Montalcino

Sometimes I wonder why I shoot during the day. The 'Golden Hour' of sunset is so lovely that you are often rewarded with wonderful shots when the subject around the image is only so-so, but the sunset is fabulous.
I went to Montalcino yesterday to see one of the many mountain villages in Tuscany. I had thought of going to Montepulciano, but when I was purchasing my bus ticket the agent said no, you will like Montalcino so much more. Rick Steves put them both down as places to go, but who can argue with a local at the bus station. Besides, there was a bus to Montalcino sooner. I went to the train station to leave by bus, after going up that escalator from the hotel to the bus station on the city mount, and then down those seven escalators to the train station and got on my bus to Montalcino. The buses act as the local transport for people and stop at various stops along their route. The first such stop was the bus stop across the street from the hotel. Oh well, it was a lovely climb, walk, descent to get my ticket.
The village is a quiet little place with little to recommend it save the beauty of the hills around there and the vino that has made it famous. I didn't know! Let us just say that the money I had not spent on gifts and things for myself is now shot. Two cases of very expensive and wonderful wine is on its way to SoCal.
Time for a wonderful lunch and roaming around and then back to Siena. I asked the bus driver to let me off at the Hotel.
Tomorrow it is off to Florence and the crowds of tourists.

Time for lunch

Ciao

Siena

Attributing this to that 'someone said' column. Italian trains are never late nor are they ever early. Only the traveler is late or early. Yesterday I was early a lot traveling to Siena from Deiva Marina in the Cinque Terra area of Italy. (For those of you who don't know where I've been!!) I won't get into why I was told to go north to get my train going south, or the fact that doing so took an hour to get to where I started. Hey it's Italy and I'm on Holiday.
Traveler's are weird, I know I'm one, but it is one of those curiosities to me why you would go so far from home and sit with your travel companion and talk about the office gossip while not 'seeing' the place you are visiting. Two women from Austrailia (a long way from home) where doing just that as we past Carrara. I politely (yes, me) interrupted and pointed out the quarry on the hillside where the famous white marble comes from. An Italian woman next to me added how dangerous it still is to get the marble form the mountain, making it so expensive. One pulled out her iPad to take a photo, but was too slow and then they both went back to their gossip. To each his own!
Carrara to Pisa then on to Siena. The trains to Siena are diesel, the only ones I have seen so far on this trip. All others have been electric. Why here? The land was that of gentle rolling hills and Chianti grapes, small villages and peaceful streams. Very pretty.
Siena's train station is at the bottom of a rather deep valley and the city of course is on the hill. I lost count, but I think it was nine escalators that brought me to the top and a couple of moving sidewalks going up an incline just to change the pace. Thankfully I didn't have to climb to get to the city. At the top - no taxis. I like to grab one in the new towns to get to the hotel and then I will go exploring. No taxi - off walking. Maps.me is great to let me know where I am and where I'm going as you don't need an internet connection. My hotel was next to the city but down the hill. and down the hill and down the hill. I was ready to really get upset that the being' .2 miles from the city center' was ya! if you're a bird. But right across the street from the hotel is another set of six escalators to take you to the top again, so it's not that bad. The hotel, though called moderno, was modern in the post war era. The beds are clean, the room is large, the bath is large and I only sleep here. It's almost noon on a Sunday, and I'll leave you with a couple of shots of Siena form last night.

Duomo in Siena

Siena Humor - Eve and the Apple

Everyone Having Fun??
Couldn't resist - I saw this in a store window and it was just too...(add your term here)

