I know I’ve written about Bologna’s canals before, although maybe not as much as I thought I had. But we do have them, even if not in the same quantity as in the Netherlands. Or at least not visible. There are still plenty of them beneath the city; they used to be much more visible but have been built over through the years. While some … Continue reading Bologna’s Window to the Canal
When they hear of the Arno River, most visitors to Italy tend to think of the more famous views of the Ponte Vecchio crossing the river. And we all have at least one photo of the bridge. Mine was taken on an overcast day in October 1998 on a film point-and-shoot camera. Excuse my friend’s hand. Sometimes you have a photo or two taken actually … Continue reading Alternate Arno Views
Just a few words on this Wednesday … I need to save the rest for my paying job. My love of rustication is long standing and still intense and I get a bit of a thrill when I see some good stuff. As I probably mentioned before, I’ve been known to give it a bit of a fondle in passing. So when I saw this … Continue reading For the Love of Rustication
I have what feels like a million photos of Santa Maria Novella and don’t know what to do with them all. We easily spent at least two hours wandering around inside and out while we were in Florence the other week. There are some photos that deserve their own post, others could be grouped, but I don’t want to overwhelm with too many pictures at … Continue reading Cloister Details of Santa Maria Novella
The Weekly Photo Challenge theme this week is “variations on a theme”. As I thought about more of the street art images I have that I’d like to post, these three images popped into my mind first. All variations of depictions of women in street art. I’ll leave it up to you how you choose to interpret them. What I do love is how different … Continue reading Variations on a (Street Art) Theme
I’ve been thinking about doing a theme this week of some of the Bologna street art. As I’ve said before, there’s plenty of your standard graffiti, but there’s also a lot of really amazing street art. I’ve seen some in recent weeks that takes my breath away and really makes me think — and want to create. However, this week’s Weekly Photo Challenge is “weathered” … Continue reading Weathered but Wonderful Art
Bologna is filled with lots of narrow side streets and so many of those little streets have some sort of surprise along them. Beautiful colors, incredibly old palaces, and quite often a tower. The city, during the 12th and 13th centuries was like a medieval New York City, with skyscraping towers everywhere. There were possibly as many at 180, though most likely not more than … Continue reading Towering Surprises
I know it’s been a hot, dry year, but we did get some rain this week. Where did the canal go? I hope this is temporary!* At least the reflections of the buildings in the small bit of remaining water is quite nice, and as always, the gorgeous colors of Bologna make any view that little more charming. *It is. After breaking out my Italian … Continue reading When the Canal Runs Dry
During my last day-trip to Florence, I was short on time and focused on visiting the Palazzo Strozzi and their Cinquecento art exhibit. Despite my desire to revisit old favorites, I knew they’d have to wait for another visit. Fortunately, when we got to Piazza della Repubblica, where we stopped for an overpriced and not so great prosecco, I did at least get a quick … Continue reading A Peek at Some Florentine Icons
My mental focus is on a Dutch Symbolism artist and the prevalent virgin/whore complex of the fin de siècle, so Italy has to take a bit of a backseat today until I get this magazine art column written. See? I can ramble on about more than just Italian Renaissance rustication. And they pay me! Now if only I could get someone to pay me to … Continue reading When Bologna Canals Glow and Flow
A Flamingo in Italy 