My travels.

Feltre is a nice town located in the Veneto region.

Its old core was built on a hill.

This town is surrounded by walls built in the XVI century by the Venetian who ruled the town then.

Usually, one of the first thing I do when I visit Feltre is to have a cup of coffe and a pastry at Garbujo' s.

Garbujo is a well known confectionery situated in the lower area of the town.

In Feltre there are many palaces painted with frescoes.

There are frescoed palaces both in the lower and in the upper area of the town.

Exploring the town you could spot some beautiful details...

There is a small park in the old core of Feltre. Its name is parco Mezzaterra.

There are some benches and a playground area for kids here.

Piazza Maggiore is the main square of Feltre. It is located in the old core.

At the top of the town and not far from piazza Maggiore there is a castle; the castle of Alboino.

It was built by the Longobards in the VI century on Roman remains. It was destroyed several times.

The castle was rebuilt in the XI century and modified in the XII and XIII century.

I think you can only visit a tower at the castle...

... and enjoy a pleasant landscape from the castle area.

Details...

There three or more ways to get to the upper area of Feltre. One of these is climbing the so called "scalette vecchie".

The scalette vecchie.

Some time ago I discovered a part of a cloister.

It is near the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli; in the lower area of Feltre.

This cloister ( or better what remains of a cloister) was part of the Clarisse convent. This nunnery was built in the 1492.

The Concattedrale di San Pietro Apostolo is the cathedral of Feltre.

It was built in the 1500 after the desctruction of the previous building by the troops of Maximilian of Absburg.

It was restored in the 1800.

What I like most of this church is the crypt. It dates to the XI century.

This pic and the previous one was taken into the crypt.

The shrine of the saints Vittore and Corona is a great place to visit.

It is made of a church built in the XI century and a monastery.

There are the relics of Feltre' s patron saints; Vittore and Corona inside the church.

This place is located in Anzù; just some three kilometers far from Feltre.

To get there you have to drive on a narrow road to the top of a hill.

I have only some pics to show you. I deleted three or four of them because they turned out blurry.

The is the landscape you can see from the shrine.

Riva del Garda is a nice town situated at the northern tip of the lake Garda. It is around one hour by car from my village.

In the spring and summer it is a very touristic town.

There are lots of colorful houses in this town.

Via Piave is one of the nicest streets in this town.

Contrada Marocco is a neighbourhood in Riva del Garda that has nothing to do with Morocco. This area that takes its name from landslides; practically these are big stones where several houses where built here. Marocche is the name of big stones in the local dialect.

Here you can see various old houses, a square with a washing trough and an ancient palace; Palazzo del Vescovo (the bishop' s palace).

I suppose this is one of the oldest areas in Riva del Garda.

Palazzo del Vescovo; the bishop' s palace.

Piazza III novembre is the main square in Riva del Garda.

Here you can see the town hall built in the XV century joined to Palazzo Pretorio (XIV century). Opposite this palace there is a very ancient tower; the Apponale tower. It was built towards 1200 and raised in 1552.

On its ground level there were warehouses for salt and wheat and other stores. It was also used as a prison. During the WWI the tower was an observation post. You can enjoy a beautiful landscape over the main square of the town and other areas from its top.

Piazza III Novembre is partly surrounded by XIV century porticoes. There are some shops and a good restaurant - pizzeria (see restaurant hotel Centrale) under these.

Sometimes when I visit Riva del Garda I have lunch at the restaurant of hotel Centrale. This is a large three star hotel located at the main square of Riva del Garda.

I don' know how many dinner rooms there are at this hotel. One of these is under the old arcades. It is closed by glass, so that people could eat there even in the winter.

There are various dishes on the menu at this restaurants. There are even several fish dishes and a good choice of pizzas. Pizzas at restaurant Centrale are very large.

You can do several boat trips to various villages or towns from Riva del Garda. There are ferries, hydrofoils and motorised catamarans that opearate all year.

For instance you can go to Limone and Malcesine.

Limone lies on the north-western shore of the lake. Its name comes from the latin word "limen", which means border. It is a small town with cobbled streets, some churches, various shops, cafes and restaurants.

Malcesine is located almost opposite Limone. Its main sight is the castle which was probably built in the first millenium a. C. by the Longobards and modified through the centuries. Today it houses a couple of museums.

There is a fortress in Riva del Garda. La Rocca. It was built in 1124 and altered through the centuries. Today it houses a museums with paintings,pictures and archaeological finds.

This shrine (and monastery) is situated in Monte San Pietro; in the municipality of Nova Ponente.

It is at 1520 meters on the sea level.

It is not far from Bolzano.

There are two legends about the creation of this church.

Here is one.

