Trip to Gran Sasso of Italy in Abruzzo

In september I had a free week on work. I didn't have summer holiday so I immediately organized a trip. I like to tracking and hiking in mountains and of course Gran Sasso natural park which is the nearest to Brindisi, 5 hours by car, always attracted me. Of course, Alpes are amazing and they are the most beautiful mountains in Italy but its too far and you have to take a flight and then to rent a car to reach them.

Gran Sasso of Italy is the highest mountain in the Apennines. It situated in Abruzzo region in central Italy.  The three main summits of the Gran Sasso are Corno Grande , which at 2,912 metres is the highest peak in the Apennines, nearby Corno Piccolo and Pizzo Intermesoli, which is separated from the other two peaks by Val Maone, a deep valley.

 We decided to ascend the Gran Sasso the first day after we arrived because it was sunny day without clouds. Local people said that the weather up near summits is very instable so we used this occasion of good weather. We took the chair-lift from Prati di Tivo, with 10 minutes we arrived at altitude of 2,000 meters at place named Madonnina. 

Breathtaking landscapes around..

From Madonnina the path is going up to the refuge (I shown it with the red arrow). It's not so far, but the path is difficult and with inclination

This is the path, not the most difficult piece, so you can imagine

This is the most difficult piece

Breathtaking view

Almost arrived...

Situated below the peak of the Corno Grande is the Calderone glacier, until 2009 the southernmost known glacier in Europe; deglaciation has significantly reduced the glacier's size. Glaciologists now question whether the glacier will survive past 2020.

We decided to not go up to the pass but go all way down to the Prati di Tivo on foot without taking the chair-lift

Returning in our hotel on the way from Prati di Tivo it was a small lake. Without any wind mountains and forest reflexed in water in amazing way!

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Amazing Christmas Lausanne

By accident in December we went to Switzerland to the ball. His cousin lives there near Lausanne, and she actually invited us to this event and hosted us. We went for 3 days, so we can spent on the day for Lausanne and one for Geneva before departure.

It was cold, icy wind, when we visited Lausanne so we decided to walk only in the center and don't go down to the lake.

The city is very beautiful, especially decorated for Christmas. I think in the spring and summer it is absolutely amazing. The decorations on the streets were non-traditional, modern, not the way we usually think about them - for example, clouds made of white wire, hanging men, perhaps, they were angels, but at first glance did not seemed so.

Lausanne - the 4th largest city in Switzerland, it is remarkable that is on 2 levels. This is due to the fact that it was built on three hills, which are connected by bridges. Elevation here is from 373 to 871 meters above sea level. And Since 1994, Lausanne - the official Olympic capital of the world. Here are the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee, as well as key institutions for managing the Olympic movement and international sports.

Taking off the bus we got straight to the Church of St. Francis.

Here began and Christmas Market, where there was a lot of things: and knitwear, and soap and cosmetics, and jewelry.

Every weekend in the streets of the old city it is also a market, so the streets were filled with vendors of everything: lots of flowers, branches and all you need for Christmas decorations, as well as ready-made Christmas decorations for the house, vegetables and fruits, homemade canned goods and more.

mushrooms :)

After strolling through the streets and bought a jam, we went to another square with the Cathedral of Notre Dame - one of the most beautiful and important Gothic churches of Europe. At one time, it was a center of pilgrimage. Now there is a organ of 7,000 pipes.

On this square Fair moved into the category cheese-sausage (there were even Italian cheeses and pasta) and then became a flea market where I bought a pair of spoons/forks/knives for food photos.

By the way, I really liked the singing of the choir, which collected donations in the pot on the side of the photo:

And, of course, we haven't forgotten to buy in this shop some Swiss chocolate to bring it at home :)

One of the squares in the center called square Palud, decorated in the center with a beautiful colored fountain "Justice". On the square there is a clock that shows every hour a small musical performance. We were lucky and we just went at one o'clock on the square.

Here, actually, I drinking gluehwein  :)

This is me before entering at the ball, which was held at the Beau-Rivage Palace, which is one of the most luxurious hotels not only in Switzerland but also in Europe and in the world. 

New luggage tags

These new luggage tags I made in different shapes: car for who should change car to air for travelling, rugby ball for lover of football, moustache and lips. 

When I made first time moustache luggage tag one client bought it and said that it's for her son. Then she asked if I can make luggage tag in a shape of lips for her daughter. I answered "Yes, of cource! I have wonderful bright red leather to make it". In such manner was born also lips shaped luggage tag.

Car and rugby ball luggage tags have a window containing information card for your name, address. Privacy flap keeps prying eyes off your information. 
Leather luggage tag are very time resistant so you can use it for many trips during many years. 

Personalized luggage tags

How frequently do you still loos a time to find your luggage on the a huge selection of similar ones on the carousel at the airport, train station or bus?


I created these personalized leather  luggage tags to help you spot your bag on the carousel more easily. It can be initial  letter of your name or surname. I made it in two colors because I think dark blue luggage tag is better for men and bright red luggage tag – for women. Personalized luggage tags could make your bags sparkle and also leather personalized luggage tags are look elegant!

I made this luggage tag from two pieces of high quality italian natural leather, which are sewn together by machine. You can easily attach this tag to practically any bag or purse using strong ribbon. 
You can create this personalized luggage tag easily at home, just print pattern of a letter from computer, cut two pieces and sew them together.  Then take about 30 cm of ribbon, cut small line on the letter and pass the ribbon  through it. After that sew together the ends of the ribbon. Your personalized luggage tag is ready! You can make it for every member of your family! 


The next time you are scanning the spinning luggage till you spotting your tags easily is likely to make your travel much shorter plus your trip more stress free.

Exploring Italy - Matera, Basilicata

Today is Sunday, Jan 2, and we didn’t want to stay at home. We decided to make a trip to Matera where we've been going to from long time.

This town is not big and it’s placed in 150 km from Brindisi in Basilicata region. Matera is listed in 1993, in the World Heritage List by UNESCO. World fame was brought to it’s old house-caves, carved directly into the rocks. These rock structures are called the Sassi (Stones). The oldest of them have about 7000 years. In a new caves there are churches, some of which age date to the VI century. In some churches remained intact frescoes dated to the XI-XII century. Many famous directors made their films here, including the film of Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ".

Up to 1950 those caves were habited by people. You will not believe it, but there were lived about 15,000 people, the half of the population of the city! They had no sanitation, and the water was collected in a stone tank during the rain.

Currently, Matera consists of two parts: a modern upper town and a historical low town, which is called Sassi. Going down to the old city, you come like in a different world. Beautiful view of the low town:
This is view of the most ancient rock caves from the low town. They abandoned long time ago and placed on the other side of river.

Here is one of the abandoned house-caves:

Here's another one:

This house is kept intact as a museum. House partially caveted in the rock, partially built. In this small accommodation has lived a family of 11 persons: two adults and 9 children, with all domestic scrap. Animals lived in the same room in the corner.
This is kitchen:
You think, where they all sleept? Adults with one/two of smallest children sleept in the bed.
At night, the bottom drawer dresser and a chest for storage of food were turned into beds.
On this little bed slept another baby:
Matera in miniature:
Piazza del Sedile (Sedile square) in upper town:

After the walk we were hungry and went to find agriturismo, a restaurant-ferm in the nature near the city. This is a magnificent panorama of fields around the town:

We didn’t find agriturismo, but in the neighboring town Altamura we tumble on such a beautiful little restaurant. Many years ago, it was a church. Owner told that it was built in the XV century, but from the original church now you can see only two small frescoes.