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The Art Above You in Italy

| Flower Roberts

We usually ignore the ceilings in America. Maybe we are stiff necked and too busy looking down on each other.
You better look up while in Italy. The Sistine Chapel isn’t the only ceiling worth inspection.
The ceilings were complex and covered with gorgeous art and gilded moulding.
My neck hurt from all the looking up. Many times I had to swerve over to a wall and hold on to get a proper look at a painting on the ceiling.
I am so glad I took so many photos. I can study each and zoom in to see details not visible by glancing up.

Are you dizzy yet? The domes were marvelous.

I am happy to have these photos to study. The details of each of these ceilings is so delightful.

Centuries of artistic talent have been preserved for the future, to inspire the folks that follow. I am grateful to have had this opportunity with my family.

FLOW

The Furniture of Italy

| Flower Roberts

Everything in Italy seemed extraordinary. The furniture was ornate and beautiful.
Here are just a few examples of the furnishings that caught my eye during our travels. Some were just functional.

I loved this tabletop.

This is how we dried laundry in our apartment in Florence. The washer was a very small washer/dryer combo.

The building had an elevator added to the outside. The stairways were ancient wonders.

Our apartment had windows on one side of the hall so it was bright.
Stairs were everywhere. I had just finished up weeks in a boot, so I was thankful that I could walk and climb.
The roof-top garden.

The entrance during renovations. Sorry its blurry.(stairs again)

We could have spent a month in Florence. It was a busy place, but felt friendly and safe.

FLOW

The Stairs and Rooftops of Italy

| Flower Roberts

My bunion and I climbed many stairs on the 2015 trip. I credit my success to Dr. Molan and the heavy boot I wore for weeks beforehand for my strength and endurance.

A distinguished gentleman in a corduroy suit.

It seems a bit strange that stairs and roofs would deserve a post, but you must remember these buildings are older than America itself.  Stairs were everywhere. They varied greatly on both rise and run an rarely had railing on both sides. Elevators were not in every building.

Shallow steps like these allowed for carts to go up and down.
The ends of these bricks were worn off by years of traffic.
To look down one must go up!
I loved studying scerns like this with a zoom lens.
The structure and compositions added interest.
We were very high up in a bell tower for this photo. The clock struck hour while we were inside. Wowza!
Downward view from our apartment.

Upward view. There was a tiny elevator.

We were thankful to ride up and down with our luggage. Most of the time we used the stairs because the lift was small and slow.

Not being able to use stairs would be a game-changer in many old cities. The playing field is not leveled abroad.

Travelers must be mobile and agile.

FLOW

The Stores of Italy

| Flower Roberts

It was hard to choose what stores to take photos of and even harder to choose which to enter.
Buying was not an option for most items because there were four of us traveling and eating, so photos had to suffice.
I will note that one of the women in the group purchased 12 pairs of shoes on the trip. Shoes there are wonderfully made and not that expensive. She showed us photos of her shoes over diner one night. They were all unique and beautiful.

Items made of alabaster.

We have a small cabinet in our library which we call ‘ The Italy Cabinet.’ All our souveniers were small and carefully chosen.

I did get a necklace and scarf for special occasions. These items mean more because we limited our purchases.

Stay tuned for floors, furniture, decor and maybe some fancy ceilings.

FLOW

Background Details of Famous Masterpieces

| Flower Roberts

I learned that the master painters were in charge of painting the main subjects in paintings.
Then the apprentices would come behind to paint the backgrounds. It was obvious that a lot of effort was put into the small details in the periphery.
Of course this tidbit of information got me side-tracted…literally. I made it a point to search the margins for interesting details an apprentice might add to get noticed by his master.
I tried to photograph the whole painting and then the tiny details. Sometimes rude tourist were impatient with my careful attention to detail. Imagine such rudeness!

Whole painting below.
Baby Jesus on the ground.
Whole painting above.

Needless to say, I got carried away.

Another detail that got me side-lined was all the paintings in which baby Jesus is lying on the ground surrounded by unattentive adults.

We Americans like to keep our baby Jesus in Mary’s arms or the manger.

But what can you expect from a country that parks their babies in a stroller outside a store and goes inside to shop alone?

FLOW

The Doors of Italy

| Flower Roberts

One of my readers commented about my Passion Vine flower, Blue Crown, reminding me of Italy. I did not blog much back in 2015. I will share photos from that trip while I am trapped inside, prior to surgery.

Blue Crown Passion vine

Here is the flower that started my passion for Passion Vines. This vine had grown to cover the fence of our lodgings in Volterra.

Passion fruit



The rest of the post will be of doors in Italy. These could be in Volterra, Rome, Florence Venice or Verona.


I had two cameras to work with and took thousands of photos of plants, people, art, food, and doors.

At the Vatican.

The doors were so ornate and huge that I got carried away taking photos of them. Everything seemed to have more color and detail than I am used to. My eyes stayed wide open the whole time.

FLOW tens years ago, on the go.

The Perfect Pebble Patio

| Flower Roberts

My vision has come to fruition in one afternoon.
Rose removed the cardboard that killed the weeds before the crew from Ncline Landscaping arrived.


Then a crew came and put in a cut-stone perimeter, geocloth and colored pebbles.


This is exactly my vision. I am so pleased.


FLOW

The Church Rose

| Flower Roberts

This lovely Iceberg rose belongs in the church courtyard. It had to be removed to make room for a columbarium.

Iceberg rose

Decades ago we designed the space to be a meditation garden with all white flowers.
It has a fountain in the middle and benches to sit on.

When death entered the space, the rose and I left.


The rose is still with me, waiting for a parishioner to fetch it.

FLOW

Nature Comes to Me

| Flower Roberts

I came very close to falling last night. We have steps everywhere outside. I needed to water some pots. I started down some steps at the spigot, I stumbled in slow motion. My bionic knee pogo-sticked me into the air. It was a miracle.
I have promised myself to stay on level ground until my surgery later this month.
I slithered out the front door to my chair. I sat quietly as hummingbirds zoomed across in front of me.
They love the Firecracker Vine. Males and females buzzed by my head. I enjoy the sound of their wings and the quick chirps they make.

Firecracker Vine / Ipomea lobata/ Spanish flag vine

Then not one, but two, Pileated Woodpeckers landed in a tree close-by. These two giants seemed to be conversing face-to-face on the trunk.

Two Pileated Woodpeckers

I am so grateful for these lovely visitors right outside my door. They are all the company I need.

FLOW with friends