Monthly Archives

September 2011

My Life in Polaroids

8½ in Venice

September 26, 2011

One solo Espresso in the middle of the day, followed by a chocolate ice cream. crowded Piazza San Marco with thousands of tourists and thousands of doves. walking along the colorful streets and hopping the old balconies will not crumble and fall. St. Marks Basilica, watching the people going for a Sunday Mass, watching the people coming out of a Sunday Mass. Lunch outdoors, the sound of rattling plates and glasses. Ponte dei Sospiri, 4 hand made postcards printed on a fine art paper. Visiting a hand made mask store and having a hard time to leave. Cafe Florian, alla carrettiera Pasta, Formaggio di pecora o capra a pasta pressato, Provola Capizzi and Ricotta Romana. Taking the Gondola instead of a Subway, The Grand Canal instead of the Grand Central in New York. watching the preparations to the Venice Biennale and thinking about the Carnival on February. Walking a lot along the streets and never going back to the same place. Having a photographer friend as a private tour guide, taking so many colorful laundry shots in so many angles and directions, watching the sun goes down and the gold reflection on the water, just before we leave the city. doing all of this for only 81/2 hours in Venice…and still feel there is so much to do and see….Priceless!

venice, italy, tuscany, polaroids, travel

venice, italy, tuscany, polaroids, travel

venice, italy, tuscany, polaroids, travel

venice, italy, tuscany, polaroids, travel

venice, italy, tuscany, polaroids, travel

venice, italy, tuscany, polaroids, travel

venice, italy, tuscany, polaroids, travel

 

Intimacy Under the Wires

Laundry Heaven in Venice, Italy

September 25, 2011

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Venice is a laundry Heaven. I haven’t been to Burano (yet) but 8 and a half hours in Venice were packed with sights of laundry’s clotheslines hanging out from almost every window. The warm weather at the end of September was perfect for the clothes to dry. Some people were peeping out the windows, looking at me suspiciously, some closed the windows or hid behind the shutters. Overall, I found myself looking up, searching for clotheslines and colorful clothes to dry.

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

Intimacy under the Wires, Laundry, Venice, Italy, Travel

 

Picture is worth a 1000 Words

A picture is worth a 1000 words

September 25, 2011

Venice, Italy, Carnival, Travel, masks

“…Life is a carnival, you need to go on all the rides..”

Venice, Italy September 2011

I’ve spent only few hours in Venice and yet, manage to shoot so much in such a short time.

It seems that almost every other store in Venice sells these special masks and costumes for the well known Carnival of Venice, but CaDel Sol is one of the biggest one with a great variety. Stepping into this store is like stepping into a candy shop when you are five years old and you don’t know what to look for at first, and you don’t know what to choose. It really made me curious more about the Carnival. I haven’t been yet to a Venetian Carnival but this is definitely something on my ‘to do’ list one day.

And yes, Life is a Carnival. Not necessarily a Venetian one. And if we do tend to see our Life that way, so be better need to go on all the rides and not forget to enjoy them.

 

Picture is worth a 1000 Words

A picture is worth a 1000 words

September 25, 2011

Florence, Italy, Travel, a Picture is worth a 1000 words, Love,

“Travel is like love, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end” 

Giardini di Boboli, Florence, September 2011

One of my weekend morning in Florence was spent by walking in Giardini di Boboli, a breathtaking garden located just a block away from the place I was staying in. This beautiful oasis labyrinth is one of many treasures Florence has to offer to its visitors and residents. There are so many hidden gems and hidden locations in the gardens that one morning or one stroll were definitely not enough.

If Love heightens our state of awareness, then the same goes for Photography. Same goes for Travel.

As a photographer I must keep ‘practicing’ awareness to what is around me, so I can keep capturing eye-opener shots. Same with Love and Travel…I must keep ‘practicing’ awareness to keep capturing eye-opener experiences.

 

 

Intimacy Under the Wires

Finding Laundry in Florence, Italy

September 24, 2011

Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Florence, Italy, Travel

It is not so hard to locate and find laundry in Florence. I was staying in Via del Campuccio street in Florence, a walking distance from all the places to see and visit in Florence. I must say that a friend of mine, who visited Florence a week before, told me he hardly if ever saw laundry hung outside the windows. Boy, he was wrong. Laundry is almost in every window. I didn’t come across clotheslines reached across buildings or hung over alleys, as I saw in Venice, but laundry could be easily seen. The combination of the yellow colored brick walls with the green shutters and the vivid colors of the clothes, made it all so unique and beautiful. A celebration to the eyes.

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

Florence, Italy, Laundry, Intimacy under the Wires, Travel

My Life in Polaroids

Florence: A Roof with a View

September 23, 2011

Drinking Italian coffee first thing in the morning, Running up the hills of Florence just to see the city waking up soaked in a morning dew, Piazzale Michelangelo, cutting lines in Galleria Uffizi, the old Synagogue in Via Farini. Temptation to have a snack at the Tripe and Lampredotto food vendors. Santa Croce’s busy courtyard. The Towers of the Donati, the Academia at Via Ricasoli, only 4 euros to see the Masterpiece of David. Sneaking photos of David when the museum guard turns around.
Yellow Buildings, Green Blinds, Red Wine and Blue Cheese. Ricotta Cheese and Figs for Lunch. Chocolate and Ice cream for Dinner.
Gucci, Pucci, Salvatore Fergamanno, Gianfranco Ferre and Sergio Rossi. Via de Tornabuoni, Money and Beauty exhibit, Men in suits riding their Bikes. Socks at Emillio Cavalini, Coffee cream at Caffe Scudieri, another round of chocolate ice cream. Piazza San Lorenzo Markets, Piazza Del Repubblica, Palazzo Pitti. The Birth of Venus, the Primavera, Neptune statue in full glory. Narrow cobblestone alleys, Santo Spirito vibrant restaurants, watching the rooftops of Florence every morning. Coffee for two at the mythological Cafe Gilli, watching the sunset over Ponte Vecchio and drinking water from Fontana dello Sprone. Saturday afternoon stroll in Giardino di Boboli. Jazz music under the trees, Climbing 412 stairs up the tower of the Duomo for the sake of taking pictures. Feeding pigeons in San Marco square, walking everyday in Via Maffia, shooting tons of pictures and doing La Dolce Vita….Priceless!

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

florence, italy, travel, polaroid, roof with a view

My Life in Polaroids

On the table: In Florence act like Italians do

September 22, 2011

My life in Polaroids, Florence, Italy, On the Table, Coffee

In Rome act like Romans do….Same in Florence.

I am still in Florence, exploring this beautiful city and its sights. I don’t know why, but from all cities in Italy, I really wanted to see Florence, for real. Therefore, I checked in to one of the famous and mythological places in the city,Scudieri Caffe in Piazza San Giovanni. I didn’t know what to order so I let one of the locals who was having his coffee break, choose for me. I got a sweet coffee with cream in a semi Grappa glass. It took me exactly one minute to drink it (as fast as Italians drink their espresso) and I asked for a second round. If you ever in Florence, I highly recommend to include Scudieri in your schedule. At least once a day.