Italy

Living ‘la dolce vita’ in Pesaro Italy . . . without breaking the bank

This Summer I spent ten days on the Adriatic coast of Italy in Pesaro in the region of Marche near Urbino. I flew to Bologna from Heathrow on British Airways and then took a train (about two hours) to Pesaro. The town is sandwiched between the hills of the Northern Appenines and the Adriatic sea and although small, is very quaint with lots to do from exploring the old town, eating at the most fantastic restaurants, visiting beautiful historic Urbino with its tightly packed apartments and pitched cobblestone streets, or cycling along the Pesaro waterfront to some of the quieter beaches either end of the town. Pesaro can be[…]

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Meeting Pavarotti in the City of Love – Verona, Italy

In August 1990, I travelled to the city of romance – Verona, Italy –  as part of the New Zealand contingent for the World Festival Choir.  It was my first ever visit to Europe and the start of a long love affair with Italy, Europe, and Pavarotti. Singers had been selected from around the world to sing Verdi’s Requiem at the Arena di Verona with Pavarotti, in a performance to raise funds for United Nations refugees. More than fifty thousand dollars was raised from the concert, which was attended by Princess Diana and the King and Queen of Spain. The performance also[…]

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Fresh off the boat – the Adventure of a lifetime begins

December 24, 2003 – Roma The adventure begins!!! Had a great flight from New Zealand apart from the fact that I was bitten on the hip by a spider that was in my bed the night before. As a result my leg was in absolute agony and I had to lie across four seats and keep moving to stop the pain. The wound got really itchy and ulcerated . . .Amazing what a little arachnid can do to a leg! However, most of the plane was empty from Bangkok so slept most of the way. Thai airways is average –[…]

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