In 1547 Leonhard Weißensteiner; a farmer who lived in Nova Ponente became insane.

Then he was interned in an asylum.

Here, he often had some moments of mental clarity.

In one of these moments the Virgin Mary appeared. She asked him to build a chapel to thank her for his healing.

During a moment of rage Leonhard was able to escapefrom the asylum.

He fell into a ravine. He also recovered completely from madness.

While he was thinking how to get out of the deep ravine the Virgin appeared again to comfort him and to remind him he had to built a chapel.

The Virgin said that at the end of the ninth day his relatives would have found him.

She also said he hadn' t to be afraid because he would have had food and protections from the beasts living in the forest.

He was found on the ninth day, but he forgot the task asked by the Virgin.

His pain returned and also much stronger.

A light was seen at night; in the same place. Nobody could explain this thing.

Leonhard recalled what he had to do. He recovered his health, so he began to built the chapel.

While he was building the chapel, he found a small statue of the Virgin, representing the pietà.

Once the chapel was made he put the statuette inside it.

In 1561 beside the chapel, another one was built.

The current church was built from 1638 and 1654. In 1718 a monastery was joined to the church.

Later on other additions were made to the whole building.

The original chapel is still inside the church. It is into this little house.

The ceiling of the basilica was painted with frescoes by Joseph Adam Mölk in 1753. He was a Viennese painter.

The interior of the basilica is not very large. There are lots of things to see inside.

Beside the church there is a long corridor with more than 4000 ex voto. These are drawings, pictures, paintings and other things.

The sanctuary is surrounded by woods and meadows.

If you feel like walking there are other thinks to see in the area; including Leonhard' s cave.

There are a couple of hotels, an hostel, (I think) more than a restaurant and a souvenirs shop near the basilica.

You can get to this beautiful place by car and also by bus from Bolzano. Ther is a bus stop nearby.

I went there by coach with a large group. I liked a lot this trip!

Luserna is a small village situated around 1200 meters on the sea level.

It has only two small squares and three or four streets.

They should be around 270 people living there!

A peculiarity in Luserna is that almost all the inhabitants speak cimbro. It is a dialect similar to the ancient Bavarian language.

This dialect derives from the Bavarian settlers who came to live in Luserna around the XI century.

There are no shortage of orchards, gardens and lawn in this village!

One of the things to do in Luserna is a vist to the Casa museo Haus von Prükk.

It is a restored peasant house built from the 1700 to the 1800. It is made of two joined buildings.

Inside you will visit various rooms furnished as they were in the 1800.

Another place to visit il Luserna is the Centro Documentazione Luserna.

It was created as research facility dedicated to the culture in Luserna.

Part of this building is a museum with branches assigned to history and traditions; to the Great War and to the local fauna.

In Luserna there is only a supermarket and a hairdresser'. There aren' t any other shops here.

Anyway there is a good choice of cafes and restaurants in this village.

Near some buildings in this village there is a description about their story.

The house you see in this picture was a inn; long ago.

Restaurant Rossi is definetly a good place to have lunch.

Here they serve various typical dishes and I also think some Italian food.

Melted cheese.

Chips.

Lavarone is a municipality made of nineteen districts. It is situated on the homonimous plateau. It is not far from Luserna.

This village is a very popular summer and winter resort.

Sigmund Freud visited Lavarone several times.

There is plenty of hotels and other kinds of accomodations in Lavarone.

Chiesa is one of the discrict that forms Lavarone. Here you see a nice mansion in this disctrict.

There is a lake in Lavarone. You can get there through a path that begins in Chiesa.

Gionghi is another discrict that forms Lavarone. Its old core is made of some colurful houses.

Here you see another pic taken in Gionghi.

I hope to visit several other discricts of Lavarone soon.

Some weeks ago I spent some days in Gargnano (again!).

It is a beautiful village on the western shore of lake Garda

Via Roma is the main street of Gargnano. Here you can find several shops and a hotel.

Gargnano has a small harbour surrounded by some cafes and shops.

There is even a restaurant at the harbour....

Near the harbour there is a short wooden promenade on the lake.

Here you see part of a building overlooking the lake.

There are several buildings on the lake.

The old core of Gargnano is made of several stone houses. It is uphill from the harbour.

There are only a couple of shops in the old core of Gargnano.

Most of the shops are on the lower area of the village.

Osteria lo Zuavo; the restaurant I mentioned before, is located at the harbour.

Here they serve various typical Italian dishes. It is a budget restaurant.

I strongly recommend you this place!

Trofie al pesto is one of the dishes you can have at this restaurant.

One day I took a very long walk to get to Villa Feltrinelli.

This mansion was built at the end of the 1800. From 1943 to 1945 Benito Mussolini lived here.