Have a great Sunday

Ciao

Cinque Terra - The Movie Set

This is a comment I overheard as I was walking around Vernazza yesterday. That is the supposed most picturesque of the five villages making up the Cinque Terra chain of villages. To continue that metaphor, the villages and villagers all seemed tired of the roles they had been given for this year's summer stock play. They just wanted the tourists to all leave so they could hang up their 'costumes' and become the villagers of the little fishing village they love so much. Oh, yes the money the 'audience' brings in is nothing to sneeze at, but when you take a small place with a population in the hundreds and for four to five months they have to deal with tens of thousands of people, I can see how that would wear on you.
I wasn't able to get a room in one of the five villages - they were sold out - so I stayed just north in Deiva Marina and I am so happy I did. I stayed at the Hotel Clelia and it is a three star 'resort' near the beach there and they make no excuses for their catering to tourists. The room was the best I have stayed in so far, the staff very helpful and they have an excellent restaurant serving local foods. A little expensive, but it is a resort. The town, even here goes from a population of around nine hundred to over ten thousand during the summer. Another reason I was happy with my choice was when I saw the travelers in Riomaggiore, the favored village by several tour books, hauling their luggage up the hand hewn rock steps up to their quaint little room. I had a lift to the second floor.
The villages are picturesque and the colors, though fading and chipping, are memorable for their 'Mediterranean' look. All stacked up atop and next to each other. The ferry boats that go from village to village is the only way to travel here, unless you are an avid hiker. But two of the trails were closed and that limited their walks.
Off to Siena today on my way to Florence and the tons of tourists I'll find there, but with a week I should be able to pick and choose my battles.
I'll leave you with a shot of a fisherman in the setting sun.

Fishing at Deiva Marina, Italy

Ciao

Okay, It's Official!! I'm swamped.

I have just been taking pictures and not having any time to even look at them and do a fast edit for the ones I think will be worth working on in HDR, or something else. I have a s@#t load of files to go through!!! Something for the rainy (I hope for SoCal) winter days.
Last time I was able to post was after Milan, then there was Venice and now I am in Lucca and tomorrow I am off to Cinque Terra and then into Siena before settling in to Florence for an extended period.
I am beginning to see that I am drawn to places with or around water. The Lakes in Italy - Como - Venice, where everything goes by boat, and the ocean of course. The one thing I am tired of is fighting with the tourists for position for taking a photo or getting in line to go through an attraction. I am saving my 'indoor' jaunts for Florence.
Venice was great to be out on the water. The convenience of the water "buses' was even relaxing. I took the tour around Venice a couple of times just the see it from the water.
I have noticed a subtle difference between the French and the Italians. Both their languages use a lot of letters to spell their words. The French realize this and drop letters in speaking constantly. You look at a word spelled out and hear it spoken and it's "how did they come to that??!" Now the Italians also know they have way too many letters in their words, but they insist on pronouncing each and every one. An Italian can be telling you something and you can go to the restroom and come back and they are still telling you the same story.
Why Lucca?, you may have said. Well it is on the way to the west from Venice and it is a small fortified city that Napoleon took a fancy to and didn't have it torn down, and there was no military presence here in the war, so no Allied bombing, and that means there are plenty of very old - original - churches and murals and buildings. AND there are not a lot of tourists. Some but no crowds.

Just so you know I was in Venice

Where are all the boats? Simple - 10 stop ND at 15 sec and puff - they're gone. Levels the water too.

Storm eating the sunset. Followed by marble sized hale.

Oh! Not to forget - a great dinner last night at one of +Rick Steves' recommendations - Osteria Via S. Giorgio. Had a pasta with a light gorgonzola sauce with small pieces of melon. Yum! and then I went all out for the Fiermente steak that was a T-Bone and the juiciest piece of meat I have had in years. I'm still full.

Ciao

Milan - Fashion Week

And I thought that Paris was full of clothes shops. All the 'Fashion Mavens' all over the place and the Russian Ballet opening the season at La Scala AND the Milan Film Festival. Oh, did I mention that it is overcast and on again off again drizzles. As Rick Steves' says "Milan is an exhausting city for walking' , but I did the best I could.
Got mostly around the Parco Sempione, the Castello Sforzesco and of course I braved the pickpockets at the Duomo. but with the weather and my head a little stuffy, I didn't want to push it and be sick for Venice - my next stop - tomorrow.
Here are a few shots, though not my most inspired day. Better people watching and they go onto Google+ instead of here. Got to look now don't ya?

