Monday, June 11, 2012

On the Road in Italy . . .

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As mentioned earlier, am currently on the road in Italy... where we spent four fabulous days in Florence,  three nights in Siena, and tomorrow will be taking our time in the Tuscany and Umbria countryside on the way to Perugia.  Have walked countless kilometres in Florence and Siena, and visited already a quantity of points of interest which would put the most seasoned tourist's brain into a state of serious sensory overload. Close to thirty giga-bytes of photos have been recorded, I tried valiantly to resist, but could not help myself; must be a victim of CPD : Compulsive Photographic Disorder.
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Below is a view of Siena taken from the panoramic rooftop of the Cathedral Museum. The following photo was taken in a location which was a thoroughly surprising discovery; a large underground burial area in one of Siena's cemeteries. After the similar site found in Belgium, mentioned in a post just a couple back from this one, I certainly was not expecting to find another underground cemetery so soon. Life is full of surprises!
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The last photo was found in one of Siena's lesser visited museums, sadly so, for it was a simply splendid place, and was virtually empty, while the hordes of tourists present in Siena this time of year flocked instead to the nearby cathedral. I can't quite make out the writing on the forehead... but no doubt something appropriately profound. More photos to follow soon.
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17 comments:

Steve said...

Gorgeous! I was last in Italy for my honeymoon and I've long had a hankering to go back.

Lorrene said...

I found Waldo in that first picture. I love all these photo's you have taken on your travels. And especially the one that lost their head. ha ha Just kidding!!! I didn't hold back.

Catherine said...

Love those red rooftops in the first shot....enjoy the rest of your trip and look forward to more photos...am planning to travel more in Italy myself next year....

martinealison said...

Vos photos sont extraordinaires... Je suis persuadée que vous allez passer d'excellents moments en Toscane.
Gros bisous

barbara l. hale said...

WoW! How beautiful! Well, except for the skull. That is pretty interesting. I like your description of your disorder. I have CPD, too.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the memories being there two decades ago. Remember the fountain in the middle of the square. The skull is breathtaking indeed ! Thank you as well for introducing the CDP.

Please have a safe road ahead and a good Tuesday.

Lynne with an e said...

Glad to see you're enjoying a little skull-duggery in Siena. Judging from the state of the teeth, I suspect the specimen is a former Florentine who fell victim to an over-indulgence of Nutella on his morning croissants. The writing on the forehead doubtlessly warns of this danger.

Anonymous said...

Your CPD is a blessing to the rest of us. Enjoy your happy trails in Italy and come back with story telling pictures.

-K- said...

So many colors, or tones, of red. Nice variety of shots too..

Pat Tillett said...

Wow! LOVE the photos (and the interesting information). I also suffer from that particular photographic disorder. I only post a tiny tiny bit of the photos I post.

Stickup Artist said...

I love this above and below ground theme you have going lately! It's quite fascinating. You are a true explorer in the modern age, digging for treasures buried beneath the surface, mining for the gold. All three are so wonderfully toned and warm which is just how I imagine Italy to be. CPD, that's a good one. But don't let big Pharma hear about it, they'll make a pill. I'm looking forward to getting a glimpse of more golden nuggets. Happy clicking!

Kate Cullen Fisher said...

'Have been thinking of you as you take Italy by storm...love the 1st round of photos. And yes, we are all so much richer on account of your CPD!

AL said...

Siena is top of the list for me on my next visit to Italy...along with many other places. looking forward to seeing more of your trip.

PeterParis said...

Despite a few visits to Siena, I never found this underground burial place; I'm not surprised you did! :-)

... and good luck with the sorting of the thirty giga-bytes! :-)

Oakland Daily Photo said...

Ah, Siena. Hard to tire of a place that has spontaneous parades multiple times a week.

Roxana said...

wonderful!!! i suddenly miss Italy...

have the loveliest of times there and enjoy it all, with your dear ones - and just forget about counting the gigabytes of photos! :-)

James said...

I was in Florence and Siena six or seven months ago and I must say that trip was high on my list of all time favorites. I could kick myself for not going to the rooftop of the cathedral museum. Great shot! I hope you enjoyed the food in Tuscany as much as I did. :)