The Massive Castel Nuovo in Napoli, Italy Endures and Impresses Heading south from Rome 29 years ago, my first stop is Naples where I cannot help but notice a certain domineering building on the waterfront: the Castel Nuovo, which…
Reminiscing about my first trip to Italy, I think about my brief, hot stay in Reggio di Calabria one August. I am making my way by train from Sicily back up to Rome to meet a friend, but I have…
What is the fritter-makers guild? A painting in Venice gives chief pancake flippers some credibility
David Stands, but Unique Forms of Continuity in Space Rocks As much as I love Michelangelo’s David (that stone! that body!), it’s a work of art that’s made to be adored. And indeed it is. David just stands there, commanding…
Discovering Contemporary Art in a City of Masterpieces Taking the scenic route from the Ponte Vecchio back to the Soggiorno Battistero in Florence, the Brawny Sherpa and I become a little lost. Wandering a bit aimlessly, we try to work…
Glimpse the world as a Venetian: Go upstairs to the Loggia dei Cavalli at the San Marco Basilica.
Of course, visitors to the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Rome are drawn to the story of how Peter escaped those chains while a prisoner. But are there other reasons to visit? The Bashful Adventurer finds out.
Beyond the Uffizi in Florence So much airspace is taken up by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence that a visitor there might overlook a newer museum sited just behind the Duomo. Although the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiori, which…
Eat Like a Local in Venice In a town full of tourists, service at a restaurant can sometimes be a bit aloof, a tad uncaring. After all, everyone knows that you are unlikely to be back after this current meal…
