World’s biggest blown-glass christmas tree!!!!

"Venetian artisans are preparing a special Christmas treat for the lagoon city this year - the world’s biggest glass tree. The monumental Christmas tree is being made by a group of the world famous glassblowers who work on the Venetian island of Murano. The details of the tree’s design are being kept secret until it is unveiled on the island on December 8." To view this on Italy Magazine click here

Italy, Land of the searching hearts

Just discovered this book entitled Italy, land of searching hearts written by Evelyn Stenbock-Ditty and published by Christian Focus. It records the story of Art Wiens who studied alongside the Ecuador missionary Jim Elliot at Wheaton College. It records the story of Art Wiens evangelical missionary work in Italy from the 2nd world war onwards. To review the publishers write-up on the book please click here . I am looking forward to getting a hold of this book in the next month or two. And will add more here later... My apologies for those who have been waiting for more of our Italian trip - there will be more!

Torbole

This is Torbole, a village situated on the north side of the lake. If you were to drive through from Limone to Torbole you would find that Torbole would come after Riva. We took the easy way when we went to Riva and went by boat. We never actualy ever stopped at Torbole but it was the stop on the "water Taxi" on our way round to Riva. So this photo of Torbole has been taken our way. What is Torbole known for? It's windsurfer and their colourful boards (if you were lucky their suits matched their boards!!!!) . It is known for its perfect wind conditions. In fact, torbole is probably one of the best sites for surfing in Europe. Anybody going surfing? Somehow, as I cannot swim, I think it may be a while for I take the windsurfing!!!!

Rome's Olympic Bid 2016

Parliament on Thursday formally backed Rome’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games and in a bipartisan motion called on the government to promote the capital’s candidacy. The motion was passed by a broad majority in the Senate a day after it won the approval of the House, with all parties voting in favor except the devolutionist Northern League, which backed a bid by Milan.

To view the rest of the article click here
To the view the The Olympics Website

Verona

Verona was one of the places that we visited on the Thursday of our trip. Dont you find sometimes when you go to a large town/city you feel if you seen it before. As Morven and I walked into the piazza Bra, the main square we really felt it's uniquness. This main square was pretty large and was probably the largest in Italy. As we approached the main square we were confronted by the arena where many gladiators had fought many years ago.
We also had the opportunity to visit Juliets house and stand in that famous balcony! We did not realise that these were two familys who had lived in the area who were at war with each other. It wasnt just a fictional story!
As we only were there for half a day we only touched the "iceberg" of the town so to speak. But maybe another time we will get to explore more. I may write up a bit more in a week or so time.

Looking down to Limone

Below is a picture of us looking on to Limone (the place where we stayed).

We are back!

Well yes we are back and all had a good time. Beginning to work through some of our photos we took while there. As said managed to visit Riva while there and here is a photo we took from the harbour side looking on to the lake Garda.

Art Train to Cross Italy

A special train is to bring some of Italy’s greatest modern painters to the country’s main cities next month.
The ‘Art Train-Museum For A Day’ will visit 28 Italian cities from Turin to Palermo and back north to Milan.
more on this article click here

Riva

You can move about the lake very easily by boat and one of the other towns is Riva. It is the most northern around the lake and is also the 2nd largest. It has long beaches and in fact has the longest in the lake. Architecture wise it has a number medieval towers. It also has a number of churches and palazzi from the Renaisance period.


Riva's Garda fortress was constructed in 1124 and was originally used for defensive purposes. It is now used for the town's museum. The Museum contains a variety of stuff including archaeological, local history, nature, and local artist Guiseeppe Craffonara. He is a well known Artist from the early 19th century.

Limone

Limone is the name of the place where we will be based when we are in Lake Garda, Italy. In Italian it translates to be lemon which probably give you a bit of an idea about the place. Bot others say that the town name is taken from a latin word being border. So hence the town hides itself around the cliff with citrus trees on the terraces. It looks on to the lake Garda with stunning views. Just outside is the mountain region which you will see olive grooves. It is here that the extra virgin olive oil is made.
Beside there being the agriculture, the town used to be a fishing village before its transformation into a tourist resort. If you go to Limone you will see many old fisherman cottages about.
Looking at the architecture of the town you will see that the first church built in Limone was a Romanic church. The town is also the birthplace of the Roman Catholic Missionary Daniele Comboni. He had real passion for the Africa and really tried to involve the whole catholic church in his missionaries pursuit.

