My recent trip took me to three regions on the west coast of central Italy:  Tuscany (Toscana), Umbria, and Lazio.  I walked medieval cities – some encircled by massive walls – surrounded by gently rolling hills and farmland.  The following images reflect some of what I saw.

The medieval Tuscan city of Lucca is still “protected” by an extant wall:

Tourists in Montecatini, Tuscany, can enjoy expansive views of the surrounding area by taking the Funicular – a quaint tram – to an observation platform adjoining the original city of Montecatini: 

Montepulciano, Tuscany, offers its inhabitants and visitors a whimsical public garden and memorable views:

One need not enter a church or basilica to be inspired when visiting the Umbrian city of Assisi:

Dating back to the Etruscan era, Orvieto in southwestern Umbria is an impressive sight:

But, to my eye, nothing surpasses the beauty of the countryside surrounding Tarquinia in Lazio.

It wasn’t until the evening of day 10 of my trip that I experienced a seashore. Tarquinia, thankfully, is located on the Tyrrhenian Sea (Mar Tirreno). I’ll end this post with images to remind me of the refreshing walk I took splashing the temperate waters of Mar Tirreno.

With All Due Respect,

Art Giacalone

Windows and doors have always caught my eye – and that fascination continued during my walking tours (formal and informal) in Italy a couple weeks ago. I hope you’ll enjoy le finestre e le porte.

I think we’ll all agree that it is time to close the windows and doors.

Ciao for now.

With all due respect,

Art Giacalone