Elba (Latin: Ilva) is an island in Tuscany, Italy, 20 km (12 mi) from the coastal town of Piombino. It is the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia. Elba and the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are protected in the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago. The French island of Corsica lies about 50 km (31 mi) to the west. In Italian it is called Isola d'Elba.
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Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, French emperor Napoleon I was exiled to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814 and arrived at Portoferraio on May 3, 1814 to begin his exile there. He was allowed to keep a personal guard of six hundred men. Although he was nominally sovereign of Elba, the island was watched (more or less) by British naval patrols. Napoleon stayed on Elba for 300 days before he escaped and returned to France on February 26 for the Hundred Days. After his defeat at Waterloo he was subsequently exiled again, this time to the barren and isolated South Atlantic island of Saint Helena. Napoleon's stay on Elba is the basis for the famous English language palindrome: "Able was I ere I saw Elba." It is the connection with Napoleon that Elba is best known for internationally.

Sicily and Sardinia. Elba and the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are protected in the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago. The French island of Corsica lies about 50 km (31 mi) to the west. In Italian it is called Isola d'Elba.
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Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, French emperor Napoleon I was exiled to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814 and arrived at Portoferraio on May 3, 1814 to begin his exile there. He was allowed to keep a personal guard of six hundred men. Although he was nominally sovereign of Elba, the island was watched (more or less) by British naval patrols. Napoleon stayed on Elba for 300 days before he escaped and returned to France on February 26 for the Hundred Days. After his defeat at Waterloo he was subsequently exiled again, this time to the barren and isolated South Atlantic island of Saint Helena. Napoleon's stay on Elba is the basis for the famous English language palindrome: "Able was I ere I saw Elba." It is the connection with Napoleon that Elba is best known for internationally.

Mte Capanne is the highest mountain on Elba. You can go to the top with a lift. On the top you can see the whole island, and other ones too, like Corsica.

From Capoliveri we walked a few hours in a national park on the Capoliveri peninsula. A lot of the Elba flowers photos were made here. And one movie as a link under a photo. Can you hear the cuckoo?

Here we stayed, a very luxurious (and expensive :-() camping right on the beach and a restaurant (cheap and very good :-)) next to our tent.
Some movies are here too, as a link under a photo.

Morcone is quite near Capoliveri. We saw it while walking there and decided to visit it.

On the way back home we visited Trier (French: Trèves; Luxembourgish: Tréier; Spanish: Tréveris; Latin: Augusta Treverorum). It is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle River. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC by the Roman emperor Augustus.

Trier lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of ruddy sandstone in the west of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, near the German border with Luxembourg and within the important Mosel wine-growing region.

Trier is the oldest seat of a Christian bishop north of the Alps. In the Middle Ages, the Archbishop of Trier was an important ecclesiastical prince, as the Archbishopric of Trier controlled land from the French border to the Rhine. He was also one of the seven electors of the Holy Roman Empire.

oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC by the Roman emperor Augustus.

Trier lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of ruddy sandstone in the west of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, near the German border with Luxembourg and within the important Mosel wine-growing region.

Trier is the oldest seat of a Christian bishop north of the Alps. In the Middle Ages, the Archbishop of Trier was an important ecclesiastical prince, as the Archbishopric of Trier controlled land from the French border to the Rhine. He was also one of the seven electors of the Holy Roman Empire.

For your convenience: the animals are first...

two movies here: pizza production in ristorante La Mela and you can hear the finch singing.

The Cinque Terre (pronounced CHEEN-kweh TEHR-reh) are five coastal villages in the province of La Spezia in the Liguria region of Italy. They have come to be among the most popular areas of Italy among tourists. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all encapsulated in a national park by the same name. The Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The five villages are, from west to east (i.e., from Genoa towards La Spezia):

* Monterosso al Mare
* Vernazza
* Corniglia
* Manarola
* Riomaggiore

A local train line from La Spezia to Genoa connects all five villages with high frequency. The train connecting the five villages runs in what is mainly a tunnel for the full distance between Riomaggiore and Monterosso, emerging from the rock infrequently for quick glimpses of the Mediterranean sea.

