Isola de Ventotene

Not far off the coast, and just south of Rome, is a small island called Ventotene. Although many people know of the island, it is usually the larger neighbour called Ponza that is visited - it is larger and there is more to do. The easiest way to get to Ventotene is to take a train or car to Formia and then a ferry that takes 30 - 60 minutes (in summer there are a good number of ferries each day).

Although a small island, Ventotene has a fair amount to offer: a great little harbour, boating, scuba diving (including a number of schools), a good restaurant, plenty of accommodation and a nice protected beach. A very nice place for a few days. However, the main attraction for me is that it has to be one of the best birding destinations in Italy during the spring migration period - April / early May is the peak. It is early landfall for many of the migratory birds coming back from Africa to summer in Europe. As the island is small, the density of birds can get awesome. Many of the birds are exhausted and hungry, which means that they are often not as skittish of humans as they are normally. One may not get the diversity of species as in other parts of the world, but the share numbers and proximity is special.

The other advantage of this is that photographing the birds is relatively easier and it is not uncommon to come back from a weekend with a good number of above average images of birds. The island itself also makes for good photography. Some examples from previous years ....

 

I have not been there for four years but I am going back in a few hours ..... watch this space!!

Burano: an island of colour.

A place I have always wanted to go back to is the island of Burano off Venice. It is famous for its lace work and colour .... although I am not into lace work yet (!?), the colour of the houses are mind blowing. If you ever visit Venice, make sure you put aside at least half a day to visit this island (and the glassware on the island of Murano on the way there).  It is simply a ferry ride away.

The first view one gets of the island is of the large tower that is leaning at a very "dangerous" angle. It is likely to fall over one day I suspect as I did not see much activity to arrest this leaning ...

When one arrives, the colour simply hits you....

..... and then it just gets better and better ........

 

Get there, it is seriously good for the soul! For maximum effect you really need a nice bright sunny day but these cannot always be ordered. But be warned, summer can be warm and very humid. 

South-west Tuscany ......

Yesterday and friend of mine and I decided to do a little wondering out of Rome as we will be stuck in a meeting for the rest of the week.

Orbetello

More of Capalbio

 

Not the greatest weather, but good to get out, have a good lunch (seafood) and just relax.

Back to Australia ...... with a little of Canberra.

It was very unexpected, but I have just managed to get back to Australia for the second time in 2 months!! This probably means I will not get back there for the rest of the year but who knows ....

The 6 days I spent in Brisbane and I do not think it has stopped raining since I left there at Christmas time!  I managed half a day sunshine!  When I was there is 2007, it was all about water conservation and drought mitigation. However, I think everyone prefers the water, even if in excess. It was interesting to see what happens now with heavy rains as they have built on all the wetlands and there is now nowhere for the water to get absorbed = serious runoff and flash floods at times. However, I good time was still had by all.

Canberra was less wet but my arrival seemed to coincide with new rains. However, there are a lot drier than further north and certainly needed the rain. It is beautiful to see the ACT looking do green after all the years of draught. In the six days there, I manage at least 2 days with sun!! A record on this trip.

National Houses of Parliament

Federal High Court

My memory totally eludes me .. let me know if you recognize it!!

National Library

 

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!!