Building has a bigger 'sword' don't you think? Duomo, Milan

Castle Milan from the park

TGV to Venice in the morning and I'm off for a pizza before bed.

Ciao

Oops! It's Wednesday Already

I got out of Torino with all my gear (my backpack almost got boosted in train station - No harm on foul, though much more leery now in public.)
Went to Varenna on Sunday to the heart of the Italian Lake District. I now see why those who have money want to find a lakeside villa and wile away their moments with quiet tranquility. It is such a fabulous place and is at the top of my list - so far - for a return visit. The time for my being here has been with low tourist traffic and good weather, though a little hazy but that's just me. Varenna is at the center of the Mid-lake area of Lake Como with the ferries running many hours between Varenna-Bellagio-Tremezzo-Menagio. All the places you want to see. It takes no more than a few minutes to go between any of these villages and less than an hour to make the circuit. Varenna being the less 'glitzy' of the bunch and fewer upscale shops. Wander around, find a nice shady bench and watch the lake rise and fall - OR - find a table near the water, order a limoncello, sip, watch, sip, watch - you get the idea. New favorite pastime. Food is good - it's Italy - come on! I'm very happy with the decision to come here.

Varenna

Menagio Harbor

Peaceful Garden at Villa Melzi - Bellagio

Sunset From Varenna

Varenna Night where the Ferry Lands

I am now in Milano, using a WiFi in the room and will go out and explore before Dinner. I hear there is a dynamite gelato shop not far from the hotel - other new best thing to do in Italy!!

Ciao

Cliff Notes - France to Itlaia

The last three days have been just like the rest - Fabulous!!! Is it great to say that??
I left Paris on the TGV to Lyon on Thursday. Why stop in Lyon?
For the Lumiere Musee, I wish I had more fore knowledge about them and their work in Film history, but Edison and Eastmen crowd them out in the States. The Museum is in their old house - beautiful, and innovative in its day as well. The factory for their plates was right out their front door, but is all gone now.
For the Roman ruins on the hill in the old part of the city. There is a large and small amphitheater there, a good early history museum that was closed just as I arrived. Well I choose the Lumiere over them just in case. The amphitheater is used for concerts and plays today, it is still good.
Walked the old town and had dinner at Les Lyonaisse, where I tried the Salade Lyonaisse - made with greens, onions, tomatoes, croutons, Cooked 'bacon' the size of the croutons and topped off with a poached egg. Wonderful. I have never tried a Quenelle. I thought I was eating a cloud, it was so fluffy and smooth. It is a combination of pike - very well pureed (NO, NO, NO - don't think of the "Bass-o-matic"!!), poached and I think baked to finish in a Lobster sauce that I threatened the waiter with bodily harm if he attempted to remove the casserole plate before I had soaked up every drop of the sauce with my bread. I don't know I will ever again taste such mouth watering goodness again!!
Friday - Let for Turin and not knowing I had to reserve a seat on the TGV (thought it was just a regular train) the folks at the train sent me on to Chembery near the France/Italian border. The +, it is a beautiful little town nestled along a lake near the mountains. Worth a visit if you can. The -, not knowing if I'd get to Turin. Long story short, the conductor got me on, he had a little eight seat room in a car just for people like me I think. Met a young lady from Austrailian traveling as I am. Checked in to my room - great. (Side bar - The Italian government changed the 'star ratings' rules in the last couple of years and some formerly 4 star places are now 3 stars hotel. I think it has to do with the number of rooms and such, for the quality of this place "Hotel Valentino du Parc" is exceptional. Three stars will be just fine for me.)
Spent the day roaming around Turin and and now I am back, downloading and getting ready for a massage. I hear I am on vacation and I am allowed to do these sort of things. I shot a lot of captures today and I'll try to include some, but no guarantee.

This is the Bridge Passerelle du Palais de Justice over the Soame River in Lyon, with the Cathedral Fourviere on the hill.

