Snow in Rome, Italy.

Snow may not be that unusual for Europe but for Rome to get a snow storm it is a significant occasion. Depending on who one speaks to, the last significant falls where in 1985 or 1986! There have been a few isolated areas with snow since then but nothing as significant as on Friday.  In the morning it started off with more sleet than snow, although some cars had a fair amount of snow on them. The weather then cleared and suddenly in mid-morning it a snow storm hit with a vengeance. Although it could not have lasted more than an hour, the sun was soon out and naturally the snow melted fairly rapidly. Follow the earlier link to see a full set of images but here are some examples.

Friday 12 February 2010.

Aaaahhh, Capalbio

Capalbio is a small town perched on top of a hill looking out over the Mediterranean Sea about 1hr 30 min north of Rome (just over the Tuscany border from Lazio).

 

A great little place with a well restored castle / old city and some great restaurants. It is a little quiet during winter but in summer becomes very busy and overcrowded. A great tourist trap at that time of the year and some eccentric artists live in the area.

 

The town overlooks some great farm land that includes a fair number of olive trees.

 

The old city centre has been restored and one can spend a lot of time wondering around the narrow streets. It is full of surprises and delights - it makes photography easy.

 

  

I can highly recommend some of the restaurants from this small town. A great meal with good company can make a memorable day.

An added bonus is that owls can often be seen in the old town at night. There are many perfect hiding places for the owls during the day and they then come out at night to feed and play.

Anyone for a little Pitigliano?

Italy never tires of exciting visitors with it beauty and variety. In southern Tuscany (only just) there is a wonderful series of old towns of which Pitigliano is the jewel. The old part of the city is build on a narrow hilltop surrounded by cliffs. This city dates back to Roman times but became important and much larger in later years.

Spectacular during both day and night. Although I visited in winter, there were still lots of shops open and many places to eat. I should image spring would be wonderful here. It is also known as "Little Jerusalem" due to its Jewish history and one can still see the well preserved synagogue.

There are plenty of places to stay in the area and we were lucky enough to find a secluded hotel just out of town with it our hot spring and health centre. Good for the soul in every way. There are also a number of other really lovely towns to visit in the areas and more than enough vineyards for everyone.

Remember this town next time you are in the area or planning a visit to Italy.  Do not forget to take your cheque book as there were a number of really cute places for sale in the historic portion of the town ........ I think ones own place in Tuscany sounds great!!