Excursions

Excellent food and drink on the continent Switzerland and Italy, June 12 – 24, 2014   RISTORANTE PENSIONE AGRA    We hiked up the Collina d\’Oro to Agra on a gorgeous day, and stopped at a place Bob had visited 38 years before for a beer (or two) and a salad.   FELDSCHLÖSSCHEN    Feldschlösschen […]

Bob & Camille head up the Collina d\’Oro to see some of the old haunts – June 12, 2014   TO MONTAGNOLA AND THE BENCH   Montagnola is a village just up the Collina d\’Oro (gold hill) from TASIS. It’s where, as students, Bob & his friends would go to drink beer and blow off

Each Fall, as part of orientation at TASIS, the school would get on buses and head to Valle Verzasca for a picnic and swimming in the chill, clear waters under the Roman Bridge. The Reunion took us back for more of the same – June 13, 2014   We’re ALL BOZOS ON THIS BUS!  

The last two fabulous outings of the reunion – June 14 and 15, 2014   FUNICULAR FUN Most of us have never heard the word “funicular“. This particular funicular goes to the top of Monte Brè and was constructed in 1912.   A MATTER OF BALANCE    Funiculars are built with two cars that balance

City of monumental art – June 17 and 18, 2014   PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA    We stayed two nights in a nice B&B just around the corner from this plaza full of art.   ART UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL   Cookie – speechless in the plaza.   PIGEON ART    This is a copy of

A crash course in art history – Florence, June 17, 2014   PLAYING TOURIST   We were in the good hands of Elizabeth, our lovely, witty guide. No idea what has caught Camille’s attention but she should be following Elizabeth’s blue flag down the street and into the galleria.   GALLERIA DELL \’ACCADEMIA   Unfinished

A little taste of Rome – June 18 and 19, 2014   THE COLISEUM      Probably the oldest stadium in the world, built in the year 80 and still being maintained.   OH NOES!    There’s a pigeon on my finger! Or, Oh No! The columns are falling! As tourists we often found irony in the mundane.  

A visit to St. Peter’s – June 19, 2014   BOB AT THE BIGLIETTERIA Bob buys tickets for the Metro to Vatican City at the biglietteria (ticket machine)   ST. PETER’s SQUARE    By 9am we found ourselves standing in St. Peter’s square which just so happens to be round and capable of holding more than

Homeland of Camille’s great grandparents on her father’s side – June 20 – 23   GETTING THERE IS HALF THE FUN   6 am, June 20 Villa San Giovanni, the toe of the Italian boot. We woke from our sleeper car slumber and watched as they loaded our train in two sections onto a ferry.  

Joining the street life in a fabled Sicilian town – June 21, 2014   IN THE STREETS     We took a little stroll about the quaint little streets, good little tourists that we are.   DOGS AND DANGER   These little dogs were hilarious as they navigated a bit of social anxiety. A sign