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Thanks so much for stopping by! I believe that everyone can have a beautiful home without spending a fortune! One of my favorite things to do is find creative ways to re-purpose things I already have on hand, or have picked up at yard sales and thrift stores. Join me as I share with you some of my favorite ideas for crafting and decorating, as well as travel adventures, and fun things that I pick up on my treasure hunts! Much of my work is influenced by my love all things French, nature, and of course shabby chic! I have gotten so many creative ideas from you very talented bloggers out there, and I hope that I can be an inspiration to you as well!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

From Italy With Love!

Buon Giorno!
I hope you all aren't getting sick of seeing photos of our trip to Italy!  I took so many pictures, I couldn't resist sharing more with you.
Lemon trees grow in abundance, especially along the coast.  So you will see lots of lemon products, ranging from lemon gelato (yum!) to lemon ice, to the famous limoncello, a very potent lemon liqueur.
I thought this little truck/scooter refreshment stand was just too darn cute!
Remember when I told you that driving in Italy is crazy? Well, we made the mistake of taking the 
"scenic route" from Rome to the Amalfi Coast, and ended up having to drive thru the middle of Naples.  It is a huge city, and the traffic is beyond nuts.  While I am sure there are some that love Naples, we couldn't wait to get out of there!  It is very dirty, crowded, and crime ridden (that is where the Maffia was founded, yikes!), and often referred to as "gritty".  It made me think of a third world country!  It actually took us one hour to drive thru the city!
 This is what it looked like driving thru the streets!
 Ahhhh, what a sanctuary when we finally made it to our hotel in Praiano, right on the Amalfi Coast!  I miss all of that gorgeous bougainvillea!
 More views of the gorgeous Tyrrhenian Sea.  I swam down in this little cove, but the photo hubby took of me was hideous, so I will spare sharing it with you!

 We visited this amazing cathedral in the town of Amalfi, which dates from the 9th thru the 13th centuries!  We had visited there on our first trip to Italy 14 years ago, and it's even grander than we remembered!
 It was such a hot day, so it was a treat to cool off inside and admire all of the amazing details.

 Wow, is all I can say!
 Just look at the ancient paintings on the walls and ceilings, below.
 I believe this is supposed to represent the Last Supper, below.
Wait, what do we have here??
An Italian mountain goat??!
 This little guy greeted us as we visited this centuries old stone watch tower, which was the home of an artist's studio.
 After our 4 days on the coast, we headed north of Rome to Umbria to visit medieval hill towns.
The region of Umbria may be a bit lesser known than famous Tuscany, which is right nearby.  But it's just as beautiful, and not as crowded or expensive.  
 The views were amazing!

 We stayed in the little walled village of Todi for 2 nights, a town that we fell in love with on our first visit to Italy.

I lost track of how many churches we visited on our trip.
This gorgeous one in Todi, the Santa Maria della Consolazione, was completed in 1607. 
 The interior was a bit spare compared to other cathedrals that we have visited, but it still was impressive and just so beautiful.

 I told you I was obsessed with ceilings!
Just look at all of the amazing carved details!

 Hard to imagine something so old still stands, in our country we tear things down if they are 50 years old!
 I just loved all of the neat alleyways tucked here and there in the villages!
 Yummy looking desserts!
 We did a bit of wine tasting in the building below, lots of fun!
If you aren't too sick of seeing Italy, I'll share more photos with you in a few days!
Ok, now that we are back home, I couldn't resist sharing a few pics that I snapped of our Katie today!
She visited the "puppy salon" this afternoon for a grooming, and I think she looks so cute!
 Don't let her shy looks fool you, this is one party animal!
Ciao!

9 comments:

The Bear's Blog said...

The Katie Bug is so grown up. Adorable.

Hugs ♥

Trisha said...

Wow! Italy looks simply amazing! Another place I would love to visit someday. Love the cut Katie!

~Trisha

Blondie's Journal said...

I didn't know you had been in Italy and believe me, this was one of the better travel posts I've read. And thanks for your honesty about Naples. With all cities, there are some good and not so good areas. Umbria sounds fantastic and I really enjoyed the pictures of the cathedrals. Yes! Post more!

Where did Katie stay while you were gone?

Jane

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Donna, I could never get tired of seeing your wonderful pics. WOW is right. Everything is gorgeous. Love the cove where you swam and the works of art on the cathedral ceilings are beyond beautiful. I know that Naples is not so nice now. My grandmother was born in a little town in or around Naples in 1904. I remember her talking about mountain goats like the pic you share.
The little lemon truck is too cute.
Looking forward to the next post of your trip. This is so much fun. Feel like I have been there too.

Katie looks adorable in her new do.
She is such a sweetheart. Party animal, no way!! LOL

Hugs

Musings from Kim K. said...

Your pictures are unbelievable. I will never grow tired of them. Keep them coming! Truly beautiful. A trip of a lifetime. Miss Katie is so pretty. She must love having her Mommy home again.

PS. I can only imagine the driving/traffic nightmare. We felt the same way when in China. Crazy drivers. No rules. I couldn't wait to get out of cars.

Sherry@Back2Vintage said...

You are quite the world traveler and quite the photographer, too! The details of the buildings and countryside are striking! Thanks for sharing your trip with us! Katie is a cutie!!!

john said...

Ciao Donna !
wow love all the photos !!!! bet you missed your little pooch so much !
Gail x

Debbie said...

I just love seeing the photos of the cathedrals, Donna! The cove you swam in is amazing, too.
The arbor in front of the bistro with all the flowers growing over it is gorgeous!
I can't believe all of the things you've seen in your lifetime. How wonderful that you share them with us.
Debbie
xo

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Love all your photos. The blue of the sea is amazing. Not Paris, but I do think I would enjoy a trip to Italy if I ever got the chance. That Katie is a cutie pie!
hugs,
Linda