Today Villa Feltrinelli is a luxury hotel.

It is not allowed to visit this mansion; except for one day a year.

This is the only picture I was able take of Villa Feltrinelli.

Surely you can see this villa from afar if you are on a boat.

Muslone is a village on a mountain. It is some eight kilometers from Gargnano.

It is part of Gargnano.

There are no shops and cafes in Muslone. Here you can only find a small grocery shop.

You can enjoy a great landscape over the lake from Muslone.

Toscolano Maderno is a commune made of two villages.

I used to visit Maderno (one of the two villages) in order to have a cup of coffe or a ice cream.

I didn' t like Maderno.

There is an interesting thing to see in Maderno. It is saint Andrew church.

This church was built at the beginning of the XII century. It was probably built on the remains of another building.

A nice private garden overlooking the lake.

Caffe Centrale is a nice cafe confectionery in Maderno. It is the right place to have an ice cream.

This cafe is located in the main square of Maderno; near saint Andrew church.

Another "not to miss" place to visit in Maderno is the confectionery Carlo. It is in the old core of the village.

Here they have a large selection of cakes and pastries. You can also buy slices of pizza and bread.

I didn' t visit Toscolano; the other village which form Toscolano Maderno.

I only visited the saints Peters' and Paul' s church there.

This is the parish curch in this village. It was built in the XVI century.

It houses several large paintings by a Venetian painter; Andrea Celesti.

When I was in Gargnano I revisited Gardone Riviera a couple of times.

Gardone Riviera is a tourist resort not far from Gargnano.

It is made of two area; Gardone di Sotto (the lower village) and Gardone di Sopra (the upper village).

There is a short lakeside promenade in Gardone Riviera. It is lined by some cafes and restaurants.

The Grand Hotel is one of the many hotels you can find in Gardone Riviera.

It was built in 1884. It is a four stars hotel.

The Grand Hotel is a really large and long building.

It has more than 160 rooms; some gardens and a swimmming pool.

Piazza Guglielmo Marconi is the main square in Gardone Riviera. It is surrounded by a yellow portico on three sides.

There are some shops under the portico and some benches as well.

Just behind the main square there is a street with some cafes and shops. There is also a restaurant there.

It was really a good holiday. It was sunny every day. It seemed to be in summer even if it was october!

...

After my stay in Portogruaro I spent some days in Caorle. It is a beautiful seaside restort.

Caorle is a island connected by bridges.

It is situated some kilometers from Portogruaro.

This town has two long beaches. Spiaggia di levante (the east beach) and spiaggia di ponente (the west beach).

The beaches are divided by a dam formed by lots of rocks.

Many of these rocks are sculpted every two years by sculptors from various countries.

It is a real contest called Scogliera Viva.

One of the things to do in Caorle is to get lost into its colourful old core.

The old core is made of calli (narrow alleys) and campi (small squares).

A nice small square.

Rio Terrà delle Botteghe is a long street in the old centre of Caorle.

Here you can find a good choice of shops and some cafes and restaurants.

I usually had a spritz around 11 p. m. Spritz is a long drink typical from the Veneto region.

It is made with white wine, sparkling water and a bit of beverage called Bitter or Campari.

This was one of my favourite places to rest in Caorle. It is near the cathedral.

It is a good place to protect oneself from the heat. It was hot when I was in Caorle!

I booked a room at a hotel where they served only breakfast. Hotel Luana.

This hotel is simple, clean and not far from the old centre of Caorle.

I found a good place to have lunch. It is a kind of take away. Its name is Gastronomia da Emilio.

Here I had two kinds of pasticcio (casserole) and cold rice. These dishes were really good.

Pasticcio with fish and sea fruits.

Cold rice.

If you like to know more about Caorle, please, check my previous post about this town.

I spent four days in Portogruaro and I never got bored of this town.

Portogruaro is situated in the western part of the Veneto region.

The river Lemene crosses Portogruaro.

Several kinds of fowls live by the Lemene river.

Along the Lemene river there is a short promenade. Let' s say it is more than a path.

Here you can also find some benches to rest a bit.

You will not surely miss these old water mills if you visit Portogruaro.

They date to the XIII century. Today they are used for art exibitions.

This is a small wooden oratory dedicated to the Madonna. It was made in 1600.

Here you see the painting of the Madonna that is housed into the oratory.

Piazza della Repubblica; the main square in Portogruaro is bordered by various palaces and with the town hall.

In this picture you see the town hall. Its central part was built in 1265. Probably the side wings date to the 1512.

There are many old palaces in the center of Portogruaro.

Many of these are decorated with beautiful frescoes.

This is one of my favourite spots in Portogruaro. It is a small square right in the old center of the town.

