Monthly Archives: September 2022

The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower

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“Duomo di Firenze”
Florence, Italy

The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Flower, commonly known as the Cathedral of Florence (Duomo di Firenze), was constructed during the height of the Renaissance. The first time I saw the Duomo was on a Mediterranean cruise with a group of college and Doyletown, PA friends. I had never seen anything like it! We only had a few hours in Florence before we headed to Pisa and then back to the cruise ship. I wish we had the whole day just to explore around Florence. This time we had two and a half days to see the sights. It still wasn’t enough.
I am already looking forward to our next trip to Tuscany.

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Centuries Past

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“Venice Canal Reflection”
Venice, Italy

Venice pulls my mind back in time. These buildings were built many centuries ago, some 15 centuries ago. The rising level of the canals and the disintegrating brick tell a historic tale. The ground (now sea-level) floors were originally warehouses and shops. Most are now vacated basements flooded by water. Byzantium influence in the tenth and eleventh century is seen in the “Moorish-style” windows in the orange building on the right. Clothes are still dried hanging out in the warm Venetian air. There is a hint of modern times if you look close at the top of the image and see a small satellite dish.

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If You Want to See Color

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“A Rainbow Excursion”
Burano, Italy

Burano is a small fishing Villiage located about 4 miles north of Venice in the Venetian Lagoon. It is called the Rainbow Island. If you want to see color, visit Burano! The homes, businesses, and public buildings are painted in bright colors. Even in side streets like the one in the image above, homes are bright. Each adjacent building is a different color. We only had a couple of hours to explore on our tour. I could have spent the whole day there!

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Stopped in My Tracks!

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“Venetian Mask”
Venice Italy

This mask was displayed on a window along the street between our hotel and the Rialto bridge. We walked past the window multiple times a day as we set out on our explorations of Venice. Each time, I paused to take a look. It captured my interest each time I walked by.

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In Search Of …

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“Lonesome Alley”
Venice, Italy

In our free time, we were on constant alert for unpopulated alleys. They were few and far between, even in the back street areas away from the main tourist sites. Tourists seemed to be everywhere. We make it difficult for the hometown Venetians to live a private life. During our next trip (there will be one), I hope to spend our time searching for little out of the way places to courteously explore, eat, and enjoy the wonderful city the way a Venetian does.

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Fascination With Windows

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“Courtyard Window”
Venice, Italy

Windows are like a magnet to my camera’s lens. How many different people have lived behind this shuttered window over the passing of centuries? What did it look like when it was first constructed? This particular window architecture was influenced by a Moorish/Byzantine style during the 13th century.

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Before the Tourists Wake Up

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“The Grand Canal, Early Morning”
Venice, Italy

It is much more enjoyable to stroll the iconic places in Venice at 6:00 AM, before the tourists wake up. Compare this view of the Grand Canal with the image in my last post that was taken mid-afternoon. Large crowds dominate Venice from about 8:30A to 10:00P. During these time periods I tried to focus my walks to the back streets.

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Compare

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“The Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge”
Venice, Italy

Compare the heavy traffic on Venice’s Grand Canal with the quiet peacefulness of the small back canal in my previous post. I much prefer the intimacy of the “off the beaten track” places over the grandeur of the iconic scenes. To get this image, I had to wiggle my way through a crowd to a spot on the Rialto Bridge. On my previous post, I just had to wait a minute or two for a gondola to pass.

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Time Gone By

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“Pastel Canal”
Venice, Italy

It is quite a change in perspective from the rural Palouse countryside in Washington State (in my previous post) to 13th century buildings in Venice, Italy. The concept of history is so very different between the two.

We just returned from a trip to Venice, Florence, and Rome. My mind is whirling trying to put the Roman Empire, Middle Ages, and Renaissance time and cultural evolution in perspective. The trip is a catalyst for me to set aside time to study and refresh my knowledge of history.

The above image caught my attention from several unrelated view points: the soft pastel colors, the water and bridge without any boat or people traffic, the bridge connecting the two buildings (what were their relationships?), the mystery of what is around the corner.

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Wheels Forever

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“Wheels, Wheels, and More Wheels”
Damien Barn, Unionville, WA

The line of wheels seem to go on forever. What is the history behind each one? How many years ago were they in use? What type of vehicle were they used on, and what were they used for? Were they part of an implement or a mechanism of transport? So many questions I have? It would a wonderful experience to walk along the fence with an “old timer” and hear him talk about where the wheels came from.

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Old-Barn-1 Wheels Old-Barn-2 Red-Roof-Barn Curving-Road-Hill Steep-Hill-Fence Old-Grain-Elevator