Plain Pretty

La Cocumella, Sant'Agnello.

Side mount on a bed of bright bougainvillea.

Cliff at Sant'Agnello, lovely 'Neapolitan yellow' house and the Vesuvius in the horizon, always behind its veil.

La Cocumella, Sant'Agnello.

San Francisco church in Sant' Agnello, La Marinella. Ready for a wedding. Unlike other Italian churches, this one is small, and what prevails is wood work instead of marble. Maybe because it belongs to a low-profile, humble community, the Cappuccino monks.

The lovely cliffs crowned by just as lovely houses.

Sant'Agnello house, now turned into high-end hotel.

Takes on Water 2

David & Goliath, across Sant'Agnello.

Sunset light on the cliffs of Sant'Agnello. Vesuvio on the horizon.

Sunset on Sorrento bay.

Sunset on Sorrento Bay/ Ischia island.

Night falling on Sorrento bay.

Sequence of waves breaking against Sant'Agnello cliffs. 

Takes on Water

Visual notes on 'water', from Sant'Agnello and Sorrento.

Sunsets on Ischia Island.

All sizes and styles  lounging in the bay of Sorrento.

Sunset at Sant'Agnello.

Vesuvius in the horizon, across Sorrento coast. Always behind its 'veil' (volcanic ashes/fumes & sea mist)

Sun setting on a misty afternoon, from La Marinella vista point, Sant' Agnello. Ischia Island on the horizon.

Where is the Italian allure gone? (2/2)

Putting on everything, seems like they are trying to show what they do not have, or even worse, what they do not are. Result: pathetic. Trying to be all, they become none. Trying to be like everyone (everyone in Italy), they become no one (undistinguishable piece of that uniform, pitiable, disgraceful mass). Trying to shine solely because of the way they look, they become dull. It also seems that women around them have lost their taste, their eyes, or their heart, or all together. While looking at these men dressed and styled in questionable ways, I was wondering: isn’t there a wife, a girlfriend, a sister or a matrona (Italian mother of strong, intrusive, controlling personality) around them to tell them they look far from glamorous by trying to put everything on? Or maybe women have also lost their objective eye. Or maybe women do not care any more.

My further puzzlement comes from a comment I heard from a relative of mine who was trying to introduce me to a friend of his, and providing me with a description. He rounded it up with this warning: “he seems a bit gay, but he is NOT! Nothing further!”  So,  I thought, they have not lost their ‘eye’… maybe they are just flirting with different styles. And while women respond to that eye-soaring game, they will continue playing.

Maybe I am the one who has not evolved, and who still expects a man to look and carry himself like a man -the more manly, the better- and not to wear pants, jewelry, sunglasses and other accessories that seem to be stolen from my wardrobe! Or not to style in a way that makes me think he spent 4x the time it took me to get ready! Having said that, isn’t there richness in diversity? Isn’t there attraction in opposites?  What room are they leaving for attraction? 

Maybe this is part of a fashion pendulum movement which Italians in their vanished criteria are following in masses… 

Where is the Italian allure gone? (1/2)

Just one more objection to write on Mr. Berlusconi’s book of complains: what happened to the male taste for dressing? Italians, particularly in the South, were a mix of:

- bad-boy: tattoos seem to be growing on every single body and cheaper by the dozen, no matter if that kind of ‘art’ really fit with their personalities and body types;

- “backstreet boy”: short yet over-produced haircuts, with over-produced hair styles, with over-over-over loads of gel, and some small diamond on one ear, or on both; and

-  fashionista of doubtful inclination: cropped pants in deep purple linen? Or a mature guy dressed from head to toes in electric blue, I mean, even his Gucci-like suede shoes and his sunglasses were in that color?! Or how about wearing those rectangular designer bags, either hugging their torso in diagonal or hugging their waist, on top of their belts? How about wearing a plastic bracelet in bright colors, with a holographic sticker? These bracelets are not an overlook from playing with their daughters or nieces, are not a leftover from last night’s party or last weekend’s all-inclusive. They are proudly flagged arguing they help to balance your energy. Even those who confess do not feel any change in their energy levels and they laugh at the predicament, they continue wearing them!

