Author: Kristin
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San Gimignano
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Today we explored the wine country of Chianti. After breakfast, we headed first to San Gimignano, the city with 14 stone towers. The distance was only about 12 miles, but it took about 45 minutes to get there on our bus. Another Tuscan hill town, San Gimignano is known as the “Medieval…
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Cortona
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Cortona is another walled Etruscan town about 60 miles from Colle. It took 2 ½ hours to get there. Cortona is the home of Bramasole of Under the Tuscan Sun. Cortona overlooks Lake Trasimino—the lake of three islands, only one of which is inhabited. This is the fourth largest lake in Italy. It is on…
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Siena
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Unfortunately, it was raining as we took off for the medieval city of Siena, about 15 miles southwest of Colle. Siena is a gothic, brick hill town that has remained remarkably unchanged throughout the centuries. It is divided into 17 districts, each with its own banner, symbol, and colors. These districts were…
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Casole d’Elsa
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Today we explored another town on the Elsa River. Casole lies about 10 miles away from Colle ei Val D’Elsa, but takes about 30 minutes to drive. On our way to Casole, we stopped at Caseificio Nuovo—a family-run cheese factory. We learned that the economy of this area is mainly small…
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Tuscany
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I went with my Mills College Alumni Group to Tuscany for a week. We stayed in Colle di Val D’Elsa, on the map between San Gimignano and Siena, south west of Florence. From there we visited Casole d’Elsa, Siena, San Gimignano, Castellina, Castello di Monsanto, Cortona, Firenze, and Radda in…
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Colle di Val D’Elsa
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Colle di Val D’Elsa, meaning “hill in the Valley of the Elsa River, is about an hour drive from Florence in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is a medieval walled town on top of a hill which has expended into the valley. Colle Alta, the medieval part, is where we stayed.…
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Bolzano
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The city of Bolzano lies in the heart of South Tyrol. It is the capital of South Tyrol, and a crossroads of Italian and Austrian cultures. Bolzano has had some form of human settlement since the prehistoric era and has seen influence from various ruling empires. Due to its location within the alps,…
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The Dolomites
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The Dolomite mountains lie in the eastern section of the northern Italian Alps. The range has several impressive peaks, 18 of which are over 10,000 feet. The highest point is the Marmolada Mountain at 10,964 feet. The range and its characteristic rock take their name from the 18th-century French geologist Dieudonné…
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Verona
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Going to Verona took us along the Adige River. In Verona, we began in the Veronetta—a vibrant district with medieval architecture and the University. We crossed over the Ponte Pietra, or stone bridge, across the Adige River to the old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the oldest bridge in Verona,…
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Lake Garda
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Alluring Lake Garda beckoned us next. Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, is about 50 miles from Trento. It is located on the border between three regions: Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino. Lying at an elevation of 213 feet, the lake is 34 long and 2–11 miles wide. It has a shoreline of 77.5 miles and a maximum depth…
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Trentino, South Tyrol, and the Dolomites
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Spring in Northern Itaiy. That seemed like a no-brainer, so we left with my Alumni Group on a trip to Trentino, Italy. It was only for a week, but could have been much longer. Our base town was Trento. Trentino-Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost region. It consists of two self-governing provinces,…
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Last Day
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Last we went to Hilo on the other side of the mountain. Hilo is the oldest city in all the Hawaiian Islands. We visited Rainbow Falls, and Liliuokalani Park. We just got a taste of of the city. Perhaps we will return at another time. Back on the West Side,…