Just two guys hanging around by the river all in white paint. You'd think they'd get cold.

Still downloading today and time for my massage.

Off to Lake Come tomorrow and staying in Vareena.

Chio

Last Day of Paris - Well for Me, Anyway

Tuesday was an incredible productive day. Though you should not use productive when on Holiday, but it was. Got the laundry done - always a chore, as who wants to do it anyway especially when you're in Paris. Oh Well. Wanted to 'check off' a few more things in Paris. Rodin Museum - Glad I went. Tower in Montparnasse for a view of the city - okay, a little hazy, but okay. I had decided to go to the Eiffel Tower for sunset and night shooting, but it was only about 5PM, so I get out the old Rick Steves' Pari book on the iPad and look to see what else may be around and of interest. Rue Cler is a small little walk street in the 7th Arr that is just a stone's throw from the Eiffel and I was getting a bit peckish, so off I stroll. Walking again! Sort of a Brentwood neighborhood, with prices to match, but very tree lined and busy with peds. Got a Capresse Salad with the best tomatoes and cheese I have had yet. The bread was just a baguette, but what a flavor and just perfect crust. It is called the 'Corner Cafe' on Rue Cler. Just spent about two hours having a beer, salad and of course - cafe gourmand.
Wondered over to the Eiffel and did some more people watching as the sun was slowly setting. See what you think:

And here's a little 10 sec treat of sunset itself.

Not bad except for the idiot who stood in front of the camera.

I'll try to blog tomorrow, but I'm traveling for the next three days. First Lyon, then Turin Italy and then on to Varenna to stay for three days on Lake Como.

Bahia

Sunday was a relax day here for me and every Parisian. Except for a few Brazilians. It was their annual march and "Bahia" fete. I was lucky enough to find out about it through +Photowalk Paris. I met a couple from the group, but we all started shooting and as the parade began to march down the street, I lost them and had to console myself with a good meal instead. Here are a few shots from the Bahia:

I didn't realize I was standing next to this women as I was looking up the street. As I turned, she was just finishing posing for friends and started to walk away. Just had time to raise the camera and 'snap'. Love my Sony a7.

She was part of one of four band and dance groups that were having a great time. It's hard to stand still with a Brazilian beat.

Monday may just turn out to be R&R as I have to get ready to leave Paris on Thursday. I realize that this may be the last really good WiFi I may see for awhile and I need to upload some work to the website. I have neglected it in favor of the blog.

Adieu

Saturday Walk Around Marais and more

I keep complaining about walking so much, but after a day moving around in this city, going from place to place, I realize I haven't been on the Metro and I have walked all day. That's just what you do here. You walk. You look. You hear. You hear all languages from all over the world. But a big difference I find here as opposed to say New York is that you can hear all these different languages on any one street. In NYC, you need to go to certain sections of the city to hear say Italian, or Spanish, or African. Paris may be divided in its living areas, because of cost factors as much as anything else, but every street has a mixture of all kinds of shops. I have never in my life seen so many stores related to clothes. Dresses, menswear, shoes, accessories, retailers, wholesalers. You can buy from wholesalers directly. There must be more clothing related shops here than in any other place.
There is a little market area in Marais that has many 'ethic' restaurants from Japanese to Moroccan to Spanish. I tried the Moroccan and the couscous was the best I have ever had. With meat balls (no, there were beef) and chicken and olives and veggies. Good start. Today, instead of telling about the walk here are some shots from the day. I had time this morning to put some together.

Crepe Maker with an Attitude - People Love Him

Morocain if you please

It was a day to sign up for Fall activities at the Marais City Hall. Many booths were set up outside in the street.

What a great Activity Center. Here's an Aikido Demonstration, but others all around as well.

Saturday in the local park. May be just like any other day to these guys.

Chocolates anyone?

Charming little apartment - Under the Pont Louis-Phillppe

Doesn't just everyone bring their piano to the Pont d'Arcole on a Saturday?

