Gallery 5 - Italy
My heritage is Italian, so visiting Italy and seeing where my forefathers came from was an experience. The country is steeped in antiquity, with Roman, and even older Greek, ruins scattered across the countryside. The Mediterranean food is often simple, but fresh and to die for. The less affluent southern regions are steeped in local culture, but in a more “original” state (what a real estate agent might call “prime for development”).
I’ve sorted through the many hundreds of photos to pick a few that someone may like to display.
If there’s anything you want to buy as a print, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on one of the thumbnails.
Please enjoy!
Mt Etna as seen from Catania in Sicily. This was the actual view from our apartment’s kitchen window. As an Australian, it’s definitely different to see an active volcano from you kitchen window. Note the whites stuff on the top of the mountain. That’s snow in the middle of summer. We found out just how cold it was when we drove up the mountain. A month after we got back home, they had a major eruption!
Vizzini is a small town located in the mountainous south-eastern region of Sicily, about an hour from Catania. A portion of the younger generation have left to find work and the town has a definitely rundown appearance, with a number of houses in the town centre vacant.
A view from our apartment window in the town of Carini, just north-west of Palermo, Sicily. It’s small enough to have a rustic feel, but big enough to have a very good assortment of eateries. Plus this is regional Italy, so the portions are big!
The island of Lipari is just off the northern coast of Sicily and is the largest of the Aeolian islands. It’s a favourite Italian holiday destination in the summer months, so is well maintained, has plenty of boat tours to the other surrounding islands and an ample supply of good restaurants. In the off-peak shoulder season, it’s a great place to kick back and relax.
Our deckhand sitting on the prow of our small tour boat from Liapri.
A view of Amalfi from the port. Amalfi is an amazing costal town. It appears to have grown “organically”. By this I mean the little streets, laneways and outdoor stairways weave between buildings and branch off in all directions, like they just grew.
The ferry from Amalfi to Capri stops off at Positano to pick up and drop off passengers. The panoramic view of brightly coloured houses clinging to the cliffs opens up as the ferry nears the town and the tourists on board grab their cameras and start snapping (yours truly included).
The seafront promenade in Amalfi is lined with restaurants on either side that come alive in the evening. The food and the atmosphere is pure Mediterranean. An amazing place.
On the way from Amalfi to Capri you have the opportunity to get into a little boat and get rowed through the Blue Grotto. It’s only a short time in the Grotto, but well worth it. Once your eyes get used to the dimness the colour is quite amazing. One warning. The boat passes through a small, very low entrance. When the guy says get down, you need lie back as far as you can or you’re likely to loose your nose on the overhead rocks!
The Pantheon in Rome is an amazing building. In great condition outside and almost pristine condition inside. Where else can you sit and lean against almost two thousand year old columns while you eat your gelati?
The portico entrance to the Pantheon in Rome. Given that most buildings older then 100 years are considered heritage in Australia, it just blows me away that you can wander around an almost pristine building constructed about two millennia ago.
One of Rome’s many cobbled laneways
The Pieta located in Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. Michelangelo’s true genius is on show here, with his attention to detail (mussels and veins) and the fineness of the veil over the Madonna’s head and the folds of the cape at her feet.
The remains of Roman columns in the Forum in Rome. The remaining structures are still enormous and gives you an idea of how big and impressive the centre of ancient Rome must have been. You can still stand in the Temple of Apollo and look down on the remains of the Circus Maximums and imagine the Romans standing there watching the chariot races.
You can’t go to Rome and not visit the Colosseum. And you can’t visit the Colosseum and not be impressed by the size and the technical masterpiece that it was.
Everyone has heard of the leaning tower of Pizza, but this photo shows just how much the tower is actually leaning. I can’t understand how the thing is still standing!
A view of the Grand Canal in Venice. This city is truly and without question unique.
Another view of the Grand Canal, but this one at night from the Rialto Bridge.
Venice is rabbit warren of little laneways that suddenly open up into piazzas. Even Google Maps fails miserably when trying to navigate it’s many narrow and winding street, often ending up at a dead end with a canal in front of you.
Venice is synonymous with gondolas, so I had to have at least one of these.
A view down one of the numerous little canals in Venice.
A view from Piazzetta San Marco with the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute in the background. What’s unique and spectacular during the day becomes an aquatic ferry land at night.
One of the many canals through the residential part of Venice. I’ve tried giving it a watercolor type appearance.
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