Seeing and Singing and Dancing

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Originally uploaded by adraskoy

Lucca
 
Italy is a visual feast at any time, and this trip has proved no exception. I am now in Verona, a city I know fairly well, having been here a number of times. I've been taking extra time here this time, as it's a comfortable place to be. There are still new things to see at every moment. There are also nice surprises of other kinds. On Sunday I got to see a performance of a local folk music and dance group. They even got a bunch of us to join in on a dance, which I was happy to do, of course. For a country with such strong traditions, folk music and interest in it is surprisingly rare, so this was a special treat for me.

It took me a while to get into my usual way of being in Italy-- wanting to explore and check out many different places. It's hit me now that I am about to leave! I went to Vicenza today, and have decided to (somehow!) put Mantova into my itinerary tomorrow. I'm supposed to be leaving the country tomorrow, and I'm out of memory cards for my camera, but we'll see. 8G of pictures and counting! Once I'm home there will probably be a lot of flickr posting.

Terra Cognita

My Tent
Originally uploaded by adraskoy

One of my favourite places is the Campeggio di San Pietro above Verona. Hanging out in the bastions of an old ruined castle, enjoying the view of the city's red tile roofs, listening to the music of the many bell towers, eating really good food and wine cheap!

This is an old picture, but it's much the same. The tent and I are both a bit older and showing some wear, but the castel remains immortal.

Left Pisa after basing myself there in a convenient but less interesting campsite for five days. Made side trips to Lucca, which is fantastic, and Viareggio also. Viareggio is just a modern grid city with lots of sand on a boring beach. What makes it interesting is the sea of course, and the national park. There's a very interesting transition from shore through sand to dunes, and then some vegetation beginning-- mostly shrubs and what looks like Juniper. Soon there's some marsh and then the pine forest begins. At first there's a lot of sand amongst the pines which is an interesting juxtaposition. There's snakes and lizards all over the place, and lots of birds. Also undergrowth that looks like small palm trees of some sort. Eventually it becomes a regular pine forest, with lots of hanging vines, and finally the pines get very tall and assume the usual profile you find in Italy. It's not the cone-shaped tree we have in North America, but instead imagine an eighty-foot tall piece of broccoli.

Of Pisa itself, I have no more stories, save that after making that last entry I turned a corner and ran into an old friend from university. The tour of the archeological site was the highlight for me, and the visit to Lucca, which is the more interesting of the two cities.

I may do another day trip, but basically this is it before I go to visit friends. This is a place I know quiet well, so my trip has progressed in decreasing order of adventurousness. Generally, it's better to do it the other way around I think, but I'm enjoying the winding down, and seeing a familiar place with a more dicerning eye and a new camera.