There is a passenger ferry service running between the five villages, providing a different vantage point of the rugged coastline and shore line at each village. Ferries do not stop at Corniglia because it does not have a natural harbor or marina. The boat leaves from Genoa's Old Harbour and La Spezia, Lerici or Portovenere.

There are well-laid out walking trails connecting each village to its neighbors. The path from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore (roughly, "Lovers Walk"). This picturesque trail winds along the shore, varying in nature and difficulty from an easy stroll to a rough and physically challenging hike. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is also easy to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia finishes with a climb of 368 stairs. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza is steep at certain places. The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is by far the steepest. It winds through olive orchards and vineyards and is rough in places, but offers the best view of the bay and the spectacular approaches to both Monterosso and Vernazza. There are nominal fees to use the more popular walking trails, but the less frequently travelled (and most arduous) are free of charge.

N.B. All photos were made with my Fuji F20 or Korries Fuji F31FD. Both have the same sensor and same lens, and same great quality. No better compact camera has ever been made. Newer Fuji compacts are worse... A used F20, F30 (same generation) or F31FD is more expensive now (on Ebay for instance) than when they were new...

N.B.-2 All "original" photos are in HD resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels.

among tourists. The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all encapsulated in a national park by the same name. The Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The five villages are, from west to east (i.e., from Genoa towards La Spezia):

* Monterosso al Mare
* Vernazza
* Corniglia
* Manarola
* Riomaggiore

A local train line from La Spezia to Genoa connects all five villages with high frequency. The train connecting the five villages runs in what is mainly a tunnel for the full distance between Riomaggiore and Monterosso, emerging from the rock infrequently for quick glimpses of the Mediterranean sea.

There is a passenger ferry service running between the five villages, providing a different vantage point of the rugged coastline and shore line at each village. Ferries do not stop at Corniglia because it does not have a natural harbor or marina. The boat leaves from Genoa's Old Harbour and La Spezia, Lerici or Portovenere.

There are well-laid out walking trails connecting each village to its neighbors. The path from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore (roughly, "Lovers Walk"). This picturesque trail winds along the shore, varying in nature and difficulty from an easy stroll to a rough and physically challenging hike. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is also easy to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia finishes with a climb of 368 stairs. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza is steep at certain places. The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is by far the steepest. It winds through olive orchards and vineyards and is rough in places, but offers the best view of the bay and the spectacular approaches to both Monterosso and Vernazza. There are nominal fees to use the more popular walking trails, but the less frequently travelled (and most arduous) are free of charge.

N.B. All photos were made with my Fuji F20 or Korries Fuji F31FD. Both have the same sensor and same lens, and same great quality. No better compact camera has ever been made. Newer Fuji compacts are worse... A used F20, F30 (same generation) or F31FD is more expensive now (on Ebay for instance) than when they were new...

N.B.-2 All "original" photos are in HD resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels.

During springtime Italy is a flower garden...

Before we went to Italy, we visited friends in France: Marjo & Ad. They own a house there, in the Auvergne province, and as some other people were staying there too: we played bridge...

Portofino is an exclusive resort on Italy’s Ligurian coast. It has a glitzy reputation as a playground for the rich and famous and a first glance will certainly confirm this view. The brightly coloured buildings eventually yield to a harbour filled with oversized yachts and surrounded by fashionable restaurants and bars. Yet scratch the surface and you will find that underneath it all, there is still a charming little fishing village to be found.

Of course it has to be said that a trip to Portofino does not come cheap. The exclusive eateries and boutiques, which so often play host to wealthy movie stars, have prices that will make your eye pop-out in true cartoon style. Yet if you can cope with the pressure on your wallet, Portofino’s tranquil setting will do its best to make sure you forget all about your bank account.

coloured buildings eventually yield to a harbour filled with oversized yachts and surrounded by fashionable restaurants and bars. Yet scratch the surface and you will find that underneath it all, there is still a charming little fishing village to be found.

Of course it has to be said that a trip to Portofino does not come cheap. The exclusive eateries and boutiques, which so often play host to wealthy movie stars, have prices that will make your eye pop-out in true cartoon style. Yet if you can cope with the pressure on your wallet, Portofino’s tranquil setting will do its best to make sure you forget all about your bank account.