Ciaotraveler

My friends   Dawn, Jill and Mary take an annual family "girls trip" and this year landed in  Victoria, British Columbia where they visited among many sites, the Buchart Gardens .  These gardens have to be one of the prettiest garden spots  in the world.  And the lady bug is adorable! continue...

Lucca streets are filled with bikes... Biking in Lucca is very easy because it's only about 3 miles around the walled town area. There's a flat, large pathway for many bikers to enjoy riding at the same time.  The streets are narrow, however, and crowded with bikers and some cars.  Only specific cars are allowed to be inside the walled area.  Bikes can be rented near any of the entrances to the town.  Although bottled water is expensive in town, take plenty of it on your bike trip.  More...

Featuring Products from  Simply French Vintage and  Simply French Market ...

Anjelica Huston is a beautiful woman who has a  simple yet  colorful, expressive ranch house  in Three Rivers, CA .  I'm featuring it because it's very near my home town.   She's one of my favorite actresses with so many credits to her name.  Most are not familiar with  "Family Pictures",  a two-part TV adaptation of the Sue Miller novel of the same name. Anjelica and Sam Neill are a 1950s married couple with six children, one of whom, Randall, is autistic . The parents' initial decision not to institutionalize the boy results in a terrific strain on the rest of the family.                         She also played an Italian in "Prizzi's Honor" directed by her father.     Vogue Italia  recognized Angelica's 60th birthday recently by displaying many of the above photos.  She is pictured with Jack Nicholson, her longtime friend.  At her ranch house at left.   A look at her Ranch House. ..continue...

I recently saw David Rocco make a delicious lemon pasta in Sicily on the Cooking Channel and found a similar recipe at Vogue Italia so I want to share both recipes.  I've added some sauteed fresh tomato to the recipe also. Spaghetti al Limone: Spaghetti with Lemon Sauce Recipe courtesy David Rocco continue...

What makes this artist special? Stephen Wiltshire is an artist who is also autistic savant.  He can look at a cityview for about 30 minutes and then draw that city by memory in his studio in an hour or so.  I recently saw Stephen on 20/20.   You must see his story and his work... here

Positano, Italy  Positano What makes window boxes and verandas so popular and why do we (I) like them so much?  Perhaps its Romeo and Juliet set in Verona, Italy, or  Under the Tuscan Sun were an influence (UTS above), regardless, they usually involve colorful flowers, bistro chairs, gardens and decorative pots.  Especially in Italy and other European countries, the window boxes are beautiful. Some of the gorgeous floral window boxes, balconies and hanging flowers I've seen in Italy and how to make hanging arrangements...

As a teenager, Oprah Winfrey wrote poems in a journal but later in her career wrote to express gratitude and multiply her blessings.  She featured her journal in the "O" April 2011 Magazine.   I keep a journal of my travels...like Oprah, I use unlined paper so I can doodle and draw interesting details I've observed on a trip that I want to remember ( I'm not sure why she uses unlined paper).  I usually do my journaling at night and while commuting to destinations.  I started a journal for my son when he was born. I must have stacks of old sketch journals since I was 8.    As a teacher, I wrote daily journals for students with special needs as a way to maintain good communications.   There are different purposes for writing journals and  an art to writing a good travel journal... see How to Write a Travel Journal That's Worth Reading here  What kind of journal do you use?  Do you save old love letters and photos in them?   Do you write your memoirs?  Ho

Weddings in Tuscany If you've dreamed of a wedding in Tuscany , there are many romantic wedding locations to choose whether you use a Wedding service or not.  One of my favorite churches for a great wedding is the Madonna Church in Montepulciano, Tuscany , as seen in my title blog photo above.  This is where a wedding was shown in the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun".   We just happened upon it visiting this quaint hilltop village but it's truly spectacular in its views.  Most of the movie however was filmed in Cortona. Photos continue...

One of the many outstanding wineries in the Tuscany region is Casanova di Neri Winery in Montalcino, Sienna.  We didn't sample the wines but Sienna is worth the trip to see.  These award winning wines are very popular and many flock to this estate for tasting and touring of the wine cellar.  Photos and more...

Etsy is an internet offering of a wide variety of creative hand-made crafts, commercial supplies and vintage products.   The crafter's display their artsy handy-works. Here are a just few products I saw today from Etsy wedding... Dress belt: JMJewelDesign; Edible Chocolate Shells:AndiesSpecialitySweets; Vintage Gown: Romantic Threads; Hair piece: Sally's Jewels and Gems; Pillow and bouquet ties: Go Rustic; Table setting, Victoria Mag             Photos continue

Some of these handmade or antique items were spotted on Europe Etsy... Shops: Jane Bofelt; Karmology Clinic; Ellen Vintage MORE...

There's something about the French country fabrics that are very charming and appealing in decorating.  I love Pierre Deux   All That is French website especially the beautiful French fabrics and linens.  These are some of the more popular French fabrics and colours... continue...

Karna Maffait for the Wall Street Journal Antico Caffè Spinnato Shortly after I pull into Cerda, a small Sicilian town made semifamous by its yearly artichoke festival, Antonio Cappadonia hands me a brioche mounded with two flavors of gelato—enough to give it the size and heft of a softball. It's the last night of my Italian frozen-treats bender, and I have forgotten how many cups and cones I've consumed in the past 24 hours. I eye the sandwich and ponder bolting. Instead, I devour it.

Some Etsy Finds today for the Kitchen... Apron/Linen Towel: Small Batch Production; Concrete soap dish, sphere: At Stuart;  Jar Lights:Boots and Gus; Grapeseed soaps;  Spices:Cook Outside the Box;  Earrings: Chicmaison Continue.. .                                                               

Tuscan Ceramics The Ceramics industry in Italy is highly creative yet also competitive. There are many shops and artisans that offer pottery, ceramics, tiles and more. The designs and patterns range from classical ceramic decorations developed in Tuscany during the Renaissance to modern pieces drawing on many different sources of inspiration. The beauty and history of the Tuscany landscape and the joy of living and working in this beautiful part of Italy is perhaps the strongest among them. The Sunflower is a popular Tuscan style .  It comes in reds, blues, and just about any other color you'd prefer.  Continue reading...

                                                                                                  Lady Gaga's Scotland villa Do you think you pay a lot of taxes?  Do you think it should matter how a country taxes its citizens each year?    Should these factors be considered by travelers prior to visiting other countries?  Did you know some of the most well visited countries have the highest tax rates for its citizens?

I thought it would be interesting to compare some of the most expensive homes for sale in North America and Europe .  It's been reported (Wall Street Journal) the highest priced home in the USA sold for $100 million. Lake Como, Italy-- $25 million 7 bedroom villa.

According to Curbed, this Lancashire terraced home is the cheapest home in Britain--asking price was 15,000 Euros ($21,500)and sold for 10,000 Euros ($14,300). I read the sales ad which said,   "The outer wall of the house needs rebuilding - and the inside is not much better."

Another Royal Affair in Monaco Prince Albert and His Wife Charlene continue