We took a Jeep tour up to the top of the Carrara marble mine for a view of the proceedings. It was a Sunday, so the miners had the day off. Pretty impressive place, if you’re into epic deconstruction.
The Manhattan of Italy
San Gimignano is incredibly picturesque, with a number of high towers. However, it looks better from a distance. Close up, it’s essentially an open-air shopping mall. Just needs some Barry Manilow music.
Siena Cathedral
The Siena cathedral is absolutely magnificent. The following photos also show parts of its floor, which are usually covered up. We stopped by when they were open for viewing.
Siena Lighting
The lighting fixtures in Siena, Italy vary by district within the city. Here is an example.
Eating on the Farm
Our hiking group had dinner at a farmer’s home one night in Gaiole, in the Chianti area in Italy. Notice the hooks in the ceiling, where grapes are hung.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Afternoon
… when we were walking the rain-soaked streets of Greve, and spotted this wine production facility. Great ambiance, but no free wine.
Florence Before the Rain
This photo was taken from the rose gardens across the river from Florence, just before rain clouds enveloped the city.
Sculptural View of Florence
This sculpture is located in the rose garden across the river from Florence, with a great view back towards the city.
View of the Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is wildly overstuffed with art. For example, you can see a long line of portraits mounted in a line on each side of the ceiling in the photo below.
Glorious Ceiling
The ceiling of the Baptistry of Saint John (right next to the Florence Cathedral) has a fabulous ceiling - and no wait lines to see it. Everyone else is trying to get into the cathedral.
View of Florence
One of the better views of Florence is from the observation platform at the top of its cathedral. Here is a panoramic view.
Epic Florence Cathedral
The Florence cathedral is massive and wildly overdone, showing the absurd amount of wealth that this city-state had in the middle ages. The following photos include the outside, the paintings in the rotunda, and the walkway inside the dome that opens out near the top of the structure.
Unique Wine Delivery Method
Historically, you could make purchases of wine through the wall of a building in Florence, rather than having to go inside. One of these openings is shown below.
Enhanced Street Signs
Local Florence artist Clet Abraham sells stickers that modify street signs in a variety of humorous ways. Here are four examples:
Mind Your Step
This sculpture is positioned on one of the Florence bridges, and was made by local artist Clet Abraham, who is known for quirky art installations.
A Bridge Over Muddy Water
This is the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence, well-known for the masses of jewelry shops along its walkway, as well as the masses of tourists buying from them.
Typical Provence Street
This street happens to be in Venasque, but could be in almost any of the hilltop towns in Provence. Crooked, windy, eroded, and very steep.
Ocre Building Materials
This photo of Roussillon shows the ocre tint of its buildings, which were constructed from the ocre-colored rock in a local quarry.
The Ocre Cliffs of Roussillon
The weather was poor, but did not mute the remarkable ocre colors of the cliffs adjacent to Roussillon, France.
Cute Doggie in Street Market
A street vendor in Provence set up this cute little guy to attract shoppers, and then swooped in to make sales. It generally worked.
