CARS in Italy!!!!

After all that art, Sterling needed some speed and horsepower! Just a scenic drive away we found the Mugello Race Track. On weekends, the owners of those fabulous sports cars can drive as fast as they like on the race track for a huge fee, and spectators can watch for free.

We still haven't figured out what this one was....

The stig is Italian?
Sterling loved it, of course.

And the parking lot wasn't bad either.

Eventually we figured out that there was a ride service; all you had to do was sign away all liability for your life, pay a moderate fee, and a professional driver would take you around the track. Can you guess what happened next?

Fee paid, papers signed, Sterling awaits his turn after a very lovely Italian young lady fits him in a crash helmit.

E & J question their sanity as Sterling, happy as a clam, buckles in.

And he is off...lap one....

When Sterling returns, he is a happy boy. Parents are relieved. Time to go. Really, time to go.

Oh wait, the GPS seems to think that the best route back is to go around the track again!!!!! Silly GPS.....

The next morning we leave for Nyon via what else, the Lamborghini factory and museum near Modena. It is not far and does not take long if you have a fast car. We have a Jetta deisel wagon.

The sun sets on our fabulous Italian adventure. Ciao!

Public again

Dear friends,
We are trying public access once again as we have found a setting to dis-allow blog spam. If this fails, we will have to revert to invitation only access. Thanks for reading!

Toblerones

I know what you are thinking, but you are wrong. This is not about chocolate, much as I would like it to be. The Toblerones were constructed in the 1930s as a line of defence against possible invasion, and derived its name from the triangular shape of the concrete anti-tank barriers that were part of the fortifications.

It is a beautiful walk, by streams and woods, and the trail snakes among the Toberlones. It is an interesting juxtaposition of mother nature and mankind and human nature. It makes for a very thoughful walk.

The toblerones stretch for about 10 kilometers (six miles) from the foorhills of the Juras down to the lake shore. In all about 3,000 of them were erected, 1 every meter. A formidable barrier.

This is Villa Verte, one of two fortresses along the route, built in 1940, with false windows and 2.5 meter (7 feet) thick walls. The ground floor consisted of several gun emplacements, while the basement was the sleeping and the eating quarters of the troops serving there. They could remain in the villa for periods of several weeks cut off from the outside world, apart from by military telephone

Arboretum

I join a group of walkers from the Nyon International Women's Club every fortnight for a lovely, long walk. This week, we went to the arboretum, which is different from the kind we have in America. While there are some specimen trees, it is mostly a protected woodland.

The colors were spectacular.

Here is our lovely group.

Tour de France: 1 of 7. Monet's Gardens

We set off on our "Tour de France" with a huge iterary and expectations to match. We were not disappointed at all!

First stop, Monet's stunning home in Giverney. Our autumn trip gave us a feast for the senses - the scent of flowers and herbs, bursts of colors from the huge blooms, and warm rays of sun to enjoy.
This is Monet's kitchen. Photos are forbidden so the next two are from the web.


Despite being beautiful, these pots and pans had clearly been put to good use.

Ther are two distinct gardens. First, near the house, the flower garden. These plantings are meant to explode colors and textures in abundence.

Across the road, Monet's second aquisition, accessible now by underground passage, is the water lilly garden.

Tour de France 2: Versailles

The splendid palace gates.

The queen's bedroom.

The ceremonial royal bedroom.

The king's bedroom.The Hall of Crystal and Mirrors

The gardens behind the palace.

The Grand Trianon

Sterling liked this room best.

Indoor ballroom

Outdoor ballrooom

The gardens had such a different character from one to the next.

The Petit Trianon gardens

Marie Antoinette's bedroom at the Petit Trianon