Revised and republished on August 14, 2012
Just like last year when this post was first published: its hot and we are desperately hoping for rain.
Tomorrow is Ferragosto again and for those who missed this very popular post about where to find a cool spot near Civitavecchia, Rome and other cruise ports, I'm sending it out again. Also as a homage to our neighbors who have invited us for a dip in their magical pool.
Buon Ferragosto!
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Its hot, very hot . . and very quiet since its Ferragosto week. The town is almost deserted for most shopkeepers here in Vetralla take their holidays ferie at the same time
Just like last year when this post was first published: its hot and we are desperately hoping for rain.
Tomorrow is Ferragosto again and for those who missed this very popular post about where to find a cool spot near Civitavecchia, Rome and other cruise ports, I'm sending it out again. Also as a homage to our neighbors who have invited us for a dip in their magical pool.
Buon Ferragosto!
- - - - - - - - -
Its hot, very hot . . and very quiet since its Ferragosto week. The town is almost deserted for most shopkeepers here in Vetralla take their holidays ferie at the same time
At least the postman postino has returned and after a week without, we now have daily mail delivery.
People hurry to get their shopping done early in the day then take refuge indoors protected from the scorching sun and high temperatures by ancient, metre-thick walls and closed shutters.
Locals find a shady place at one of the nearby lakes (Lake Vico, Bolsena or Bracciano) or at a nearby swimming hole with a pedigree.
This circular pool is actually a frigidarium dating from Roman times at Le Pozze di San Sisto half way between Viterbo and Vetralla. Its icy water is balanced by an adjacent hot pool caldarium and another luke warm one.
For tourists and visitors here are some more of the coolest places around:
- If you are a cruiser docking at Civitavecchia you could trade a hot, exhausting day in Rome for a visit to Tarquinia (see previous blog post - exploring around Civitavecchia ) where the underground Etruscan tombs and quiet churches such as S. Maria in Castello provide welcome respite. For a glance of this magnificent church see Dietmeyer's website.
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| fountain in front of Tarquinia's city hall |
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| fountain of the Moors, Villa Lante, Bagnaia |
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| River god fountain, Villa Lante, Bagnaia (photo by John Ferro Sims) |
- Garden lovers will love one of the historic gardens like Villa Lante where the trickle of fountains and mossy pools give welcome relief from the heat.
- Another beautiful local garden is that of Christina...take a look.
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| grotto , Villa Lante |
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| water gurgles down the rope fountain, Villa Lante |
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| Papacqua waterfall, Soriano nel Cimino |
During the past several months my lectures series aboard Azamara Club and Royal Caribbean cruise ships have brought me to many foreign shores.
Here are a few of the romantic cool spots I have enjoyed discovering and will review in later blog posts.
- in Istanbul - the underground Basilica Cisterna
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| The mysterious Medusa in Basilica Cisterna, Istanbul |
- in Montenegro the fiord (Bocche di Cattaro) leading up to the port of Kotor.
- The Greek island of Santorini is home to the most romantic, and hard to get to, town of Oia with its whitewashed houses and blue domed churches
The same colors that we find back in Vetralla in this most romantic pool half-hidden inside a grotto.
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| a private pool half in, half out of a grotto |
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| aaahhh,,,,, cool water |
Here are some photos I took today -with the temperature a scorching 39°C .
The lavatoio or washhouse located just behind my palazzo is another cool place that is tempting to use as an improvised splash pool.
Read more about it on http://www.italiannotebook.com/events/wash-day/
What is your favorite cool place when the temperatures soar? Your comments (anche in italiano, francese,etc.) are welcome.
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Some of your images actually began to make me feel cooler, not easy as I'd just spent a couple of hours ironing! Christina
ReplyDeletethanks for the positive feedback...I put the Villa Lante photos in for you and other gardeners.
ReplyDeleteNice post! The photo of Villa lante looks a bit like the gardens of Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola. They're also a great place to cool off (after looking around the beautiful Palazzo of course).
ReplyDeletePete, you are correct--the same artisans worked in both gardens.
ReplyDeleteARen't we lucky to have such historic gardens and palazzi here ? Another is Castello Ruspoli in Vignanello. Have you visited it ?
here is another cool place just behind my house I'll try to add some photos I just took...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.italiannotebook.com/events/wash-day
my favourite cool place is certainly the Riva Fiorita at Lago de Vico ! when it was 40° C at the oliveto we found it was at least to 8° cooler in the shade of the trees near the lake. We went up there most of the afternoons during our stay in July
ReplyDeleteAfter reading some nice stuff in your article I really feel speechless,i want to cruiseports. Thanks for giving me such type of useful information.
ReplyDelete