walk with me

Went for a walk with my main man.
Brought my DSLR.
Man, I live in a beautiful place.

summer 2014 snapshots | cousins in Verona

Verona, another jewel in the Veneto region, is easily reachable via car or train (and likely bus) from Vicenza in less than an hour. Every single time I visit this beloved city, I walk away with the same question: "Why is that we don't spend more time in Verona?" This visit was the same.  I'm serious: Every. Single. Time. 

More of Verona:

That time we went to the opera in the Arena (with a great osteria recommendation)

That time we completed a 10K in the province of Verona (in the name of vino)

Just some photos of another visit to Verona

A photo is something you make. | Summer 2014

 Chasing Pigeons in Piazza San Paolo, Venezia

June 2014

makin' groceries on a Sunday

Yesterday we needed to get a few things from the grocery store.

And, yes, quite unbelievably, there is a fabulous grocery store open on Sunday morning in these parts.

This is our ride back from the store, which is about 8 km away, taken mostly while in motion with my iPhone, of course. We bought prosciutto crudo di San Daniele, melon, Saturn peaches, goat cheese, and cucumbers. (Because I thought you needed to know. Our urgent need to visit the store was for lunch, specifically for the prosciutto and melone.)

I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Making a run to the grocery store, even on Sunday, ain't so bad, is it? 

................

Have a great week! We have officially started the countdown to the end of the school year: two weeks!

walkin' for wine

We gathered with friends for the 17th Magnalonga della Valpolicella recently. So listen to this...a ten kilometer "hike" through northern Italy's wine country with seven stops for sustenance (read: seven glasses of wines from the region along with a seven courses of food) along the way, complete with pouches for us to carry our wine glasses as we worked up the stamina to go from stop to stop.

I mean...really...why would I ever leave this country?
(If you have good reasons, and I know you do, please don't burst my happy bubble. I need a happy bubble today, that's the reason for this post.)

Did I mention that several of the stops had live music? And dancing? And we were accompanied by hoards of happy hikers? And gracious wine makers?

The only downside was the forecast and  impending threat of thunderstorms, which kept us moving pretty quickly from stop to stop. This is an event for lingering. We didn't linger enough. We, however, did beat the storm that rolled in just as our group of very prudent Americani headed home. We were, after all, among the first to arrive.

 

And here is yet another reason we are in love with this place we call home. The Valpolicella wine region is located just about an hour from our home, in the province of Verona, region of Veneto.

On 25 May the wine makers of the area (and throughout Italy) will open there doors to visitors for the annual Cantine Aperte. It would be a perfect day to explore the area!

marostica: a stroll and a lunch

The first time I visited Marostica was nearly ten years ago, not long after we arrived in Vicenza. We were in town for the popular live chess match, with humans and animals as the pieces, that is held there every other year. The very crowded town was hopping and filled with excitement for the event, but even then I remember being in awe of the beauty of the two castles and the extraordinary wall surrounding the medieval town.

We've returned to Marostica many times with on visitor or another since that first visit. It is a marvel to behold and is quite impressive upon first sight when approaching by car. A stroll through the streets is equally enchanting. 

It's possible to explore the town and the lower castle and stand in the piazza where the giant chess board is located, crafted with the local stones. There is also a nice trail that leads to the upper castle, where the views are wide and sweeping. We've enjoyed lunch at the fancy restaurant up there a time or two as well.

Saturday we chanced upon a wonderful little osteria, La Madonnetta, located just off the main piazza, near the lower castle. Without a reservation, we were also without a table initially but were invited to return a bit later. We visited a quaint enoteca, In Vino Veritas,  nearby where the bartender was pouring vino and sharing his collection of vinyl on his record player while we waited for a free table at the osteria.

The day was calm, slow, quiet, easy. Did I mention that Young One spent the day with a friend and was not with us?  I didn't?  All that quaint enoteca waiting and record playing would have gone down a bit differently had she been there, to be sure. She is an easy traveler, but we are constantly considering her needs when she is with us. It's nice to have a break from that from time-to-time.

Marostica is located in the Province of Vicenza in the Veneto region of Italy. The next live chess match will take place the second weekend of September 2014.  You can see more images of it here.

I highly recommend Osteria Madonnetta, as well as making a reservation in advance of your visit. I think the chess match is worth a visit as well and am hoping to make it back again this September.

autumn morning walk in the paese

I've got plenty for which to be thankful, including the beautiful landscape that surrounds me.
Have a great weekend, my friends.
D

weekend [-ing]

:: Prepping for Saturday Night Dinner ::

:: Alpini Sighting on Sunday ::

:: Me & My Girl ::

:: Bathroom Light  :: (Yes! Ms. L. We both have that little tower in the same room. Great minds, great minds.)

:: Persimmons at the Market ::

:: Bliss for Luigi ::

 :: Love is patient. ::

:: Camisano Market Crowd ::

:: A Christmas Surprise in the Works ::

:: We CAN handle this market that she drug us to this morning. ::

I hope you had a lovely weekend, too. I am feeling pretty grateful as I compose this post this evening, for our commitment to each other and for our connections to others. We spent most of the week in the company of others, friends old and new, and it just felt good and right. We'll do the same this weekend as we celebrate Richard's favorite holiday. I hope this feeling can last throughout the remainder of this holiday season.
xoxo
D