Italy 2025

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Roma

Roman Forum

Roman Forum

Roman favorite - Pasta Amisticana, with crispy pork jowl -Soooo good

The Colosseum

Inside the Colosseum

Pizza with bufala mozzarella and pesto- Yum!

The Pantheon

Inside the Pantheon

More pasta....

The National Museum

The Boxer - Ancient Roman bronze sculpture

The discus Thrower - Marble statue

Hiking along The Appian Way - Ancient Roman road

The first piano made by Christfori 1732

No public toilets have seats....

Because people stand on them and break them

The Pantheon

The Colesseum

Positano - On the Amalfi Coast

Arriving by ferry to Positano

My Spanish friend Olga!

Time for a lunch break

Arriving in Positano

Olga in Positano

Ravello - On the Amalfi Coast

Lunch with Olga and a view of Ravello

The larger lemons they make Limoncello from

Tyler's brother Eric happened to be there at the same time!

Olga, Me, Tyler's brother Eric and his wife Cindy

Olga looking good

Oranges!

Ischia Island - On the Amalfi Coast

Olga just liked the plate at a restaurant...

Seafood pasta

A castle on Ischi later used as a prison

A winery in the castle

Enjoying the views from the castle

Pompeii

The poppies were in bloom

A wealthy home

Plaster casts of victims made by pouring plaster into the hollow space under the ash

Covering his nose from the toxic gasses

Wine or oil terracotta amphoras

Pompeii thermal baths

A wealthy patrician's home

Pompeii Amphitheater

Nearly complete frescos in house of Mysteries

Stepping stones during the rains

Directions to the brothel carved into the street - before google maps

Oh and the brothel... Popular then and now

Lunch at a winery at the base of Vesuvio

Breads, cheeses, meats and a sweet vinaigrette made there. Delicious!

Olga loved this rooster water pitcher

Wine pairing with every course. Loved it!

Just add the meatballs

Pisa and Bientina

Pisa - Plaza of miracles

The baptistry

The cathedral

On top of the leaning tower

Enjoyed the trip up the tower more than I thought I would

Who knew Keith Haring was here...?

My wonderful Servas hosts Christiano and Maria

...and my new best friend Spago...

Traditional boat races in Calcinaia

And our hometown team won in a photo finish!

Maria and I at dinner after the races

Spago considers going home with me

Pisa Baptistry Echo Demonstration

Forte dei Marmi

Fresh Anchovies, mozzarella. First time I liked Anchovies - A lot

Turbot with pine nuts and olives and roasted veggies.

Sunset on the costal beach town

Lucca

The beautiful town of Lucca

Surrounded by a very thick medieval wall

Andrea made pasta with Salmon, onions and cream

Judas 3rd from left, I'm told because he uses the Italian hand signal of infidelity, with the index and pinky fingers extended.

There are trees growing on the top!

Puccini was born here

Puccini's childhood home.

The architect's measurements came up a little short on the right side...

Solve the labyrinth maze and unlock mystery of the universe

Italian style picnic at sunset on the city wall, with olives, focaccia, tapenades, pecorino cheese, salad and prosciutto. Delizioso!

Awesome Servas hosts Andrea and Angela

Puccini

Puccini's piano

They opened it up for me to see inside!

He composed all his major works on it and it's still used for special concerts

Pizzzzzzaaaa

We heard Puccini, Verdi and Donazetti

Local favorite vegetable and rasin torte and cappucino

Ciao Angela! Thanks for hosting me!

Firenze

The duomo

Statue of David, the replica anyway

Centro Storico - Medici burial chapel

I saw this symbol with 5 balls everywhere. Apparently it is the logo for the Medici.

Michaelangelo - dusk and dawn

Dawn lifting her veil

Michelangelo Day and Night

An idealized Medici

Donetello's David that was in the Medici palace. First nude sculpture made since antiquity

It's a shepherd's hat with laurel wreath. hmm

Never noticed Goliath before...

The winged Mercury

Lasagna!

The Uffizi Gallery - One of the highlights of the trip

I loved the candle lighting

This was my favorite - Michalangelo

Caravaggio's Bacchus

Birth of Venus - Botticelli

Botticelli - Spring

DaVinci

Medusa's severed head on a shield - Caravaggio

Medici's depicted as the Magi

Holbein - Henry VIII's portraitist. Amazing realism for a time centuries before photography..

On the Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio

View of Firenze from Piazza di Michelangelo

Florence - Centro Storico

Siena and the pasta class

Tower on the Piazza del Campo

Piazza del Campo - An annual traditional horse race is held here every year.

Torre del Mangia - 400 steps!

On the tower

View from the tower

Siena trademark. Capitoline wolf suckling Romulus and Remus

Siena is scenic and hilly

Siena duomo

Siena and surrounding city logos

A beautiful organ in the duomo

Never seen illuminated illustrations made by the monks up close before. So beautiful

Donatello's bronze statue of St John

Took a pasta and sauce making class on a whim

Marinating is always the first step

Local favorite pici pasta

Pici - Made with just flour and water

Ravioli starts with egg and flour and water

Ravioli with ricotta and spinach inside

Gnocchi starts with steamed potato, egg and flour

Gnocchi ready to go

Giuseppe the owner collecting the gnocchi

Our awesome Moroccan chef for sauces

Tuscan ragu starts with leek, celery and carrot, and of course olive oil, on surprisingly high heat

Add veal, pork - and wine of course

Add cherry tomatoes

Timing is everything he says. Rosemary

Our international graduating class enjoying the results. A 2 hour class turned into 6 hours including the meal. Unbelievable.

The pici pasta and cherry tomato sauce

The ravioli in olive oil, cheese and sage. my fave!

Tiramisu with dark chocolate, marscapone and expresso. Yum

Gnocchi and the ragu we made. I've decided I like the pasta there...

The Welcome Home Committee