Photo a day - Trulli

In the region of Puglia (the heel of the geographic boot that is Italy), there is a town famous for its distinctive architecture. The town is Alberobello, and its particular house is the trullo (trulli plural). The trulli are round, constructed without mortar, and topped with a cone. Photo taken in March 2010.

Photo a day - Cave of the Sibyl

Near Naples is are ancient Greek ruins in the modern day town of Cuma. This was the Greek settlement of Cumae, founded in the 8th century B.C. The photo shows the cave of the sibyl, a reknowned prophetess in ancient times. Photo taken in February 2010.

Photo a day - Via di Villa Giulia

To visit some friends, we frequently walked down this small, quiet street. Just out of camera range is a gap in the wall that reveals a soccer field where we often saw men playing in team uniforms, sometimes at night under bright lights.

Photo a day - the other Pisa

Most postcards and snapshots of Pisa feature the leaning tower, but there's more to the town than that. Here's a shot of Pisa's river, the Arno. Somewhere over on the right is a fancy chocolate shop. Photo taken in April 2010.

Photo a day - Trite and touristy

OK, so everyone who has ever been to Pisa has a photo like this. We couldn't resist it ourselves. Photo taken in April 2010.

Photo a day - Gladiators

April 25 is Liberation Day in Italy. It's a holiday commemorating the country's liberation from fascism toward the end of World War II. On Liberation Day 2010, a gladiatorial show was put on in one of the less central neighborhoods of Rome. The stars of the show were these men dressed as centurions. Also interesting and entertaining, though, were people dressed in togas and other ancient Roman garb, explaining how various tasks (weaving, stone carving, blacksmithing, and the making of medicines, for example) were performed in those days. The whole thing took place right next to some genuine 2000-year-old Roman ruins. Pretty cool.

Photo a day - Trend-setting Etruscans

These beads look a whole lot like the ones we saw, appreciated and bought in Ghana. However, they are pictured as displayed in Villa Giulia, a museum of Etruscan artifacts in Rome. Hmm. The Etruscans were around as far back as the 7th century BC, but similar looking beads are still being made today. Those Etruscans sure were trend setters.