Day 1313-100 Santa Maria del Popolo

Church of Santa Maria del Popolo

Most tourists miss this church. Next time you are around, pop in to see some fantastic sculptures and paintings. You’ll find works here by Raphael, Bernini and Caravaggio (all “in situ”). The Cerasi Chapel displays Caravaggio’s “Crucifixion of St. Peter” done in his characteristic style of darkness and light.

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14-100 Trevi FountainDay 14

The Trevi Fountain

This fountain is perhaps one of the most widely recognized landmarks in Rome. It has freshly emerged from a 2.2 million euro cleaning sponsored by Fendi, an Italian fashion company. I snapped this photo, early on a Sunday morning, just before the tourist onslaught.

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Day 15

An early morning trek through Rome

Charlotte and I got out for a little exercise and found these spots delightful without the traffic and tourists.

 

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Day 16

Siena’s Duomo and the “secret” panoramic view point and some silly David bloopers. Click the image below to see the video.

16-100 Siena 60 Seconds video

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Day 17

Hiking in the Cinque Terre

Hiking the trails in Liguria offers the perfect mix of sun, sea and the outdoors. Click the image below to see the video.

17-100 Cinque Terre 60 Seconds video

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18-100 Ristorante al Castillo 2Day 1818-100 Ristorante al Castillo

Ristorante Al Castillo

My friends Monica and Massimo have struggled to keep their restaurant open since the massive flood in September 2011. I was happy to be one of their first diners on opening day of the grand re-opening last week. Super-tasty food- Seafood salad and lasagna al pesto.

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