Journeys Viaggio

The Palio is the most important event in Siena, taking place on July 2 and August 16 every year. In the Palio the various Sienese “contrade”, or areas in which the city is divided, challenge each other in a passionate horse race in the heart of the city in the Piazza del Campo. This incredible race has been run for over 750 years.

Originally, there were about fifty-nine “Contrade”; now only seventeen remain, ten of which take part in the historical pageant and in the race at each Palio (seven by right and three drawn by lots).

The 17 Contradeare: Eagle, Snail, Wave, Panther, Forest, Tortoise, Owl, Unicorn, Shell, Tower, Ram, Caterpillar, Dragon, Giraffe, Porcupine, She-Wolf, Goose.

Each Contrada has its own unique emblem and colors and represents an area of the city. As one walks through the streets of Siena it is easy to know in which Contrada you currently are in by observing the flags and emblems displayed along the street. Much like street signs, corners often designate the entrance into a different Contrada.

The Palio is much more than a simple event for the Sienese, it actually is a large part of their lives since the time of their birth. Each person belongs to a Contrada, participates in the life of the Contrada and the organization of the Palio throughout the entire year. The Sienese live the Palio with great passion and you’ll certainly be able to see this if you have the chance to attend one of the races. (If you have interest in observing the August race this summer, I have access to good seats at a fair price.) 

I recently had the opportunity to visit Teton National Park which is comprised of over 300,000 acres in northwest Wyoming.   Grand Teton National Park is a popular destination for mountaineering, hiking, fishing and other forms of recreation.  Noted for world-renowned trout fishing, the park is one of the few places to catch Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout.  Jenny Lake is stunningly beautiful. And Jenny Lake Lodge is top notch, combining rustic western charm with luxury.  Meals are taken in the Jenny Lake Lodge award winning dining room where both the food and service are excellent.

Yellowstone National Park is located primarily in the state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone, widely held to be the first national park in the world, is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park.   It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is dominant.  Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles, comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges.  Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera,  the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered an active volcano.  The Yellowstone Park Bison Herd is the oldest and largest public bison herd in the US.

Summer in Tuscany is all about living the season to its fullest. Fresh and vibrant, Tuscany is full of things to do for all people of all ages. Countless events are offered throughout the region during the summer to draw the locals out into the piazzas to enjoy all of the best of this much welcomed season.  More often than not, the concerts are sponsored by the local provinces and are free to the public.

Lucca Summer Festival 2012 runs for a full month, late June through July 29th,  with great concerts and events in the beautiful landscape of this amazing medieval town.  Pistoia Jazz Festival  will take place from the July 13th until July 15th in Pistoia,  one of the names is the great B.B. King performing tomorrow.  The lovely hill village Radicondoli has it’s annual festival with experimental theatre, jazz, ethnic and classical music concerts, shows for children, workshops and classes.  The Fest runs July 28th through August 5th.  Picturesque walled Monteriggioni offers performances of ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’ and ‘Souvenir d’Italia’…July 27th through August 7th.  The operas are in the Monteriggioni Castle.  The 8th annual week of music in the small town of Murlo offers 5 free classical concerts in Castello di Murlo the last week of July.  All of these evening concerts are free.  The list goes on and on….Jazz and Wine in Montalcino, the Puccini Festival atTorre del Lago, Giacomo Puccini’s home town runs for over a month, opera in the Abbey of San Galgano, and more.

A lovely way to spend a summer evening with locals and enjoy a live performance under the stars !

Venice’s Grand Canal is its main thoroughfare. The number 1 vaporetto route runs up and down the Grand Canal, stopping in each of the six sestiere or neighborhoods as well as the Lido, so it’s a good way to see Venice. Although it’s pretty crowded during the day, an evening on the number 1 vaporetto can be scenic and romantic.

OR…board  the Vaporetto dell’Arte, the official new tour of the Grand Canal in Venice started service June 1st.

This regular water service along the Grand Canal is for everyone who wishes to visit the city in an original and relaxed way. The multimedia equipment on board will offer audio and video focus points on the city and its arts heritage along the entire route. On board a free welcome kit will be given out, containing a paper guide with a summary of the route.

With the Vaporetto dell’Arte you can tour the heart of the city comfortably seated and immersed in a relaxing atmosphere. Visitors can get on and off as they please (hop-on/hop-off system), stopping to visit museums, monuments, theatres and exhibitions, making up more than 20 prestigious establishments of Venetian artistic and cultural heritage.  Cost is currently Euro24 per adult and good for the full day.  Service runs 7 days a week from 9AM-7PM.

June 13th…Ferrari has started online auction for earthquake victims. 

Www.ferraristore.com   will dedicate significant sums to those who have lost their loved ones in the recent earthquakes. The auction will feature rare and important items like 599 Evo, street-illegal race sports berlinetta , prancing horse watches, Formula 1 merchandise such as race suits, helmets, a V8 engine and other memorabilia associated with race cars from the past.

May 20th…

More than 120 aftershocks rocked the area in the hours following the magnitude-6.0 earthquake, which toppled factories, apartment buildings, and medieval and Renaissance monuments early Sunday. The epicenter was a small town between the art-rich cities of Modena and Ferrara. The area had not been considered at high risk for earthquakes, leading officials to call for revisions to the country’s risk map. Seven deaths have been reported.

No significant damage occurred in Bologna or Modena. Italians felt the quake strongly in Tuscany, Veneto, Lombardy, Liguria, Marche, Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia.

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With summer travel plans in the works, Campania invaribly comes up. It is south of Rome and on the Tyrrhenian Sea and is comprised of some of Italy’s most well known names…Capri, Sorrento, Naples, Pompeii, Paestum, and Positano, to mention a few. The Amalfi coastline is a favorite summer playground for Italians and tourists alike. It has it all…from fascinating archaeological sites, appealing medieval towns, white sand beaches and picture-perfect villages….many built into the terraced hillsides.

There is something magic about the houses spilling down the hillsides of Positano toward the blue sea. Positano has been featured in many movies, the latest being Under the Tuscan Sun.
Once a small fishing village and port of maritime power Amalfi, today Positano derives its wealth almost entirely from tourism. Everywhere the views are compelling, and the fish you eat at dinner are fresh.
There’s lots to do in Positano for the well-heeled shopper and the beach crowd. Otherwise, a day trip for the views is all it takes.
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