Category: Italy

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Torino (Turin)

Torino is known for the rename of a Ford model “Grand Torino” (Clint Eastwood movie as well), but also for the Shroud of Turin. It is a city of big, long buildings laid out in a very orderly fashion according to some grand plan, not like a city built around a medieval castle or town. What it does have is a nice collection of Egyptian artifacts you will see in another phlog and cheap, tasty pizza, at Mister Pizza, 6 Euro or slightly more. The name sounds like a franchise but this is a nice, family run parlor with surprisingly nice/spicy flavors.

I think they are Sicilians, maybe from Trapani
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Entering Italy, finally

with nice buffalo in the middle. We also had ravioletti ricotta

Jumping ahead on the posts to where we are today. A great relaxed feeling stepping off the train from Switzerland, finally on Italy. I just feel so “at home” here; the people, the food, the noise, the excitement and the beauty.

our restaurant recommended for the best pizza
coffee on our balcony
our water fountain
very old buildings
the municipal theater
a nice building
the local church dedicated to a miracle, it snowed near Rome one year
Each kid had their own pizza while we were full splitting one
our apartment upstairs
of course you go to a Gelateria for gelato
When “telecommunications” was new
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Churches – Modena and Bologna

Modena il duomo. What you find in front of most of the main cathedrals in each city is a large public square or piazza. People will gather just for fun, have a Vance and around the piazza there are many places to go shopping
Of course you nowadays have to have a Twitter link
Inside Modena il duomo. Notice the brick type construction that is very typical of the 13th century construction. Not much marble used here
It would be interesting to spend enough time here to be able to listen to the choir music they have presented in this cathedral
Modena cathedral
Cathedral in Italian is il duomo or cattredale. This one in Modena as you can see is mostly marble. Evidently the most prized marble from the north of Italy is white so Leonardo da Vinci used the white marble from northern Italian mountains to create many of his sculptures.
Bologna main cathedral is called Cattedrale Metropolitana di San Pietro
Main Cathedral in Bologna
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Bologna – An Old, Literary, Italian Town

This is not the best view of the Neptune statue but I like it because of the young girls standing next to it
This is a better view especially with the Italian flag on the left
In 1926 Maserati decided to use the Neptune Trident from the statue for a specific car logo and then later decided to use it as the corporate Mark. Of course the noble family of Maserati is from the Bologna area
Council entrance
The counselors, or consigliere entered the city office on their horses. So these steps are made for their mounted entrance. You might be able to see some little pins in front of the next step up. These were to hold the lines that held the red carpet down.
The council chambers. We entered when they were being used for a discussion with some of the residents and one of the counselors
The children also came to study their city history
The counselors desks are many hundred years old
They slid toward the counselor to uncover a place for the pen and ink. Now, of course, they hide electric outlets and wired communication links.
some big shot
Beauty everywhere!
A room name was changed
An old Hercules statue
City council building
Basilica di San Petronio was purposely done with marble below and brick on top. A lot of the marble came from southern Italy, in the mountainous areas so marble was expensive and had to travel north past the pope. It seems the Saint Peter group who built this church went out of favor with the Vatican and they stopped funding the church. The supporters decided to finish it but in a much cheaper and locally produced fashion.
Le due Torri: Garisenda e degli Asinelli (2 towers) were used for religious purposes. One of the two Towers was used for calling religious students and the other one was used for public bell ringing to call people to service. They both lean.
All of the towers in Bologna are leaning, as they are in Pisa. So you don’t need to go to Pisa to see leaning Towers if you have already been to Bologna. But the one in Pisa Might show more prevalence of the lean.
Ordinary city life in the Local shopping area
Heaven shows its face
The bread to go with this was under the tray with the meat. This is my heaven.
This is in the entrance to the University of Bologna which is the oldest university in the world. As you can see, the slogan is translated from Latin roughly as Bologna is the mother of study. Sorry, my Latin is very rusty. But you can see the Latin name for a Bologna is Bononia.
He was the founder of the University in Bologna and focused studies primarily on Law and Justice. Later the university divided into two disciplines and also two entrances. The second one was the study of science and especially anatomy. Here is a link to Irnervis…. http://www.hetwebsite.net/het/profiles/irnerius.htm
Puccini‘s unfinished opera. We only stayed for two Acts. Our stay was also unfinished, in tribute to Puccini.
Practice your Italian
Must be strange watching from the 5th floor.
Of course you know this is the ceiling. Going back to the opera, The interesting thing about this presentation was there was a big screen in the background that showed some very supernatural and esoteric videos while the opera was going on and also showing some futuristic costumes and scenery. It was a little strange and the story was hard to follow since the costuming and backgrounds did not really represent what the story was all about. It was more of a interesting multi disciplined demonstration to entice young people to the opera house. There was a screen above the stage which showed the Italian singing and the English translation. That was very helpful. I have been to two operas now in Italy and they both have been very interesting experiences. If you go to Italy I would suggest never shying away from going to the opera because you think you may not understand what it’s all about. Whatever they do it is interesting and enjoyable despite the language difference.
And, of course, another meal. Chicken salad, squid and Tortellini Bolognese
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Milano – Da Vinci, design, French back and forth

Many electric trams.
The red and white survived WWII
The old courthouse. These black and white marble designs are common among cathedrasl (duomo) but never saw on government buildings
In the center spin around 3 times and…TRUE LOVE
Black truffles on beef tartar
Strawberry gelato. Made the prevalence of pickpockets a minor pleasure
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Maranello – Ristorante Montana and Mama Rossella’s Tortellini (world famous)

Mama’s spinach soufflé
Tortellini soup. Fantastic
Chicken salad in aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar – local)
Mama Rossella’s restaurant is where all the Ferrari racers and executives eat
Customer parking. Notice the make of cars. Almost all Ferraris. This is the Ferrari town.
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Da Vinci in Milano

Milano was about 22 degrees as opposed to Modena’s 32 and Bologna’s 27. Hey, Americano, get out your metric calculator to know what these temps mean.

Cena is “supper” in Italian.
The Last Supper mural is in the former cafeteria in Santa Maria delle Grazie (Milano)
This is IT!
The opposite wall is the Crucifixion fresco by Giovanni Donato da Montorfano. Only these 2 walls of this room were saved from WWII areal bombing.
Another side of the chapel.
handsome guys including Leonardo. I am wearing my new Borsalino.
With our Japanese guide, Miho who knew where to have a great lunch, gelato and chocolate, salami and prosciutto to bring home.
Michelangelo’s last sculpture, unfinished.
Michelangelo’s face, most probably. I appologize to both these greats for putting them on the same page. They both would hate me for doing it.
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At the Umberto Panini Maserati museum in Maranello

They Made tractors
3 guys ready for classic racing
World war one military bike
World war one military bike
Panini made his money in South America in the oil business so his nickname was Hombre. He is also in the Parmesan cheese business along with wine and balsamic vinegar