Dusk and the Wisteria

It was March and the wind was picking up as the sun sank behind the Tuscan hills. We had meandered to the ruined castle at the top of San Gimignano and caught this glimpse of the last rays hitting the valley below. A fabulous dinner awaited us but we did not know it yet.

Cortona fog

Cortona is one of those towns where time seems not to moved much since the middle ages. We were staying in a convent near here, spotless and silent. When I rose at dawn the shadowy lanes were filled with fog, and people clicked down the cobbles to work.

Stormset over Arezzo

A chilly day where the rain and sun battled it out over the Tuscan foothills.



We had spent the afternoon padding around the stalls that threaded their way amongst the Arezzo lanes, selling everything from furniture, antique farm implements, and military gear to tea-towels, used clothing, coins, and African sculpture. This view is from the top of the hill near the old fort.

Salterrare

In a bit of a turnabout I am moving my Theme Thursday posts to this blog as much as possible.

This week theme is "jump" -- salterrare being the infinitive in Italian. Rather a tough photographic topic, I find, but here's a scene from Umbertide, Umbria, with Nick and Piper leapfrogging over the creek (stormdrain?) that runs through the town. It was a chill winter day and Umbertide was not as spectacular as our recent visits to nearby Assisi or Perugia. On the other hand they didn't have creeks to jump.

Anyway I'm thinking that (although I typically refrain from too much 'shopping) this occasion is a good excuse for a multiple exposure.



There's also some pretty interesting grafitti which you can see better by clicking.

Monochrome Monday

A serendipitous parade of kids against a whitewashed wall in Oakworth, Yorkshire, summer 2005.

Italian Stairs

From our 2007 trip...


TUSCANY




Rummage sale, Arezzo




Etruscan caves, Orvieto




Nick and Piper, Cortona


UMBRIA



Monte Santa Maria Tiberina



Market, Citta di Castello




Citerna




Montone




Assisi



Perugia (just up the hill from Amanda Knox's house)


CAMPANIA


Quay, Praiano




Amalfi