Vesuvius from the Hotel

Monteriggioni

We decide to visit the medieval festival in Monteriggioni.

I have often seen Monteriggioni in the distance from the highway, but this time we turn off.

First we stop off to see jousting and notice a female jouster called "Mademoiselle."

The men prepare to do battle.

This man is guarding the entrance to the town.

We stop for some food--Italian cuisine before tomatoes and pasta.

There is a bagpipe and drum band.

We bargain for goods.

We see children trying out their jousting skills with wooden swords.

We walk to the other end of town to see the view.

A dragon appears.

And a knight on horseback to fight him.

The dragon is fatally wounded.

Fireworks end the evening.

Roadside Landscapes

I especially like this one for the transparent tree.










I think there are two birds in this picture. Not sure.

Funniest Picture

American girls in Italy.

Trip to the Blue Grotto

Our trip to the Amalfi Coast included a trip into the Blue Grotto on the island of Capri. This was my first and undoubtedly last time.

The white boat on the left with the canopy is the place where you pay. Here is a closer look:

This is our hunky boatman.

They pull on the chain fastened to the rock to control motion through the tiny opening.

And all for this. All of our group went in, but I was first.

Dopo il Palio

We arrived in Siena the day after the Palio, the famous horse race that is run around the city square in the center of Siena. There was a lot of cleaning up still to be done.

The dirt put down to protect the horses and riders had not been completely removed.

We were treated to a proud showing of the winning horse.

Fotografa noi

"Fotografa noi," (photograph us) she called out as I was preparing a shot of policemen. My Italian, for once, was adequate, and I obliged. They're adorable, n'est pas? I showed them the picture and we high-fived all around. Two of the beautiful Romans.