Cortona

OK, this was one of our favorite towns in Tuscany! Can’t always say why one town speaks to us and why one town doesn’t, but in the end, we were totally and utterly entranced. Cortona had loads of charm and fabulous views as the town was perched on top of a hill.

From the moment we walked up to the town’s entrance, we were enchanted by the nooks and crannies between the buildings, the small restaurants and shops, and the wonderful “small-town” Tuscan feel. We spent an entire day doing nothing but putzing about. Yes, we did have numerous “café” pit-stops for people watching as well.













































And of course, those obligatory night shots.











We’ll be back for a long weekend….I do not get my fill of this delightful town.

PS – know which recent movie was primarily filmed in and around Cortona? Answer tomorrow.

Arezzo

One of the several towns (and early day-trips) we visited in Tuscany included the town of Arezzo . Set on a steep hill (and when I say steep, I mean, steep) and rising from the floodplain of the Arno Rivr, the town is filled with medieval structures in including the cathedral, the town hall, and the Medici Fortress (Fortezza Medicea).

Trivia question– what Roberto Benigni movie was filmed in Arezzo? Answer at the end of the post.

The Piazza Grande - the main marketplace of the city, it is currently the site of the Giostra del Saracino ("Joust of the Saracin").







From the left: the Romanesque apse of S. Maria della Pieve, the Tribunal Palace and the Lay Fraternity.



Santa Maria della Pieve.



The Vasari Loggia on Piazza Grande



The Medici Fortress (Fortezza Medicea).



The streets of Arezzo.









Budman taking a break in Arezzo.



The Basilica of San Franciso where the recently restored 12-th century frescos could be viewed.



Enjoyed this city but not one of the most memorable of our two weeks…except for that iron bed I failed to inquire about in that antique store. I am still regretting that decision.

Answer to the trivia question: Life is Beautiful.

Il Castello di Bibbione

Day one of the Tuscan adventure began with nothing more strenous than driving to and checking into our villa. After a two day drive, at a leisurely pace I might add, we arrived in the village of San Cascione de Val Pesa, and to the restored castle of of Il Castello di Bibbione, the ancestral home of Niccolò Machiavelli (yea, that Machiavelli).

In the year 1511, Niccolò Machiavelli bought the castle and surrounding farmland using it as a hunting lodge. The Machiavellis’ remained in possession of the complex until 1727, when the last heir, Francesco Machiavelli, died leaving his cousin, Giovanni Battista Rangoni, a noble descendent of the Machiavellis, heir to the name and inheritance, title and heraldic arms of Machiavelli. Rangoni , taking on the name of Rangoni Machiavelli, passed this home down through his descendants. Today’s owner has turned the castle and surrounding buildings into a winery, holiday villas (there are several) and a wellness centre/wedding chapel.

Although we were one of several guests staying at the villa (there were several buildings), it was remarkably secluded and quiet.

Our first few Tuscan days included R&R in our new digs…base camp for the next 2 weeks.

The sign of Chianti – the wine of the area….a rooster!

View of the Tuscan countryside from the villa, Il Castello di Bibbione.





Poolside….









Il Castello di Bibbione at sunset.















In case you find yourself Tuscany bound, the villa's website: http://www.castellodibibbione.com/

Italy photos

I know...I have been so bad....but I promise the Italy photos are coming...this week.

Rugby World Cup 2007 Final

OK...so England did not reign victorious over South Africa. Still, it was fun to get caught up in the equivalent of the "Super Bowl" for the rugby sporting world.

A bigger question remains for me...am I the only person that believes that Johnny Wilinson looks like Heath Ledger?

I don't get strikes

BBC news has been reporting over the last few weeks a number of instances of strikes. Workers for the Royal Mail Post and now the British Rail Service apparently have real "beefs" with their employment terms and conditions. More power to the people...if you feel strongly about something, I guess it is a person's right to make that grievance known.

Now, here is what I don't understand about strikes. Do they really ever work?

Take the Royal Mail: in this day and age of increasing usage of online bill payment, email for communication, and other companies such as FedEx, DHL, and UPS more than supporting and handling the "package" market, one could argue that volumes for "slow mail" will continue to decrease. Sure, regular mail will never go away, as there will always be a need for that service. It just seems to me for those businesses that see their market share shrinking, other businesses cutting into their market, etc. , that workers would kind understand that their negotiating ability might be a bit hampered. Now, their 7 day rolling strike did cause some inconvenience but did it accomplish anything? Sure, they voiced their opinions and caused mail snafus, but in the end they went back to work without an agreement although "discussions were underway".

Now, the British Rail Service workers are posing a strike this week/weekend, with many trains being cancelled because workers are not available. Never fear, all those extra trains being pressed into service from the UK to France that will carry UK rugby fans to the World Cup Rugby finals in Paris are not affected. Ah, striking workers with a conscience....

Again, my comment...I don't get strikes.

Yes, I got sucked in, too

TV on a Saturday night was a bit...limited. So, the Budman and I decided to check out THE game of the weekend, according to my UK colleagues. I had been in London all week, and everywhere I turned ...in the office, on TV, in the papers...all eyes were on the Saturday night rugby semi-final for the Rugby World Cup. The match? England versus France (in Paris).

After 10 minutes, we were admittedly sucked into the game, although we were clearly in learning mode on the rules.

Apart from actually knowing the end result (England beat France to move into the final against either South Africa or Argentina), I must admit to knowing more about the European football (soccer for you in the US) and rugby than I do about the football fate of either the Dallas Cowboys OR the Baylor Bears.

Now that is a sad commentary on my sports viewing these days....

German Reunification Day

Well, the holiday came and went without me even (1) recognizing it was a holiday, (2) or understanding what the holiday was even about. You know things are busy when you arrive home from a business trip to find your husband at home mid-week, only for him to explain, “Honey, it’s a national holiday – today is a day off from work”.

Yea, right! I am having no days off from work just now. Yet, my curiosity made me inquire, “What is the significance of October 3 in Germany”? A quick google later, I had my answer: German Reunification Day.

German reunification took place on October 3, 1990, when the areas of the former Germand Democratic Republic (GDR / East Germany) were incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG / West Germany). The start of this reunification process is commonly referred to as Die Wende (translated: The Turning / The Change). (For those whose history is sketchy – not sure there is anyone who needs reminding of this though - the division of Germany took place in 1949, following the division of Germany following WWII. West Germany consisted of the American, British and French Zones (without the Saarlan, which later joined West Germany after a referendum), while East Germany was formed from the Soviet Zone (without the western sections of Berlin. This day commemorates that historic event.

The cost of reunification was a heavy burden to the German economy, with reunification contributing quite negatively to Germany’s stagnating economic growth in recent years. The total costs of reunification were estimated to amount to over 1.5 trillion euros. The primary reason for the hefty price tag was the weak East German economy, especially as it stood in comparison to West Germany.

As a consequence of the reunification, most of the former East Germany has been de-industrialized, which caused an unemployment rate of up to 25% in some parts of the country. Thousands of former East Germans migrated (and still do today) to western Germany to find jobs, resulting in the loss of significant parts of the eastern work force, especially highly skilled workers, who were significantly more willing to move. Even today, the German government still allocates over €10 billion to the development of the formerly East German states every year.