Rain in Venice

The last time we visited Venice it was raining and had to shelter in St Marks Square!!! The rain this time might be a bit more than our visit to Venice. Lets hope that the weather is nicer when we are in Italy.

Venice on Monday braced for its first high water of the season with high tide expected to be between 90cm to 95cm above normal.

To view more click here

World Pizza Day

Naples, the city that invented pizza, has lined up the first edition of ‘World Pizza Day’.
Pizza-makers and lovers from all over the world, including Neapolitans who have rolled dough into big money in the United States, Australia and Japan, will attend the inaugural event on the opening day of the city’s famous Pizzafest on Thursday.

To view more of this article - click here

Countdown!

Yip in April when we started posting October seemed a long way but now approaching late August it is not too far away! Catriona is getting her first passport and looks really grown up in the picture. While we are in the lakes as well as visiting the some of the other villages along the coast, Morven & I hope to go toVerona. Yip you guessed it the home of Romeo and Juliet.

Phil & Morven

600th anniversary of Leon Battista Alberti’s birth

"Mantua is joining festivities marking the 600th anniversary of Leon Battista Alberti’s birth with a major show taking place at the house of another Renaissance great, Andrea Mantegna.
Alberti is widely considered to be the embodiment of the universal ideals of Renaissance humanism and is, in many respects, the precursor of Leonardo da Vinci."

To view the rest of this article click here

Italian Heatwave

"Authorities here said Friday that they are taking action to help tourists survive the heat wave Italy is simmering under at the moment. The Rome Civil Protection Department has started handing out bottles of water to tourists queuing outside the city’s museums to stop them taking ill because of dehydration."

To view rest of article from italy mag click

here

Open air Church in North Italy

"Worship at a Baptist church in northern Italy is going alfresco this summer, as an extensive building project begins, which will allow greater ministry
opportunities.
Genoa Baptist Church, led by BMS World Mission pastoral couple Claire and Mark Ord, received the go-ahead for building work a few weeks go, and got underway just last week."

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To read rest of article from the BMS World Mission click here

Food in Italy

"Pizza, pasta, pesto, bruschetta, fresh leaves drizzled with peppery green olive oil ... We all think we know what Italian food is — but do we? On our travels, rather than on the pages of cookbooks, there is no such thing as a single, homogenised Italian cuisine — only Italian cuisines. Landscape, location and climate determine what is eaten in each of the 20 or so regions. Here is a guide to the best of them."

To view the rest of this article click here

World Cup Champions

Just been watching the end of the World Cup Final and Italy have won the world cup in penalties 5-4 (having drawn with France 1-1). The last time they won the world cup was 1982. So there will be much celebrations in Italy tonight!

Phil & Morven

Lakes...

As Morven said we are hoping to be going to Italy in a couple of months time! Lake Garda, near where we are going is said to be the largest lake in italy. It is situatied between Lombardy and veneto. There is a number of other significant lakes such as Lake Maggiore, Lake Iseo, Lake Orta, Lake Trasimeno, Lake Vico, Lake Bolsena, Lake Albano, Lake Nemi and Lake Bracciano. Just to name a few!

The Boot

Morven has already described our like for italy in the previous post. Well the first time I heard of Italy was when I saw Italy in a map and to me it was described as a boot. It was always that Boot until Morven and I went to italy for our honeymoon (knowing this was where Morven would love to go).
The following year after we got married we went back to Italy with Oak Hall, a christian holiday organisation and this time we went by bus instead of the plane. It wasnt until this occasion driving through the different countries from the tunnel tower that I begun to realise where this "boot" fitted in with other countries.

links

New links have been posted here including the italian tourist board

Hi

I am Morven. Our joint love of Italy began when my husband Phil took me to Sorento in the Italian Riviera for a surprise honeymoon in Aug 2003. This was Phil's first visit, I went first with a local youth band in 1999 although i think my love of Italy began before that when i went to an Italian restaurant in Edinburgh which was run by an Italian family with my mum and dad about 18 years ago. My love for the country goes much further than just a desire to find somewhere sunny. There's something amazing about actually being in a country which was a civilised country more than 2000 years ago. On our honeymoon we visited Pompeii and Vesuvius which was amazing to get a peek of how they lived. We are hoping to take our daughter on her first visit to Italy in October with my mum and dad when we are going to stay near Lake Garda.

Welcome to the Blog

Welcome to the Blog with an italian flavour!