Bern, Switzerland Jan 2013

statues everywhere in center of Bern, including the hunting bear (bern in german) 

another statue in town

yet another

 1600's clock tower which chimes on the hour

close-up of cathedral door, incredible work carving

cathedral door

scott in front of door

the bern bear is everywhere. 

old homes in bern

pretty store window

houses in city center, near the river

Aare river

funny sculpture in bern center, right on the track!

Bern city hall with skating ring in front

view from our hotel window

church ceiling

klee painting

good exhibit of itten and klee at art museum

We (Scott, Matthew and I) had a January overnight in Bern. took train from Milan which is a beautiful train ride passing by Lago Maggiore in Italy and Lake Thun in Switzerland. At one point you can see the Matterhorn. Alps were snow-covered but much to my disappointment we did not have snow in Bern, although we did get to experience some very cold weather. Was good as the cold weather encouraged eating a heavy dinner of cheese fondue and rostis! and of course there is the chocolate.. Was good to get back to the Italian diet.

milan jan 2013

Matthew and I on roof of Milan cathedral

cathedral spires

chocolate shoes and bags

Jan 5th, a gorgeous sunny day

fresco in church of san maurizio by B. Luini

lovely art deco work in chapel in museum poldi-pezzoli

carrying the relics of the 3 magi, church of san eustorgio on Jan 6th, epiphany

streets signs, near da vinci's last supper church of S. Maria della grazia

lovely painting in museum mentioned above by G. Schiavone

navigli area of milan at sunset

cathedral in fog on Jan 6th, morning

bellini's pieta (oldest)

bellini pieta'

bellini pieta'

bellini pieta'

i think this might have been mantegna but have to check

the museum poldi-pezzola was really lovely, so many masterpieces you wouldn't expect.  They had a special exhibit of Bellini's pietas, thus the four pictures above. they owned one of them. Saturday was a gorgeous almost spring -like day. Sunday was more typical milanese weather, foggy and bit damp. Weekend was packed with sightseeing: churches of san maurizio, san ambrogio, duomo, san eustorgio, san lorenzo- all incredible,  Brera and Poldi-Pezzoli museums, good restaurants and coffee bars. well worth the trip. A special exhibit in the town hall of amore and psyche which was one painting by frenchman gerard and one sculpture by canova. Both gorgeous. Long lines for this free exhibit but we managed to see it early Mon morning when all the crowds had left Milan.

Frank's bar, very welcoming

our aperol spritz

it was befana on Sunday, some happy and not too scary befanas

colorful befana coal

Valencia, Spain Sept 2012

photo left over from seville

as soon as we arrived we met up with Fran and Bill, they were in Valencia for the day with their cruise

pretty cathedral dome- valencia

more of the spanish manueline style

interesting gargoyle!

renaissance paintings in among the baroque and gothic style high altar in the cathedral

st Matthew  in one of the pendentives, cathedral

beautiful light and airy cupola, cathedral

cathedral backside

flowing town fountain

one of the local specialities which we were brave in trying but it wasn't a hit. Horchata and Fartons. Horchaya is a milky drink made from tiger nuts (an import from the Egyptian) grown in a few parts of Spain. Farton is an bun to dunk in the Farton, has an icing on it.

trying the local paella

st christopher

pretty gothic window in alabaster

another St Christopher, he was popular

I loved the angels in the cathedral dome and they are one of the only places where the Renaissance is shown in Valencia

angel detail

paella pans in any dimension

Mercado Central (market) in valencia

pretty parrot weather vane

The cathedral in Valencia, called the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia, consecrated in 1238 was fun to tour in. It was built on a Visigoth cathedral which had been turned into a mosque when the Moors arrived.  Not much of that remains. They supposedly have The Holy Grail in one of their chapels. It is a gold cup (photos to follow) which dates to the 1st century. Was used by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. The cathedral has a very well- done head set tour which takes you through the various chapels, it is about an hour but worth it. More on Valencia to follow