Forno Zani is a cafe bakery. It is a good place to have something to eat as slices of pizza and other savoury food.

Two slices of pizza I had for dinner at Forno Zani.

Forno Zani is situated right in the city center of Portogruaro.

There are lots of porticoes in this town. Under many of these there are shops, cafes and restaurants.

A portico with frescoes.

There is an interesting archaeological museum in Portogruaro. The museo nazionale Concordiese.

This museum houses lots of Roman finds discovered in Concordia Sagittaria and the surronding areas.

Concordia Sagittaria is a town located some three kilometers from Portogruaro.

It was a Roman settlement named Iulia Concordia at the Roman times.

I suppose there are two parks in this town. One of these is quite small. Its name is Giardini dell' Abbazia.

Here you can see a beautiful fountains and some sculptures.

The other park; Parco della Pace is quite large and has various kinds of trees and a cafes.

I didn' t take any pics at this park....

A fairy tale house.

A private garden.

The Buonconsiglio Castle is the main sight of Trento. It is the largest castle in Trentino Alto Adige region.

From the 13th century to the end of the 18th century it was the residence of the prince - bishops of Trento.

The castle is made of three buildings. Inside there are many rooms to visit. It has some towers and two gardens.

The oldest part of the castle named Castelvecchio was built between XIII and XV centuries.

Its courtyard is decorated with beautiful frescoes.

Another part of the castle is Magno Palazzo; built between 1528 and 1536.

Giunta Albertiana is the smaller part of the complex. It is a 17th century building and stands in the middle of the two palaces.

You can enjoy a great landscape from the Venetian loggia.

This is the bishops hall.

Another pic taken into the bishops hall

The mirrors hall.

The mirrors hall.

The library.

What we see here it is part of the ceiling of the library.

There are several ancient heaters in some rooms of the castle.

The gardens.

After, or during your visit you could have a rest at the gardens.

Note; one of the most important features of the castle is the "Ciclo dei Mesi" (cycle of the months).

This is a group of 11 frescoes painted around 1400 that shows the activities of the nobles and the working class at the end of the Middle Ages; month after month.

One of the frescoes is missing because of fire. These frescoes are housed inside Torre Aquila (tower of the eagle). Before entering this tower you are given a tool to listen to the story of this paintings in various languages.

I am sorry, but I don' t have any pics of these frescoes.

You could stay into the castle for hours. Explore it at leisure; rest a bit in the gardens and have a good lunch at the restaurant.

Yes, there is a restaurant in the precinct of the castle. They also serve typical food of the Trentino Alto Adige region.

Trieste is a city in northeastern Italy. It is situated between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia. It is also located near Croatia.

This city is worth a stop of a couple of days or more if you are going to Slovenia or to Croatia. You could even choose it as a base to do explore some towns or villages in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region.

It is possible and easy to go to various destinations in eastern Europe from Trieste, by coach. There are coaches to several places in Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and to other countries departing from the bus station in Trieste.

The bus station is situated at piazza della Libertà . It is just some meters from the railway station. This station is not a nice place, but there is a convenient cafe and some shops inside.

I visited Trieste lots of time and also a week ago.

Piazza dell' Unità d' Italia is the main square in Trieste. It is surrounded by several palaces built mostly in the 19th century.

Among these you can see the town hall; built in 1875. The government palace (1904-1905); with mosaics and a loggia and Palazzo Stratti that houses a historical cafe named Caffe degli Specchi.

This square is very large and opens to the sea.

Opposite the town hall there is a huge fountain; the fountain of the four continents. It was built between 1751 and 1754. Here are represented four continents, because the fifth; Australia wasn' t discovered at that time yet.

When I visit Trieste I like to explore the old town. I mean the area around piazza Cavana which is very near piazza dell' Unità  d' Italia. This is an area with a maze of streets and very old buildings. You can also find some Roman remains there.

Piazza Cavana; the square you see in this picture, was previously named piazza del Sale (i. e. salt square) until 1829, because of a salt storeroom which was situated at the end of this square.

There are various shops, cafes and restaurants in this neighbourhood.

There is even a Roman arch in the old town; the Arco di Riccardo. It was built in the I century B. C.

Here you see another Roman find. It is at Cavana area as well.

Landscape over part of the city. I took this pic from an upper area of the old core.

There are several palaces built in Liberty style in this city.

Here you see part of another palace built in Liberty style.

Borgo Teresiano is a neighbourhood characterized by grid like streets. It was built on the place where the salt pans were situated. This area was built on order by the Austrian emperor Charles VI and completed by her daughter Maria Teresa in the 1800' s.

Here you can see the Canal Grande; built between 1750 and 1756. It is bordered by several palaces; by the church of saint Antonio Nuovo, several cafes, restaurants and shops.

