Simply Stunning Sorrento

May 27-30, 2011

Sorrento is the gateway to the Amalfi coast and a truly lovely resort town. It was the perfect setting for Rick and I to celebrate our 38^th anniversary. In addition to exploring Sorrento, we also toured Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, and the lovely and chaotic island of Capri.

Upon our arrival in Sorrento we went immediately to Piazza Tasso, the square that divides the old town from the new, and walked along the Via San Cesareo which has loads of shops selling and producing various products made from the giant lemons grown in this part of Italy. After admiring the beautiful and colorful pottery brightly decorated with lemons we sampled cookies, candy, and all types of lemony treats….the limoncello is irresistible!!! And if all that is not enough, there is always gelato!

Bright and early the next morning we went to Pompeii, the port town that was once home to more than 20,000 before the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. This is the “granddaddy” of all ruins and we have seen tons of ruins in our travels but nothing compares to Pompeii. Many of the buildings are preserved as nearly complete structures so visitors do not need to rely on diagrams and descriptions to imagine what life was like in this ancient yet technologically advanced city.

From Pompeii, our travels took us to Ravello, a small town, perched 1,000 feet above sea level where we toured a 13th century villa and a lovely cathedral before continuing on along the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi has attracted visitors since the Middle Ages and continues to be a tourist filled coast line of incomparable beauty! The views were truly breathtaking as we traveled the coastline suspended more than 500 feet above the Mediterranean Sea.

On Sunday, we left the port of Sorrento to travel by ferry to the island of Capri. From the Marina Grande Port, the Funicular took us to the center of Capri and from there a bus took us to the tiny village of Anacapri. There we enjoyed the less touristy streets and trattitorias plus St. Michael’s Church with its 18^th century majolica floor. Then we rode the chairlift to Monte Solaro for breathtaking views of the Bay of Naples, the Fraaglioni Rocks and the surrounding islands.

We hope you enjoy our photos as much as we do: https://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/Sorrento_2730May2011?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPWX1bG2kKTI9QE&feat=directlink

Not Just for Golf....

May 20-22, 2011

St Andrews, Scotland is not just the world’s best known and oldest golf club. As you will see from our photos, it is where Will met Kate while attending the University of St Andrews and it is the home of Scotland’s largest cathedral and the castle which served as a palace for bishops and archbishops since c. 1200.

When our dear friends, Anne and Stuart, began planning their trip to visit us in London, playing golf at St. Andrews was at the top of Stuart’s list. Together we traveled to Edinburgh, then Dundee, and on to St. Andrews to fulfill Stuart’s dream of playing a round of golf at the "home of golf", The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754. In typical British fashion, the day was grey with showers and a few bright spells. It was also chilly for the middle of May but with all that said, Anne and I managed to entertain ourselves by exploring the town of St. Andrews and the ruins of both the castle and the cathedral while Stuart and Rick enjoyed their 18 holes on the Jubilee Course.

Here is the link to enjoy our photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/116669901425376505238/StAndrewsScotland?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOrg_JeahYnmZQ&feat=directlink

The Normandy Experience

March 31-April 3, 2011

My sister and bother-in-law, Judy and Lamar arrived at our flat on March 31 and were given one hour to change clothes and eat lunch before we hurried off to meet Rick and a colleague and begin our trip to the Normandy region of France and to the beaches of Normandy. From the Olympic site offices we piled into Diane’s SUV and drove to Folkstone where we were transported car and all to Calais, France to begin our wonderful weekend in the French countryside.

Diane and Neil live in the tiny village of Fay near Sees, France. Sees, though still small, has a typical weekend market and a cathedral both of which we spent time visiting on Saturday. As a historical/geographical connection, it is worth noting that this area of France was the birthplace of William Duke of Normandy who in 1066 became, William The Conqueror; the first Norman King of England. Among his many achievements and influences, William I built numerous fortified castles the most famous being the Tower of London.

Moving on to the real reason for coming to this area, Diane made sure that we had a complete tour of the beaches of Normandy, Arromanches, and the French villages that were all a part of the Allied Invasion. We have all seen it in movies, photos, and history books but nothing prepares you for being there and realizing the enormity of what occurred. The American Cemetery and Memorial is situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach which today appears very tranquil and unspoiled. This is the actual site of the first American cemetery on European soil which was established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944.

The Visitor Center offers a range of experiences and exhibits that pay tribute to the Americans involved in the D-Day landing. Through personal stories, photos, and films, we gained an understanding of this military achievement and the courage and sacrifice of the Allied forces. From the Visitor Center we walked by the bronze statue, "Spirit of American Youth" as we entered the Garden of the Missing where 1,557 names are inscribed on the walls. Ahead of us, across the reflecting pool we had our first view of the cemetery site which covers over 170 acres and contains the graves of 9,387 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing battles.

Leaving the American Cemetery, we drove on to Arromanches and viewed the Mulberry Harbor where the British constructed the artificial port of floating pier heads during the month following the D-Day invasion. Here, at the 360 theatre, we also experienced actual archived footage and newsreels in a stunning film called “The Price of Freedom.”

