Weekly Photo Challenge: Windows

My window views from different cities, states, and islands and countries.

For The Daily Post’s Weekly Photo Challenge, Windows.

View of St. Maarten from Blowing Point Ferry Terminal

Snowy evening, Pennsylvania

Light, shadows, textures, windows

Dusk, Pennsylvania

Anguilla, view from breakfast

Tiny churches, Philadelphia

Tower view, Florence Italy

Abandoned paper mill, Pennsylvania

Arriving, Anguilla

Leaving, San Francisco

 

Through the looking glass, Italian style

Windows, windows – I hadn’t realized how many I had photographed in Italy. It’s high time to share!

These run the full spectrum of Rome, Volterra, Cinque Terre, Lucca, Florence, Orvieto, and the uber-charmant Civita di Bagnoregio.

Catching fish in Roma.

Classic Italy.

Charming Civita di Bagnoregio.

Trastevere, Rome.

Volterra kitty.

Rome. Where street art abounds.

Uffizi, Florence.

St. Peter’s Basilica dome.

The Bargello, Florence.

Vernazza, Cinque Terre.

Orvieto duomo – no photos allowed, though I didn’t know that at the time that I was standing outside, the doors ajar early in the morning.

Civita di Bagnoregio; I don’t think there was a single window without a flower box!

Chiesa di San Donato, Civita di Bagnoregio

Chiesa di San Donato, Civita di Bagnoregio

Orvieto.

Vernazza, Cinque Terre.

Roma.

Florence, tower view (our hotel was once a castle!)

Florence, breakfast view.

Advertisement

Il fuoco di Firenze

I will concede – Firenze is a way more cool word than the English plain old “Florence.” And furthermore, Florence was an unbelievably amazing city. I hadn’t anticipated anything other than love for it, given all that I knew about its history, architecture and art art art – many of my friends who had been to Italy told me it was their favorite Italy destination.

As expected, I took many photos. So, I’ll chunk it out in two or three posts perhaps. Though, some of what I shot is already in my Street Art and More Street Art (Clet Abraham art) posts. So pop over to those as well for some Firenze love 🙂

For this round, I’ll just dare you to not jump on the first plane out, with a look at my favorite highlights.

 

Lovely Ponte Vecchio

Bargello. 2 Lions, 15th century

Many a street view of the eclectic skyline and Duomo.

Pappardelle with wild boar.

Duomo at night, the view from our hotel tower (formerly a castle!)

“Truth for Giulio Regeni”, a PhD Italian Cambridge student murdered in Egypt.

Duomo

Sunset view, Arno River, Ponte Vecchio. vantage point

Florence mercato centrale, spaghetti with truffles for lunch

Another pretty Duomo view

Ponte Vecchio reflection, Arno river

Florence view from hotel/castle tower

Restoring the Bargello ceiling. What a cool therapeutic job to have!

Restoring the Bargello interior ceiling

Duomo view

The best tiramisu we had, next to our friend Marco’s 🙂

Duomo view

Lovely pastries

Street art

Bargello courtyard. Loved this space. Dates back to the 1200’s, and was a prison in the 18th century.

Fancy Pants Vespas

Michelangelo’s David – as much as it’s pretty much one of THE main tourist attractions – was truly just stunningly beautiful artwork.  I was teary eyed upon first seeing him.

 

Lovely.

David. All 17 feet of him.

Beautiful bum. Seriously.

Really just amazing detail. I have zero sculpting ability, and can’t say much more than that!

Please – ignore the sign and enter!

If there’s one thing that Italy does to a person who’s just visiting for the first time (most likely every time), it’s that She leaves you utterly salivating for more. Please, just a few more days to explore and enjoy and bask in that Italy glow.

Even something as simple – and charming – as French artist Clet Abraham’s hacked street signs, scattered across the streets in Florence… that sort of thing will do it to you. And while I saw many in my Firenze travels, I found after coming home and perusing the internet, that there were many, many more whimsical (and not-so whimsical) quirky artsy signs, not only in Florence, but all over the globe.

You can read a super interesting interview of Clet here. And, check out the ones I was able to capture in my travels, below.

Our fav gelateria in Florence – Grom – happened to help me find this sign.

I only recently noticed the second sign 🙂

I spy keys, too.

 

 

 

Arte di Strada

One could spend days scouring Rome and Florence for street art; graffiti – I suppose it depends on ones definition of the two. But I sought out street art; defined by that which intrigues, interests and moves me in viewing it. And it was plentiful, uninhibited, and scattered all around me in my travels.