Miscellaneous

So, here we were, wandering our way through the Alfama section of Lisbon, Portugal, when we stumbled upon a soccer stadium. There was neither a grandstand, nor a blade of grass nor a net to be seen.

Nope, this soccer pitch was carved out of the middle of nowhere in a place where a maze of narrow up and downhill streets opened to a small plaza. (more…)

The Cinque Terre is the name given to 5 villages north of Livorno, that are literally nestled in the coves of the Ligurian Sea and climb straight up the mountainsides from the water. The hillsides surrounding these villages have been terraced with backbreaking labour and are home to olive trees, lemons, and grape vines.

It is possible to walk the sea wall between the first and second towns, on the Via Della L’Amore which links Riomaggiore to Manarola.

On this Lover’s Lane you will find padlock after padlock attached to the railing.

Apparently lovers express their commitment to each other by attaching a lock to the rail and tossing their keys into the surf below, as a pledge of their undying love.

On the day we walked the Via Della L’Amore, someone had taken the symbolism one step further, and romantically trimmed this patch of pigweed in the shape of a heart.

Love is alive and well in the Cinque Terre.

You might think it would be impossible to find a moment’s solitude on a cruise ship carrying nearly 3000 passengers. However, at 6:30 in the morning, there’s a section of the Promenade Deck at the prow of the ship that is all yours – simply for the rising.

You’ll find the mist, the odd bird passing by, and the occasional lighthouse winking ‘hola’ from the Spanish coast.

It’s unbelievably peaceful – that visit between you, the morning and the rhythm of the sea.

We visited the famous Guggenheim Gallery while in Venice. After viewing half of the exhibition, we parked ourselves on the outdoor terrace that fronts onto the Grand Canal for a bit of a rest.

I pulled out my sketchbook and my paints and put together this little vignette of the scene across the water.

Since the paint was stilll damp, I carried my open sketchbook in hand while we toured the remainder of the gallery. Do you suppose that qualifies as my first international art exhibition?

Nah, I didn’t think so!

1. Just how bad is the traffic in Rome? You know it’s got to be rough when you see 3 nuns and a priest hop into a vehicle, buckle their seat belts and all make the sign of the cross before the driver starts the engine.

2. Here in Canada, I’m accustomed to seeing calendars featuring brawny, good looking firefighters of the month.

On the streets of Venice, you can pick up similar calendars featuring young, handsome gondoliers. I get that!

What surprised me, though, were the 12 month calendars featuring similarly young and handsome priests. Who, exactly, is the market?

You’re probably familiar with photos of athletic gondoliers plying their trade piloting tourists through the canals of Venice.

But what do gondoliers do in their down time between clients?

Well, as you can see here, chatting on the cell phone is a popular past-time.

Rocking back on a chair dockside and letting loose with an Italian song or two is another option.

When this fellow ran out of tunes, he started playing fetch with his dog. I hoped the dog could swim.

I got up to watch the sunrise three days in a row at our country hotel in the Tuscan hills. The last day I couldn’t resist making the time to paint the place as it appeared in the warm morning sun.

And this is Podere Salicotto near Buonconvento, IT. A fabulous place of wonderful views in an unbelievable ‘top of the world setting’ graced with the superb hospitality of Silvia and Paolo.

You can see more of this fabulous place at: http://www.poderesalicotto.com/

Smiling, sunny, Tuesday afternoon greetings from Piazzalle Michelangelo in Firenze, IT.

So here we were in Pienza, Italy, enjoying the town where Franco Zefferelli decided to film his version of Romeo and Juliette. We’d strolled through the town. We’d soaked up the vistas overlooking the Tuscan countryside. And, we’d just finished a fabulous lunch – Insalata Caprese and Pumpkin Ravioli – served in the warm September glow of an outdoor courtyard ristorante.

As we made our way back up the street, a literal chorus of voices drew is in their direction. (more…)

According to Harvard researchers a mid day nap is a great way to maintain or increase your productivity through the afternoon hours.

Apparently this phenomenon is not news to the Provencal population in southern France. When the hot summer sun is high in the sky, mid day siestas are nigh on to mandatory. The shops close and business stops to accommodate a bit of refreshing down time.

A chalkboard sign in a St Remy olive oil shop says it this way: “In Provence, the sun rises up twice a day. Once in the morning and once more after the nap!”

Darn right civilized, don’t you think?