Tag: Italy

The Master Works of the Opera Duomo Museum

A wood sculpture from 1455 by Donatello known as the Penitent Mary Magdalen is displayed at the Opera Duomo Museum in Florence. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

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…

If You’re Going to Italy, Bring Delia Ephron

Trevi Fountain, Rome

Even if Siracusa Is Not Your Destination, Ephron’s Book Will Delight You I’ve been sucking up just about everything the Ephron sisters put out since I discovered Nora Ephron’s Crazy Salad Plus Nine many, many years ago. It’s no surprise,…

Tea Partying in the Eternal City

Babington's in Rome. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

A Visit to Babington’s Tea Rooms As if we needed a break from our vino rosso and carb-filled Italian vacation, the Brawny Sherpa and I decide at the bottom of the Spanish Steps that it is time for tea—and carbs…

Dust, Chariots, Spas, Pompeii

A bath in Pompeii. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

A Visit to the City Buried by a Volcano The first time I go to Pompeii, the journey is work: a missed train from Salerno to Pompei, followed by a train that surely must be the local rather than anything…

The Mystery of Volcanoes

The blue-green hue at the edge of the Poas Volcano in Costa Rica. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

The Lure of Hot Lava Living in New York State, as I do, I haven’t historically had to worry much about volcanoes and the possibility that they might at some point obstruct my way, or worse. The first time I…

Is Pisa Worth the Effort to Get There?

Will there be more to a visit to Pisa than a sighting of a leaning tower? Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

More than 15 Minutes and a Selfie in the Land of Pisans A good way through planning my latest trip to Italy, I wonder, is the Leaning Tower of Pisa really worth the effort, or should I just skip it?…