They are everywhere! This one is much better cared for than most of them. I love the random nature of this picture; I shot it through a windshield of a motorcycle, not even realizing it at the time!

Roma

February 25, 2018February 25, 2018 / get back, laurettadimmick / Leave a comment

In this episode of the quite good PBS series “Dream of Italy,” you will shop in food markets, cook with a professional, admire some of Rome’s many architectural masterpieces, learn to create mosaics, appreciate gelato, meet a renowned street artist and dance in a quadrille. Whew, that’s a lot! But it’s an enjoyable video.

Abandonment

February 24, 2018February 24, 2018 / get back, laurettadimmick / Leave a comment

Bittersweet moments seen in Florence yesterday:

A temporarily abandoned Curious George:

And a poor, little evergreen tree, still dressed up for Christmas, but with no place to go!

Signs in Florence

February 23, 2018February 16, 2018 / get back, laurettadimmick / Leave a comment

Walking through the well-worn streets in Florence, I am often entertained by the signs I encounter. I like to walk slowly and take in all the wonderful messages all around me.

For example, the following sign below is very, very clear about their products. It is outside the butcher shop and says, “Fresh meats, cattle, sheep, pork, poultry and game.” Wow, that’s a wide ranging offering!

The lower sign (in picture above) expands the offerings slightly. It reads “Meats for sale, fresh meats, cattle, sheep, pork, poultry and rabbits.”

The bicycle shop below caught my eye for the colors and fonts. I sometimes think of buying a biciclette here, but fear it would be stolen and so I doubt I will buy one.

Horticulture in Florence

February 23, 2018February 18, 2018 / get back, laurettadimmick / Leave a comment

It seems like in every season, something wonderful is in bloom in Italy. Right now it is mimosa.

Also beginning to bloom are the camellias

I walked down a wide avenue in western Florence yesterday, where I noticed a long line of street trees that have been severely pruned in the Pollarding method, a pruning system involving the cutting of long branches of a tree, done to promotes a dense head of foliage and branches.

Pollarded trees look brutal against gray winter skies.

Decisions, decisions

February 19, 2018February 22, 2018 / get back, laurettadimmick / Leave a comment

We all know that Easter is coming. When I was a little girl, Easter was fun because it happened in spring–which meant that the long ghastly winter was on the wane–and usually involved a great new fluffy pastel dress and matching shoes. Sometimes even a hat (or a bonnet?) and gloves were involved. One year I got pale blue patent leather shoes and I loved them so much, I can still remember them!

At this point in life, Easter doesn’t mean much to me. No holiday does, for that matter. Ennui, I suppose.

But Easter is a Really Big Deal in Italy. Really Big.

I came home one day recently to find this notice on the door of my building. It tells me that tomorrow, on Tuesday, 20 February, between 4 and 8 p.m., the parish priest will come to my building to give the blessing to anyone who wants to receive it, in advance of Pasquale.

I mean really, the priest comes to my apartment to bless me? I would love to be a party to that!

I may or may not be able to be home for this blessing. I have already rsvp-ed to an invitation to visit Michelangelo’s tomb in Santa Croce with the art restorer who recently finished cleaning the monument and I would hate to miss it. But, I also hate to miss the blessing.

Decisions, decisions! And both are such exquisite offerings only to be found here, in Florence!