Showing posts with label park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label park. Show all posts

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Watercolors, Flamingos, and a Castle

I spent today exploring new areas of Milan. I read an article a while back about some fun, hidden places in the city. Today, I went to three of those.

Taking the 24 tram to the Crochetta stop, I walked to Giardini della Guastalla. This is a public garden/park area. It was very nice and peaceful. A number of people were enjoying the sunny day but it wasn't crowded.

From the park, I walked to (what the article called) the Milan Watercolors. There is a small street called Via Abramo Lincoln and the houses on either side of the short street are each painted a different color. It was a lovely and peaceful street but also very green with many trees. It was hard to see the houses and impossible to get a picture really showing all of the colors. I enjoyed walking down the street and trying to picture the colors coming more alive in the winter season.

My last planned stop was to see some flamingos! (Not plastic ones.) I wasn't sure if this would really happen or not... but it did! And I saw a castle on the way : )  That was a fun surprise. The large, ornate building stopped me in my tracks (and that says a lot, considering I was on my way to see flamingos). There was a plaque that showed the building is Palazzo Berri-Meregalli and was built in the early 1900's.

The flamingos were all out and enjoying the gorgeous day! If you go to Villa Invernizzi on Via Cappuccini, you are able to peak through the gate and into the yard. There is a small pond in the middle of a lovely yard. Four flamingos were enjoying a one-legged lap in the pond, while about 8 or so others were in the yard... some eating and the rest just hanging out.

Fun day!






This is one side of the castle: Palazzo Berri-Meregalli



Wednesday, November 26, 2014

FAVORITES from Bruges, Belgium

Below are some of my favorite photos from our day in Bruges, Belgium!

A city map made of lace...

A bicyclist riding through Markt:

Some of the buildings surrounding Markt:

This guy.    : P

A family in a park... swans... and sunshine   : )

Pirate sign!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

walking around Madrid, Spain

More photos from lovely Madrid... I was lucky (again!) with the weather. The next day rained the entiiiiire day... but it didn't really matter since I was visiting the American School of Madrid all day anyway. When it was nice outside and I had free time, I really enjoyed walking around the city...


"All you need is coffee."

The cutest hopscotching twins I've ever seen   : )


This is the Alcala Gate... or... Puerta de Alcala...
This monument is in Independence Square and just in front of Retiro Park.

I walked around Parque del Retiro - a HUGE park within the city.
Many people were walking, running, skating, and even rowing... it really was a gorgeous day to enjoy a city park. In the background of the photo below is the Monument to Alfonso XII, who was King of Spain for over a decade in the late 1800's.

This man was making beautiful music in the park. Very talented!
I gladly gave him some coins and he allowed me to take his photo:

EVERY library should have an entrance this beautifully grand!
Biblioteca Nacional de Espana - the National Library of Spain:
(and Yes, I went out of my way to find the national library)    : ) 

Soaking up the sunshine...

A painted building in Plaza Mayor...

Another view of Plaza Mayor...

Family of skeletons on the street...

Seville, Spain - day 2

Seville is a really beautiful city. I was lucky during my two days there - the weather was beautiful.

After the second day of workshop sessions at the MAIS conference, I decided that my outing before dark would be to a huge park. The Maria Louisa Park turned up on suggestions of places to see in Seville and it happened to be very close to my hotel... the park was definitely work the visit!

On the short walk from the hotel to the park:


Definitely a favorite piece of mine within the park is the Plaza de Espana.

There were many people walking around, taking photos, going for a boat ride, riding in a horse-drawn carriage... all lovely ways to escape a city and enjoy a beautiful plaza in a park.

Within and around the Plaza de America, there were tons and tons of rose gardens! ...of all different colors!

This is a gorgeous museum within the Plaza de America... within the Maria Louisa Park.


Sunday, September 1, 2013

free water!

I do love living in a little town. Maybe next year I'll be jiving to live in the city... but for now, this feels great.

The parks in Opera even offer free water! You bring your own bottles and can fill up.

AND you even get the option of naturale or frizzante.

I plan to go a couple times a week to fill up. Whoohoo!