Spring has finally arrived in Italy! The flowers and trees and bushes are suddenly bursting with buds. Friday morning was chilly and windy and a bit rainy, but I realized that this beauty is fleeting and I needed to get out there if I wanted to capture it. My particular view this morning was to use a shallow depth of field to really pick out a bud or two amidst a soft background. That proved challenging – hard to focus while the branches are blowing around! 
An elderly gentleman walking his dog in the park saw me taking photos of the buds and asked, in Italian of course, if I saw these purple flowers on the ground. He picked this one for me and had me smell it. Very sweet. Very tiny.
Inhale. Exhale. Spring!
Evening Window
Evening comes slowly on, the light fading to a beautiful glow over the palm trees. The city, the sea, the trees.
We were back in our room at the hostel in Nice early on Saturday because Brandon wasn’t feeling well and wanted to nap. I was trying to capture the view and evening light from our window but couldn’t quite get the angle I wanted with the palm tree and cityscape and sea all in there. Until I noticed the reflection in the window, just perfect. With a window to frame it all and give it a sense of place.
Sometimes it takes a problem to come up with a creative solution. You don’t think you want the problem to begin with, until you see the solution and realize that you would never have gotten to that place any other way. That’s what I see in this image, a much more interesting story than if I could have lined up the palm tree just right with the city and sea. Lucky me!
Street Signs
One of my favorite images of this “street” corner in Varenna, on Lake Como. It’s not really a street corner, more like a corner of two pedestrian walkways. One along the harbor and the other a stairway up the hill from the lakefront through the town. Such a pretty corner, with the potted tree growing there with loving care.
Almost all of the street signs here in northern Italy are like this (haven’t been too far south yet, so can’t comment beyond Florence!): Engraved marble, on the corner of a building, facing the street they are naming. Beautiful for a place like this, but nearly impossible to utilize when you are trying to navigate in your car in the middle of a city! It’s best to enjoy these signs as part of the charm and beauty of Italy, and bring a GPS if you come visit. You will be much happier for it!
Into the Fog
This morning I wasn’t feeling good, I am in the midst of a cold. Again. My plan was to walk Brandon to school and then come home, not go for a walk in the park today. Then Patrick said, “You should take your camera.” I looked outside at the thick, thick fog and said, “You’re right.” So I ended up going for a walk anyway to take some photos. I’ve loved the fog on my morning walks in Parco di Monza and haven’t had my camera with me, but today I did. And I feel better for the walk and the creative energy. Thanks Patrick!
Black & White
I’m feeling black and white, after more snow photos that just called out to be converted to black and white yesterday. So I decided to change my blog design to match my mood! There are bonus photos today, because I couldn’t decide which one of these to post. Yesterday, after the snow, we went for a walk in Parco di Monza and these were my favorites.
One of the fun things about Parco di Monza is that in some places, the trees were planted with such a perfect symmetry. It’s unnatural nature, and works in a photo like this.
I can’t decide which of these next two I like best, they each give a different feel. I like that they both give a better idea of how big these trees are, relative to the people! Which one do you like best?
I like the different elements in this one, near, far, random, ordered…
My new favorite of Patrick and Brandon, my snow men!
Lights and Snow
Let’s see… Lights, check. Tree, check. Snow, check. Third largest cathedral in the world, check. This must be a photo of the holiday decorations in Piazza del Duomo in Milano! Friday night was a wonderful photo op of lights, snow and people with umbrellas. I hope that everyone is enjoying the beauty that is around you this time of year, don’t forget to stop and appreciate the lights in the dark of winter.