VINCENZA, ITALY

The City of Vincenza is so full of ancient, culturally important
buildings, that justice cannot be done to it in this forum.
Above is the "Basilica Palladiana"

The Porto Castello Tower is a remnant from
ancient times.

There are too many beautiful palaces, and other buildings
which would be worth a detailed description here.
You must be satisfied with these few.

If you want more, there are planes
leaving to Italy every day.

In VINCENZA - the Teatro Olimpico

The front of the Teatro Olimpico features
ancient sculptures, the study of which alone
could take hour upon hour.

The three dimensional stage appears to recede far into the
distance. It has an actual depth of only a few meters.
Clever use of perspective deceives the eye.

The ancient city of GENOA

A generously layed out main square features this wonderful fountain,
surrounded by imposing buildings.

Many very narrow streets criss-cross the inner city.

From a rise at the edge of town one may view the city of Genoa,
one of the major industrial and cultural centres of Italy.

A DECLARATION OF ETERNAL LOVE

By affixing a lock, young lovers symbolize
their undying love for each other.


...an over hanging safety net, to prevent falling rocks
hitting you on the head, is a welcome place to secure these locks


...or a fence will do the job just as well...


the key to the lock is then hurled into the foaming sea below,
never to be retrieved, so that the lock of love, on the road of love
can never be opened again. Thus the love is, of course, eternal.

...a romantic lot, those Italians, aren't they?

Cacti along the Via dell' Amore

Many varieties of Cacti cling stubbornly to the sides of the rock.

There is one thorny example with
a red blossom at the top.

Some brave "young" souls climbed down the rock to
be closer to the water.

ALONG THE "VIA DELL' AMORE"

I trust that I will not have to translate the name
of this precipitous hiking path.
For 1.5 km it leads along the rocky shore line
of the Ligurian Sea.
It only looks dangerous. It is, of course, well provided with
all manner of safety installations, so that not only young lovers,
but also parents with their children, and even "elderly couples" walk there.
(Of course I don't know any of the latter.)

All kinds of Cacti grow along this short hiking path.

A settlement nestles at one end of the Via dell' Amore.
Living there makes you surely a careful shopper.
You don't want to say: Darn, I forgot to buy some milk.
Let's go back to the grocery store to get some.

IN MANTUA

It was evening when we arrived in Mantua.
The air was chilly and we wandered downtown
in search of some good food and a glass of wine.

"Polizia Municipale" or "Carabinieri"
on every street corner.
In Toronto, I don't see that many cops
in a "Month of Sundays"

We found what we had been looking for:
A "Pizzeria".
Besides good Pizza, they make all kinds
of delicious food and serve great local wines.

Look at these images in the large format. Please.

ON THE "RIVIERA DE LEVANTE"

We had a corner room in our hotel.
So we could look "up the cost", "down the cost"
or straight out into the "Mare Ligure".
The picture above is looking "up"...

Looking down, into the direction of Portofino...

...or looking thraight out into the Sea...

...anywhere you looked, it was stunningly beautiful.

A View to the River

Step out of Karl Brandstaetter's house
and this view presents itself.
The last of the Karawanken Mountains
and the river Drau.