Venice - Day 2

First thing on our first full day in Venice, I leaned out our window for some local color (quite literally, as you can see).

A wall with character - and shuttered windows:

Couldn't resist taking a picture of a palm tree.  

Our hotel and D leaving it to join me.

Our hotel's chimney tops:

Now here is a composition!

Oh my, I simply could not resist this juxtaposition of - well, everything!

A sneering lion in the Piazza del San Marco:

Up at the top of the Duomo, one is able to see the pattern in the Piazza:

This particular morning the water wasn't too high, but it was there.  You can see the benches on which people stand while waiting to go in the Duomo.  It keeps feet dry!

Another lovely sight down an narrow street:

Pizza dough faces and a nice reflection:

A wonderful window, shutters, and wooden gate:

As I said, the water was a bit high. 

Just some photographs that please me

More Venice tomorrow!

Venice

Venice is such an experience.  I hope all of you readers will have an opportunity to go there, and if you've already been, I hope you get to return someday.  The photo below may be my first shot of the canals that are part of this city, and one of the reasons Venice is so different from other cities.

This composition wasn't planned, but it is a very good one, don't you think?

Gorgeous sky as a backdrop for wonderful architectural details:

Colors and a curious cat.

No cat, but oh my, where are my paints?

Can you believe this sky?  Truly, I did not order it, but I'll take it with these buildings!

One could get drunk on the colors of sky and buildings. I love the bell tower with its row of three bells.

Details of a shop and its windows.

Piazza San Marco.  Deep breath and a pinch to believe I was really there.

And yes, there are pigeons but no where near as many as I thought there would be.  Measures have been taken (and doesn't that sound ominous!) to reduce their number.

The winged lion of Venice:

Saint Mark's clock tower:  The figures at the top strike the hour, the winged lion below, then mother and child with the hour in Roman numerals and minutes in Arabic, and the final round element is the 24 hour clock.

Three close-ups taken of the clock tower from the Campanile (bell tower):

These are some sights from both the ground level and from the top of the Campanile;  a street leading away from the Piazza,

St. Theodore who was the patron saint of Venice before St. Mark.  The crocodile either represents or is thought (by the sculptor) to be a dragon,

and three views of Venice from the height of the tower.

Finally, the most remarkable part of our visit to the top of the bell tower.  The bells rang! and tolled, and struck, and pealed, and . . . we did hold our ears if we could (and weren't holding a camera as I was), but it was a stupendous and exhilarating experience!

If you click on the photo so you can get a slide show view, scroll through the bells quickly to see them swing.

Did you put your hands over your ears?

Farewell Florence!

Today, when I selected the photographs to post in this entry, I noticed something.  Every time I deal with a large structure photographically, I tend to break it up into smaller sections.  I will have to go back through the Italian pictures to see if I ever took a photo of the structure in its entirety.  Interesting that I wasn't even aware I did that. 

Anyway, with no more wasting of time here are nooks and crannies and odd angles and bits and pieces of Giotto's Campanile to start with.

 Followed by an odd angle of il Duomo di Firenze or the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. Even though the early morning light hadn't yet reached its full glory, it was much better than the previous day.  This day there was blue sky behind Brunelleschi's dome (completed in 1436 - Renaissance!).

Back to the bell tower.  It is hard to comprehend how long it took to build all the various parts of any of these cathedrals.  What makes it even more amazing is realising that over a century and more ,through the minds of many great architects, the end results don't look cobbled together. 

Another look between buildings . . .

This time I'm going to share only one of the many lovely pieces that are part of the facade, and I know absolutely nothing about it.  Maybe you can tell me - or at least explain the significance of this statue:

Wow, she is beautiful, isn't she?  I am bemused by what she is carrying.  It looks like a plume, but is it supposed to be a sheaf of grain?  Is she Ceres? but wait, Ceres isn't a saint; she's the goddess of agriculture.  I may be mixing religions here and maybe metaphors, too.

This building is across the street from the Duomo so it must have something to do with church business, I think.  It's decoration is very special.  

Wonder how long ago this painting was done.  Has it ever had any restoration?  Will it before this work is completely gone?

Here is more of the technique I was going to ask Sharon about but forgot (naturally!).  Painting? Stencilling?  I don't know, and I'm sorry it's so hard to see.  The overhang, the lack of direct light, and the distance away from all played a part.  Look at those windows; wish I could see the light coming through them from the inside of the building.

And now a rapid run through the end of our time in Florence starting with this amusing look at a unique building's upper floors.

And a wonderful spot of color with all these leather handbags for sale.  And no, I didn't purchase any, but I did like the bright colors!

Then another decorated building.  Really lovely . . .

Finally, really special windows . . . I love the blue - almost a periwinkle against the stone.

And those same windows with a totally different look below.

And then we were off to the train station to leave Florence for Venice. See you there!