Skywatch Friday

Crossing the George Washington Bridge
on a sunny summer Sunday.
Welcome home!

[To see more Skywatch pics, go here.]

Thursday Challenge—"hard"

This is hard on a couple of levels.
First, all that stone—
but mainly because this is the "children's
section" of the graveyard at
San Miniato al Monte, in Florence. Little
Luigi was only 3 when he died almost
60 years ago. His gravestone says:
"Don't cry for him. Eyes extinguished on
earth sparkle in heaven with light
and so much happiness."

[To see more of the Thursday 
Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—Y is for "yellow rose"

"It was June and the world smelled
of roses.  The sunshine was like powdered
gold over the grassy hillside."

—Maud Hart Lovelace, Betsy-Tacy and Tib

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

papaveri in Rome

These pretty poppies were in bloom
this past May (on Memorial Day) . . .

. . . growing wild here near the Theater
of Marcellus (casting its rounded
shadow on the left).

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday
and Our World Tuesday.] 

Wheels!

Went up to Piermont, NY, last Saturday
for a wedding and took a walk
around town on Sunday morning.
We saw lots of bikers—and
this mural near the local bike shop.

[Linking back to Monday Mural
at Oakland Daily Photo.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

Wandering around Rome's Trastevere 
neighborhood on a sunny spring day—
bougainvillea (and shadows) everywhere.

[To see more Sunday shadows, go here.]

letting in the light

The church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva
opened its doors very early one 
morning last month for part of a 
series of special musical performances 
(check it out if you understand Italian)—this 
one started at 5:30 a.m.!

[Linking back to The Weekend in Black and White,
Shadow Shot Sunday, and inSPIREd Sunday.] 

Weekend Reflections

Hanging out in the Piazza di Grillo, 
in Rome, just steps from Trajan's
Market and the Forum of Augustus. Always 
grateful for a sunny Roman day
(and a nice clean car!).

[To see more Weekend Reflections,
visit James's meme.]

Well, hello Dolly!

I visited the town of Piermont (on the
Hudson in New York) last weekend,
and found this notice posted
in the window of the local grocery store.
Don't know if there were any
takers—would you have been tempted? 

[Linking back to signs, signs.]

ABC Wednesday—X is for "what I see"

Seen in the crypt of the basilica of
San Miniato al Monte, in Florence: You
probably see crosses (very old ones,
as this church was begun in 1013 and the
interior has changed hardly at
all since it was first built).
I, however, choose to see X's—
or at least today I do.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

summer bounty

More goodness from the greenmarket:
I bought two quarts and there
wasn't a single bad berry in the lot—
every one was perfect.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday
and Our World Tuesday.]

eat your beets

I understand that the more colorful
your diet is, the more healthful
it is.  And just look at these beautiful
beets!  Are you a fan?

Linking back to Macro Monday.] 

inSPIREd Sunday

Don't forget to look up—especially when
you're visiting a church in Italy.
This is Santa Maria in Portico in Campitelli,
in Rome (which I also featured here).

[To see more churches from
around the world, go here.]

pink lilies

"The rose does best as a rose.
Lilies make the best lilies. And look!
You—the best you around!"
—Rumi

[Linking back to Pink Saturday at
How Sweet the Sound.]

Weekend Reflections

It's the graceful resident heron at the
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, coming
in for a landing in the
Japanese Hill and Pond Garden.
(There are also ducks, turtles, carp and
goldfish, and at least one bunny.)

[To see more weekend reflections,
visit James's meme.] 

Thursday Challenge—"summer"

'Tis the season—for fresh summer peas!
(One of the things I didn't care for
when I was a kid, but I've definitely
gotten past that.)
[To see more of the Thursday Photo
Challenge, visit Dale's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—W is for "wanderlust"

This blog is 9 years old today (!).  I think
a lot of us have become a bit
"blogged out"—I know I don't always visit 
my friends' blogs as faithfully as I
used to.  But I still enjoy feeding this one
(especially when I'm able to collect
photos for it from far afield—and I have
definitely not lost my wanderlust).  And, of 
course,  I'm still very grateful for all the 
wonderful friends I've made because of it.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

Who buys this stuff?

While I've been tossing my old dingy,
stretched-out white tees, this
shop in Rome's high-rent district would
have sold them for anywhere from
70 to 140 euros!

[Linking back to Our World Tuesday.]

art in Venice

I love to visit Venice when the Biennale
is taking place.  Even if you don't attend the 
exhibition itself, you'll find random art
installations all around the city
—a good reminder to always look up.

[Linking back to Blue Monday
at Magical Mystery Teacher.]

inSPIREd Sunday

As ornate as most Italian churches are,
their sacristy is usually a haven of
somber simplicity.  This one is in the church
of San Giacomo dell'Orio, in Venice.

[To see more churches from
around the world, go here.]

the weekend in black and white

This is the dome of the church of
Santa Maria in Portico in Campitelli,
located in the neighborhood
of Sant'Angelo (also the site of the
former Jewish ghetto).    

[To see more b/w images,
visit Dragonstar's meme.]

Weekend Reflections

Early morning in the church of
Santa Maria sopra Minerva—btw, just
out of the frame on the right . . .

is Michelangelo's statue of
Il Redentore (the Redeemer).

[To see more Weekend Reflections,
visit James's meme.]

It's a sign

Appreciated the kind invitation, but I wasn't
tempted—I was on my way to lunch
at my fave place in Trastevere (which serves up
good Roman food like Mamma makes).

[Linking back to signs, signs.]

ABC Wednesday—V is for "Venice"

Trust me, it is totally worth getting
up at 0-dark-thirty to have
Piazza San Marco all to yourself!
(And there are even fewer pigeons now
that you're not supposed 
to feed them.) 

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

snacks in Venice

Stopping in at one of my fave places in Venice
(I first came here 46 years ago!) for
an ombra bianco or a spritz con Aperol
and some tasty cicchetti.

[Linking back to Ruby Tuesday
and Our World Tuesday.]

ambulanza

Hope never to find out what it's like
to ride an ambulance in Venice.
But if they're needed, they're lined up
beside the Civil Hospital and
ready to go.

[Linking back to Monday Mellow Yellows.]

San Giovanni Battista in Fiorentina

Had visited this church before, and was
back for an amazing concert.
This wonderful shadow was just a bonus.

It was compliments of the
statues on either side of
the façade—and one cheeky bird.

[Linking back to inSPIREd Sunday
and Shadow Shot Sunday.]

Where is everyone?

Here's a (surprisingly) empty shot
of the cloister at the church of
Santa Croce, in Florence.

[Linking back to The Weekend in Black and White
and to Shadow Shot Sunday.]

Weekend Reflections

The Roman church reflected here
(like many others) is hiding
in plain sight on a quiet street, between
ordinary buildings.  This one is
Sant'Antonio dei Portoghese. (I went to
an organ concert here—the sound 
reverberated off the walls and 
filled this little jewel box of a church 
with beautiful music.)

[To see more Weekend Reflections,
visit James's meme.]

Thursday Challenge—"storm"

Looking back as we approached JFK this past Monday
(8+ hours from very sunny Rome)—and coming
through that dense ceiling of clouds was one bumpy ride!
Welcome back to reality.

[To see more of the Thursday Photo
Challenge, visit Dale's meme.
Also linking back to Skywatch Friday.]