Armchair Trip To Italy

Off the beaten track in Rome

  

 A friend recently returned from a trip to Italy and her photos and stories brought back memories of our wonderful jaunt several years ago.

rooftops through a window

 I dug out my photos and relived the trip on a recent wintery afternoon.  Many of the photos I took were iconic shots like  the Colosseum, the Vatican,  fabulous church interiors, romantic shots of Venetian canals and other familiar landmarks. Like this:

Quintessential Venice

I noticed that these weren't always the photos that brought me back to that time and place though.

Vegetable market in Venice

   

   The photos that transported me to the sights and smells and sounds of Italy were the ones I took as we wandered around ancient back roads and down city alley ways.  They are not the readily recognizable places.  Nonetheless, for me, they are Italy.

I'm a sucker for columns and shadows

  

  I fell in love with the cobblestone streets, the ancient fountains,  the tile roofs,

and would still be there, standing on a corner in some small town trying to decide on the best angle to capture the light and shadow and show off  the flower boxes or clay pots to their best advantage.

Dusk in romantic Venice

For better or worse, the Admiral was there to keep me from running completely out of control.  

Stone and flowers

My favorite Venetian mask!

One of two brides I  captured on film

Mary art on a wall 

Fountains everywhere

Rainy street in Florence

Tile roof seen through a stone fence

Lights and Shadows on a ceiling

through a doorway

A work of art

a well placed clay pot

tourists in the rain

Art work for sale in a restaurant

Stairway to our apartment

bedroom in our apartment

Florence restaurant

Umbrian hillside

near Assisi

another fountain

Did I mention I like fountains?

bread and pastry heaven

OK so I went a little crazy with the fountains

So many alleys to explore

sausages for sale

late day silhouette 

nice ironwork to go with the stone walls

I tried to get lost but SOMEONE  kept finding our way back!

Cat with a view

Lunch with a view

Motorcycle with a view

Ready to pick

Every window looked like this

Hiking  old roads

decorative wall

one of our hotel rooms

rooftop patio

dinner for two

flowers everywhere

stone and clay-so warm on a cold winter day

Great place for lunch(and wine) during a downpour

Iron gates with a beautiful courtyard beyond

I was probably in a museum when I took this

    After taking this stroll down memory lane, I am dreaming about another trip to Italy.  Maybe if I skip eating, sell the cars and  start walking and sell one of my children, I can save up for another trip before I die.

Warm Thought for Today - When the snow flies outside my window, I can warm up with an armchair visit to Italy!  I think I'll take some pesto sauce out of the freezer for dinner tonight.

Keeping a Journal...It's not just for teenagers anymore

     Keeping a journal is a time honored exercise for many writers and since I fancy myself a writer, I'm no exception.  I've kept many different journals over my lifetime and find it a rewarding past time.  Journaling isn't just for 'writers' though.  It is a wonderful way to keep track of whatever it is you desire to record.  It can be therapeutic, spiritual, practical, health-promoting and fun!

****  Are you always noticing the weather, keeping track of the phases of the moon or when the cherry trees bloom? Which birds are visiting?  Do you love walking at the beach or through the woods and observing  nature?  How about keeping a nature journal!  This has been one of my favorite writing exercises over many years.  I found a ten year journal that was perfect.  It has only a small space for each entry but you can compare the weather, gardening observations etc with the previous years.

****  Perhaps you are starting an exercise program or a diet.  (It is January, after all.)  Writing down goals and then tracking progress, including keeping a list of what you eat and how and when and where you exercise, can be a powerful motivator.  It is also great to look back to see where you were.

****Many people keep a gratitude diary.  This is easy....just list all the things that happened each day for which you are grateful.  This can be tied to a spiritual practice or not, your choice!

****  A spiritual or prayer journal  can be  another source of nourishment.  If you are in the habit of communicating with God,  meditating mindfully, contemplating a higher power, or sitting in silence, journaling about the experience can be fruitful.  Perhaps you read scripture as part of your meditation.  After reflecting on your reading, write about how it moved you.

**** The arrival of a new baby into a family is a wonderful time to begin a journal.  New mothers  are often given a book to record all of their baby's milestones but there is no reason grandma or grandpa or even dad can't write about the little one!  Along with your  photos you will  create a treasure worth more than gold!

**** I love to bring a small book along when I go on vacation.  I try to record all the sights, sounds, smells and sensations of my experience in a new place.  Along with my photos, my travelogue can recreate moments from a vacation long after the return trip home.

**** If you are artistic, your journal can incorporate other  ways of communicating to enhance your words or  instead of words.  I am not  very artistic  but have recently been drawn to using paint, pencils and pens to "doodle."  I bought a sketchbook and, when the time is right, I  plan to create  a visual journal.

****Some other journal ideas:  Cooking and recipes, memoir writing, poetry or haiku journal, mindful moments,  a garden diary(with photos,) a dream journal, a reading journal (with book reviews/synopses)  Keeping a journal is proven to reduce stress and can be life affirming and lift one's mood.

   Although I blog ( an online way to journal)  I keep and have kept many paper  journals throughout my life. The idea of creating a book, even if it never sees the light of day, appeals to me.

Try it!  You may like it!

For Recuerda Mi Corazon Postcards from Paradise