Sunday, 11 October 2015

Sunday Times Travel Weekly: Head among the Clouds in the Italian Alps

After our recent overseas trip, my travel article was published in the SUNDAY TIMES. Here is the article in the on-line Times

HEAD AMONG THE CLOUDS IN THE ITALIAN ALPS by Judy Croome

As due to copyright, I can't reproduce the article here (not even the original unedited article) here are some random photos from the holiday:

Val de Mello near Chiavenna Italy


View from the balcony of Casa dell Ava in Pianazzola, our home for a week

We climbed down more than 2 kms of these steps from Pianazzola to Chiavenna
(and, yes, they are as steep as they look!)
On the way to Chiavenna we overnighted at St Moritz and woke to the first snows of the season

I loved Pianazzola because it was full of cats!

Exploring Pianazzola

The view from Casa dell Ava's balcony in Pianazzola after a rain storm
After Pianazzola, it was off to Milan and Teatro de alla Scala


and the Castello Sforza in Milan

And even more cats at the Castello then we found in Pianazzola!

and amazing buskers in the Milan Duomo

We started in Basel Switzerland where Beric represented South Africa at the International Fiscal Association's 69th Annual Congress - here he is talking to the nearly 2000 delegates!

In Chiavenna in the ancient and beautiful Church of San Lorenzo a close up of the magnificent gold filigree on the Peace of Chiavenna, a 12th century gold & bejewelled Bible cover.

Frescos at Church of San Lorenzo in Chiavenna

Aqua Fraggia near Chiavenna

View of the Rhine from our hotel room in Basel where the conference was

Switzerland = chocolate shops!!!!

Day time cruise down the Rhine

7 comments:

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Judy - congratulations on getting the article into the Travel section of The Times of SA. I must say Chiavenna and Pianazzola look amazing and such history attached to them. The waterfall looks just like the frescoe and the frescoe ... ie almost a painting - lovely.

Snow - not so much!! Cats - just fine! What a treat to be able to visit Zurich and then to have that break in the very north of Italy ..

Thanks for sharing with us ... cheers Hilary

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Thanks Hilary - I was pleased with The Sunday Times article! Chiavenna (& Pianazzola the little village we stayed in) were very beautiful!

Birdie said...

Congratulations on the article! Very cool. :-)

How on earth are those buskers doing that?

Nice to see you posting!

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Thanks Birdie! Yes, the last few months have been so busy, not enough hours in the day so my poor blog was just abandoned!! :) Hope you're keeping well!

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

PS to Birdie - I have NO idea how those buskers did it, not sure which one I was most impressed with - the guy sitting as still as a mouse ON the soccer ball, or his companion who sat - without a shake or a wobble - holding both him and the soccer ball in a rock steady hand!!!

Misha Gerrick said...

Congrats on the publication! Looks like you had a wonderful time. :-)

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Thanks Misha - we had a terrific time, such an adventure we're still recovering from it!! :)