On my way to Germany for a press trip I spent Easter in Italy………..the food, the people and the ceremony were a great reintroduction into European life.
Four cities in a week is not for the average traveler but far better than just ‘arriving’ at my first assignment.
Later this month you can follow my 7 towns off the Beaten Track
Assisi
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| The countryside of Assisi on a cloudy day |
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| Inside the cloisters of St Frances: asked the American working there what they use the massive building for |
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| In the central square of Assisi
VENICE |
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| On the vaporetto you can not WEAR your back pack. NOW I know why that woman was yelling at me! |
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| Canal entrance to a private home |
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| Masks to change your identity |
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| A quiet moment for the gondoliers |
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| On every trip, the gondolas are parked here. Have wondered if it is for the perfect photo op? |
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| Colors and textures are all over Italy. A different way to observe a city. |
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Often the BEST part of my trips are the moments I stop and live Italian.
At the end of my alley was café/kiosk. Sitting here in the sun with NO other tourists.
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| Visiting a residential area of Venice. It is laundry day! |
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| A former gondola offers fresh produce in the neighborhood. |
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| Venice is the PERFECT location to add to my collections of ‘reflections’ photos |
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| Not far from my guest house is a gondola ‘repair shop’ |
Florence
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| The smallest coffee/drink stand I have ever seen |
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| During Easter the oxen bring a special cart to the Duomo. The expressions says to me: This hat? Really? |
Unusual signs are all over Firenze. I am still trying to translate this one.
Sitting in the sun in the Boboli Gardens. On Easter many of the important sites were FREE and very well attended.
Home to Italy: An Italian American returning 'home' 
Hello! I'd like to try your service to compare it to my previous experience. I did 10 lessons by Skype with a native speaker from http://preply.com/en/italian-by-skype……… And I was pretty satisfied with the quality. But I want to try another option
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I can send you a link to two different 'skype' language programs: let me know if you are intersted
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