Here is my sketchbook from my trip this summer to England, Scotland, and Italy. Sketchbook 2017, Volume 5. (If you've missed my other sketchbook tours, I posted them in previous blog posts.)
I hope you have fun scrolling through my sketchbooks. And if you have any comments or questions, don't be shy. For as much as I love painting big watercolor paintings, traveling & sketchbooks are my real source of inspiration and joy. I hope you enjoy!
For our first sketchbook field trip, we went to Trafalgar Square and took in London.
The Tower of London
We spent a day sketching at one of my favorite museums, London's Natural History Museum.
We explored a flea market looking for treasures (I found this gorgeous bird cage clock) and then we sketched on the lawn of Westminster Abbey.
A short train ride from London, we fell in love with Bath.
I loved all the different door knockers we saw walking through the streets.
Bath's Fashion Museum was a visual feast. I spent a few hours sketching the displays.
I ducked into the Abbey to get out of the rain for about an hour and sketched the other tourists.
We turned a corner and saw this comical window display in a tattoo parlor, so unlike anything else in Bath.
One of my favorite squares: Bath Abbey Square. Always full of music, street performers, cafe tables, and people.
We flew from London to Edinburgh. My first visit to Scotland. Heart!
We stayed at the wonderful Royal Scots Club. The tall windows in our hotel room looked out onto a hill on the edge of Edinburgh's center.
Scenes from our touring through Edinburgh.
The sound of bag pipes is everywhere in Edinburgh. I know they are there for us tourists but I still couldn't help stopping to watch and listen to each one we came across.
We spent several hours at the Royal Botanic Garden and then had lunch at their cafe. Sitting outside with many other visitors, two French woman raised their voices in anger as a bird swooped down and took a bread roll off of their plate. We all chuckled as we covered our own plates.
This sketch doesn't look much like my husband, Dave, but it still makes me smile every time I see it. Dave is an adventurous eater and the only one to try haggis. On several occasions.
We flew back to London, from Edinburgh, and from there, we flew to Verona. Home, sweet home.
For the first part of our time in Verona, we stayed at the Aurora Hotel, in Piazza Erbe. The views from our hotel balcony were intoxicating.
We took a drive into the mountains to escape the heat.
Back in Verona, we sat outdoors in Piazza Erbe, sipping ice-cold mojitos, sketching (me) and talking to a man (Dave) at the table next to us. He was from Ireland and had quite a few entertaining stories to share.
Yet again, to escape the heat of the city, we hopped on a train for a day trip to Bolzano. It was raining and thundering there. And it was a welcome relief.
We moved into Richard's apartment for the second week in Verona. His apartment is an architectural gem and it is decorated with some vintage beauties. Thank you for the hospitality Richard!
Dave and I wandered into Sant'Anastasia, one of Verona's churches, right as a concert was starting. A group of young performers from Bath!
We spent an afternoon with my cousin, Gloriana, and her husband, Beppino, visiting an abbey by Lake Garda. This is the view of a path we followed, walking from the abbey to its centuries old cemetery.
Statue in the abbey's courtyard.
Live performance of Romeo e Giulietta in Verona. Fantastic!
On our last day in Verona, we had a big family lunch. My cousin, Saverio, drove his classic Fiat 500. Thankfully, Dave couldn't resist getting in it. So funny!
What an adventure we had. Memories to last a lifetime. And a book full of sketches.
Arrivederci!