If you know me, you know I have no problem with any particular style, and you have probably seen me hanging out with quite an array of different characters. Also, I consider I have my eye somehow trained for provocation and teasing, particularly having lived for longer or shorter periods in places like Toronto, San Francisco and South Beach. Italy proved me wrong. There is always room for surprises.

Words would be redundant

Maybe these shots help you understand my weakness for this place, day and night, sunny or misty, looking to the sea or looking to mainland...

View from up the cliff in Sant'Agnello. The beauty of clear water, as rough as it may be waving against the rock.

La Marinella Beach, Sant'Agnello, Sorrento.

Sunset light on Sant'Agnello's cliffs (La Cucumela).

Street of Sant'Agnello, fringing the cliff...

Muro Historico (Historic Walls) in Sorrento.

Ciao Sorrento!

Although Sorrento is not new to me, each and every time I come, I fall again for its beauty and charm. The magnetism starts right from the sea, with those enchanting views from the ferry.

Its almost dramatic topography, with cliffs falling sharp into the Mediterranean would not make you think of this as a beach place. Still, Italians find the way around to enjoy the water. Just as they find the way around to drive (and even speed) in those winding narrow mountain roads. Kudos to them on both counts!

Sun about to set before arriving at Sorrento's port.

Vesuvius under its 'veil' (permanent veil from Sorrento's coast), from the back of the ferry (yeah, new flag required!).

Stepping Stone: Naples

After those rich days in Rome, overflowing with culture, it was time to leave. Train to Naples, and ferry to Sorrento. 

Modern dome (shopping center) and the castle. From the port. 

Pompeii was not enough. Being the only volcano in mainland Europe to have erupted in the last 100 years is not enough. Vast construction at the feet of Vesuvio (Vesuvius) Volcano.

Mount Vesuvius (big cone with visible crater) and Somma.

Over 600,000 people live around the Vesuvius, in a densely populated area. As picturesque as this view from the ferry is, it would take 7 days to evacuate the area.  It seems that Italians have an attraction for high risk impossible to tame, or they never learn from history and Nature, or they still believe this is a divinity of the genius type (as in 79AD)?

A Farewell to Rome

In Roma, you do not need to step inside a church or museum or palazzo in order to admire art. Art is on the streets, right on your face, like traffic lights. Every now and then, there is a Madonna at a corner, or at some building’s entrance. In all styles, in all sizes, they seem to be there, watching what’s going on. 

Piazza de Rotonda. Madonna and colorful buildings.

Art and Madonnas inside churches are also worth sharing...

Annunciation, at Trinita dei Monti.

Asuncion, at Trinita dei Monti.

Santa Maria Maggiore.

Small image on a stunning wall, at S. Ambrosio e S.Carlo church.

Lateral altar with Virgins, at S.Ambrosio e S.Carlo church.

Luminous fresco of the Birth of Jesus, at Trinita dei Monti.

Frescoes on Santa Maria degli Angeli. Very different from the multi-colored, barroque ones.

Lateral altar at Santa Maria degli Angeli.

The Madonna gets lost in the room with so much visual overload. Sala dell' Immacolata Concezione- Musei Vaticani. (Room of the Immaculate Conception, Vatican's Museum)

Same room, frontal view.

Vatican Museum.

La Pieta, at St Peter's.

Art need not be ancient to be stunning and enjoyable. A touch of modernism, from Vatican's museum.

"Le Mani" (the hands) - by Igor Mitoraj 1989 carrara marble. Donated by artist in 2007.

"Crucifixion" (1927) by Gerardo Dottori (Perugia 1884-1977)- Oleo 1.70x1.33. Donated in 1980 by Tancredi Loreti.

Ci vediamo doppo, bellissima Roma!

(see you later, gorgeous Rome!)