Perfect Positano..

Another Italian summer is almost here and its time for me to pay another visit a place 

I feel completely at home..

I am starting to have Chez Black salad with buffalo mozzarella withdrawals, not to mention their lunch time spaghetti con ricci di mare and delicious mouth watering pizzas!

My favourite hotels..

Lovely little churches..

Breathtaking sun-baking views from la spiaggia grande..

Pretty pink and red houses built into hillside rock faces..

Positano's unique boutique shopping experiences.. LOVE..

Thank heaven for Positano, I hope to see you very soon..

xmm

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest

Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Images copyright Melissa Martin

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona Rome

Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi or Fountain of the Four Rivers

located in the centre of Piazza Navona

in the historical centre of Rome

Another Bernini masterpiece!

Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1651

Commissioned by Pope Innocent X

A lot of careful maintenance work went on yet finally the scaffolding came down and you can see all angles clearly in their spectacular form, even on an overcast day like this one there is a sense of the supernatural that Bernini seemed to possess..

xmm

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Photos copyright Melissa Martin

Beautiful artwork and incredibly talented sketch artists on the streets of Rome!

Beautiful artwork for purchase on the streets Rome,
prints galore and not overly cheap yet stunning all the same.

Choose from a large selection to scroll up and take home to frame, some of them are really incredible!

Or have your portrait sketched like a movie star..

Make sure to be selective in choosing your sketch artist, they are not all to everyones taste yet each have their own individual style.  All are extremely talented.  I sat for my portrait seven years ago in Rome, I have since tried to find the same artist to have another comparison sketched done years on yet I have been unlucky in finding him.  I am not someone who likes myself in photos and in my opinion my chosen artist was extremely complimentary.

Its all about choosing the right artist and its a small price to pay for fun lifetime memories!
xmm

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Photos copyright Melissa Martin

POLIZIA DI STATO A ROMA

POLIZIA DI STATO  ~ State Police

The main police force in Italy are the 'Polizia'

They were perhaps not planing on chasing down any bad guys on this rainy day as they sat outside the Vatican in Saint Peter's Square.  Such a cute little car yet I can't imagine it runs at high speed, not to mention it was a little beaten up in areas.  

Adorable!!!!!

xmm

Photo copyright Melissa Martin

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

CRYPT OF ORIGINAL SIN

Earlier in 2013 on a cold and rainy day a captivated crowd stood and gazed with interest  at the beautifully displayed CRYPT OF ORIGINAL SIN in Saint Peter's Square.

Its incredible how real life these tiny figures looked, intricate detail down to the expressions on the faces of these little figurines and the microscopic architectural detail was truly beautiful.

Tiny animals.. horses, donkeys, cows and goats

xmm

Photo's copyright Melissa Martin

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Abstract sculptures in Villa Borghese

Well you never know what to expect when you visit the wonderful parks in Rome, look how perfectly manicured the grounds are, such a wonderful place to visit and there is always something spectacular and new to experience, once again there is no exception this year in 2013.  A beautiful sunny yet frosty morning and we were stopped in our tracks to take pictures of these incredibly abstract mounted horse sculptures and bizarre upside down faces that were perfectly formed balancing on tri-prongs.  If anyone can shed some light for me on who the artist is I would love to know.

xmm

Photos copyright Melissa Martin

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Northern Italy Courmayeur dreaming..

This morning one of my beautiful friends sent me these incredible photos from Courmayeur in northern Italy, how jealous was I, its like a white winter wonderland over there, and it should be with temperatures right now ranging from minus 7 to minus 18 degrees.  Courmayeur is an Italian town in the northern region of Aosta Valley 217km from Milano.

I love skiing holidays, there is nothing like looking out your window in the morning to fresh white powder snow and sinking knee deep in the fluffy stuff, the town of Courmayeur looks really special, what a spectacular place to ski, especially with so much snow when the sun is shining, its so pretty, the mountains with contrasting blue skies and frost covered peaks are breathtaking.  Its possible to choose from a good range of ski chalets, hotels and apartments to stay at, I really think its escapism at its best in winter!

Thank you for these beautiful photos

Wish I was there with you!

xmm

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Stop the press at Italy's colourful newsstands..

The newsstands in Bella Roma are so colourful, this one in Piazza di Spagna or in Italian 'Scalinata della Trinita dei Monti' was definitely a Kodak moment!

So different from our shop fronts in Australia, and they have everything you need, toys, souvenirs, international press & glossy magazines, postcards, public transport tickets, a quick chocolate fix,  

or if you feel like practicing a bit of Italian language of coarse you can read up on local national news in 

La Repubblica or Corriere della Sera..  Just another little snippet of Italy that I love!

xmm

Photo copyright Melissa Martin

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Anna Dello Russo last night at Ermenegildo Zegna Autumn/Winter 2013

Anna Dello Russo was dressed to kill last night looking totally chic top to toe in a black tuxedo style man's suit at the Ermenegildo Zegna Autumn/Winter 2013 fashion show in Milan!

You can see previous posts on the inspirational Anna Dello Russo ... here and here

xmm

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Fashion Water for Models and Billionaires..

Fashion Water

For Models and Billionaires

They certainly think of everything don't they!!!!  

Not sure if it's on my must have list, 

yet it caught my attention and caused some amusement thats for sure!

;-)

xmm

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Elegant Italian doors, shutters & gateways..

Amalfi Coast..

Positano..

Heavenly colours brighten up even the darkest streets..

Shhh someone is sleeping..

Classic back streets of Rome, truly incredible on every doorstep!!!

A little Fornillo passage way in Positano..

Classic every day..

WOW is everywhere in Italy, it constantly takes my breath away..

Don't forget to look up..

Molto Bella..

And to finish, one of the loveliest gateway entrances that I always admire when I am walking my favourite streets of Rome.  There are many more pretty gates, heavenly windows and elegant doorways in Italy that I will continue to share with you over time.

xmm

Follow Italian Allure on Twitter 
Follow Italian Allure's beautiful images and destinations on Pinterest
Discover my style boards on Pinterest

Photos copyright Melissa Martin