Ciaotraveler

Color study Pienza, Tuscany, Italy Color study: Paris, France

There are many day trips from Florence well worth taking such as the wine country and the small hill top town of Cortona. Lesser known are the towns of Pienza, Fiesole and Orvieto which are also quaint hilltop towns. Please view my posts:    Pienza here   (easy day trip from Lucca, Pisa or Florence) Orvieto here   (easy day trip from Rome) Fiesole here   (15 minutes from Florence) Thanks for viewing my blog!

Just had to share this collage of cute pets in Italy: Left: Pooch in Pienza; Middle: Kitty in Montalcino and right: the cats in the Cinque Terre.

It's worth a day trip from London to Leed's Castle with its lovely grounds and functioning interior--still enjoyed by the owner's family.                                                                                                Ciao's photos Charming grounds with ducks and beautiful cherry tree blossoms. I found this sweet article in Victoria Magazine featuring the Ladies of Leed's Castle. Thanks for viewing!

These beautiful baskets featured in Architectural Digest are hand woven and sold to benefit women's educational programs in Africa.  The Rome photo is mine but you can purchase the baskets at indegoafrica.org .  Enjoy looking!

     The highest paid American actress today, Scarlett Johansson, has opened a new popcorn shop in Paris. Do you think we'll be adding that to our tourist list of things to see in the City of Light?  I guess if you love popcorn you'll be there...see the shop information here . 

Autumn Splendor... Blessings..  Awesome! Download calendar from Italymag Lovely Lugano Pumpkins and Squash during Autumn You might also like my "Oranges and Orvieto" post here .

                                                                                                                                                       Victoria Mag Annie Sloan chalk paints may have taken the US by storm, but did you know she's also an artist, author and teacher?  Yes, she's a real person and along with her family, they've created a chalk paint empire directly from the UK.   Read about Annie Sloan's inspiring business ventures in  Victoria Magazine  and see the detailed article in  “Brush with Brilliance”  on page 101 of the  September 2016  i ss...

  When I first traveled to Europe, I didn't consider the loving care and restoration given the many landmarks.  These restorations sustain the brilliance of the architecture of the time it was built.  Above is the Eiffel Tower in Paris dated 1890 and my photo to the right 1973. Although, not much has changed, they've added electronic signage to announce special events.  I took the photo below in 1999. The Tower was built in 1889 as an entrance to the World's Fair.  It stands 1050 feet tall.  You can see the signage added for special events.  When I took this photo it was nearing (283 jours or days) until the millennium celebration of 2000. See the old and new comparison photos of very popular landmarks: The Rome Colosseum Photo on left taken about 1890 and mine on the right is 1973 when cars were able to drive around the structure.   Here is one of my photos from 1999 where it appears the architectural trim h...

See the new British Airways Vertical Pier in Brighton here .

Your travel keepsakes mean so much...enjoy this article from Victoria Magazine...