QUOTE

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way-things I had no words for." ~ Georgia O'Keeffe


Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Back from Italy

Hello all I had a great trip to Florence, Siena and Rome. Although I missed seeing a lot of places in Florence as I was sick with something I ate that didn't agree with me

See this, I think this is what made my tummy go sick. However I loved the dish. Don't know the name but it had lots of cheese and truffles. Mmmm it was yummy. The rain followed us everywhere unfortunately, but we managed to have a good time in spite of that. So here are some pictures I am sharing with you. This sort of fresco or icon with the image of Virgin Mary and baby Jesus or a Saint seems to be quite a common thing which is lighted up with a lamp. Most of them seem to be almost forgotten as they are rather dirty and the lamp is either broken or not there. But they are so charming even in their condition of neglect. One of the many many many beautiful statues and intricate carvings and paintings found in churches and other buildings in Italy. We had a lovely view from our hotel in Florence and the place was so peaceful. We stayed in some lovely old villas turned into hotels and they had a charm of their own. This one in Sienna had a lovely garden

overlooking beautiful rolling olive groves. The room had this beautiful wooden painted ceiling

It even had a beautiful chapel of its own with these lovely paintings. Villa in Orvieto had a huge big tapestry covering the whole length of one wall in the dining room. Since the tapestry was very old and the lighting not great I could only get a part of the picture. But as you can see at the close up what delicate intricate and beautiful work of art it is. The ceiling was again decorated with many paintings like this. It had this beautiful little piano in the foyer.

This a statue of St. Paul in the Basilica of San Paolo Beautiful intricate work with marble chips on the columns of the cloisters We were in time for the blessing given by the Pope on Sunday in St Peter's sq. but too far to take a good picture The Colosseum The Trevi Fountain-Statue of Oceanus standing on a shell drawn by sea horses. Lastly I love the way the old and the new co-exist in Italy which is amazing. I did not show you the important or the more photographed monuments and paintings since everyone has seen it somewhere or the other so these are some of the pictures I thought might interest you of Italy through my eyes.

10 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip!! Those mosaic cloisters are gorgeous!! Welcome back.

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  2. Sorry your tummy acted up :o(
    Your photos are amazing. Thank you for sharing your trip with us!
    What a fabulous time you must have had!

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  3. ooooh Shashi your photographs are amazing... thank you so much for sharing... what wonderful sights to see. Makes me wish I was there... it looks an amazing place.
    Hope your Tummy feels better soon :)

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  4. I am so happy you share your pictures with us, it is the only way I will probably ever see these sites.

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  5. Wow Shashi, such lovely sights. How fun! I had looked up the these places of Italy for my son's social studies project. Wish I could go there too. Thanks for the pictures.

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  6. That something with cheese and truffles could upset your tummy is sacrilege! Your photos are amazing - it gives just a little insight into your trip - which must have been just as amazing as the photos. Glad you are back - even if you are leaving again!!

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  7. Of all the places in Europe I most want to see, Italy ranks at the list's top! I just love your photos & am blown away by the enormous artistic detail everywhere the eye can travel. Imagine CEILINGS with such fabulous views. No boring Motel 6 assembly line paintings in THOSE hotels! WOW! The pictures you took made me feel as tho' I were standing there with you! THANK YOU! As for the meal which you suspect may have upset your tummy - well, I think I would have HAPPILY paid the price! It looks delicious! And I've never had truffles, so I wonder a lot about the taste. Can you describe it, Shashi? Again, I am so appreciative that you took us all along through photos to glorious Italy!

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  8. Sounds like you had a wonderful trip!! Thanks for sharing your pictures :)
    Have a lovely WE

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  9. Thank you Shashi for sharing those amazing photos. What an awesome place to visit.

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  10. OOOOOOOPPPPPSSSSSSS!!!
    I forgot the dates!!!!
    I'm sorry.
    I'm glad to read you had a lovely trip (a part from the 'YUK FOOD'!)
    Florence is such a lovely town, isn't it? And Sienna too...; and you were not far from me......

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