All my best wishes for the holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

On the guided tour, we were told the corridor’s history and were cautioned by a Uffizi Gallery guard not to take any photos in or of the corridor.  She accompanied us every step of the way and only allowed photos taken out the windows.  Along the winding corridor, we saw an extensive collection of self-portrait paintings.

The Grand Duke appropriated private property for his corridor and built across the facade of the Church of Santa Felicita.  A corridor window looks into the church and the Duke and his family could attend mass and not be seen by the public.  Sorry, no photos through this particular window. It was fascinating to see familiar locations from a completely different vantage point.

What hidden treasures have you discovered in Florence?

During my visit to Florence this summer, the first tour was to see the newly restored frescoes which depict The Legend of the True Cross on the walls and ceiling of the High Altar of the Church of Santa Croce. Scaffolding was in place while the finishing touches were made to the frescoes and this allowed visitors to tour the art. Without a special request or additional cost, an English speaking tour guide was there to translate just for us. Grazie!

We climbed the 110 scaffolding steps to the top. It was so exciting to literally be face-to-face with the life size figures in these incredible frescoes painted by Agnolo Gaddi – son of Taddeo Gaddi.  Italian restoration only allows the frescoes to be cleaned.  If paint or gold leaf is missing, it remains in that condition. Because of this, we saw some of the lines of the original drawing on the wall.  Amazing! No photos were allowed in this area, so we took out our journals and drew.

To see even more photos of Florence, be sure to preview my book at blurb.com.

If you are interested in tasting wild boar or “cinghiale”, this is the place.  Almost all the local stores have full size stuffed wild boar greeting you as you enter and numerous cured pieces of wild boar for sale.  We were told that wild boar roamed the countryside at night but we didn’t catch a glimpse of even one.

There are fourteen towers of varying heights remaining of  the original 72. My friend Elaine and I found “Torre Salvucci”, the only tower open to the public on the day we visited.  We walked the 160 steps up the staircase which wound it’s way through ten floors.  Each floor had a different living space from a kitchen to bedrooms and sitting rooms and even a full bathroom. Yes, each floor was one room.  At the very top, the guide opened the rolling gate to reveal a terrace with a fabulous panoramic view.  Definitely worth the climb!

As an American who saw the Twin Towers being built  in New York in 1973, I couldn’t help but think of them during my visit to San Gimignano.  Our Twin Towers will always remain in our memories.

Siena is well known for the Palio, a spectacular horse race that takes place in the center of the city twice a year.  But we were looking for a different Siena and found some unexpected things.  We were dropped off at San Domenico Basilica where, much to our surprise, we came upon the head and finger of St. Catherine of Siena ( 1347-1380  ).  No photos permitted in the church but, if you’d like, you can see her head here.

Next, we walked on Via Cittá and heard classical music.  Following the sound, we entered the courtyard of the Palazzo Chigi Saracini (This link shows a 180° view-don’t forget to look up.) which houses the Chigiana Musical Academy.   We sat on a bench and lost track of time while we listened to music, worked in our journal, photographed and watched people.

The most wonderful site was the crypt (cripta in Italian) which was re-discovered in 1999 under the Duomo (Cathedral).  I was disappointed because photography was not permitted in this space which was full of incredible frescoes and decorative patterns.  But I had an alternative to photography-my journal.  I made drawings of the areas I wanted to remember.  A whole new world has opened to me.  Now along with my camera, I travel with a notebook and pencil.

We found the perfect bench in a small park overlooking the countryside and painted the fabulous views.  The Church of San Niccolò is in the center of this circular town so we knew exactly where we were at all times. In the middle of the Chianti region, we found many black roosters (found on the seal of Chianti Classico wine) and the most delicious white wine made with the typical Vernacchia grape.

Of course we didn’t paint all the time.  We visited abiti e accessori, a store with home accessories in one room and, in the other, beautiful clothes made with hand painted fabrics made by the artist in the middle of the store.  Other stores featured the food of the region including pici pasta and a tasty olive oil, of course.  And, don’t forget a fabulous lunch.

The size and friendliness of Radda was just perfect for our first adventure.

At Borgo San Fedele, I heard the crunch of small stones under our sneakers and saw terraced flower and herb gardens, a pond with water lilies and very tall cypress trees.  There was a distinctive scent of Linden Trees and the sound of deer barking.  (Yes, it turns out small Italian deer bark like dogs.) It was unlike any other place I have ever been.

I recently spent one week in Chianti attending a watercolor journaling workshop.  This time felt different.  I was learning new techniques and creating in new mediums. This process helped me to see my surroundings in new ways. I sat on benches and steps, leaned on walls and spent time looking, drawing and painting. I was recording it on paper right in front of me, but I couldn’t resist the urge to photograph. I’m not ready to share my drawings and paintings – yet.  In future posts, you will see where I’ve been and what I’ve seen.

The workshop was taught by Sharon Pitts , an accomplished watercolor artist who teaches at the Yard School of Art at the Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey.  It was facilitated by Il Chiostro at The Tuscan Renaissance Center in Borgo San Fedele in the heart of Chianti.  The location and countryside were stunning and my fellow workshop artists were such a pleasure to work with. I’m grateful to have had such an inspiring experience.

In 1996, I was part of a trip to Denmark sponsored by a local Rotary Club chapter.  For five weeks, I traveled north on the largest island, Zealand.  I saw incredible sights from medieval castles and Viking ships to the canals of Copenhagen. The best of all these sights were the views from the windows of the many private homes where I stayed.

While looking at the Danish paintings at the Met, I began to think about the most wonderful view I saw from my window.  It was in Jyllinge, a small town located on the eastern bank of Roskilde Fjord.  During the fall and winter, because of Denmark’s northern location, the sunsets would last a couple of hours, typically from 8 until 10. From my window, which overlooked the fjord, I was always thrilled with the view at any time of the day.  I hope you enjoy the ones below as much as I continue to enjoy them.Click to view slideshow.