These photos were taken from the Crystal Serenity when the ship was docked in Key West on November 28, 2009. I thought they’d be a nice complement to my grayer, more wintery New York photos.
Two years ago I stayed at Villa Belvedere Campoli, a real 16th-century villa in the village of Mercatale Val di Pesa on the Chianti road from Florence to Siena.
On the first evening, during a wine tasting, I spotted this sunset. It was so spectacular I put my wine glass down and went over to stare at it for just a few minutes.
Tuscan sunset
I’ve actually been to Lipari twice now. I say that as if it’s unusual because it is really quite a small member of the Aeolian Islands in Sicily. My first visit was on a Silversea cruise three years ago and I’ve just returned from a Seabourn itinerary called “Italian Idyll.”
I was more than happy to visit this lovely island twice because it’s quite upscale. It’s very much a living and breathing village; to be honest, it reminds me a bit of Mykonos with a bit less of the stark white buildings. But, it’s still as hilly with a seemingly similar number of surprise cat appearances….well, Mykonos may have a few more cats but in Lipari, you’ll find them in the most unlikely places.
Cat at the top of a steep staircase in Lipari, Italy
Cat overlooking the sea in Lipari, Italy
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