We stopped at the top of the Spanish Steps in Rome to have lunch in a Cafe. The view was lovely but I was struck by the perfect reflections in window across from the cafe. The pizza was also memorable.
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Roman Reflections
On each visit to Europe I seem to wind up taking images of doorways. Doors fascinate me because of their plurality. They are both an entry and exit. Some doorways in Europe are literally thousands of years old. Here are some I captured in October of 2019 in Rome, Florence and Elba.
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Italian Doorways
Italian Doorways
Italian Doorways
On each visit to Europe I seem to wind up taking images of doorways. Doors fascinate me because of their plurality. They are both an entry and exit. Some doorways in Europe are literally thousands of years old. Here are some I captured in October of 2019 in Rome, Florence and Elba.
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Italian Doorways
Italian Doorways
Italian Doorways
OK, admittedly I have no idea if these people are Romans or not. I do know that all the pictures were taken in a plaza near the Trevi Fountain in Rome. None had any tourist gear and they all look like they were once in a Fellini film.
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Our cruise ship, The Azamara Pursuit was a small luxury cruise liner. Because of that we could visit smaller ports that can’t be reached by the large cruise ships.
hen The Pursuit docked in Portoferraio it was the largest ship in the harbor and the only cruise liner there on that day. This made our stay on Elba more enjoyable. Portoferraio is one of the most beautiful natural harbors I have ever seen. The mountainous island has an interesting history dating back to the Etruscans. The town of Portoferraio is beautiful and filled with shops, cafe’s and beautiful beaches.
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Portoferraio
Portoferraio
Portoferraio
On our cruise we were excited to visit Elba. It is of course the famous place of exile for Napoleon and we were excited to see Napoleon’s residence. To be honest I was glad we took the tour but Napoleon’s house was the least inspiring part of our trip to Elba.
Our cruise ship docked in Portoferraio which is one of the most beautiful natural harbors I have ever seen. The mountainous island has an interesting history dating back to the Etruscans. The town of Portoferraio is beautiful but as we traveled across the island we saw many other gems. For me the tiny little commune of Porto Azzurro was one of the highlights.
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Porto Azzurro Elba
Porto Azzurro Elba
Porto Azzurro Elba
Porto Azzurro Elba
We were there at the totally wrong time of day for photography. It was extremely crowded and impossible to get a wide shot of the entire fountain. It was actually difficult to walk because everybody is pushing to get a shot of a person or a selfie in front of the fountain. It was also the wrong time of day for October. The best time would be early in the morning.
That said it is an amazing structure to see any time of day including nighttime. It is 86 ft high and 161.3 ft wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. It was built in 1762 by Nicola Salvi.
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The Trevi Fountain of Rome
The Trevi Fountain of Rome
The Trevi Fountain of Rome
The Pantheon is a former Roman temple which is now a Catholic church, in Rome, Italy. It was originally commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. It was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated about 126 AD. The oculus in the ceiling is open to the sky so sometimes it rains inside like it did the day we visited. It was built as a sundial to illuminate the emperor as he entered on important occasions.
It is also a basilica since Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known as Raphael is buried there, He died April 6th, 1520, and had asked to be buried in the Pantheon. His request was granted, making him the first artist to be accorded such an honor.
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The Pantheon
Pantheon Interior
The Tomb of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbin
The Pantheon
The Pantheon
Sometimes when you visit a museum you are overwhelmed by the beauty of the art. That was certainly the case at The Picasso Museum in Barcelona. While admiring the pottery of Picasso i was also struck with the beauty of this young woman. She struck me as a vision of Catalonian Feminism.
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Catalonian Beauty
The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona was built in the sixth century and is the oldest saving synagogue in Spain and one of five medieval synagogues in the world. It was built underground because because no house of worship was allowed to be taller than the smallest Catholic church. Of course then came The Spanish Inquisition 1391 and the Jewish quarter was sacked and over 300 were killed. Jews were forced to turnover all their possessions to the King and permitted to leave the country. The alternative was death of conversion to Catholicism. The Nazi’s didn’t invent this stuff they were just more efficient at it.
Today the synagogue is a museum. Barcelona has two working synagogues and a pollution of around 15,000 jewish people with about 45,000 in Spain. Of course like jewish people all over the world they face anti semitism but in Spain like the United States they are now free to practice their faith.
The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona
The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona
The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona
Imagery Photography 