Italian ScenesI had just left Marina di Pisa,
driving along the coast on a small road
towards the highway to Rome,
when I spotted a path amongst the reeds
and decided to stop and walk towards the river inlet
to photograph the clouds left from the storm the night before.
The colourful cranes of the industrial port
piercing a translucent sky and reflecting in the water
were reminiscent of scenes from Aki Kaurismäki's
achingly beautiful "Man Without a Past".
Following the path towards the seaside,I encountered this scene, and I felt
as if some invisible hand had transported me
into a different world entirely.
An abandoned circus cart,a child's two-wheeled barrow?
Was this a dream?
If not, whose hand had
pulled this cart?
We'll never know,only this much is for sure:
The owner lives in this fairy tale mobile home,
under a big blue sky in a reed bed by the sea,
his privacy fiercely guarded by his faithful dog.
A man's dream,perchance, and beyond that, reality:
Reeds as far as the eye could see,
swaying to a secret melody in the early morning breeze,
under white clouds sailing into the blue and beyond,
drifting like slowly fading dreams.
Photographed in September 2009
along the Tuscan Coast, just south of Marina di Pisa
First posted 28 February 2010
Images and text © by Merisi
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Dear readers,
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't mind that once again I left Vienna aside, posting Italian scenes instead.
I have been spent a lot of time sorting my archive (and the neck and should pains to prove it) and some of the pictures simply cried out to picked up and freed into the blogosphere (yeash, sure!).
May all of you who are suffering from the fallout of yet another snow storm stay safe and warm, and to everyone a wonderful Sunday,
Merisi
P.S.: Only about 3,000 pictures to go, from more than 17,000 I started out with. :-)
That red/orange mobile home is so cute!
ReplyDeleteLovely =]
ReplyDeleteA refreshing break from the gloom outside my window! I love the bright colors and can hear the reeds whispering in the gentle breeze. Thanks, Merisi!
ReplyDeleteMerisi, it is a great please to share these Italian dreams with you.
ReplyDeleteHow beautiful that this one begins with a view of clouds, seen from a moving car, that prompts the curiosity of the driver.
Yes, that is definitely dream material. And then that driver is on a path and sees many unexpected sights.
Thank you so very much! This viewer is now curious, wondering what other dreams might arise as you continue looking through your archives.
I am glad to say that New York's snow has melted quite a bit, thanks to yesterday's warmth and sun, and the diligence of many scrapers and shovelers. (Think we might get more snow mid-week!)
xo
I hope that does not mean that you are throwing some of your pictures out, Merisi...that would be a crime of the worst order.
ReplyDeleteSo good to see the sun and those bright primary colours...here more grey on grey until I want to scream.
They are so beautiful that no one can complain. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThe reed beds look and sound inviting. I wonder what wildlife lurks within!
ReplyDeleteThe wind in the reeds & rushes...Hymn of Pan by Shelley. Reminded me.
ReplyDeleteAlways love pictures & words that evoke Italia.
ciao-meow
Susan & Giulia
Love the "abandoned circus cart." And the movie sounds most intriguing; will have to see if I can find it, Finnish film not being high on many lists around here.
ReplyDeleteI would happily follow you to Italy, or anywhere, Merisi. Wherever your eye takes you.
jeannette stgermain,
ReplyDeletelots of creativity and hard work went into this beautiful mobile home.
Marinela Reka,
I agree! :-)
Vicki Lane,
you are welcome! :-)
Francis,
ReplyDeleteyou are very generous, thank you! :-)
I hope spring will arrive soon also in your corner of the world.
Moannie,
I wished I had deleted more, honestly:
Unfortunately I feel too protective about them (what, this picture is not in focus? But that's artistic license! ... and so on ... ). ;-)
May spring shower you soon with colour!
L. D. Burgus,
ReplyDeleteyou are welcome, thank you! :-)
Wandring Star,
I did not venture too deep!
Who knows what was lurking there,
dragons, fairies, the big bad wolf? ;-)
Susan and Giulia,
ReplyDeletewere would we be without poetry?
In my specific case I may have ended up carried away by nymphs of the reeds and waves without Shelley's warning!
"The Sileni and Sylvans and Fauns,
And the Nymphs of the woods and waves,
To the edge of the moist river-lawns,
And the brink of the dewy caves."
Indeed. My situations would probably be even worse...xo
ReplyDelete@ Giulia,
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid the rats live the good life out there! ;-)
@ DS,
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend Kaurismäki's "Man without a Past", a modern fairy tale that never loses sight of reality and Salminen's camera work creates a visual feast. The scenes at the port, where the protagonist finds shelter in an abandoned cargo
container, are my favorite ones. I read somewhere that the exteriors of the port buildings and containers were painted in custom made colours to create the extraordinary backdrop and atmosphere of these scenes.
Once you have watched this film, you will understand why the scenes in this post - the container port, the home nearby, the colour scheme - evoked memories of this truly memorable work of cinematography.
Kaurismäki's work is unique. Another favorite of mine is his "Leningrad Cowboys Go America" - among other things a great tour of typical American small diners and cafes in the middle of nowhere, a trip full of humour, from the quirky to the scurrile ending in the bizarre. I hardly ever laughed more while watching a screen. ;-)
Hello Merisi, of course I don't mind I love Italy. I would like to escape to the wonderful little mobile home...:-)
ReplyDeleteOf course I love all about Vienna too, as I have never been there!
Beautiful poetic prose to go with your bright and fanciful photos, a visual feast!
ReplyDeleteAmazing skies, and the red and white striped awning and inviting greens are magical.
ReplyDelete.....Any traveler should do what you did: leaving once in a while the "safe" highway and following a little path: You discovered a little sweet paradise....!
ReplyDeleteBEAUTIFUL colourful photos!!!!
.....If ever you would like to leave the highway in this region....I could tell you a little secret: it's up on a green wooden hill ..!!!!
un abbraccio elvira
You are so blessed to travel as you do and I am so blessed to be able to see little snip-its of your travels. I have long desired visiting Italy, probably the Tuscan region, more than any place beyond our soil. Take in the Italian air and take a deep breath for me.
ReplyDeleteDear Mary,
Deleteunfortunately, this is a repost - I am d r e a m i n g of Italy, though. ;-)
I am still in bed and have been unable to publish anything new. Besides, I can't even look at all those pictures of the past month, always under grey skies, anymore.
Cheers,
Merisi
I like industrial scenes. Startling contrast follows!
ReplyDeleteThose two scenes were only a few hundred feet apart. Very surreal, but incredibly beautiful.
DeleteCheers,
Merisi
I love your photos for the day, Merisi, as always! Such beautiful skies and interesting, colorful places and things! The colorful, fairytale mobile home is delightful!! Hope you have a great weekend! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThe blue sky, puffy clouds and reeds.
ReplyDeleteLovely Lucca come back to me..
Great shots. Happy sky watching.
ReplyDeleteMy sky.