Siena, one of our beloved destinations during our trip to Italy,
is a walled city in Tuscany that has preserved its medieval, gothic appearance.
This World Heritage Site seemed a fitting showcase for this week’s Photo Challenge.
Surrounded by olive groves and the vineyards of Chianti, Siena is set on three hills,
drawn together by winding alleyways and steep steps.
It offers a bustling life throughout its streets and squares with its many boutiques and shops, cultural events, theater, and a range of sporting activities.
The centre of Siena is accessible primarily on foot.
Cars, other than taxis and police, are prohibited, but motorcycles and scooters are allowed.
Come back tomorrow for a look at some other walls. Arrivederci!
One Wild Word is an excellent blog and a trove of information for developing wordsmiths and published authors alike. Cousins Carol Despeaux and Carly Sandifer both have MFA degrees and writing careers, yet still find time to offer tips covering all things literary. Their advice is proving helpful to my writing applications, and could do the same for you. In their own words:
About Us Are you looking for a jolt of inspiration, a new way of approaching your writing practice? Maybe you’re stuck on a scene or looking for a way to describe the nuance of a character. Sometimes all it takes is one wild word to make a poem sing or a sentence fly. In that spirit, we’ve created this blog in hopes you’ll find a dose of wild writing mojo to fuel your next sentence.
I’ve chosen the post below, as it is one of my favourites:
Mark Bialczak is a prolific blogger, writer, veteran journalist, and columnist in the Syracuse, New York area. He shares his thoughts on a variety of topics such as community, music, movies, sports, life, and he even offers himself as an advisor. Being an avid movie lover myself, I have enjoyed reading his reviews on a number of current films.
Today, however, I share a link below from his periodic feature, Free Advice.
In Mark’s own words:
My qualifications: 57 years of open eyes and ears but no stalking charges…Four decades of writing in public about people, places and things. Send questions to markbialczak@gmail.com. Anonymity is assured.”
A couple of weeks ago, we weathered yet another “lovely” ice storm. The freezing rain painted every surface with sleet, resulting in slippery walks, treacherous roads, and a thick coat of glittering rime on just about everything. Oh Joy!
Our neighbour’s view of our point of land, with the ocean view lost in the fog beyond
If you’ve never heard about the phenomenon of “ice-fog”, this is what it looks like.
A ghostly mist hangs in the air, glazing everything in a sheet of ice.
I hoped to capture some shots of sunshine on the glitter, but the forecast wasn’t cooperating. Not one to miss an opportunity, however, I headed outside to see what artistry I might find under the heavy grey overcast of gloom.
The scene is still, frozen in windless silence. I find a stalk encased in a shell of ice.
Abandoned clothespins encapsulated on our summer neighbour’s line.
Who knew they would prove useful for this shutterbug?
My ClotheslineA Frozen Bud
Fences are crusted with frost, and icicles trickle in abundance.
A Twig in its Icy Tomb
The fog begins to clear…
…and the clouds lift a little, allowing a few thin milky rays to shine through.
All at once, everything glows with a sparkly sheen…
…and the “batty catters” take on a cold blue tint at the ocean’s edge.
A wide band of slobby ice meanders in the water near the coastline.
Grass that reminds me of glass straws
The opening sky colours our sea blue once again.
So far, we’ve enjoyed countless sunny days and not too much of the white stuff.
But that may be about to change; a winter storm alert is issued for the weekend.
How are you braving the winter?
Are you longing to put this season behind you?
Or are you finding beauty in unexpected places?
Have you ever been impressed by the beauty of a door? The world is filled with doorways* and entrances, but here are several that left me either pleased by their quaintness, awed by their workmanship, or entranced by their immensity and grandeur. All before ever setting one foot inside.
For starters, a charming little one from the Barbour Heritage Village in my town:
This entrance in Bonavista with its crisp contrasting colours and symmetry:
In Montreal, the beauty and craftsmanship of this splendid doorway:
…and how about the opulence of this entrance in Cannes? No, we didn’t stay there… 😉
We stayed here, our inviting little home away from home:
The view through our balcony doors was also appealing, beckoning us outside.
Hard to top the view of Lake Maggiore from our patio doors in Stresa:
Here’s a closer look of the northern Italian lake:
In Paris, the entrance to the Notre Dame Cathedral is imposing…
…and so elaborately adorned.
How about this golden carved door in Florence? Gotta love the Renaissance.
I saved my personal favourite, also in Florence, for last.
I’ve followedSue on Travel Tales of Life for some time now and love her beautiful blog. From her About Page:
“Living in Calgary, Alberta, married to my best friend Dave for over thirty years and Mom to adult children; my decades as a nurse have shown that in a moment life can change completely. Passionate about social justice, volunteerism and not letting the phrase “What would people think?” or my own fear get in the way of trying something new; the possibilities are endless.
Travel Tales of Life has been featured in-depth by More Time To Travel in speaking to cycling tourism for those over 50. My posts have been featured in The Caribbean Daily, What’s Up Tasmania and About Basque Country online magazines and the HIS Vancouver travel website.
Enjoy the tales and I hope you will be inspired to try something you have been thinking about doing.”
Check out her latest post below for some captivating photos from around the world:
These days, few of us experience the old-fashioned pleasure of receiving a letter by standard mail. So imagine my joy to find, tucked inside a Christmas card from my aunt in the U.S., a handwritten note, along with a handful of photos sent to her from my father.
She writes:
“Dear Jennifer – A note to enclose with these snapshots sent to me many years ago. They are precious to me, but belong in your heart and your home. It was a great adventure that Ralph shared with me over the phone lines. – Lovingly, Irene.”
Discussing this with my aunt recently, she was unable to nail down the year they were taken, but she believes Dad made the trip to Labrador in the mid to late fifties. That would make him, at the youngest, twenty-one, and still single.
An added bonus: his familiar handwriting scrawled on the back of each snapshot. ♥
I have captioned each one with his words.
On Gander Runway
A closer look:
I love his outfit. Lots of layers, warm boots, yet he is wearing a jacket, shirt and tie, and his hair is perfect.
Our plane at Gander before takeoff 4:30 pm
This begs more questions: why did he fly out of Gander and not St. John’s? Who was he with and who took the pictures? Why did he make this trip to Labrador? Unfortunately, we are fuzzy on all the details.
Crossing the bays to HopedaleDeserted shack and our dog-sled at Big Bay between Hopedale and Davis Inlet.At Makkovik with “husky” pups.
No surprise to me at all that Dad would love the little animals!
If only he and I could sit down and have a chat together about his adventure in “The Big Land.” In any case, I cannot put into words how good it feels to see my father’s young face again. ♥
Have you ever gotten mail that made your day?
Is there someone you love and miss with all your heart?
