Malacarne black and white

Quick lunch at the Malacarne bar and cultural association in the district of Veronetta.

Getting ready...for the Opera

In the last couple of weeks the activity inside the Arena has become hectic. Our huge roman amphitheatre is "getting ready" for the 2009 Opera Festival!

Via Leoncino

Bird cages

Different age, different job and two Ape Piaggio

Stradone San Fermo, sunny morning. 

BICYCLES/At the Alimentari

When I was little there was a shop like this one near our home. My mum used to shop there every day. We didn't have any big (or even medium size!) supermarkets, back in our small town in Tuscany. The "alimentari" is a little drugstore that sells  basic, everyday stuff like bread, pasta, coffee, salumi and cheese, a bit of fruit and vegs, canned tomatoes, biscuits and bit of cleaners. 

I snapped this photo as I was stuck at the traffic light! The window reflects the buildings and the sky in front of the shop.

Roman marbles scattered in town

Encased into walls, on buildings, on the corners of the streets... In the centre of Verona there are many many roman marbles scattered here and there. Pieces of columns, engraved stones, marble squared blocks, bits of walls sprouting from the ground and mixing with the "modern" building...

Perhaps some have been in those very places for two thousand years, while others have been moved in more recent years and placed where they are now. They look so casual where they are, without much effort... that you could end up not noticing them at all, while some of the pieces are really outstanding, like this one.

Promenade on the lake

Lazise. Lake Garda, one week ago. A quiet walk on the lake shore.

Arche Scaligere

The Scala family ruled Verona between the XIII and XIV century. Mastino, Cansignorio, Cangrande are the leading names of the Scala family. Power, intrigues, treasons, murders, art and poetry (Cangrande was the patron of Dante, Petrarch and Giotto): a fascinating medieval history.

In my photo you can see the tomb of Cansignorio della Scala... read more 

The red flag bears the insigna of the Scala family. 

Italian icons - Fiat 500

A flower kiosk, a red bag and a turquoise Fiat 500 can make a nice shot, don't you think?

Ferry, bicycle and Vespa

A quiet sunset on the Lake Garda, a few days ago. The temperature was mild and the waters were incredibly still. We watched the ferry as it moored and a lot of passengers stepped on the pier.

Lazy men. And she's gone..

Walking down Corso Porta Nuova I passed this bar, turned on my feet and snapped this shot. When I saw the result, another photo came immediately to my mind: this one I posted some time ago. 

While the other photo freezed a scene in a very old corner of the city centre, this one was taken right out of the city walls. This large road leads directly to Piazza Bra and it is sided by high, mainly modern (post WW2) buildings. I like to think of it like our little Champs Elysées, although, apart from a bunch of bars,  it mainly displays banks, public institutes, estate agents and employment agencies.

I just can't title this photo. Have you got any ideas?

Castelvecchio Museum

The Castelvecchio Museum is located in the eponymus castle, built between XIV and XIV century. I have posted about the attached "Ponte" quite a few times, see here.

The museum was restored by Carlo Scarpa, one of the leading italian architects of the XX century. Between 1959 and 1973 Scarpa, with his unique architectural style, enhanced both the appearance of the building and the exhibits. 

One of the main museums in town, it displays a wide collection of statues, sculptures, objects. 

Paintings include masterpieces of Mantegna, Bellini, Pisanello.

Spheres on the water

Afternoon on the Lake Garda. It was sunny and warm, really perfect. On the horizon, at sunset, big clouds cast a special shade of turquoise on the waters. I took a million pics, while my daughter was blowing soap bubbles into the still air. 

I must thank Rob for the inspiration...

Broken dream, one year later...

These were the dresses that two italian performance artists, Pippa Bacca and Silvia Moro wore as they departed from Milan to travel to the Balcans to deliver a message of "marriage between different people and nations", through the role of women. Pippa Bacca was unfortunately murdered on March, 31 2008 as she was hitchhiking through Turkey, choosing to have faith in human beings as part of the performance “Brides on Tour”.

Read more...

The Byblos Art Gallery hosts the "Brides on Tour" exhibition until the 9th of may. Photos, writings, videos, objects from the tour of the two "brides".

BICYCLES/3 White marble, black bike

This is my third post of the Bicycles series. I took a few months ago, on a chilly and dark late afternoon, as I was walking home. The bike was left against the marble step that holds the huge columns of San Niccolò's Church. The tall lamps cast a nice light on this corner and the B/W version makes it look almost like a neorealism movie scene...

