I just got back from a very last-minute trip to Italy! Along with some photos, I’ve also taken pics of a few sketches for you! =)

I’ll open up this post with everyone’s favorite thing: magical toilets.  I found this one on route to Italy while we were on a highway in Switzerland:

Amazing Pitstop Toilet from Yamino on Vimeo.

On to the photos!  This is a famous statue in Verona, where I spent most of the 3 days visiting family.  The statue holds a stone ball, and it’s said that if a truly honest person walks underneath it, he will drop the ball on their head.  As you can see, it’s still there…  After that, a photo of the Alpine countryside I walked in with my family. That place is used for skiing in the winter, when it’s covered with snow, but right now the only thing covering it is rocks and cows.  Last but not least, the Verona colosseum! (Rome isn’t the only Italian city that has one!) Built during the reign of Augustus, this colosseum is also used as a traditional Opera stage.

ball fields coloseo

These next pics were taken in Malchesine, a gorgeous town on the edge of Lago di Garda. (Garda Lake)  It’s so picturesque and labyrinthine.  The landscape Claire lives in is inspired by a mixture of Tuscany and this place, although we have yet to see the town near her abbey. =)  The first picture is of  a mountain dubbed”Napoleon’s Nose.”  Can you see the profile silhouetted?

napoleons_nose trees malchesine malchesine_steps malchesine2malchesine_glass glass2 glass3 glass4 grapes castle street street2

I also took these pics at my other relative’s house near Verona. They have a really cute cat named “Sandy”… they named him after the squirrel in Spongebob. XD

cat cat2

An interesting sign advertising ‘Nternet and Fooo.

foooo

Last but not least, a few random sketches I did during the trip!

kk pirate gabrielle_biker monkey monkey2 sirhamburg crab young_adrianne young_adrianne2