• Day 2 Venice

    Day 2 Venice – Today was slightly better as it was not as crowded in Venice like yesterday.  I started off by getting away from the main area and headed to the island of San Giorgio Maggiore.  I went into the church there which was pretty impressive and took the lift to the belfry.  From there you can get 360 degree views of Venice, got some great shots and panoramas.

     

    After that I headed back to the main island where I saw colourful street characters and learnt that it is best to avoid the area around St Mark’s Square.  It is a tourist mecca filled to the brim with Japanese and Amercian tourists/groups and Sudanese hockers with their authentic Versace $10 bags!  So I headed west and that is where I saw a more “truer” interpretation of Venice.  This is where the locals live, no tourists, just people going about their business hanging out washing and going to work.  This is where I got better shots of canals and dwellings.

     

    Funniest thing I saw today was when I was coming back to my hotel late in the afternoon through St Mark’s Square.  There are a LOT of pidgeons there.  A man was feeding a heap of them from both hands.  Smiling away, he had pideons on his head, shoulders, hands and arms.  His wife snapping off pics as fast as she could.  Like in unison the pidgeons counted 1,2,3 – DUMP!  All down his back and neck.

     

     

  • Day 1 Venice

    Day 1 Venice –  It’s ok I won’t hit you with any, “who left the tap running” jokes.  I have arrived in Venice.  Had a good trip from Lake Como but was sad to say good bye to Jennine and Luca.  The train journey was quite good and I got to take in a lot of the Italian countryside.  Unfortunately it appears I timed my run into Venice at the same time there was some rowing regatta on with hundreds of rowers choking the canals.  This of course threw the transport system into chaos and it did take some time to get to my hotel.  The ferry was so packed I thought the next stop was Christmas Island!

     

    I have ventured around Venice this afternoon.  So have only scraped the surface of what it has to offer.  Today being Sunday there were quite a lot of tourists (in fact thousands) around which made the feel of the place quite tacky.  More like Disneyland or Wally World with gondola rides and stereotypical “o sole mio” singing operators.  But I will go adventuring none the less and try to get away from the crowds into quieter areas for some shots. I have asked the locals here about some locations and they have advised me of some good “out of the way” areas.  Shall go see those tomorrow.

  • Day 1 Lake Como

    Day 1 Lake Como – Well it has been a long day travelling with 3 different modes of transport (taxi, train, ferry) but I have arrived at the breath taking Lake Como in the north of Italy, Bellagio to be precise.  Approaching Lake Como via the train from Milan to Verenna I could see the snow capped Austrian Alps in the distance and I knew I was in for something special.  This place reminds me a lot of another one of my favourite places in the world, Queenstown in New Zealand.  Only it’s like a hybrid of Queenstown and Milford Sound rolled into one.  Throw in fancy facades, quaint little walk only lane ways and lighting similar to Paris street lamps.  Stunning is the word for here and you can see why it is the playground of the rich and famous.  George Clooney, Richard Branson, Madonna, Elton John, Adrian Alford (ok the last guy.. not so rich and famous).

     

    I can’t wait to explore this place tomorrow.  Well, I think I’ll rough it here for the next 4 days.

  • Bonjourno Italia – Tuscany – Chianti Hills

    Day 1 Tuscany – Ok.  Umm.. wow!  There is a line in the movie Forrest Gump where he was describing his run across America and a beautiful sunrise he saw, “I couldn’t tell where the Earth stopped and Heaven began.”  Well, I think I have found it.  I am based at the small town of Gaiole, Tuscany.  The word “bellissimo” just doesn’t do it justice here.  The colour intensity of the flowers are so bright it hurts your eyes to look at them.  There are roses and flowers in every colour, long fields of olive groves, sunflowers, birds singing, vineyards and hills with old villa farm houses or castles on top of them.  Photographic fodder.  This afternoon we had a light shower of rain and I ventured out to grab some shots after it had stopped.  The water droplets on the flowers were just perfect.

     

    Funny thing on the way here my taxi driver was driving one handed whilst talking on his mobile phone, changing gears and steering with the one hand.  He was speaking in Italian and spoke angrily to the person on the other end of the phone.  He hung up in disgust (I think).  Then the phone rang again.  His ring tone on his Nokia was the Beach Boys – “Surfin USA” original song.  Then he started yelling again.  I just couldn’t help but laugh at the whole thing.

     

    Tomorrow I grab a vespa scooter and hit the road.  Time to explore with the camera.

  • Day 6 Paris

    Day 6 Paris – Today is my last day here.  Very sad to be going as I have become very fond of this place and the people.  A petite side note from Tuesdays blog.  That kilometre long uniformed horsemen procession that I stumbled across was actually part of a ceremony for the new President of France who was taking office.

     

    Last night I got some wonderful shots and a panorama which I can’t wait to stitch together down at the river on bridges looking back towards the Eiffel Tower.  As it does not get dark here until about 10pm, I had a bit of time to kill before the lights came on.  I noticed out the corner of my eye the Grand Palace had a photographic exhibtion on by Helmut Newton.  So I thought, why not.  I wasn’t familiar with his work.. but now I am.  Wasn’t quite ready for what I saw and when you see his work, you’ll see what I mean.

     

    For a bit of fun today, I decided to place only my 50mm lens on the camera, set at f2.8 and away I go for some shallow depth of field shots.  I caught the metro to Luxembourg where I ventured around the areas of the Pantheon, the Mouffetard and Luxembourg Gardens (the Latin Quarter).  Got some great shots of old one lane coble stoned alley ways and the gardens were just a real pleasure to photograph.  Flowers were out in bloom and there was a fountain there that was just stunning.  Quote of the day went to some loud tourist as I passed them – “That’s the problem with being in France, everything’s in french.”

     

    I returned to my hotel early noon and decided to put down the camera and just go out and explore, taking in Paris without looking through a viewfinder, you know, take in one more chocolat crepe for the road.  I got lost, but for the first time in my life I didn’t really care at all.  No better place to be lost than in such a fantastic city.

     

    Au revoir Paris.  Tu es tres belle!

  • Day 2 Paris

    Day 2 Paris started at 5am and I ventured to the Louvre and Notre Dame to get some sunrise shots.  On my way I stopped at the fountains of de la Concorde.  Being so early on a Monday there was no one else around so I felt I had all of Paris to myself to play in.  The morning light is beautiful here giving a subtle glow to everything.  Was very happy with some of the images I captured.

     

    During the day I visited the Grand Palace.  Currently it is holding the Daniel Buren Monumenta 2012.  It is huge inside and the 10mm lens came into play beautifully.

     

    Tonight I ventured to the Eiffel Tower and the Arc De Triomphe for some night shots. Just magic everywhere!  Extremely happy with the shots.

     

    Photography aside, I have a new found love in the food department.  Fresh made chocolat crepes!