In this picture you see a statue of the Irish writer James Joyce. He lived for some time in Trieste.

I spotted this stone face on the bridge you see in the previous picture.

This is Palazzo Gopcevich. It houses the Civico Museo Teatrale Carlo Shmidl. It is a museum related to the theatre.

The Serbian ortodox church was built on the site of a previous church that was used both by the Greek and the Serbian communities in the '700. It was opened in 1868.

It is surmounted by five light blue domes; one large and four smaller.

Inside the church you can see the iconostasis; that is a group of icons partly covered in gold and silver. This was built in Russia at the beginning of the ' 800.

A silver chandelier that was a present by Paolo Petrovich; (future tsar Paul I) when he visited Trieste in 1772 is another highlight of this church. Many other beautiful work of art will surely catch your attention inside this church.

Here you see another cupola inside the church.

Bar pasticceria Urbanis is a budget restaurant where I usually have lunch when I am in Trieste. It is also a meeting place where people go to have an aperitivo (a drink taken before meals).

Urbanis is an historic cafe, but it is modern furnished.

At Urbanis ' they have a menu. but they also serve a menu of the day. Here food is really cheap. Drinks served at the table are expensive.

There is another restaurant I strongly recommend; "La Vecia Maniera". It is located directly on the canale Ponterosso (see; Borgo teresiano).

Here they serve several typical dishes and also Italian ones.

This restaurant is at n. 5 in via Bellini.

Another church worth a visit in Trieste is the Greek ortodox church of saint Nicholas. It was built between 1784 and 1787 and completed in 1821.

This church has a single nave and its light comes from some small windows and chandeliers. For this reason it is not easy to take picutes inside.

Into this church you can see the iconostasis with several icons and several paintings.

The nave is overlooked by two balconies. The lower one was once set for women; the upper one was reserved for the choir.

There is a good number of museums in Trieste. I' d recommend to visit Museo Revoltella. This is a modern art museum.

The original palace which houses this museum was built between 1854 and 1858. It was owned by the baron Pasquale Revoltella (1795 - 1869) who was an entrepeneur and a financier.

In the 60' s of the last century two other palaces where added to this one to form a modern art museum with around 350 paintings and sculptures. Here many masterpieces by Italian and foreigner artists are on display.

On the ground floor of this palace there is the library. The first floor houses the baron Revoltella' s private aparments. The second floor was used for parties and banquets. Here you can see the dining room, the ball room and some other rooms.

Sircelli is a cafe confectionery I usually visit around 5 p. m. when I visit Trieste. It was opened in 1933 as a bakery. Some years ago it was enlarged and completely refurbished. Unfortunately this cafe is quite small, so sometimes it is not easy to find a seat here.

Here you can find a large selection of pastries, cakes, some savoury food as pizza by the slice and various kinds of bread filled with cold cuts.

A piece of prestniz at Sircelli' s. It is a typical Triestine cake.

I like their apple pie and the pastry with pear and chocolate.

There is a nice long promenade not far from Sircelli' s. Viale XX Settembre. This tree lined street links via Carducci with Il Giulia Shopping Center. It is bordered by lots of cafes, eateries and shops. There are even some cinemas here. Amost all this street is car free.

This is one of the cinemas in viale XX Settembre; the Eden Theater; now Ambasciatori cinema.

If you are in the mood to walk for some miles from this promenade you can get to a beautiful park.

The name of this park is Giardino Pubblico Muzio de Tomasini; also called; Giardino Pubblico.

There is small lake and lots of statues about famous Triestine people.

This park was laid out between 1854 and 1864. There are lots of kinds of trees and a playground area.

One of the main sights in Trieste is saint Justus cathedral. It is located on a hill overlooking Trieste.

Towards the middle of the V century there was a basilica on the site of this cathedral. It replaced a Roman temple.

This church was probably destroyed in the IX century. Between the IX and the X century two churches were built on its site. In the XIV century these were joined to form the cathedral you see today.

There are three mosaics and some frescoes inside this church.

The mosaic on the apse on the left; date to the beginning of the XII century. These depict the Madonna, the angels Gabriel, Michael and apostles.

The mosaic on the apse on the right date around the XIII century. Here you see Christ with saints Justus and saint Servolo. On the central apse there is a mosaic made in 1932.

I like this chapel a lot!

Next to the cathedral you can see the castle. What we see today is a large construction built between 1468 and1636.

It is thought there was an early bronze age hillfort around 2000 BC at the place of this castle.

In the Middle Age the Venetian built another fortress. It was destroyed in the XIV century.

From 1468 to 1471 Fredrick III of Absburg built another constuction on that site. Other works were made by the Venetians between 1508 and 1509. The castle was completed in 1630.

