On my previous trip to Sicily, I happened upon the town of Santo Sefano di Camastra. It was difficult to miss, it was on the main road heading towards Palermo and along every street in town there were dozens of shops selling locally made ceramics. Today we returned. As we exited the new autostrada, I saw a building surrounded by … Read More
Italy Day 8 – Cefalu, Sicily
We were up and out early this morning, largely because we didn’t trust Ditzy, the GPS. We were scheduled for a food and walking tour of Cefalu. Giving ourselves a lot of time was a good decision because Ditzy misdirected us several times. We finally found a parking lot on our own. Ambra, our guide, is a lovely young local … Read More
Italy Day 7 – Cefalu, Sicily
Kathy and I were both awake for the sunrise show—the sky morphed from pale blue to deep pink to orange. After that, we had a lazy morning–breakfast on our terrace, laundry, drawing (Kathy), writing (me) and both of us reading intermixed with short periods of dozing off. We set off through the resort property towards the beach. Along the way … Read More
Italy Day 6 – Travel to Cefalu, Sicily
Taxi to train station, scurry to buy tickets and find seats while toting luggage, make our way through Malpensa Airport which required taking a bus to the plane, finally climbing the stairs (with luggage) onto our flight and departing Milan. This was the first gray morning we had, so perfect for relocating to a sunnier location. I was hoping to … Read More
Italy Day 5 – Milan
For the past four days Kathy and I have mostly spent our time exploring Milan’s historic sites. Today we did the opposite, looking at modern day Milan, even taking a glimpse into the future. We spent hours at the Trienalle Milano, described as Italy’s foremost institution for design and contemporary culture. I don’t know if it is truly the top museum in … Read More
Italy Day 4 – Milan
Kathy and I made reservations to see Leonardo DaVinci’s Last Supper while we were still at home. We decided to go explore the neighborhood and have lunch nearby prior to our 1:15 reservation time. The refectory of the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, home to DaVinci’s masterpiece, is an upscale residential neighborhood. We admired the beautiful facades and the … Read More
Italy day 3 – Milan
Milan has dozens of tantalizing museums—nearly all are closed on Monday. Instead, we returned to the Duomo. As impressive as the cathedral is from a distance, the exterior is even more remarkable close-up. The walls are embellished with an endless number of magnificent marble sculptures. Passing through the gigantic bronze entrance doors, the size of the cathedral is the first … Read More
Italy day 2 – Milan
As Kathy, her friend Gabriella and her son Cyril and I walked from the trolley towards the Duomo we each uttered a series of WOWs. Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is without question the most glamorous shopping area I’ve ever experienced. I wouldn’t even consider buying anything there, but the glamour of the domed ceiling, long arcades, tiled floors, and elegant … Read More
Italy – Day One – Milan
I’m in Italy with my friend Kathy for the next two weeks. The first day after a long flight always feels disorienting, especially when you arrive early morning. It was a long ride from the airport into the city, but I can’t tell you much about what we passed, it all seemed a blur. After dropping off our luggage in … Read More
Cheyenne, Wyoming
So, what do you want to do tomorrow?” Judy asked me. “How about driving up to Cheyenne?” “Cheyenne? Why would you want to go there?” “I haven’t been there in decades. Just curious.” I responded. And with that I did a google search. There were enough interesting places to convince Judy it would be worth exploring, even on a Sunday … Read More