Galleries

Complete Calendar 2017

Gallery · · 25 Comments ·

In the spirit of drawing things to a close on this blog, here is the final selection of images for my Calendar 2017. Okay, two. As you could see and take a peek at my new blog yesterday, with the new year this one is about … Continue reading Complete Calendar 2017

Ston, Croatia. Photo: Klu
Bernardin, Slovenia. Photo: Klu
Marrakesh train station, Morocco. Photo: MK
A most excellent door and photo! Ostuni, Apulia. Photo: Ditka Bagon
Towards Orvieto.
Im-posing in Orvieto.
It was here that I got busted. See the door opening? Torri.
The Abbey of Santa Mustiola, Torri.
Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Rome.
When I spotted these even before I went there, I knew what I’d be posting this Thursday. By My Dog Sighs, Trastevere, Rome.
The prettiest police precinct in the world. Rome.
Friends. Saline di Tarquinia.
Socerb Castle, Slovenia. Sorry, father, no grandkids. She was borrowed.
Mom is deep in memories. The house where she grew up. Ljubljana.
Stove doors! Nova vas above Dragonja.
Stylish. Velenje Castle.
A lovely old fountain with some doors. Škofja Loka.
Look at that road! Kamnik.
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana. But Slovenia gives less and less money for culture!
Bežigrad, Ljubljana.
The beauty of a friend.
Was this view planned to be as perfect or did it get thus by chance? San Galgano Abbey.
Massa Marittima.
The prettiest one for the end. It was open so I sneaked in. Trieste.
This door would be pretty with anybody in it.
But it was Norm of all people. Massa Marittima.

Thursday Doors, 20/12/18: 2018 Recap

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Norm says to do a recap of this year doorwise, and so I have. I like recaps. They help you see. It felt good going through my year in doors especially since this blog is about to close. Yes, again. I guess I’m eating up … Continue reading Thursday Doors, 20/12/18: 2018 Recap

This is where we entered but the oldest door comes later.
Stylish. Velenje Castle.
Stylish again!
Ready-made for a movie setting.
Hi, Velenje. Can you see another castle ruin?
Mother-in-law door?
A door for those who don’t like doors (there are some!).
Pretty and well thought out.
Here it is, my door keeper. Amore is unsure whether we can enter to have a peek since it’s a museum. But we could.
500-year-old door. I think. The man at the door told us more, for example that they opened the little door to pour out the boiling oil. (Nahh… improvising.)
Another view.
A performance was getting ready.
Well kept, all of it.
An example of going into the light. Can you see it?
There it is, the best light of the castle. The man followed me, curious what I was looking for there. Probably private premises.
This door is plugged in and ready to speak.
Goodbye, Velenje. You have many similar streets.
Lovely.
I might have sneaked in through the open door to get this shot.
My travelling companions. We practised these poses for 20 minutes. (Nahhh.)
Then we went for some icecream and a stroll around town, but as we were leaving, the castle came into view as if to say goodbye. All good to you, red city, keep your people happy.

Thursday Doors, 29/11/18: Velenje Castle

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Today’s doorhopping comes from the castle above Velenje, the city in Slovenia known for its socialist tradition and values. Not a bad legacy. I’m sure not everything is rosy there but the joy of the people at the recent re-election of its mayor that I … Continue reading Thursday Doors, 29/11/18: Velenje Castle

If you pass this door in Piran, Slovenia, you have my permission to draw something. It’s ours.
This is Piran cemetery doors. Do not write on it. It’s pretty.
Now to the united colours of Rome.
A hidden Tiburtina courtyard.
Two Monteverde favourites. I’d love to live behind this one.
Pretty door in good light.
Now over to Ljubljana, Slovenia. It’s full of strong men.
Another National and University Library entrance. I’ve posted the horse-shaped handle yet.
Whereas this is the police station in the centre of Ljubljana. Sister brought here a found phone.
On the way to Rožnik, a popular weekend hangout of Ljubljana natives.
Sis in Ljubljana Botanical Gardens.
The Door of Complaints in Slovenian House Figovec restaurant. No wonder it’s empty. Right: “From juniper to gin.” Bottom: “The hideout of the naughty ones.”
The beauty of a friend.
Žužemberk Castle, one of its many passages.
A fine door of Bolsena.
The first thing I saw at the Mestre bus station near Venice. This is Italy too.
Poetry of another kind in Rome: “Achilles – My heel, which is in love with you, is the most beautiful and strongest part of me.”
Maybe this is what they mean by Multipla: not the most aerodynamic car but it has multiple uses. Rome’s Monteverde.
The last door Norm saw around here. Capalbio Scalo.
Photo by: Norman Frampton, with thanks. In Massa Marittima.