The museum inside the castle is made up of a furnished room and the Casa del Capitano. This is the oldest building in the castle. It houses a collection of weaponry, some furniture and other things.

Temporary exibitions are held at the castle. Inside the castle courtyard various concerts and shows are held.

Once you visited the museum you can stroll on the ramparts on the castle to enjoy a beautiful landscape over the city.

There is also a chapel inside the castle.

Mikeze and Jakeze. These are the original mechanical staues which striked the hours on the top of the town hall in piazza dell' Unità d' Italia. They are stored into the castle.

Almost a week ago I spent some days in Gargnano. I had been to this village last may.

Gargano is a nice village on the western shore of lake Garda; In the Lombardy region.

A visit of the village could start from via Roma. It is the main street in Gargnano.

Via Roma is lined with several shops, some cafes and a hotel.

Almost all the buildings in this street are tall and colourful.

At the end of via Roma there is the harbour. It is by the main square.

I took this picture from a wooden walkway; near the harbour.

Villa di Gargnano is a district of Gargnano. There are some hotels, a couple of shops and some cafes here.

Even this time I booked a room at hotel Lido in Villa di Gargnano.

I explored quite well Villa di Gargnano. I did it in the evening.

Villa has a small and nice harbour.

Another place I revisited was Gardone Riviera. This is a tourist resort not far from Gargnano.

It is made of two areas; Gardone di Sopra (upper Gardone) and Gardone di Sotto (lower Gardone).

In Gardone di Sopra I revisited il Vittoriale degli Italiani.

It is a hillside estate; a monumental complex commissioned by the writer, poet, jounalist Gabriele d' Annunzio.

At Il Vittoriale you can visit various museums, the last residence of d' Annunzio (the Prioria) and the park.

Gabriele d' Annunzio lived in the Prioria from february 1921 until his death in march 1938.

Quite near the entrance of this estate there is a large amphitheatre.

It it still used for performances today. It can hosts around 1500 people.

You can' t surely miss this huge statue of a blue horse at the ampitheatre.

This park is really large. I think it takes a couple of hours to visit it at leisure.

The rose garden.

There is the bow of a ship on the grounds of the estate. It is named Puglia.

This military vessel was donated in 1921 to d' Annunzio by the Italian navy.

On the highest point on the estate there is the Mausoleum.

D' Annunzio and some other people are buried here.

I also visited the Heller garden in Gardone Riviera. It is also known as the Giardino Botanico Arthur Hruska.

This garden was created in 1903 by Arthur Hruska. He was an Austrian dentist and botanic.

In 1988 the Austrian singer Andrè Heller bought it.

He also added a good number of sculptures made by artists as Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein and Mimmo Palladino.

Some big koi carps live in one of the lakes of the garden.

There are more than 3000 species of plants into this garden.

A beautiful stilt house. I checked if I could enter, but it isn' t possible.

A nice Buddha.

This statue should represent the god Ganesh.

There are the lavatories at the garden...and a water trick before these.

Almost at the end of the garden there is a cafe.

This garden is opened from march to october.

It was a good holiday.

Mel is a small village located almost halfway between Belluno and Feltre.

It is so small you can explore it in a couple of hours. Small, but beautiful.

The main square in Mel; piazza Papa Luciani is quite large. Papa Luciani was pope Johannes Paulus I. He was pope for a very short time.

This square is surrounded by several palaces built from the 1500.

Here you see the town hall; built in 1510. Besides it you see the Palazzo delle Contesse. It houses an archaeological museum, the tourist office and some halls for meetings.

There is also the parish church in the square. The Santa Maria Annunziata church. It was built in the 1600.

Another palace you see in piazza Papa Luciani is Casa Franceschi. Long ago it was completely covered with frescoes.

Mel has a couple of restaurants as far as I know. One of these is the Antica Locanda (inn) Cappello. It dates to the XVII century.

This restaurant is also in the main square. It is the orange building you see in this picture.

It was closed when I visited Mel.

Here you see another beautiful palace situated in piazza Papa Luciani; Casa Fulcis (and later Zadra).

Today it houses an ice cream parlour. Also this place was closed the day I was in Mel.

In Mel there is a cafe where you can buy newspapers, magazines and cigarettes, a pharmacy and some other shops, but not many.

There is a small bakery some meters from the square. It is also a grocery shop.

Here you can buy a good cake make with jam or Nutella and various other sweet treats.

Palazzo Pivetta is a palace you can find a little downill from piazza Papa Luciani.

As you can see this palace has an arch. Under this arch you will walk on a Roman road that takes to some other villages.

Mel is really a good place to visit as a day trip from where I live; even if it wasn' t easy to get there!