Pasquetta

The day after Easter (Pasqua) in Italy is called "Pasquetta". Traditionally, almost every italian go out of town for a trip or at least, for a pic-nic. What we did is the most typical way to spend the day: we drove to the countryside near Custoza (a tiny village where we used to live until a couple of years ago) and joined some friends in their country home/bed&breakfast feast.

This is a superb "grigliata" with pork, lamb and salamelle (sausages).

I have been in Tuscany (back home) with my family and enjoyed the seaside for a few days. It was so nice, once back, to find your kind messages and wishes for a happy Easter. I hope you have spent a nice week-end and had a good time on Pasquetta. I'll be soon catching up with all of your entries...!

By the way, what is it you normally do on this day? 

Commercial Easter

Easter embodies many pre-christian traditions. The name probably comes from Eastre, the name of a goddess of spring and fertility. The tradition associated with this ancient festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility and in colored eggs to represent the rebirth and the sunlight of spring. I like to think of Easter this way.

I hope you are having a good day!

Full bloom in Piazza Bra

In a few weeks the gardens in Piazza Bra have completely changed. Spring has nurtured the growth of tender foliage and the gardeners have planted a variety of  tulips, jonquilles and other colourful species. 

Behind the intricate branches you can see the arches of the Arena...

Pizza and Nutella

Two people, or one very hungry person must have chosen this spot to have a quick lunch...

Museo Lapidario Maffeiano

Among Europe’s most ancient public museums, the Museo Lapidario was instituted in 1745, thanks to the greek, etruscan, early venetian and roman epigraphic collection of the veronese illuminist Scipione Maffei. The collection includes 650 findings of considerable interest, including the greek reliefs admired by Goethe; there are inscriptions to exalt the value of writing as a form of memory and communication. The epigraphic material and reliefs are distributed by chronological sections in the courtyard, through which access is gained to the Teatro Filarmonico, to the underground or to two upper halls. The museum is frequented mostly by specialists, archaeological lapidary and art scholars. 

Courtesy of Guide Travelitalia. com

Bikes at Arco dei Gavi

I recently started a "bicycles series" and this is my second entry. 

Behind this lovely red bike you can see the Arco dei Gavi and a part of Castelvecchio that hosts the art museum. 

The Arco dei Gavi was built in the 1st century AD in honour of the Gavi family, very important members of the Veronese roman society. It was built about a hundred meters to the left (the roman Via Postumia, now Corso Castelvecchio) and demolished by the French rule in 1805 when Napoleone ordered that the arch be moved because it constituted an obstacle for the french army to pass. The white limestone blocks were moved away and left over until 1932 when it was rebuilt here.

Whenever I get close to the Arch and see the complexity of the structure I think of how hard it must have been to rebuild it...

Balcony

There are many beautiful balconies in the heart of Verona and ivy is one of the most popular plant to be seen on them. Some balconies are in full bloom, some are neglected...

There is a contest for the best balcony or windowsill. In september we will know the winner!

Tomorrow we'll be leaving for a few days... going back home to Monte Argentario, Tuscany. We will breath the salty water of the Tirrenian sea for a few days! I am arranging now the posts for the next few days, until monday. I hope you will have a BUONA PASQUA (Good Easter!) and I thank you for the comments you will leave. I'll be back soon!

A little prayer

Monumental Cemetery #3

Another photo from the Monumental Cemetery (and another "yellow" one,  this was, in fact, my second choice for the last theme day).

At the bus stop

Pinocchio again!

..."Once upon a time, there was a piece of wood...."

As we all know, Pinocchio is one of the most famous italian characters, worldwide. I have already posted about Pinocchio twice, see here.

I couldn't miss it, though. This huge Pinocchio stands on the doorstep of a very nice shop of children clothing and seems to be saying 'hello' everytime I pass. In fact, I walk under this portico quite often, it's just attached to the Porta Borsari. 

I am very fond of Pinocchio, I still have my own little one my mummy bought me on a schooltrip to Collodi, almost thirty years ago. My daughter's been playing with it a lot and one wooden arm is gone...

Walking towards Ponte della Vittoria

Rafting on river Adige

A few weeks ago, as I was walking by the river, I spotted two rafts. I could hear the excited voices of the young teams rowing towards the Ponte della Vittoria (Victory Bridge), heading to the little rapid (you can see the small ripples under the arch). They seemed to be having a really good time!

On the other side of the bridge you can see Borgo Trento, a modern district ('900s-'970s) of about 12.000 inhabitants.

Theme day: YELLOW

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