Enjoying a drink with friends as the sun heads to sunset on the Seine. If you forgot your own wine or beer, there is someone roaming around to sell you some.

The sun is setting over the Seine from the Pont Neuf

Lots of Boat traffic

Heading Home or Out for the Saturday Night fete?

Moon over Mandela Park near Les Halles

Home again, Home again jiggy jig - Rue d'Clery

That, and a few more spots, was my Saturday walk around Marais. Today there is a Brazilian Festival going on.

Have a great day.

Versailles

Yesterday - Friday - I took the very short journey to Versailles. And then walked all day - about 10-12 miles with the walk from the train station, thru the Chateau, thru the Gardens, then over the the Grand and the Petit Trianon and of course to Marie's Farm Village and then the walk back to the train station and a mere few blocks from the Metro stop to the Apartment. I'm tried again just thinking of it. So I slept in and will go over to some nights to see that side of Paris.
Versailles is Enormous! I think that between here and Petersgof in Russia it maybe a tie. Peter used a lot of Gold on the inside and the outside. Louis XIV used less and little outside - save the gate and accents but much better sculpted ceilings. Both suffered through Revolutions that destroyed or diminished the splendor of both. I see the French working on the repair of Versailles, but the Russians are really putting in time and money on Petersgof. Both are amazing to say the least. That some rulers would spend so much of their GDP  on their little pet luxuries is - wait a minute - I think I would rather we spent more money on that sort of artistic creations then on arms. I know their attitude was wrong, but the collective artistic achievements were staggering. Now, our government at least cuts spending on everything artistic. (Sorry, Getting off the horse.)
The gardens are very - everything! Beautifully arranged and though the fountains were off, and the largest is under repair for another year, it is easy to see the splendor. But it must be the farmer's roots in me, but I thought the farm village that Marie had built was marvelous for the historic value at least. I had always thought she built a barn and a little house to remember her homeland. But it is several houses - a village - and still a working farm. Everything raised and grown there was for the Royal table and today you can buy the produce in town marche.
As usual, I am downloading the images from yesterday now as I write this and will see if there is anything I can quickly put together for this blog. It is taking a long time today as I shot 1100 pix.

Panorama of Entrance

Need to use this more often.

Overcast works well sometimes

Working on the rest and will drop a blog tomorrow.

Adieu

What? Another day on Holiday??!

Some days you wake up and say to yourself, "Where do I need to go today?" Then you finish the thought with "In Paris!!" What a task, I have to tell you. Decisions right and left. All the time in the world. Where to go, what to do.
Great way to wake up! Paris laid out before you and after eight days of figuring this place out (haha) I have an other seven to just poke around and take shots. Tomorrow I go to Versailles.
Today was the Pantheon and a late entry to Notre Dame. I got there at about 3:30 and was inside in less then fifteen minutes. When I first got here, I went down to the Cathedral and the line was doubled back on itself three times and about an hour and a half to get to the door. I know I should have been excited to be inside and seeing the Cathedral of Paris from all those great books and movies, seeing the great glass windows and the glory and the majesty of the "Church". There was no line to hamper my time looking around, but I felt very under whelmed. I think Chartres was more impressive. Maybe it was the overcast day that prevented the sun from shining through those windows. That's it.
Came outside and almost froze, the temperature had dropped and again it looks like rain. It must be the season. Hoping Versailles will have a little sun tomorrow.

Pantheon

Notre Dame

I don't like my results from here as I had to shoot with a very hi ISO and no tripod. Have to work on them later.

Have a great day.