Thursday Doors, 22/11/18: Door soup for Lens-Artists PC

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Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else. ― Tom Stoppard, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” (quotation reblogged from One Million Photographs) It was exactly a month ago that I was forced to combine challenges and today I have to again, even though … Continue reading Thursday Doors, 22/11/18: Door soup for Lens-Artists PC

Gornji trg in Ljubljana in August: compared to what follows the light is gentle but still pretty.
The view from my grandmother’s place in Maribor above the Drava river.
From my first and only sailing trip to Croatia in a previous lifetime.
Piran, the catcher of the last light.
It invites you out to play.
It makes you take a peek.
It opens the doors.
It makes paintings out of not much.
In Lucca there is much to behold. Guinigi Tower with oaks on top.
The last light of that day in Lucca. The sun said: Okay, one more.
In Rome the light is harsher. Trastevere.
Via delle Collonelle.
Park Villa Pamphili in Rome.
Opposite Trastevere.
It doesn’t matter where in Rome you are. You get the light.
Closer to home the light mellows: the view from the archaeological park at Roselle.
The Orbetello lagoon where flamingos come for the winter.
The same lagoon as the light was blocked.
The Capalbio beach out of season.
The Abbey of San Galgano is the light queen and this is my knight.

Lens-Artists: Follow the light

Gallery · · 29 Comments ·

The more pictures I take, the more it becomes obvious that all I do is follow the light. The best is to catch it before it says good night when they say it’s golden, so I do. This magical gallery starts in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where … Continue reading Lens-Artists: Follow the light

Sister’s summer fun: ričet, barley porridge, Slovenian national dish.
Potato burek for own birthday party. Be your own caterer!
And some pumpkin ones too. Burek is originally with meat only. She likes to cross borders.
Party chicken in some curry powder or what.
Then it looked like this: the buffet table laden with goodies.
Visiting friend’s idea: to make plum and apricot dumplings for the first time! Here she is modelling her very first one.
That’s how they look coated in breadcrumbs ready to be served with cinnamon and sugar dust.
Dumplings on the inside. Thank you, B.!
A lunch just for us. Grazieeee, sis! Chicken, potatoes and greens. Yum!
A quick Chinese-style lunch for us after our arrival from the coast.
There was dessert too.
And then it was pizza pizza pizza day! Look at that red!
Ham, mushrooms and cheese to come.
And rocket when served, as I love it the most. Look at that profile!
I sent her this photo and asked her if this was rice. Prosena kaša, she replied. Oatmeal? Buckwheat? I guessed. Millet, she said. So now we know.
+vegetables+meat=
Veggie-meat-millet!
I showed you this salad yet. Nothing special, garden radicchio, olives, beans, corn, carrots, tuna, but it was the yummiest yum of the summer.
Cin cin, fratella, into new victories! Rožnik above Ljubljana is a popular weekend spot. This was apple strudel with sour cherries. Oh yes.
Late lunch at Slovenian House Figovec and their lovely garden. I had ričota (barley risotto) with asparagus, sis had kranjska klobasa, Slovenian-style sausage with buckwheat dumplings (žganci) and cabbage. Buon appetito!

Lens-Artists PC: Yum for fun

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Sister’s good deeds will feed us now. Because she makes cooking look like fun.  Starting with her birthday party where she was her own caterer, via fruit dumplings with a visiting friend, past uncle’s favourite pizza which she makes from scratch, with several meals that she … Continue reading Lens-Artists PC: Yum for fun

Imagine if the world was only pink.
Or only blue. Pretty but something is missing.
A dog! Well, that too.
Something pinkish this way comes.
That’s more like it.
Just be sure to keep the percentage.
Cin cin to balanced life.
What happens if there is too much balance.

Pic and a Word #157: El pastel

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El Pastel It’s as if the pinks and blues only get to play early in the morning or late in the day. Whoever came up with this gender segregation must be slightly upset every time the sun sets or rises and the colours display how … Continue reading Pic and a Word #157: El pastel

In Orvieto the cathedral suddenly bumps into you, or you into it.
Above the cathedral door.
A first couple of beasties.
And this is what exactly? Looks like something from a vampire movie.
Whereas these two are a couple of Canadians.
The full house.
Orvieto is full of little nooks.
We stopped at the rest place with the belle vue of Orvieto. This is Banana-Joe and he has seen places.
Indiana Jones and his sidekick.
Then we stopped at Bolsena by the lake. Some parts of it were already in shade.
But even just an ordinary house looked splendid.
Some of it was half in shade, half in light. What exactly is this babe doing on top of this man?
But when you looked up, all worries drifted away.
Must be a light for Joey.
This head was particularly arresting.
The eyes were a bit droopy.
Another Bolsena flower child.
Good bye, Bolsena, the bird in flight and the yawning lady!

