Villa Lante and gardens, near Viterbo, Italy

A staircase waterfall

 Pegasus Fountain

 Water canal to water the garden

 A funny face in the garden

 Some geometric shapes of the garden, made from Boxwood plants

 The lower fountain with four ships and four little guys steering the ships

 The first villa that was built

 The second villa was built when a new cardinal took control. Both buildings look identical, except
The one on the right has the crest of the cardinal who built the garden, and the one on the left (right above) has the crest and frescos from the second cardinal.

 Looking up at the staircase, which is behind the diagonal plants. It forms green "walls" to pass by.

This is another fountain of the water gods, with a double tailed mermaid under the fountain. The water feature in front is a table where the aristocrats dined. They used the cold water flowing through the table on top to keep their drinks cold.

Viterbo Heat in Summer

We are really feeling the heat in Viterbo. The black lava pavers shine in the heat with their square or pentagon shapes. The pavers form a fan pattern and line the streets of Viterbo. They also act as a heat attractor. The walls of Viterbo are made from a volcanic rock that is gray with black specs. The rocks have been chiseled into large blocks and formed into walls that surround and embrace the city. These stones also store heat from the sun.

The medieval district’s walls of houses are made from the same volcanic stone. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. is a time when the citizens stay inside. They will take the time off from 1 to 4 and close shops to rest and be with their families (and escape the heat). Fountains can be found in the piazzas around Viterbo. The ones that are running provide a cool place to sit. Shade is a precious place to be, for it is ten degrees cooler in the shade. We often find breezeways in town where a small alley receives a cool draft of air. The locals have found these places, and stand around refreshing themselves with the cool breezes.

Pictures of Assisi and Perugia

 Assisi

Assisi Garden

View from Balcony of Hostel in Perugia

Traveling independently rocks!

Hi, I wrote this as a lead in to a essay I will write to explain why independent travel is the best for immersion into a country's culture. 

The least effective way to grasp a glimpse of a foreign country is by taking a cruise on a cruise ship. Cruises offer a six hour view of a city, without having to speak a foreign language or integrate into the culture because the vendors speak English.

Traveling by guided tour is also an incubator experience, because the tour guide will help his tourists navigate the streets, and communicate with the locals. He is their lifeline to keeping their American style without having to immerse themselves in a foreign language and culture.

However, when traveling independently, the tourist becomes a traveler. The traveller must learn the language quickly, or be served the wrong dish, a destination they did not ask for, or pick a “surprise” food at the grocery store. The adventure has ups and downs, but in return, the traveler receives  a true cultural immersion. Traveling independently is truly an eye opening experience.

Chance Encounter in Perugia

While in Perugia, I had a view of the city and something else.

An encounter I will never forget. My travel friends and I have arrived in Perugia, Italy, a small hill top town, known for its massive cathedral and wide, stone streets, with colorful yellow, orange and brown three story Italian apartments that line the streets. We have decided to stay overnight because the Perugia jazz festival has started and we have tickets to a jazz performance. People are walking around in large numbers. We squeeze our way through the crowds after the jazz performance, and walk up the stony steps toward our lodging place, a hostel.

After checking in, I walked out onto the balcony of the room. It was sunset. The balcony had a red brick patio with old curvy iron railings. I could see the entire town below and in the distance I could see across the rolling hills grapevines, hay fields and olive trees, surrounded by purple mountains in the distance.

That night I heard the distant jazz music coming from an open stage and the cathedral’s tower clock chiming on the hour.

In the morning, the air was cool and slightly breezy. The sun barely showed above the horizon. I escaped to the patio to feel the cool breeze and admire the city from my high perch. I looked around to see what buildings were around me and who may be up at this early hour. Looking down, I saw a man moving toward a window across from me about two stories below.

As he moved toward the window to look out, I noticed he was naked. He was a slim man, mid-30’s, tanned, slightly muscular, dark brown hair and very naked. He looked up at me, and I looked away, pretending I was interested in the tomato plant that was sitting on my balcony. I looked back at him, and he was leaning out the window, looking below at the slow movement of pedestrians that passed by. I thought he looked like a naked statue that I viewed in a museum the prior day. I did not make eye contact with him again, and breezed inside the apartment for a shower. Later, I informed my roommates what they missed while they slumbered.

Amalfi, Pope's palace in Viterbo, Narrow streets,

Architecture in garden design

We are finishing the first week of classes. Tomorrow we take a field trip to a garden of Bolzena. (sp)
Lots of photos to post. Put some on my personal blog by mistake.

Here is info I wrote by sitting and watching people on a corner in Viterbo:

Smells are of food, gasoline smell and coffee. There are the day tourists dragging their suitcases behind them as they enter the gates of Porto Romano. A local man in his 60’s dressed in a striped shirt and jeans and non-descript black athletic shoes is intently talking on his cell phone and pacing the street. He has his cell phone in his ear, and another device in his hand while he is texting with the same hand that is holding the cell phone. Many motorcycles enter the gate with two smiling young people on it. There is a conversation between a mama and two men in the middle of the street, next to a car that is parked in a no parking zone. Most cars are parked in no parking zones. People walking in are Italian. Their clothes are modern, their shoes are pure leather and sandals look new. I hear the clash of coffee cups being stored in the coffee shop next door. People are walking around with purpose, on their way somewhere, but not in a rush. More teenagers roll in on their mopeds, wearing tank tops, shorts and sandals with a helmet on their head. A middle aged bald man walks by with his wife and a large red, long haired dog on leash. One lady is strolling into the café with her shopping bag, and greets the barista. Most cars have bird droppings on their hoods. A three wheeled truck rolls by. It is green with an old man inside who has white wiry hair and a red checked shirt. Most cars and trucks are very small, carrying one or two persons. Larger cars are rare. A VW just passes, and I recognize the silver car by its Winney the Pooh sun shades. It is the same man I saw yesterday. His family was not in the car today. Here comes the Polizia. There are two men in the vehicle. They look stiff and still as they drive by. The old man with the two devices is now typing on one device and then switching to the other one. He looks a bit frustrated. He paces back and forth in the empty parking space. American music is coming from the café door of the coffee shop. The bells chime at the church, a regular sound for the hour and a higher pitch bell for the quarter hour. The old man lights a cigarette and smokes it nerviously. He is fumbling on his pockets. He tries his phone call again, while he taps his cigarette.  He reaches his party and talks while he paces the street in front of his house.

Caio  is heard as an older lady wearing a log dress leaves the cafee and walks with her bag up the hill toward the Porta Romana gate.

Two cars drive by that look sparkling clean. Their drivers look well shaved and clothes are finely pressed. Here comes the city bus. And a smartcar with a lady driving who is smoking while she is driving. She looks at me. Her black hair is pulled back and she has a white t-shirt on. Her face has hard lines on it and she looks quite tan.

The mama lady now opens the back of her car and the two men with her peer in to the back of the car. One of them is carrying a box in his arms.

A breeze blows by and tosses the plant branches on a potted plant by the door of the café. Two boys wearing bright orange t shirts run by, chasing each other, enjoying the hills of Viterbo.

I smile, most smile back.