which allows you to retrace all the milestones of life of the great poet.

 

Florence: Credit Trip Adventure Association

 

In several rooms there are interesting reconstructions that give an idea of how was Florence at the time of the artist (1265-1321): it was in those streets who met Beatrice Patinari, love of his life and inspiration of his poetry.



After the visit, we continue towards the square of the Church of Santa Croce (1294), Gothic basilica where there are the tombs of the most famous men of past centuries.

 

The visit inside closes at lunch and reopens at 15:00, just pause in a bar in the square (very expensive prices!!) for a fast meal.

 

Around 15:00 begins to gather a large group of tourists on the stairs of the church, but we manage to enter immediately at the opening of doors.

 

The interior is rich in frescoes painted in the various chapels, like those of Giotto in the Chapel Bardi who make life scenes of St. Francis, Donatello  frescos in the Chapel Baroncelli.

 

They are also the tomb of Michelangelo (designed by Vasari), the tomb of Machiavelli buried in 1527, that of Leonardo Bruno and Galileo Galilei.

 

We continue with a visit to the Cloister Chapel de ’Pazzi Brunelleschi of 1430, which represents the first example of the Italian Renaissance, simple but very beautiful, to conclude with the museum to see the Crucifix of Cimabue.

 

Holy Cross  (Santa Croce) is a pleasant place of peace where atmosphere of tranquillity that benefits the soul, a real music of serenity that encourages you to stay all day.



Come back to the Hostel fairly soon and decide to exploit these last few hours of light taking the car to reach Fiesole, a tourist resort a few kilometres from Florence.

 

Flesole View

 

The street is rounded by tree and goes up a hill. Park the car and walk on foot, reaching a large panoramic spot from which we can admire a spectacular view of Florence. 

 

We can see the cathedral and a few main monument, but mainly affects the green of the wonderful and relaxing Tuscan hills.

 

We continue going up even more until a small church nestled in a beautiful park, but fell by a walk in the park and return to the centre. Unfortunately, the Dome were already closed for hours.

 

The last night herein Florence we go to dinner in a room virtually alongside to the hostel, nice and characteristic. It ’s a kind of pizza restaurant, with an evocative environment within which evokes the forest, with a simulation of waterfalls and animals.

Added: July 14, 2008
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 2 Of the most used and useful travel guides are Wikitravel and World66.

 

They have opened their platform to give users the possibility to add their travel journals and stories. Cool!

 

No i live in the South of Italy, so I’d like to share with You where I live and What I’ve visited.

 

I’ve found there 2 interesting stories I’d like to post:

 

Trekking on Sicilian Mountains - Discovery the Nebrodi Mounts

 

The Nebrodi Region park is a natural area placed in the south of Italy. This is between Messina and Catania. This park is rich of forests, the most known is the "Bosco di Malabotta". The park is not easily accessible so it’s advised to use a four-wheel drive car and take a good map.

 

The Nebrodi run along the north-east of Sicily. With the Madonie and the Peloritani, they form the Sicilian Apennines.

 

The mountains run from the Peloritani on the eastern part of the island to the foothill of the Madonie mountains to the west, facing the Tyrrhenian Sea on the north. Mount Etna, from which it is separated by the rivers Alcantara and Simeto, forms the range’s southern border. The highest peak is the Monte Soro (1,817 m). The range mostly made up of sandstone and clay rocks, but include also limestone landscapes, like the Rocche del Crasto. Towns that are placed in the mountains include Troina, Nicosia, Mistretta and many other towns Messina.

 

Biking in Puglia and Visiting the The Grotte di Castellana

 

One of the most famous tourist attractions of Apulia is Alberobello. Who visit Alberobello, could be interested in visiting the Grotte di Castellana too.

 

During a visit to the countryside near Alberobello, You can take the short drive north to see the Grotte di Castellana (Castellana Caves) which are the largest in Italy. In a two-hour tour you see many rooms of richly coloured stalagmites and stalactites.

 

The Grotta di Castellana lies near the small-town Castellana, renamed Castellana-Grotte several years ago. Castellana is a small-town with 15,000 inhabitants.

 

The tour of the caves starts at the floor of the main hall. Standing between huge columns of stalagmites you look up to the roof collapse, where you stood just 10 minutes ago. There is a bust of Franco Anelli (1899-1977) the discoverer and developer of the cave. Of course he did not discover the hole in the ground which was known for a long-time, but he was the first speleologist to descend to the floor and explore the cave system behind.

 

Please have a look and tell me what do You think of the places where I live now.

Added: May 25, 2008
Views: 390 | Comments: 0 | Bookmarks: 0