Me and my partner got lost in the countryside! Not for long.

I often do a day trip to the Pinè Plateau. It is only some kilometers far from the village where I live.

This plateau is situated over 900 meters on the sea level., so it is the right place to go to avoid some hot places in the summer; as Trento.

There are several villages on this plateau.

I' ve be in this area lots of times. After some years I decided to re visit some places here.

Baselga di Pinè; one of the main villages at the plateau, is situated at some 960 meters on the sea level.

This village has a good choice of hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops. It is a very popular tourist resort.

One of the sights to see in the old core of Baselga di Pinè is the church of Santa Maria Assunta.

This church was mentioned nel 1220. It was torn down and rebuilt in the XV century.

It was enlarged around 1535 and also between 1729 and 1743.

It is a small church.

There are some beautiful frescoes into the church.

Once you have visited the church you could stroll around the old core of Baselga. It is really nice.

Part of the square in the old core.

There is a lake in Baselga di Pinè; the lake of Serraia.

This lake is of glacial origin.

You can swim or go boating on the lake.

You can also walk around it.

Along the lake there are several cafes and I think some restaurants.

There is a playground area for children near the lake.

Miola is a hamlet of Baselga di Pinè.

In Miola you can find only a couple of restaurants and cafes and a supermarket.

Here you see part of a square in this hamlet.

There are mostly ancient stone houses in Miola.

At Christmas time Miola turns into "el paes dei presepi". Translation; the village of cribs.

Cribs are created at various places in Miola.

Lago delle Piazze is an artificial lake surrounded by some beaches and a large meadow.

Even on this lake you can swim or have a boat trip.

Also at lago delle Piazze there is even a playground area for children.

Hotel Pineta is a hotel overlooking this lake. I usually have a cup of coffee here before my stroll along the lake.

One day I am going to have lunch at this hotel.

I did two day trips more when I was in Gabicce Mare. I visited Pesaro and Urbino.

I had already been to these towns some years ago.

Pesaro is a beautiful town situated in the Marche region. It overlooks the Adriatic Sea.

It was the birtplace of Gioacchino Rossini (1792 - 1868); a famous Italian composer.

Piazza del Popolo is the main square in Pesaro. Here you see the Palazzo Ducale (the ducal palace) and a fountain; built in 1593 and restored between 1684 and 1685.

The first structure of the ducal palace was probably commissioned by the Malatesta family (the lords of Pesaro!) between 1285 and 1429.

The present palace was built on the orders; in the 15th century by Alessandro Sforza. It was restored in 1523 .

It is opened to visitors, but I haven' t visited yet.

Every morning inside the two cloisters of the ex monastery of saint Domenico a food and vegetable market is held.

A vist to this market is probably a good opportunity to find some typical Italian food.

The house where Giacomo Rossini was born and spent the first years of his life is not far from piazza del Popolo.

Today its interior is a museum dedicated to the composer.

The cathedral of saint Maria Assunta was originally built joining two churches; one dated to the IV century and the other to the IV century.

This church was remodelled more times trought the centuries.

On the floor of the church there are several Roman mosaics.

This nice buliding is Casetta Vaccari. It dates to the 1400. Today there is a cafe on its ground floor

Not far from Casetta Vaccari there is a palace that houses some museums of art; the Musei Civici.

I think this palace has a section with archaeological artifacts.

It is a pleasure to get lost in the Pesaro backstreets.

This is a shop inside an old building.

Villino Ruggeri is a small palace built in the Art Nouveau style.

It was built from 1902 to 1907.

You can see it on the street that takes to the beaches.

In piazzale della Libertà; a large square not far from the sea, you will surely notice a large sculpture. The Sfera Grande.

It was created by the sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro in 1998. It is a copy. The original Sfera Grande is on display somewhere.

We can say that Pesaro is a beach resort. It has a long beach.

Orti Giuli is a place I like very much. It is a small park.

It was created between 1827 and 1830.

I spotted these boats from Orti Giuli.

Urbino is a large walled town with a well preserved Medieval and Reinassance center.

It is located at the top of a hill.

Palazzo Ducale is the main sight in Urbino. It was built in various phases. It was finished in the second half of the XV century.

Inside the palace the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche is housed.

This palace was commissioned by Federico da Montefeltro (the leader of Urbino) from 1444.

One of the things I was going to see in Urbino was the botanical gardens. Its name is Orto Botanico.

As in other botanical gardens here there are some conservatories.

These gardens was created in 1809. It is not a large gardens, but there is a large variety of plants and flowers.

Some streets in Urbino are very steep!

Other sights in Urbino are the oratory of saint John the Baptist and the oratory of saint Joseph.

