PhotoHunt ~ Flash

The PhotoHunt for this Saturday is 'Flash'

I decided to use my photos of the 'flash' of light that comes through the oculus in the Pantheon.

It is one of my favorite spots in Rome !

When the cruise ships aren't in town...

Check for all the other Flashy Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesday ~ Wait for the 'nice' white boat

It's Traveling Tuesday!
I am going to try to remember fun events from our trip and post them . . .
Mostly to jog my poor memory!

On our last night in Positano, we had the chance to go to a special restaurant called la Sirene. They told us to go to the dock and wait for a 'NICE' white boat.
I've been on a lot of boats in Alabama  . . .  and we would call this a blow up raft with a motor.
We climbed aboard, and hung on for our lives.

Once we arrived ~ it was beautiful.
On an isolated cove near Positano. The fish was so fresh ~ right out of the water. And of course...
Lots of Limoncello!

We enjoyed a beautiful evening.
Unfortunately ~ you guessed it.

 there was only one way home.

Luckily, Holly and I had a blanket to wrap up in . . .
as we prayed we would make it home.
What a memory for a last night on the Amalfi coast~

Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi

Blue Monday ~ Give

This is a quickie for a Blue Monday . . . but something worth sharing.
From Oprah & Maya Angelou
The colors in the quote qualify ~

Don't forget to check in at Smiling Sally for more blues.
y'all enjoy~
Sandi

PhotoHunt ~ HoT

The PhotoHunt for this week is HOT.
What else do you do on a HoT day in Alabama, but head for the lake?

 

and take all the fixin's for smores . . .

graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows.
Of course, you have to be ready to build a fire for roasting the marshmallows.

Now that's the way to beat the summer heat.
Check for all the other HoT Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Traveling Tuesday ~ More Positano Pictures

I have thousands of photos . . . so don't get bored with them yet.
For this Traveling Tuesday ~ it's Positano. This is the most beautiful of all the cities along the Amalfi coast.
I think the BEST spot for an extended stay. From here it is easy to catch a boat to Capri or to Amalfi. It is the typical cliff-side city (I say cliff-side, not hill-side)

We stayed at the Hotel Villa Gabrisa which is a former summer villa, converted to a quaint 9 room hotel. Our hotel is 'mid-way up' according to all the guides. The cute young thing at the hotel told us town was 5 minutes down the steps . . .

5 minutes . . .  Maybe if you use one of these!

Hundreds of steps down the hill... and seemed like thousands to get back up.

It's a good thing the view was worth it!

Positano's city center is perfect for a little shopping, a little eating, and even some beach time. What more could you ask of a vacation spot?

I'll be traveling there again!

Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi
*for those of you who played the linky with me . . . you'll notice I no longer have the subscription*
We can still travel together.
Leave a comment and we'll visit!

Blue Monday ~ A Biking Couple

I recently got a special request for a wedding couple . . . but this one was really unique.

They met and fell in Love while riding bikes ~

So the bride wanted a cake topper that was dressed in their cycling gear. She sent me photos of them dressed in blue shirts and black biking shorts. He is wearing his ever-present LiveStrong bracelet.

It was a challenge to make the helmets while adding a bit of a wedding touch to hers.

I think I did it!

What do y'all think?
Of course I have lots of other examples of Custom Wedding Cake Toppers in my ETSYshop Gimme Some Sugar ~ click on over.

Don't forget to check in at Smiling Sally for more blues.
y'all enjoy~
Sandi

A Local Winery ?

We had a fun evening when we went with WhistleStop 'family' Arnold and Wanda Ruben to a local winery.
Yes  .  .  .  local!

Vizzini Winery in Calera.
They have a couple of nice wines.
 I love their local labels
~ I need to remember these for the BIG Auburn/Alabama game.

Their Chardonnay and Cabernet were good . . . just because you can't grow grapes in Alabama, doesn't mean you can't process them here!

 There was music and dancing . . .

and even a little romancing.
We watched as a helecopter landed and this good southern boy got down on one knee...

In the light of a beautiful Alabama sunset.

I wonder if they'll be needing a cake topper?
Come back tomorrow  .  .  . I have a new couple to show off.
Y'all enjoy~
Sandi

PhotoHunt ~ Ripple

The PhotoHunt for today is 'Ripple'

I couldn't resist sharing some photos from Positano, Italy and the water rippling up onto the shore

the water was so clear and fresh and the views are amazing!

Especially from our hotel balcony.

Check for all the other Awesome Photos on The Saturday PhotoHunt
Happy Hunting y'all~
Sandi

Friday Favorites ~ Clet Art

This is a fun Friday's Favorites . . . for me anyway.
Before I went to Italy, I had heard of Clet Abraham and his 'grafitti signs' in Florence. My Friend in Florence even posted about him.
I was determined to keep my eyes open . . . like a scavenger hunt!
So imagine my thrill when I saw this near Vatican City in Rome ~ Notice the angel wings.

I was keeping my eyes open . . . and my camera ready in Florence.

Near the corner gelato shop . . .

On 'my' via Del Giglio ~ where my Hotel Burchianti is. I wonder if he did this just for me?

Then of course . . . one for the masses of tourists in front of the Duomo.

I wonder how many people actually look up from their Rick Steves guidebook to notice?

What is your favorite today?
Y'all join in~
 Sandi

Traveling Tuesday ~ and a funny story!

It is time for a Traveling Tuesday . . . on the road again (I wish)
I have plenty of stories to keep me blogging on tuesdays for a while.

While we were in Tuscany, we visited the beautiful Abbazia di Monte Oliveto 
It is the Benedictine monastery that was built in the 1500's. It is one of the most beautiful monasteries in Italy . . . more later on the amazing fresco's that line the cloisters.
This is still a working monastery, with an aging population of monks.

Which leads me to a funny story~~

We had finished our tour of the church and the cloisters. . . we were enjoying the beautiful grounds and saw this elderly monk slowly walking our way.
He seemed to have something clenched in his hand.

He walked straight to our tour guide Antonella and handed her this statue. It appeared to be a 'dancing lady' with a handle (like a pitcher or a vase).
He tells her (in Italian) that this was found in one of the cells and she did not belong at the monastery. When she asked why, he replied that she has breasts.

 

She certainly did!
We weren't going to take it, but he was going to smash it if we didn't.
So . . . We took her home with us as a travel icon . . . a lucky icon I'm sure.

Y'all enjoy the ride~
Sandi
*for those of you who played the linky with me . . . you'll notice I no longer have the subscription*
We can still travel together.
Leave a comment and we'll visit!