Kevin's Watch

Some warmer-weather pictures I uploaded for your enjoyment:


Roman fountain. The name escapes me right now.



A street artist plying her trade in Florence. I put a Euro in her box both times I saw her that day--two completely different pictures in the same day!

Ah, more excellently crispy pics from Wyldewode! Nice quality of the light in the Roman fountain picture.

Y'know, I have to respect street artists who go out there and do their stuff like that. To have the passion to create art by whatever means and media they have available to them. And from what I can see of the work, this artist you've captured is pretty talented, too.

They seem fearless to me. To be exposed and vulnerable to passersby like that.

And Sarge...haha, cell phone pics! New territory for this thread to cover. I don't take a camera with me to the art gallery because I don't want to put up with evil stares from security guards.

Most reputable galleries will allow pictures without flash, as long as you follow the rules. The Louvre had certain sections (the entire suite of rooms with the paintings in it--including the Mona Lisa) in which NO pictures whatsoever were allowed.

I love, love, love art, and I was so fascinated with the street artists in Florence. They would work in chalk, and the results were amazing! I don't think they make a fortune or anything, but people seemed to respond to the art quite well. The thing that struck me about what these artists were doing was the fact that a single rainstorm, or a streetwasher could wipe out an entire morning's work. But I loved it nonetheless.

I have a few more pictures for you. . . both art related. The first was from the Louvre, and was taken under artificial light with no flash.




And yet another sculpture for you: this is the Rape of the Sabine Women, which is located in Signora Square in Florence. I like how the sinuous statue contrasts with the nearly-regimented lines of the buildings in the background. I also like the interplay of texture.

Lovely, lovely! Haha, I was looking more at the building behind the sculpture. That is a very handsome structure! I love the symmetry of the facade. But it's Florence, after all. I guess you can't turn a corner there without seeing some striking architecture.

Please show us more pics of Florence if you have them! <-- santa-free emoticon! yay!

Meanwhile, uploaded some shots of a foggy, misty day in the park last Saturday, the calm before the start of a heavy snowfall that same afternoon:

Winter Mist 1

Winter Mist 3

Winter Mist 5

Winter Mist 7

Gorgeous winter fog pictures, MM! Keep them coming!

I have lots of Florence pictures, so I pulled out some of the more interesting ones. Just remember that you asked for all of these!



Typical alleyway in the city--narrow and filled with cars and motorbikes!


The famous double dome of Il Doumo is being restored, hence the scaffolding.


A picture of part of Il Doumo--for scale look at the people nearby the silver car in the right of the picture.


The full-length picture of the belltower.

Turret on the castle-like building where the Medici lived during their reign. This building is called the Palazzo Vecchio now overlooks Signora Square, and is now town hall of Florence.


This is the Ponte Vecchio, or "Old Bridge." It is also known as the "Gold Bridge", as all of the little rooms you see jutting off of the bridge are actually jewelry shops. It's been that way since the bridge has existed. The bridge crosses the Arno river, and is the only bridge in Florence to have survived WWII. The bridge was first built in 1333 out of wood and was destroyed in a flood. It was rebuilt in stone in 1345.


The Medici family made many of these arches to connect buildings so that they could walk the length of most of town--and across the river--without ever leaving the comfort of the indoors.


This is an original carved roman lion that is found in Logia de Lonzi, an outdoor sculpture gallery next to the Uffizi gallery. It has an identical twin, which is a more modern reproduction.


Statue in the Signora Square--I believe it is one of the Medici, but am too tired to look up which one.

edited to fix link

Awwww, Lyr!!! The memories of my visits to all those places in Italy are flooding back!! Grazie, amica!

You're welcome, Elfgirl.

Firenze feels like it could be home for me. . . it was totally unexpected. I knew that I would find it beautiful, and be impressed by the history and art, but I expected to feel a little anxious because of the language barrier. However, even though I spoke only 2 words of Italian, I had a fantastic time. Everyone spoke English--probably to compensate for the very few tourists that speak Italian.