Lens-Artists: Look up to beauty

Gallery · · 36 Comments ·

An afternoon in Italy in late September. All one could want from life, really. I met my visitors in Orvieto, Umbria, and then we went to Bolsena by the lake (in Lazio), the town where I haven’t strolled yet. It was a great place for … Continue reading Lens-Artists: Look up to beauty

This is how I like it: my small pack with a visitor or two and nobody around for miles.
Monte Argentario peninsula is full of sights like this one.
So far, only my uncle in sight. But we know it’s not for long. It’s early September, they are still here.
The view down into the greens and blues.
Here they are. Happy pest bathing. (Nahh, I’m being too harsh. I love people.)
One would hope they won’t venture on the rocks.
The water is lovely, access is hard.
This rocky “beach” is called Mar Morto because the rocks provide a shelter.
So that in this little cove the sea is really dead calm which pleases the pest. Who told me that Italians only tolerate sandy beaches, which is why I chose this rocky outpost?
On the lookout for another of the peninsula’s 17 beaches.
So pretty. Makes you want to be a boat.
If you’re a car, you do NOT try to connect Porto Ercole and Porto Santo Stefano in a neat little circle. There is a 4 km of narrow stoned strip. Bestia is not relaxed but he trusts the driver. She drove all over Crete for a month on “roads” exactly like this one. Could even take this photo. ;)
Look at the blue doors on that house!
To the second chosen one: beach L’Acqua Dolce near the uber fancy hotel Il Pellicano.
The trail is lovely and takes no longer than 15 minutes.
Promises of the beauty to come.
But there they are again! Plus it’s hot and no shade.
I know, bestia. I’d prefer you could run free too.
After a short swim we are off again.
It’s a pretty spot. Next time: umbrella, or even better, wait for October and back to emptiness.

Pic and a Word #153: My emptiness

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I shall never forget how upon moving to Italy my parents told me that I lived in the middle of nowhere. Finally. Emptiness. Where are you? When will you return? I turn my back when they arrive and run home to emerging nothingness when they … Continue reading Pic and a Word #153: My emptiness

The Volterra door that made Norm display un-Canadian occupying tendencies. Read the post below the gallery.
Another Volterra edition.
This Capalbio door is quite possibly the real deal. It has seen it all and now it will see Norm.
Norm admired the elements of this photo. (Also in Capalbio.)
This door is opposite our vet in Pescia Romana.
A parallel life of my parents in Monticiano.
A surprising door found during the hike in Via Cava near Pitigliano.
The prettiest of Civitella Marittima.
A classic beauty of Caldana.
Orbetello winner.
A house in front of a house in Vetulonia.
This Vetulonia door has a cat compartment and was on sale.
A dark wise door in Porto Santo Stefano.
A happy scene in Porto Ercole.
Norm appreciated the busyness of this image. (Also in Porto Ercole.)
One of the colourful Monteverde shutters in Rome.
The entrance to the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Eur, Rome.
One of the Rome giants. That note is at eye level.
Another Rome sturdy beauty.
A door collection on sale in Siena. Norm said: “You don’t need that poster – you could make your own and it would be even nicer.” Thank you!

Thursday Doors, 20/9/18: More Norm’s doors

Gallery · · 64 Comments ·

Welcome, all the good regular and irregular door people, and see the doors that most pleased our top door expert over the years. And #8!!!!! That’s it, I’m getting on a plane NOW and heading straight there. I’m going to knock on that door and … Continue reading Thursday Doors, 20/9/18: More Norm’s doors

Thursday Doors, 13/9/18: Norm mix I.

Gallery · · 35 Comments ·

Today a special door selection from my first blog, of doors that caught the eye of our Thursday Doorman.  “The day I set foot in Rome and start exploring for doors… well I don’t know if I’ll ever leave the place.” This was the comment … Continue reading Thursday Doors, 13/9/18: Norm mix I.