Today was the Louvre, WOW

WOW in so far as there is so much to see; WOW because the building itself is magnificent. And WOW,  I really hate Japanese tourists!!! One even told me to move so she could take a snap NOW with her friend posed in front of Renoir. I didn't even try to get close to Mona! I asked a guard if he sees many people actually looking at the works or do they just snap and move on to the next as they mentally check an 'important work' off a list. Important to whom? Obviously not them, they are just on this large scavenger hunt through the museums and monuments of Europe to see how many they can stand in front of.
But I did pause and rejoice for a few moments as I looked over the shoulder of an art student sketching a detail of a Delacroix. That's the way to 'see' a work of art. He was very good as well. I try to see the brush strokes and imagine how the artist painted the piece. Some of the Flemish painters used 'single hair' brushes in some places. Just Incredible.
Of course it was maximum overload for the second day in a row. Yesterday, I said Hi to 'ol Boney and even when through part of the war museum. Then I hit the Museum d'Orsay and that was max out Impressionists. Every one that you have ever heard of was there with most of their work. Heaven help us if ever there is a massive destruction in Paris. We would loose most of the world treasure of art.
Here's some shots from Yesterday:

In front of the Hotel Invalides

These are some of the cannon the French captured in their earlier wars. They of course can't display many cannon made for Napoleon as most of them are at the Kremlin in their "Trophy" rows and rows and rows.

Big Tomb for such a short man

I'm still downloading files from today, shot a few today, but nowhere close to what I have been shooting on the voyage. Tomorrow, I 'check a few' museums off my list and then Versailles on Friday. The weekend would be crazy and maybe a few people will wait for 'free Sunday'.

This is as close as I Got!!

One tour group after another. 

This is the Sculpture Garden

I will be working on some of the photos of the Louvre itself. The Grand Gallery and some of the Solons are magnificent. I would like to find a history of the Louvre itself and the kings and emperors who have put there mark on her. There are some books out, but they start to go into the art itself. I would like just the history. There is a two section exhibit of the 'history' and that is a great starting place.

Adieu 

Chartres - What else to Say

It was a lovely day trip to Chartres. Saw the Cathedral, walked the city a bit took the train back to Paris. That sort of sums it up, but...
The Cathedral was magnificent - being worked on, but that's a good thing - will get some shots put together of the inside soon?

Chartres Cathedral

For many, the beginning of the 1000 mile long Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage.

The town is a busy little place, I think school just started. I walked down to the river Erne, that was once the center of industry in Chartres - Cloth manufacturing. 

The peaceful Erne River

The building on the left was used to clean the cloth in the river and later as a laundry. The last load of river wash laundry was in the 1960's. (Speaking of which, I have to take mine across the street to dry. Washer here, no dryer??)

Had a nice meal of confit du canard and of course cafe gormund - this time with chocolate mousse and creme brûlée - not bad.

I even got to watch some real drama on the ride back as the train conductor 'caught' 5 people in my car who hadn't validated their tickets before they got on the train. That's a little yellow machine at the gate that stamps a time and place on your ticket. Big fine. 

Adieu

Holiday Post - For Americans anyway!

Here is my quote for today: "I would rather be the first to laugh at myself then have to wait for everyone else to finish." - me, today
Yesterday - Sunday - I got my Carnet Metro (Packet of 10 metro cards about the size of a raffle ticket), ventured forth into the yet untried Metro and with a transfer at the Opera station made it to Gare de Lyon and on to Fountainebleau. It is an easy thirty minute ride on the train and so much less crowded than Versailles (which I will do next Sunday when it is open for free- me and everyone else). Fountainebleau was built by Francois I 1527) and much loved by Napoleon. This is where he said goodbye to his troops on the way to Elbe. Much of the place is being renovated and closed, but what was there is worth the look, even if it is to just get out of the city and motorcycle noise. But after seeing the splendor of Petergof in Russia, this is not even in the running. The place is drab and dull. Hopefully Versailles is better.
Returned to Paris (sounds funny, doesn't it?) I made it for a late dinner at L'Escargot Montorgueil. Had chicken - not! Got a dozen of those little critters with truffles and soaked 'em up.

Who could resist going to this restaurant??

Here's the stairs where Napoleon say his farewells.

Time to head out for the day. Off to Chartres as the museum schedules are bad for the first of the week, but that also means it's Museum week pour moi.

Bon Chance mes amis.