The view from the Duomo in Trieste down towards the sea
After i had captured the previous picture I looked down and beside the tripod my little Eric was sitting waiting for me
Two basilicas were built on the site of the Duomo in the 9th and 11th centuries. They were later, in the 14th century, joined together.
But Trieste, being at the cross roads of Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox religions also had an Orthodox church
While we were admiring the architecture in Trieste, Eric was playing with his toys
The town Hall and Prefecture of Trieste, where the Mayor invited all the judges and their families to dinner one evening.. We were all standing on the balcony looking out over the square the previous evening
The main square of Trieste
We left Trieste and arrived in Venice by a private water taxi.
Eric had lost two of his front teeth.
We stopped at the canal where the Garson family lived
Kristin and their youngest son, Lazslo coming to meet us.
Leaving the Garson home
We were met at Mazzorbetto by Magnus, the eldest of the Garson boys.
With Nori Starck BBQ at the Blue House on the Island of Mazzorbetto. Jeremy is playing with Eric and Lazlo
Eric and Lazslo
At Florian's, the famous cafe at Piaszza St Marco
Although it was quite cold, we were all eating the obligatory ice cream
One of the many canals connecting Venice
Outsidee Danieli, another famous hotel in Venice
Breakfast at Gritti Palace, where we stayed during our days in Venice
Eric snapping the ladies
The view from the Accademica bridge along Canal Grande towards Gritti Palace with Basilica de Santa Maria della Salute in the background
We took the obligatory gondola tour from Griti Palace.
Passing many small canals
Eric enjoying the tour
Eric is certainly loved by the girls
Mikee, Eric and Jennifer
Eric is happy
Approaching Gritti Palace, again.
Lunch at the terrace of Gritti Palace with Canal Grande just beside us.
Santa Maria della Salute from the terrace of Gritti Palace
Kristin is serving afternoon tea to all the passers-by including the gondolieri
Eric was playing with the Garson children on the other side of the canal, but came across to us a little later
We left Venice for Rome. Here Eric and Papa are having breakfast at Hotel Hassler in Rome.
Mikee joined the breakfast
Forum Romanum
Colosseum
Outside the Basilica of St Peter we were waiting for Fr Bruno to join us and show us around the Vatican
In front of the Basilica of St Peter
Inside the largest church in Christendom
With Fr Bruno at St Peter's. Everything was set up for the Easter celebration and the ceremonies to come.
Fr Jessie, Eric, Mikee, Jen and Fr Bruno
View from the top of the Basilica. It was more than 500 steps up to the top of the cupola
Fr Bruno, Mikee and Jennifer at the roof of the Basilica. The previous photograph was taken from the top of the cupola in the background
The statues of Jesus and the apostles at the roof of St Peter's overlooking the square.
The family and Fr Bruno in front of St Peter's. Notice the statues at the top of the roof. They were in the previous photo. Photo by Fr Jessie
Ponte Sant' Angelo
Looking back from the bridge towards Castel Sant' Angelo. It was Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum and later a residence for the popes in time of unrest
The next morning we waited outside the Basilica for entry to participate in the mass. Piazza San Pietro with the obelisk erected in 1586. The Piazza was laid out by Bernini in 1656.
Mikee and Eric queing for the obligatory security control before entering.
Joking with a smiling Swiss Guard. The guard is just picking up a card from his pocket to give to Eric.
In the Basilica before the service had started
The bishops and the Pope are entering. The Pope can be seen behind and to the left of the stern-looking security guard to the right
The pope holding mass
Bringing forward the offerings
The Pope in full regalia.
Burning incense. The pope in the middle.
Eric had a fever and fell asleep during the service.
The bishops exiting after mass.
The Holy Father.
The Pope
And after them exited the Swiss Guard
Fr Bruno, deputy head of the Rogationists coming out from the mass with the pope.
Fr Bruno and Fr Jessie after giving their blessings to Eric and Mikee.
Eric and Mikee in front of a Swiss Guard
In front of the Basilica of St Peter
Mikee took this picture of Eric, Jennifer and I
Back at Hotel Hassler Eric is talking to Nana.
We drove to Tuscany and arrived in Montepulciano.
Outside the walls of Montepulcuano.
