Warm sun, and a table for two on the balcony, for an intimate meal in Rome.
So far I have managed to avoid the images of Rome in ruins, but I think I will have to succumb soon.
Tag: Colour
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Balcony Dining
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Rome
Surprised? Expecting to see the Colosseum, or the Trevi Fountain? When in Rome, find a monk – or a priest, or a nun.
As for the Trevi fountain.. the crowds were claustrophobic, and they have the gall to charge 2 euro for the ‘pleasure’ of joining a long queue to throw even more money away. I came away with mixed feelings about the city itself, but the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel were amazing. Even if we did get accosted by three guys dressed as centurians insisting on photos with us for financial reward, on the way to Vatican City.
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David
No, it isn’t me. My hands are not that big. Interestingly the hands look large and out of proportion, apparently, because the statue was supposed to be mounted high up, and the perspective would have changed. An alternative view is that because Michelangelo carved from an old block of marble that nobody else wanted, because of the faults, the location of the faults defined the hands.
Either way, no visit to Florence would be complete without a visit to see him. The museum is spectacular, for both sculpture and paintings.
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Art
One problem with Florence (if it can be counted as a problem) is that it is very compact. And the Duomo is huge. So it makes getting a wide shot very difficult, even ignoring the crowds. So I leave it to a street artist to display the cathedral in all its glory.
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Duomo
From Venice to Florence. By chance our hotel had a rooftop area with a view to the cathedral. Of course it would be rude not to take advantage. All it needed was a few stars, and maybe the milky way, but you can’t have everything.
Of course Florence is more than the Duomo, but that can wait for another day.
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Gondola
After a change of train in Milan our next stop is Venice. Obviously you cannot include Venice without a gondola, or more than one. What is the plural of gondola? Is it gondoli? Gondolae? Or just gondolas?
There will be more images, as it is such a beautiful city. Okay, just one more for now, of multiple gondolari… Yes I just made that up.
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Reflecting
While the rest of the family went and played crazy golf, I took the chance to have a slow wander around the harbour without running the risk of boring everyone else senseless. I understand this is one of the frustrations of having someone in the family who keeps stopping to take photos. The tide was low enough for me to get down to sea level rather than having to shoot from the harbour wall, and the reflections in the sea, distorted by the gentle breeze, took my eye.
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Beach
For the first time I have remembered to take my laptop on holiday. Oh David, where are you? The Caribbean?
Well I know it looks like it, but no, I am in Wales. This is the deserted sandy beach on Caldey Island just offshore from Tenby, home to a group of Cistercian monks and producers of very nice chocolate.
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Old and New
Getting to the end of the day out in Coventry, I promise. The old cathedral is everything to the left, and the new on the right (he says, stating the blindingly obvious). On the extreme right is the outside of the Baptismal Window from a couple of posts ago, next to the sculpture of St Michael’s victory over the Devil. A hollow victory possibly, as the devil still has all the best music. The reason for the sculture is that the cathedral itself is dedicated to St Michael, and a washing line of Marks and Spencer underwear would have been inappropriate. Apologies to non-English readers who may not understand the last sentence. Sorry not sorry.
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Nude
Old, new, nude? In my mind it flowed. But if your twisted mind guessed correctly you possibly need treatment.
Apart from being badly damaged in the blitz, Coventry is known for the actions of Lady Godiva, who rode through the streets of Coventry naked on a horse. It was apparently not as a quite normal response to an 11th century summer heatwave, but for a more noble cause. Protesting the high taxes being imposed by her husband, he agreed he would reduce them if she rode through the marketplace naked. She did.