I also felt as though I could live happily in France, but I expected that since I speak quite a bit more French and was able to make myself understood enough in the native tongue to conduct business. Of course they knew they were speaking to a rank beginner, but they indulged me. I was thrilled when I was able to do everything I wanted to do on the Eiffel Tower speaking only in French--it felt like a victory to me. I'm easily satisfied, I know!

I have definitely caught a bad case of wanderlust. . . cannot wait to return to France and Italy.

I'd love to visit old Europe myself one day.

Those congested alleyways bring to mind the problem of modern pollution that I hear about in those old cities - how it's damaging all the grand, historical landmarks in those places.

And yeah, the Dome does look pretty BIG when scaled against those people.

The connecting arch is neat. Skywalks Renaissance style!

I was lucky when I travelled Italy. Because I spoke fluent Italian, you get treated 'better' than most tourists! A lot of peeps will go out of their way to help you if you speaka da lingo! (mind you, if you're a blond, they'll go out of their way even if you speak Hindustani!)

Elfgirl wrote: A lot of peeps will go out of their way to help you if you speaka da lingo! (mind you, if you're a blond, they'll go out of their way even if you speak Hindustani!)

Hehe! I got a lot of attention with my strawberry blonde hair in Italy. In Assisi I was walking up the street with another chaperone and a gentleman old enough to be my father--at least!--just about stopped in his tracks, looked me over quite appreciatively and said, "Ciao Gigi!" I still haven't figured out what the "Gigi" was about, but I understood the other part.

I actually found just about everyone very helpful and kind in Europe. The only problem we had was with a few street vendors (some would try to "give" you something, like a rose, and then tell you that you owed them money, while others didn't want to take no for an answer.) One street vendor kept harrassing a girl on our tour, and when several of us told him (after repeatedly being quite nice) that she wasn't interested and wasn't going to change her mind, and that he should leave her be, he cursed us out, and ended by telling us to get the hell out of HIS country, and go back home. I found that quite amusing, because it was clear that he had only recently come to Italy. Ah, well. . .

Okay, based on Elfgirl's and Wyldewode's observations, I know what I need to do to get the most out of Italy, should I ever decide to go there:

1. Learn some Italian
2. Dye my hair blonde
3. Get a sex change

The first two steps should be relatively painless, but don't know about that last one.

Think I'll stay home.

(I'm kidding!)

Matrixman wrote:Okay, based on Elfgirl's and Wyldewode's observations, I know what I need to do to get the most out of Italy, should I ever decide to go there:

1. Learn some Italian
2. Dye my hair blonde
3. Get a sex change

The first two steps should be relatively painless, but don't know about that last one.

Think I'll stay home.

(I'm kidding!)

Nah. . . just do the first one. . . it's more than I did before I went! My tour guide and bus driver gave us a crash course on the way--along with some very interesting hand gestures to use--and ones NOT to use unless we wanted to get into a fight. My tour guide was mutli-linugal (spoke something like 6 languages 4 fluently) and grew up in both France and Italy. Our bus driver was Italian, and very much the suave ladies man--he also had a fiery temper as we found out when other drivers didn't please him! Ah, but Vincenzo was great and very kind to us. He was with us from our 2nd or 3rd day there, so we bonded with him.

Wyldewode wrote: Our bus driver was Italian, and very much the suave ladies man--he also had a fiery temper as we found out when other drivers didn't please him!

That's generic for ALL Italians, male & female (ask me, I'm one!!! )

Some shots of a lovely but cold evening, after last week's snowfall:



(More pics posted in the "I want snow" thread)

Nice pics, MM and Wylde!

No snow scenes around here lately, though there may be some over the weekend.

Italy is one of those places I'd like to visit someday, but don't foresee any time soon.

Just a fun sunset pic I took down at lakes Entrance a few weks ago with some buddies.

Looking east from my bedroom:

Nice picture! I'm really a nightowl, but I do love sunrise!

fog city...morning walk to work, past MOMA on third street