I must admit, as we’ve gone through Exploring with a Camera: Holiday Lights, I’ve found myself desparately missing Italy and Europe. This has been the hardest period since we’ve moved home from Italy in July, and it’s caught me by surprise.
You see, holiday time is magical in Europe. The city centers come alive with light displays, like this one on Via Dante in Milan last year. Remember my lead-in photo in the Holiday Lights post? It was from the same street, a year earlier. I find myself wondering what the lights look like this year.
And the markets, oh, the holiday markets! Every town, small or large, has a holiday market with interesting goods and special foods to sell. They are always hustling, bustling places in the pedestrian zones. Regardless of the weather, the vendors and the shoppers can be found there.
Each city has their own unique lights, it’s a point of pride. Here’s ceiling of the Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele in Milan, where last year the crest of Milan could be found. The city’s lights seem to be saying, “Here we are, we are Milan.” I wonder if they have a dedicated light designer working year round to create their special displays. I would not be surprised! The more we explored, the more interesting and unique lights we found.
I so miss the holiday lights. I miss the pedestrian zones and the piazzas, the places where the town is alive. I miss the store displays. I miss the holiday markets. I miss the magic.
Thank you to those of you who have shared your Holiday Lights in the link up. They’ve been a bright spot in my otherwise wistful holiday season. You can still link up today! And tomorrow, a new Exploring with a Camera begins. I’ll share a few creative ways to explore lights any time of year, beyond what you’ve seen here and in other places. Don’t miss it!
Today's Many Muses Musing prompt is MAGIC. Tomorrow's prompt is BELIEVE. Come on over and join in!
Kat, these lights are truly magical. Through the wonderful world of blogging, I’ve been seeing a lot of photographs of the European holiday markets. I feel quite wistful about it myself, and I’ve never even been there. It feels to me like the way Christmas “should” be. I can understand how you would miss it.
Ah your post brings back good memories. I moved from the U.K a few years ago. I miss the xmas trips with friends to the markets in Europe, yes the food, the lights, all the people…nothing quite the same here.
Nope, not quite the same. 🙁
Those purple lights are unusual and so pretty! I remember how amazed we were with the displays in Barcelona, the year we were there. Perhaps a visit to a big American city during the holidays might offer more excitement and photo opps.
I was thinking that too Gina, maybe I need a big city!
Lovely photographs, Kat. Are you planning to come back to Europe one day? If you do, maybe you could visit the Netherlands so we could meet! 🙂
Thanks for sharing all the beautiful light with us.
I definitely plan to come back! It’s just a matter of when. I would love to meet up!
These are wonderful photographs Kat!
Your images are so beautiful!! II don’t think I’ve ever seen purple lights before. I’m having a little light envy here!! You commented on my blog that I must love lights and you are so right!! Christmas lights equal magic to me. I have noticed this year that there aren’t as many outside lights in neighborhoods.It’s kind of sad, Christmas seems to loose some of it’s magic.
I’ve noticed that too, even we didn’t put up lights. Time just got away from us…
Kat these are such magical pictures. We don’t have such magical lights in good old London. It makes me want to go and visit Italy at Christmas!
I’m surprised Kirstin! I would have thought London would have spectacular lights. We saw wonderful lights in both Italy and Spain, I wonder where else they are found?
Love that purple colour! Great light shots.
Kirstin (or anyone else in London), you should go to the Saatchi Gallery. Outside there are some amazing lights all in blues and golds. There are light balls sitting on the ground and hanging from the trees, and a Christmas tree in a helter skelter shape made up of lights. And if you keep walking down the road to Sloane Square, there are wonderful blue lights in the trees there. Sadly, I don’t have photos – didn’t have a camera with me that day!
Sounds lovely Gilly! You’ll have to go back and share those lights with us. 🙂