“Amber Ghost Japanese Maple”
Heatherwood Hill of Learning
We planted this beautiful Japanese maple a couple of weeks ago. It has already started to change into its autumn glory. We now have 44 Japanese maples planted throughout Heatherwood. This Amber Ghost will accentuate the view out of my office window. Every morning when I write, I turn and gaze out over the “Hill of Learning” to get a little inspiration of what is to come during the emerging day.
“Early Morning Sunlight”
Heatherwood Japanese Garden
The color is starting to change in our Heatherwood garden. The early morning sunlight brightens up the colorful leaves. Every day brings a change in the colors. For the next several weeks I will be out in the garden continuously. Every day presents a gift of something new.
“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.
“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.
“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!
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.