UP, UP AND AWAY . . .

Tomorrow I leave for a week-long hiatus in Italia!  I am going to visit my dear friend and beloved travel buddy Nathan (who has been in Italy for the past year on a Fulbright Fellowship).  He and I studied abroad in Siena, a small town we will be revisiting for the biggest event of the year: Palio!  I will do my best to do a post or two, but am not making any promises.

Here's what I have to look forward to:

• the beautiful vista of Lake Guarda
• the cobblestoned streets of Siena
• the glorious fanfare of Palio
• Sienese cookies: ricciarelli
• a walk around the Fortezza
• a trip back to my study abroad school
• the Last Supper in Milan

Hope you all have a fabulous week!

FROM THE ARCHIVES: ITALIA

Right now I am sitting in at my desk, looking out into the dark, cold, rainy New York night and, sigh, thinking of glorious Italy. . . . what I wouldn't do for a plate of that tortellini right now . . . 

the locales, as seen by me, top to bottom:

swimming dock into Lake Guarda in Sirmione, Italy

delicious tortellini from Boccone del Prete in Siena, Italy

sun-bathed bed at hotel in Sirmione, Italy

VIVA ITALIA!

I have some exciting news to share with you guys: the hubby and I are headed to Italy at the end of the summer! I lived in Italy for a brief time in college and it is probably one of my favorite places on earth. I can't wait to revisit all the beautiful spots I discovered all those years ago and watch my husband see them for the first time. Plus, I can't wait to eats lots and lots of gelato, of course!

So here's a quick visual tour of all the places and activities I am most looking forward to . . . 

above: hiking in The Dolomites (photo from here)

boating around the canals of Venice (photo from here)

lounging on colorful balconies in Cinque Terre (photo from here)

soaking in the panoromic views on Lake Garda (photo from here)

being awestruck by the beautiful frescoes in Assisi (photo from here)

and last but never least, getting lost in the gorgeous medieval streets of my beloved host city Siena (photo from here)


What do you think? Anything else in Northern Italy I should add to the itinerary? All tips are welcome!

MY PHOTOS ARE UP!

I am slowly working out my laziness and going through the motions of coming back from vacation (unpacking, laundry, grocery shopping etc.) and have finally put the majority of my photos online at my Shutterfly site here.  My trip took my through Milan, the lake district, and Siena for Palio - there are many many more photos of Palio (I couldn't justify putting them all up) so send me a note if you want to see more.

JAN VORMANN—BRINGING THE PRIMARIES TO PALAZZI

Having lived in small town Italy, I understand the incredible inspiration that can be found in overlooked niches here and there.  Conversely, I understand how difficult it is to make small town Italians get excited about public art (I did a postering campaign in Siena in 2006 and dealt with a hundred suspicious stares and uncomprehending shrugs).  So, I must say: bravo Jan!  Bravo!  I love the bright friendly newness of the lego blocks pared with the elegant sage architecture.  Even better?  Jan did this series as part of a collaborative which put a small edition of works up for sale.  Check out Jan's stuff here and the limited edition here.

Found via Wooster Collective (of course).