Assisi

This was by far the best place which we liked in Italy. Very peaceful and calm.
It is the birthplace of St. Francis Assisi, who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, and St. Clare (Chiara d'Offreducci), the founder of the Poor Clares. Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows of the 19th century was also born in Assisi.


An ancient tile displayed in the church.

The town of Assisi.
The streets in Assisi.




Window gardens.

The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi (St Francis), the mother church of the Franciscan Order, is a World Heritage Site in Assisi, Italy.
Its a 13 th century church.
The tomb of St Francis Assisi is here in this church.
On September 26, 1997 Assisi was struck by an earthquake. The Basilica was badly damaged (part of the vault collapsed, killing four people inside the church), and was closed for two years for restoration.



Basilica of Santa Chiara (St Clare)

Florence

Florence (Italian: Firenze) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy.
We arrived in this historical city in the evening of 15 th July 2007 - sunday.

One of the main attraction in this city is the Florence Cathedral (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore). It was build during 13 th century. The basilica is notable for its dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi its exterior facing of polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white.

This cathedral was, the largest in Europe when completed, with room for 30,000 people. It is now only exceeded in size by Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City, Saint Paul's Cathedral in London, the Seville Cathedral, and the Milan Cathedral.





The dome of the church -






Piazza della Signoria an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy. It was named after the Palazzo della Signoria, also called Palazzo Vecchio.

It is the focal point of the origin and of the history of the Florentine Republic and still maintains its reputation as the political hub of the city.It is the meeting place of Florentines as well as the numerous tourists.

Benvenuto Cellini's statue Perseus With the Head of Medusa in The Loggia dei Lanzi gallery on the edge of the Piazza della Signoria.



The Arno river, which cuts through the old part of the city, is as much a character in Florentine history as many of the men who lived there. Historically, the locals have had a love-hate relationship with the Arno — which alternated from nourishing the city with commerce, and destroying it by flood.
In the background you can see a bridge which cuts across River Arno.


This bridge in particular stands out as being unique — The Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), whose most striking feature is the multitude of shops built upon its edges, held up by stilts.
This bridge has a lot of gold shops on both side..
Warning for men: Dont bring your wifes or credit card near this place.


We said good bye to Florence with a lovely (surprise) Indian dinner at the Fiesole hills. The restaurant "India" was excellent and the dishes delicious.

Venice.. The city of canals.

Venice (Italian: Venezia, ) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,251. Venice's nicknames include "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Bridges", and "The City of Light".

The city stretches across numerous small islands in the marshy Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. The saltwater lagoon stretches along the shoreline between the mouths of the Po (south) and the Piave (north) Rivers.

This city doesnt have roads or vehicles.
All you see is boats and canals.


We can reach Venice only by boat from the main land.
this was our first glimpse of the land which we had heard the a lot from the Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.



Piazza San Marco, often known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal square of Venice, Italy. Its very famous for its pegions. Visitors often feed them and they are obliged by posing for a photo shoot.


A crowded bridge in Venice.

The grand Canal in venice, something similar to a national highway on Indian roads. :)


The Rialto Bridge is a bridge spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal and probably the most famous in the city.


A busy Venintian Market.
The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies. Most Venetians now travel by motorized boats.

St Mark's Basilica (Italian: Basilica di San Marco a Venezia), the cathedral of Venice, is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies on St Mark's Square and is a 9 th century beauty.


paintings on the walls of the cathedral.







Small canals in Venice.

Camping in Venice

We arrived in Venice on 13 th August 2007. Before visiting Venice we decided to go camping in Venice for 2 nights. Staying in downtown Venice is really expensive. so camping was a good alternative. We choose Union Lido camping ground.
It was our first camping experience and it was unique.
Its not really easy to confine urself to a small tent for couple of days.
Changing cloths was a challenge.



Compared to other tents in the ground ours was a mini version.
For 2 nights I think it should be okey.
People stay in camping grounds for 2 - 3 weeks.

Many Europeans prefer to have holidays like this.
This was our room for the next couple of days.Girls busy cleaning the dishes.. :)

Gardens..
Pirates of the carrebian . .



My new vehicle..
Feema loved playing mini golf.

At the beech.