The Greek Theatre in Taormina

A highlight of a Taormina visit is the Teatro Greco, an ancient structure originally built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC for theatrical performances. In the 2nd century AD (yes, that was 500 years later) the Romans reconstructed it to fit their entertainment choices, that is gladiator and wild animal fights.

The Teatro Greco would be a remarkable monument by itself, but what makes it especially splendid is its being situated on top of a hill with majestic views of the Ionian Sea, Mount Etna and Taormina. You can still catch a performance here - add one more thing to the bucket list!

This is what I call theater with a view! Mt Etna 

is puffing smoke quietly in the background.

Beautiful Taormina, Sicily

If you are one of my loyal readers you have probably noticed that I have not been blogging much lately. The reason is simple: I was busy traveling. However, all good things must come to an end, and this is exactly what happened to us - we got home after being gone for almost two months.  So I am back in blogging mode again and will try to post a little more regularly.

To make good on that promise, here are some pictures I took in Taormina. This beautiful medieval town is situated about an hour's drive from Messina, along the coast of  Sicily.  The quiet charm of the town (despite the thousands of tourists that can descend upon it every day) made me want to stay for a week, a month, a whole summer.

The landscape is dominated by Mount Etna (a quite 

obviously active volcano) in the background.

Kate Middleton and Her Lovely Herend China

The Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate Middleton) has many things a girl can only dream of: royal husband, palaces to live in, killer wardrobe, romantic vacations with said husband.  The list goes on and on. She seems like a lovely lady with a great sense of style. 

Being competely content with my life I would not trade places with her. This being said, she does have a possession that I covet.  It is a Herend porcelain dining set, official gift of  Hungary to her and her husband Prince William for their wedding.  

I recently visited an exhibit of Herend china in Balatonfured, and this exquisite new pattern caught my eye. Taking a closer look, the sign said it was a redesign of the old Victoria motif, which was first created for (you guessed it) William's  great-great-great-great grandmother, Queen Victoria. This new pattern is much larger than the Victoria pattern, and the dominating color is a lovely light lavender. It is called Royal Garden and I absolutely have to have it! Below are some pictures I took of the set. Isn't it gorgeous?

Mount Vernon: George Washington Up Close and Personal

Just a short distance from Washington, D.C. in the rolling hills of Virginia along the Potomac River, is the home of George Washington, General of the Continental Army, Founding Father and first POTUS. 

It is interesting to note, that having accomplished so much in his lifetime, Washington wanted to be remembered not so much as a commander, statesman, or leader, but as a gentleman farmer at his estate, Mount Vernon. This was the home he returned to after his presidency, where he could devote his days to agricultural innovation. 

The front facade of the main home

Jefferson's Monticello

 Monticello - Italian for "Little Mountain"-, the plantation home of Thomas Jefferson, should be a familiar site to people. After all, it is depicted on the back side of the U.S. nickel (five cent coin). We recently had the good fortune to visit this beautiful estate, which was designed by Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, 3rd President of the United States. It is located just outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, and is the only historic house in the U.S. on the United Nations' World Heritage List.

Built on a hill, with 360 degree views of the surrounding land, today the estate is owned and operated by The Thomas Jefferson Foundation. It is open to the public every day except for Christmas. We went on a beautiful June morning, and the flowers in the garden were in full bloom.  After taking a guided tour of the house, visitors are free to roam the grounds. Unfortunately photograhy is not allowed inside the building, so the only pictures I can share with you were taken outside. We explored the gardens and remains of the slave buildings on our own, but thare are also guided tours that start at regular intervals.

  

The back of the house faces a large lawn.