The countryside around the Via Francigena in central Tuscany is breathtakingly beautiful. Soft sage, pink, violet, Siena, and light olive colors envelop the hiker in blissful after blissful scene. Whiffs of olives and grapes complement the visual feast. Walking through this beauty is incredibly uplifting and restoring. A hiker could repeat this walk every year …
Author Archives: Leslie Ruth Stallknecht
Home stretch
It is going to take us a while to get back to Virginia, but we are on the way. We left Siena on October 30 and went to Florence so we could catch a flight to Barcelona the next day. In Florence, our paths crossed one last time with Jane and Jim, who had been …
Oh Toscana
The view from our room in San Miniato The view from the highest point in San Miniato Anything else I could say would be superfluous.
Too much of a good thing
We were very excited when we walked into the town of Massa in Tuscany and saw trees hanging full of beautiful, grapefruit-sized ripe oranges.The trees lined the streets and piazzas and walkways, emitting sweet orange perfume. That is, we were excited until we were viciously attacked by falling fruit. The breeze came up and large …
East west wherever you meet family and friends is best
We have had a wonderful few weeks, filled with visits with family and friends. First, Mary Battista and her granddaughter Sara Battista surprised us in Siena. We went to language school together and had lots of fun sharing meals, apperitivi in the beautiful Piazza del Campo, and field trips in Chianti. We spoke Italian together …
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Brick By Brick
Brick by brick, slowly but surely, the language barrier is coming down between us and the friendly people of Italy. The hard work that we have invested in learning Italian is allowing us to learn about and go to places that formerly would not have been accessible to us, or within our comfort zone. We …
Busses and Mountains
Karl does not enjoy bus rides in Italy. Invariably, our bus rides take us over zig zagging mountainous roads and jaw dropping drop offs.We have seen cars pass our bus at high rates of speed on impossible curves.We have thanked God when a car has blocked our kamikaze bus driver on a winding downhill. We …
Fountains, Pines and Obelisks
The fountains of Rome are romanticized in Hollywood movies. The pines of Rome are evoked in Resphghi’s orchestral work, “The Pines of Rome”. Fountains and pines, art and nature, have enraptured me during my previous journeys to Italy. But this journey? In 2019, given what is happening in the world today? For me, the objects …
Communications and Navigation Tech
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind who contributed the tech genes to our sons Ed and Karl R. I am nearly helpless with making computers and phones do what I want. My husband Karl M is a master of communications and navigation tech. I am lazy. I sign up for an AT&T plan …
Safety in Europe
You can be a victim of crime anywhere, at home or abroad. You can reduce your chances of being a victim of theft by knowing your surroundings and being familiar with the tricks would-be criminals play. For example, when a stranger in Italy tries to shove a baby into your arms, don’t take it. You …
ITALY, GERMANY, AND MORE! 