Let’s start with two photos from the Okarina Festival in Bled.
We went to two concerts. These are from the night with Vieux Farka Touré from Mali.
This is what I call well-lit. The National and University Library in Ljubljana.
Piran is constantly well-lit at dusk with competing colours.
Our garden in Ljubljana happy in the rain after a drought. The autumn was coming.
The colours of Ljubljana centre: the Ljubljanica river and the pink church.
I’ve posted this Ljubljana building already but it’s a favourite. Vurnik House, Miklošičeva St.
Two Ljubljana window beauties.
I love this burst of colour.
Lokev Primary School.
A friend in the assortment of oranges.
I often wonder if Piran households get laundry hanging colour code instructions.
Mom’s gifted cousin gifted us (and painted) this painting
The sea in Piran is not always such colour. I think it was after a cooling-down since almost nobody was swimming.
And this was after a downpour. Mom and Piran wear matching outfits.
Socerb Castle, father and cheerful vehicles.
August: Muha Restaurant in Lokev, Slovenia.
Colourful Lokev church that the priest (on the left) opened for us to view.
August: The colours of the past: Fabiani Museum Shop in Lokev with curator Miro.
The return to the Italian colour palette: Porto Ercole. Soon.

Lens-Artists PC: Colours of August 2017

Gallery · · 27 Comments ·

Another August is going with the wind and with it my last chance to post last year’s August photos for my 2017 Calendar.  My blog is full of colours at any given time. That’s why I was happy when I saw the theme of this … Continue reading Lens-Artists PC: Colours of August 2017

Let’s start in Bežigrad, on the way to the bus stop where I must have walked a million times.
I don’t remember these mirrors though.
I like this poster and the mirror makes me look ultra thin.
Faculty of Arts where I studied English.
My favourite used books shop: Trubar’s Antiquariat.
On Miklošičeva Street lurks the most striking Ljubljana building.
“I must go now.” “Don’t.”
Towards the end of the walk I found this bubble and was ready to blame it for everything that is wrong with this world.
End of Ljubljana. I like to look at windshields as if they were big screens.
Start of Piran. This was the beginning of a glorious sunset.
That same evening: I like this kind of subdued selfies.
A sunset with a boat.
A few days later it rained. Tartini Square.
It was Dolphin Day but none were in sight. I guess they don’t like the rain.
Here the church tower only appears slightly bent…
…whereas this one truly is leaning quite a bit and nobody glorifies it: Črni Kal.
Museum shop Fabiani in Lokev. Selo is a brand name here but it also means “village” in Croatian.
The Tartini Square hosts antique sellers every last Saturday in the month.
Doorfie with mom.
Main stars of this movie are a bit tired.

CFFC: Components of a Photo, week 4

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Since I’ve taken part in all three previous weeks of this challenge, here is week 4 as well. I shall stick to only one of Cee’s components, namely reflection. Here is Cee’s original photo for week 4 of her Fun Foto Challenge, upon which we … Continue reading CFFC: Components of a Photo, week 4

Piran before taking off.
They forgot to stop the passengers at the end of the pier for document-checking. We had to return.
The boat.
Italians in hard-hats. I’d be afraid.
Proof-reading under way.
Trieste through the windows full of salt.
Upside down.
Trieste is pretty. More photos in due time.
The grand canal.
James Joyce and I. (Photo: BM)
Throwback Thursday: winter 2012 when I went to Trieste to fetch amore from the train station for the first time. (Photo: MC)
2015 when we visited the Miramare castle. (Photo: MC)
2018, now. (Photo: BM)
Dad in his element and an optimistic seagull. Now read the poem below.

To Trieste

Gallery · · 28 Comments ·

Just in time I remembered that I’ve got a poem to write for the A and I Poetry Challenge. Luckily I was in Trieste yesterday where poetry tops the daily news. The challenge tells us to “turn on the radio to any channel. Write a poem … Continue reading To Trieste

Another mom’s art project on the wall and kiwis in the air.
I brought these little fences from Italy.
Just perfect for these lantanas.
One palm left standing, a much taller one had to go this spring.
These look so pretty…
…that I couldn’t decide just on one photo.
Bestia is alert but happy here.
Sage.
Rosemary.
Not sure at all what this is or even if it’s edible. Looks mighty organic though.
Lettuce.
Chilli peppers. Mother loves them so father planted some even though he can’t eat them.
Purple coneflowers in a herb garden designed by my father. The wall is hungry for a mural.
The best thing about these babies…
…is that they keep coming. They are pretty too. But I still can’t eat them raw even after five years in Italy.
Leeks.
Arugula.
Brussels sprouts.
New succulents but more on these in another post.
Talking of a black out. Bestia loves the sun. And now read the poem that I wrote right here.

Pic and a Word #147: Organic

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Every time I return to this garden that my parents tend in Piran, Slovenia, where their surprising second home has grown, I wonder what we have done to deserve it.  The Garden of Eden and Druga* Permaculture, they call it. It’s been explained as live … Continue reading Pic and a Word #147: Organic