We all came away with a better understanding of how our lives would have been different were it not for this monumental period of history and the enormous sacrifices that were made.

Our pictures tell the story: https://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/Normandy?authkey=Gv1sRgCKOo4r-VkaqkIQ&feat=directlink

Florence: Italy's Masterpiece

March 18-20, 2011

Florence is a masterpiece and is everything you ever learned about art and sculpture! I even bought a book on Michelangelo just to learn about the Renaissance artists and how their learning and interaction resulted in this era of rebirth and why it flourished in Florence.

The museums in Florence are incomparable and house the greatest concentration of masterpieces of art in the world. We visited the two major museums one of which is the Uffizi Gallery; a masterpiece in itself and home to works by Botticelli, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rafael, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Titan to name just a few. The other museum that draws crowds is the Accademia where we saw Michelangelo’s stunning masterpiece David.

The churches in Florence are museums in themselves not only architecturally but in their frescos and collections of art and statuary. The crowning masterpiece of all is the Duomo, the Gothic cathedral topped by Brunelleschi’s miraculous dome!

Florence is a city so filled with great art and architecture that it requires a return visit as we were only able to take in the most notable sites including the Palazzo Vecchio, the Ponte Vecchio, the Pitti Palace (Palace of the Medici Family), and the Duomo. Oh, and did I mention the gelato…clearly, you cannot see all these great sites without several breaks at the many gelaterias!!! The pasta is great here as well…Florence is “capitol” of Tuscany! A travel tip…bring two sizes of clothes…..

Hope you enjoy the photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/116669901425376505238/Florence1820March2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCKHu1sDOi9X9sgE&feat=directlink

Charming Venice

March 4-6, 2011

We fell in love with Venice, the island city of Italy, with its canal streets! I am sure that a visit to Venice is a delight at anytime of year but if you find yourself there (unknowingly – that would explain the high price and low availability of hotel room…duh!) during Carnevale it is quite a colorful and celebratory city! Carnevale is a cross between Mardi Gras and a 20something Halloween Party! You will enjoy some of the “all out” costumes that we photographed.

It is a joy just to cruise up and down The Grand Canal which is Venice’s “Main Street” where all the views look just like paintings and you can never take enough photos. The architectural highlights include: St. Mark’s Basilica, The Doge’s Palace, the Campanile, and the Rialto Bridge. Throw in a couple of other churches, bridges, museums, gondolas, and a trip to Murano (the island famous for its glass factories) and you have a perfect holiday weekend!

We hope you enjoy the photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/116669901425376505238/Venice46March2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ-e_uG3s4rp4QE&feat=directlink

Provence and its Winter Glory

January 26-28, 2011

Sunshine once again welcomed us when we landed in Marsielle, France and began our tour of five cities in southern Provence. First we drove through the Alpilles mountains to the hillside village of Les Baux de Provence. The landscape is dominated by the bauxite hills, vineyards and olive fields with the 10^th century fortress of the feudal Lords of Baux sitting high atop the village and afforded them control of 79 villages of for nearly four centuries.

Leaving Les Baux and driving toward our accommodations in St. Remy we passed through the ancient Roman ruins of Glanum where we explored the Triumphal Arch and Mausoleum, named the best preserved Mausoleum of the Roman World. Directly across the road just out of site is hospital where Van Gogh lived from 1889-90 and painted the famous Starry Night and Self-Portrait. Our afternoon and evening was spent exploring the 14^th century village of St. Remy; known as the birthplace of Nostrodamus.

Day two of our tour took us to Arles, one of the richest cities of the Roman Empire. The Arena, built around 1 B.C., is well preserved and currently used for bullfights, concerts, operas, and theatre performances. The Eglise St. Trophime, constructed in the 12^th Century, is considered a masterpiece of the Romanesque style and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Much of Arles is reminiscent of Van Gogh who painted nearly 200 paintings while living here from February 1888 - May 1889.

From Arles, we explored Pont du Gard, the 50 kilometer Roman aqueduct spanning the Gardon River. Further on we arrived in Avignon famous for having served as the seat of the papacy from 1309-1377 when the popes fled Rome and built the Palais des Papes. Our final stop was in the town of Aix en-Provence, the city of fountains.

Please enjoy our photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/Provence?authkey=Gv1sRgCOmN1arNgrakOQ&feat=directlink

Follow the Sun....

January 22, 2011


For our second trip in January we chose to “Follow the Sun” in the lyrical sense as we paid tribute to the Beatles in the city of their roots: Liverpool! We spent a fun-filled weekend reliving the 60s as we visited The Beatles Story Museum and enjoyed the Magical Mystery Tour. We were also reminded that Liverpool has other historic significance as a major maritime city on the banks of the Mersey River, Liverpool was the port of registry for The Titanic and in 2004 was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Just a few pictures for you to enjoy….
https://picasaweb.google.com/alysehirsekorn/Liverpool?authkey=Gv1sRgCO-TmMS7teP6Ig&feat=directlink