P travels quite a lot for business, and he is just back from a week in Northern Italy, in the wine region of Franciacorta. It's a pretty scenic area, as you can see from this photo from the driveway of his hotel...  Why is this of interest? Because Franciacorta is in the lake region nears the Alps, and he even managed to get in a hike through a wildlife preserve near lake Iseo. No, it's not the Sierra Nevada. In fact, it's pretty darn civilized in comparison. That's the Monastery of San Pietro below...from the heart of the walk through the preserve.  But it did feel good to get out and stretch the legs for a little bit--especially after all that time sitting in airplanes. And while the wilderness experience isn't much like the Sierra, the food and wine in this part of Italy sure does make freeze dried dinners seem like fare fit only for prisoners of war. Amazing food. Wonderful wines. And did we mention the art? Not surprisingly, there was a lot more culture than wilderness here, but that's not always a bad thing. Check out these photos... There were frescoes everywhere...most of which date from before the Pilgrims landed in New England...including this one of a starry nighttime sky in the Oratorio of Santa Giulia in Brescia, which reminded him of the sparkling stars over the Sierra...  And the one below, from a chapel in the monastery you see above..  The photos will take you to the Picasa page where you can see the whole trip. |
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