Montepulciano
The alleyways of Montepulciano
We stayed at Castello Banfi in Tuscany for a couple of days. Here Mikee is taking an evening swim in the pool before dinner.
The Enoteca of Castello Banfi. The vineyard had some of the finest Brunello de Montalfino you could ever find.
Although we were on holiday Jennifer didn't allow the children to relax from the school work.
We hid Easter Eggs in our suite that the kids found on Easter Sunday morning and Castello Banfi added their own egg to the ones we had bought for the children.
Montalcino, where you could drink the Brunello from taps in the street (nearly).
Fonterutoli north of Sienna near Castellina in Chianti.
Eric and Mikee fell asleep in the car
But they woke up as we approached a lovely restaurant in Castellina.
We arrived into Firenze - Florence, as our last stop on the journey. This is the famous covered Bridge over the river Arno - Ponte Vecchio.
A view along the bridge in early morning before the shops had opened.
The old market place.
The Duomo
Palazzo Vecchio
Neptune's Fountain at Palazzo Vecchio. Ammannati's fountain from 1575. Commemorates Tuscan naval vicotories
The inside courtyard of Palazzo Vecchio with the Putto Fountain (1565)
The Rape of the Sabine Women. Giambologna's famous statue from 1583
Eric in one of our numerous ice cream parlours in Firenze.
...where we bought pancakes and ice cream.
Outside with our ice creams and pancakes.
Jennifer trying on a new dress while Mikee is looking out from behind.
Mikee and Eric playing on the floor while Jen is trying her clothes.
But Mikee didn't leave the shop without her own shopping. A new pair of shoes made her a lot taller.
And Jen tried on a pair of shoes as well
At the end it was too much for Eric and Mikee just to wait. Time to go home to England
Two weeks during the children’s Easter holidays the family went to Italy. The judges for the World Superyacht judging event met in Trieste and as usual I brought my whole family for the event. The first slides show a couple of pictures from the day off, when we had a tour of Trieste.
Then we went to Venice and stayed at Gritti Palace.We wanted to meet our friends Jeremy and Kristin Garson and their three boys. Jeremy is an old friend of mine and arranged my 50th birthday party, which took place over three days in Venice. He also organised the Christening parties of Eric both in London and the blessing service at Knightstone.
The first day in Venice we were invited to join a BBQ lunch by friends of the Garsons, Nori Starck and her two daughters on a special island just outside Venice. We went from the Gritti Palace and the crowded passageways and canals of Venice itself to the Blue House on the Island of Mazzorbetto, where a different paradiseopened up (see the pictures).
The following day we did the obligatory tour of Venice in a gondola. Eric was fascinated. In the afternoon we were invited to a tea party by Kristin and Jeremy. The party was along a canal next to their house in Venice. It was a party to which everyone could come and join. Suddenly a gondolier just appeared in his boat and got a cup of tea before continuing along the canal. And we met teachers and artists, English writers and Russian émigrés chatting in between the dilapidated houses, while their boys and our Eric and Mikee ran around across bridges and along the canals into secret squares suddenly opening up.
From Venice we flew to Rome for three days. We were invited to the Vatican by the Rogationist Fathers (our charity in the Philippines is managed by the Rogationists’) and Fr Bruno, who previously was in charge in the Philippines was now deputy General of the Rogationists working in the Vatican. He and Fr Jessie showed us around the Vatican and the following day we were invited to a mass at the Basilica of St Peter conducted by the Pope. A very solemn start of Easter.
Notice the pictures of the Pope and all the bishops, the Swiss Guards and all the black suited security guards protecting the Pope. All part of the modern trappings of important people in a world of ISIS threats.
We also had time to show Mikee and Eric both Colosseum and Forum Romanum, and Jennifer could do some shopping. And we enjoyed more ice creams than I can remember the kids (and we) had ever had in a few days.
From Rome we took a rented car up through Tuscany and stayed at Castello Banfi Il Borgo just outside Montalcino. We tasted Brunello de Montaccino and even shipped some of the wine back home to Knightstone (so it is true that some of the shopping also benefited me). After two days in the Tuscan countryside we finished our tour with two more days in Florence before flying back to London.
