Avignon, France

Avignon - "Avignon (French pronunciation: ​[a.viˈɲɔ̃] is a French commune in south-eastern France in the department of Vaucluse on the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 90,194 inhabitants of the city (as of 2011), about 12,000 live in the ancient town centre enclosed by its medieval ramparts.
Between 1309 and 1377 during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes resided in Avignon and in 1348 Pope Clement VI bought the town from Joanna I of Naples. Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French Revolution, it became part of France. The town is now the capital of the Vaucluse department and one of the few French cities to have preserved its ramparts.

The historic centre, which includes the Palais des Papes, the cathedral, and the Pont d'Avignon, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The medieval monuments and the annual Festival d'Avignon have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism."

Mount Vesuvius, Italy Summer 2001

Mount Vesuvius - "is a stratovolcano in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of several volcanoes which form the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuvius consists of a large cone partially encircled by the steep rim of a summit caldera caused by the collapse of an earlier and originally much higher structure.

Pompeii, Italy Summer 2001

Pompeii - "The city of Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area, was mostly destroyed and buried under 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) of ash and pumice in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Solfatara (Naples), Italy Summer 2001

Solfatara - "Solfatara is a shallow volcanic crater at Pozzuoli, near Naples, part of the Campi Flegrei volcanic area. It is a dormant volcano, which still emits jets of steam with sulfurous fumes. 

Firenze, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Firenze - "Florence is famous for its history: a centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time,^[3] it is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, and has been called "the Athens of the Middle Ages".^[4] A turbulent political history includes periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, and numerous religious and republican revolutions.^[5] From 1865–71 the city was the capital of the recently established Kingdom of Italy."

Continuing on our epic holiday through Italy.

Capri, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Capri - "Italian pronunciation: [ˈkaːpri]) is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town Capri that is located on the island shares the name. It has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic."

The next place we visited on our Italian holiday. Gorgeous views.

We took a ferry from Naples. When we arrived at the harbour, in order to get to the top we had to use the funicular.

Vatican City, Summer 2001

Vatican City - "officially Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano;^{[note 4]} pronounced [ˈstaːto della t͡ʃitˈta (d)del vatiˈkaːno]), a walled enclave within the city of Rome, with an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of 842,^[1] is the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world by both area and population."

Meeting up Montepulciano, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Montepulciano - "Montepulciano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and comune in the Italian province of Siena in southern Tuscany. It sits high on a 605-metre (1,985 ft) limestone ridge, 13 kilometres (8 mi) east of Pienza, 70 kilometres (43 mi) southeast of Siena, 124 kilometres (77 mi) southeast of Florence, and 186 kilometres (116 mi) north of Rome by car.
Montepulciano is a major producer of food and drink. Renowned for its pork, cheese, "pici" pasta, lentils, and honey, it is known world-wide for its wine. Connoisseurs consider its Vino Nobile, which should not be confused with varietal wine merely made from the Montepulciano grape, among Italy's best."

We stopped here to meet up with my brother, his wife and our good friends (the same friends who currently live in Sydney), who also happened to be travelling around Tuscany, Italy at the same time. Of course we sampled the local wine...

Scotland

August 2003 - we'd planned to meet my parents in Spain, but unfortunately when I went to the French embassy to get our visas, I found out that our South African passports were expiring in 3 months time and therefore they would not allow us to travel.

Rome, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Rome - "Rome's history spans more than two and a half thousand years, since its legendary founding in 753 BC. Rome is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe. It is referred to as "The Eternal City" (Latin: Roma Aeterna), a central notion in ancient Roman culture.^[10] In the ancient world it was successively the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, and is regarded as one of the birthplaces of Western civilization. Since the 1st century AD, Rome has been considered the seat of the Papacy and in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic."

We camped outside the city and then travelled in to sightsee.

Loved this city. It was whilst we stayed here that I experienced a foray into a past life as a nun. Travelling down the roman road, I also had a flashback to a past life.

Pisa, Italy Summer 2001

Pisa - "Pisa (/ˈpiːzə/; Italian pronunciation: [ˈpiːsa]) is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower (the bell tower of the city's cathedral), the city of over 88,627 residents (around 200,000 with the metropolitan area) contains more than 20 other historic churches, several palaces and various bridges across the River Arno. Much of the city's architecture was financed from its history as one of the Italian maritime republics."

Siena, Italy summer holidays 2001

Siena - "a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site.^[2] It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008.^[3] Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year."

We arrived just before the race, so the city was getting ready for it, flags of the racers taking part fluttering everywhere. We did not stay long - walked around, had lunch, then left.

It was here in the square, a few year later, that Andrea Bocelli held a free concert. Friends of our asked us to go with them to watch, but unfortunately we weren't able to. I would love to have seen him.

Hadrian's Villa, Italy (summer holiday 2001)

Hadrian's Villa - "The Hadrian's Villa (Villa Adriana in Italian) is a large Roman archaeological complex at Tivoli, Italy."

This place is fascinating..and huge.

Assisi, Italy summer holiday 2001

Assisi - "It was the birthplace of St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan religious order in the town in 1208, and St. Clare (Chiara d'Offreducci), the founder of the Poor Sisters, which later became the Order of Poor Clares after her death. The 19th-century Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows was also born in Assisi."

The next city on our travels through Italy.

Lake Lugano, Italy Summer 2001

 

Lake Lugano - "Lake Lugano (Italian: Lago di Lugano or Ceresio, from Ceresius lacus) is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between south-east Switzerland and Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore. It was cited for the first time by Gregory of Tours with the name Ceresio in 590 AD,^[1] a name which is said to have derived from the Latin word cerasus, meaning cherry, and refers to the abundance of cherry trees which at one time adorned the shores of the lake.^[2] The lake appears in documents in 804 under the name Laco Luanasco.^"

Verona, Italy Summer 2001

Verona - "It is one of the main tourist destinations in northern Italy, owing to its artistic heritage, several annual fairs, shows, and operas, such as the lyrical season in the Arena, the ancient amphitheatre built by the Romans."

Continuation of camping summer holiday in Italy 2001

 

Venice, Italy summer holidays 2001

Venice - "... is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is located in the marshy Venetian Lagoon which stretches along the shoreline, between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers. Venice is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. The city in its entirety is listed as a World Heritage Site, along with its lagoon. The name is derived from the ancient Veneti people who inhabited the region by the 10th century BC."

Villa d'Este (Tivoli Gardens), Italy summer holiday 2001

Villa d'Este (Tivoli Gardens) - "The Villa d'Este is a villa in Tivoli, near Rome, Italy. Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, it is a fine example of Renaissance architecture and the Italian Renaissance garden."

Loved these gardens, especially the water features which the Romans were masters at.