Author: Diana

A Visit to Italy

Europe

4-12-17

Visit with Anna and Claudio. Urbino is in the background.

Urbino church paintings.

San Vitale, Ravenna

Garibaldi biking in Ravenna.

Latin palindrome graffiti.

Madonna and child

Prayer wheels in Pennabilli honoring a visit from the Dalai Lama.

Theodric, King of the Ostrogoths, enjoys biking in Ravenna.

Urbino

Pennabilli countryside, the backdrop to the Mona Lisa painting.

Dante’s tomb

Urbino church painting.

Ornate door in Urbino.

Floor mosaic Ravenna.

Mosaics in Ravenna.

Sweet salt from Cervian seawater pans. This salt is reputed to have medicinal properties.

Historic salt storage building in Cervia.

Seafood pasta

Emilia-Romagna countryside

Beach at Cervia.

A Tonino Guerra poem; the first time he recognized being happy after release from a German internment camp was when he saw a butterfly and didn’t want to eat it.

Vitoria-Gasteiz, Capital of Spanish Basque Country

Spain

4-2-17

In Vitoria-Gasteiz since yesterday.​ The city was founded over 900 years ago and the old town has an ancient feel.

Here’s a video of traditional dancing:

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Open the door and build gardens (per Google translate).

Countryside

Art museum

There was a fair recreating the time of the Peninsular War against the French.

More great graffiti.

Writer Ignacio Aldecoa. Bookstores and monuments to writers and poets are all over Spain. People read!

Adorable tiny dogs in jackets abound; “los mascotas”.

Old city wall

Traditional bread

Wall art

Window display

Spring

Traditional dancers

We took a tour of the under-renovation cathedral.

More!

Old town


Garden at the base of the Cathedral.

The Basque freedom organization, ETA, has disbanded but political prisoners are still held all over Spain. There is an effort to have them moved to prisons closer to families and to get proper medical care.

Main square

San Sebastián 

Uncategorized

3-31-17

We’ve been in Donastia (San Sebastian), for the past couple of days. It has a Belle Époque feel; walking along the beach promenade I could picture women with parasols and men wearing straw hats.

I had some truly delicious slow cooked pork pintxos (small dishes) at La Cuchera de San Telmo.

All signs are in Spanish and Basque and it does sound very different from anything else I’ve ever heard. Our hotel receptionist was patient enough to teach me a few phrases:

  • Kaixo (kaysho) – hello
  • Eskerrik asko (eskerry asko) – thank you

We took the funicular up to the high point.

Downtown

Playa de la Concha


Carousel


Traditional women’s wear – banned by the church for being too suggestive!

Plays

Liberation

City services

Old town

River Urumea – incredible tidal flow

    Burgos!

    Spain

    Burgos is one of the provincial capitals in Castille – Leon with a lovely river walk and amazing Gothic architecture.

    El Cid

    City gate

    Cathedral

    Cathedral

    Cathedral

    Yes, cathedral!

    Other city gate

    View from castle on hill destroyed by Napoleon’s forces.

    Río Arlanzon

    Gate

    Las Huelgas Monastery – worth visiting!

    Favorite son – El Cid

    Cathedral

    Stained glass

    Letter slot

    Yup, Cathedral!

    More fabulous doors.

    Adiós Salamanca 

    Spain

    After a month of studying it’s time to leave this gorgeous city.

    Convento de San Estaban

    I wonder who this was?

    Another mystery face.

    Happy pig

    Small dogs with jackets are everywhere.

    Our street

    Train station

    More San Esteban

    Reliquia

    Old town

    Una fiesta

    Menú de día

    Catedral

    University

    Old library

    University courtyard

    University chapel