Ciao ragazzi!
Wow, what a week it’s been! The Irish weather – not known for its predictability or even-temperedness at the best of times – has been flinging just about everything at us over the last seven days, veering from hot sun one minute to blustery snowstorms the next. So you can imagine how excited we at Beastie Towers were to get word from Italy… Looking at these photos allowed us to escape to beautiful Perugia for a short while, with Antonello and Tiziana Beastie (and of course their trusty Beastiecat Tris) as our guides!
Perugia is right in the heart of Italy, and it’s been an important city since Etruscan (pre-Roman-Empire) times. These days, it’s the regional capital of Umbria, and there’s plenty to see here!
The Beasties started off at St Bernardino church. The incredible marble facade of this renaissance-era church dates back to 1457-61, and was the creation of Agostino di Duccio, a sculptor who started his career working alongside Donatello.
Impressive… Especially to the Beastie-sized tourist! The church also boasts some beautifully detailed bas-reliefs…
…And some fences that certain Beasties probably shouldn’t be climbing.
Fortunately, they made good their escape before the authorities showed up.
Next stop – the Piazza IV Novembre, home of the Palazzo dei Priori. This was the seat of the mediaeval “first citizens” – representatives of each of the city’s guilds.
There’s also a spectacular fountain – the Fontana Maggiore, another masterpiece from the Renaissance era!
Mind you, looking at all that water would make you feel kinda thirsty…
Pint, anyone?
Ah, Ireland’s great cultural gift to the world – the Irish Pub! And the good news is, there’s one right here in Perugia. There was even live music… And of course the Beasties had the best seat in the house.
What a great trip! Thanks to Antonello and Tiziana Beastie for sharing their photos!
And in other monster news… Friday posts are back! Check in with us again on Friday, when Explorer Beastie and I will be sharing what we learned at the Irish Blogger Conference!
It is so great to travel with the Beasties ! Beautiful pictures !
Thanks! They do make great traveling companions… They can stow away in your handbag and go anywhere with you 😀 Cheers for your comment!
Glad the Beasties were able to escape the authorities!
Yes indeedy! Turns out they can run pretty quickly on those little stumpy legs 😆
Hmmm…are these monsters in any way related to the gargoyles on Notre Dame? They both seem to enjoy loitering on church facades.
Hahaha! There’s probably a link in the family tree there somewhere… Although these adventurous little monsters would definitely get bored if they were stuck in the same spot day after day!
That must be what sparked their evolution from stone monster to wooly monster.
I imagine so. Not being made of stone really helps with mobility… And they’re so much more huggable now too.
An important step in the evolution of any domestic critter. 😃
Gorgeous pictures. Our friends moved to Perugia around the same time we moved to Sicily….we really must pay them a visit!
It looks great, doesn’t it? I might have to take a trip there myself sometime! Thanks for stopping by… I’m sure it’s lovely in Sicily just now 😃
Lovely pictures. Hope you are enjoying some decent weather in Ireland now – we have had sun two days running in west Wales!
Yes indeedy! And we’re sending at least one more day’s worth of warmth and sunshine your way. That should keep the garden happy 😀 Thanks for stopping by!
Ooh that looks like a lovely place, thanks for the tour Beasties – and Beastie Cat!
I know… I love it when Beasties send me holiday snaps. I’m looking forward to seeing where these guys pop up next! Thanks for stopping in, have a super week! 😀
You too! 🙂