I wrote about these churches in my previous post about Urbino.

If you like to enjoy a great view over a large part of Urbino you could head to the park outside the Albornoz fortress.

This fortress dates to the second half of the XIV century.

Gabicce Mare was the second base for my summer holiday. It was chosen by chance.

I visited this town in order to get to Gabicce Monte. Unfortunately I couldn' t get there due to lack of time. So I thought about looking for a room in Gabicce Mare.

This way I should have had more time to visit Gabicce Monte.

Gabicce Mare is a modern sea side resort. It has not an old core.

Spending some time on the beach is one of the things to do in Gabicce.

At the entrance of some beaches there are some paintings. Some of these are real masterpieces in my opinion.

I booked a room for some nights at hotel Paris. It is a nice two stars hotel; even if it is quite old.

I was given a room with three beds and the bathroom en suite.

At hotel Paris they seved a good buffet breakfast with several home made pastries.

Gabicce Monte is a nice village. It is some kilometers from Gabicce Mare. It is part of Gabicce Mare.

In the old times it was a fortified village.

I went to Gabicce Monte by bus.

From Gabicce Monte you can enjoy the view over Gabicce Mare and on some other places.

There are some cafes and restaurants in Gabicce Monte. I think there are even some hotels here.

Gabicce Monte is a small village. It is possible to visit it in a couple of hours.

Here we can read that Gabicce Monte was the birthplace of Girolamo Lanfranco and his son; Giacomo.

They were potters who lived here in the 1500.

I also did a day trip to Gradara from Gabicce Mare. I went there by bus. The journey took around twenty minutes.

Gradara is a Medieval village situated on a hill. It is only six kilometers from Gabicce Mare.

Gradara is a small village, but there is no shortage of cafes and restaurants here.

There are some churches in Gadara. One of these is the XIV century church of saint John the Baptist.

Its main sight is a crucifix sculpted by a friar in the first half on the XVII century.

If you look at the Christ' s face from three defined spots on the floor, you can see its three expressions on its face. Silence, sufference and relief.

There is a castle in Gradara. It was built between the 11th and the 15th centuries.

I did not visit it because I was in Gradara on monday; the closing day.

The castle is where the tragic story of Paolo and Francesca happened.

It was written in the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. One of our most famous witers.

Francesca was Giovanni (AKA Giangiotto) Malatesta' s wife. She had a love affair with her husband' s brother, Paolo.

One day, when Giangiotto came home and caught the two lovers together in Francesca' s room he killed them.

Probabably this sad story took place between 1283 and 1285.

The street from the main entrance of the village is quite long and steep.

I hope to re visit Gradara quite soon.

The Gabicce Express train is a way to head to Gabicce Monte and to Gradara.

It is not a comfortable mean of transportation but you can use it if you have children.

Senigallia is a beautiful seaside restort situated in the Marche region; between Pesaro and Ancona.

It has a fourteen kilometers long beach.

I visited Senigallia as a day trip from Cesena. I got there by train. The journey between these towns took around one hour.

If you come to Senigallia by train, the first thing you could see is the Rocca Roveresca. This huge fortress was started in the 4th century. What we see today dates to 1476 and 1482.

It was used as a prison and also as an orphanage. Today is a venue for music and art festivals.

Part of the fortress faces piazza del Duca. Here stands the Palazzo del Duca; built in the XVI century. This palace is used for expositions of various kind.

In piazza del Duca there is a nice fountain. It is called the fontana dei leoni ( lions' fountain) or fontana delle anatre (ducks' fountain). It was completed in 1602

At a short distance from piazza del Duca there is piazza Roma. It is bordered by some palace and by the palazzo del Governo (the town hall).

Joined to this palace we see the Neptune' s fountain. The statue that stands on the fountain was probably a Roman find.

There are lots of old palace in the old core of Senigallia.

Foro Annonario is a square surrounded by a round structure with twenty four columns. It was built in 1834. Here, every day you can find a fruit and vegetables market.

Under the structure there is a good choice of restaurants, cafes and some small shops.

The book "100 things to know and to do in Senigallia" is really useful to get to know the town. I don' t know if there is an English edition about this.

Portici Ercolani is a row of covered porticoes built along one of the banks of the river Misa. These were designed in the XVIII century on commission of pope Benedetto XIV. These porticoes were meant to host the stalls of the Magdalene' s fair.

Under these porticoes there are several shops and cafes. I had the worst cream coffee in my life under the porticoes!

Rotonda a Mare is perhaps the most popular landmark of Senigallia. It is a round shaped pavillion erected in the 1930' s.

It was used as a ballroom, restaurant, conference hall and wedding location.

I hope to re visit Senigallia quite soon. Unfortunately it is quite far from where I live.