Italy in black & white

During my second year of interning in Castiglion Fiorentino, Italy, I started making pictures with my film camera. We processed about 3 three rolls in our dark room at the center and I only developed probably three photos because things were so hectic all the time.

And so my negatives sat in their sleeves for these past few years. Up until about a month ago when one of my good friends, who happens to have a film scanner, took it upon himself to scan ALL of my photos! 

It's so fun to finally see these photos! Bits of Rome, Venice, small towns around Tuscany, Castiglion Fiorentino and even my trip to Spain. Way back before I had a smart phone and used Instagram obsessively. I love these photos so much. I wish I had been able to develop them myself in the dark room but finally having scans of them at last is so nice. These are some of my favorites. 

1. My favorite alley in Castligion Fiorentino, just behind the study abroad center

2. Vicolo Ripente, the steepest road in Castiglion Fiorentino

3. The view of the valley from Montepulciano

4. A little lady in Pienza

5. A couple of nuns in the Pantheon in Rome

6. Stormy day in Venice from a vaporetto

7. One of the coolest markets in Barcelona

8. Park Guell in Barcelona

last bits & pieces of Italia

The time has come to leave Italy. I actually left nearly a full day ago now. Currently hanging in New York on another lengthy layover. Then a couple more flights tomorrow and I'll be back home in California! 

Hard to believe that it is technically still the day that I left, and yet so much time has passed...yet not according to my watch. Boh. Westbound travel is always mind-boggling, how you kinda sorta time travel a bit...wibbly wobbly timey whimey...

Back to Italy! My last night in Rome was incredible! The lovely and talented Gina Gomez gave me a list of things to do and places to eat for the perfect last night. And it was rather perfect. I checked in then cruised over to the Colosseum to sketch. Then wandered through my favorite corner of Rome to the Pantheon to sketch some more. I then cruised to Piazza Navona for another sketch and an Aperitivo! 

After my last Spritz, I went to check out the dinner spot. Unfortunately it was closed, and so was my back-up! Italy in August, it's to be expected. Luckily I found a small tasty spot around the corner. I finished up the night getting gelato from Gelateria del Teatro and enjoying it on the Ponte San'Angelo. Fiori di Lavanda e Pesca Bianca con Albicocca. Lavender with white peach and apricot. YUM. A lovely finish to a lovely, damn near perfect summer. 

Here's some of my favorite photos from my last days in Italy! I'll be scanning like a fiend this weekend to get ready for a shop update, hopefully the 2nd week of September. Stay tuned!  

1. My friend Simonetta drove me out to the Ponte della Maddalena (aka the Devil's Bridge). Definitely a good one to cross of the sketching bucket list! 

2. We then drove back up these tiny little road tucked into the mountains north of Lucca. I would move into this decrepit little house in a heart beat. 

3. Barga quickly became one of my new favorite towns in Italy. Winding streets with incredible views...

4. One last photo of Siena! I love how the Duomo just peeks up above all the terracotta streets. 

5. The streets of Lucca were SO quiet on Ferragosto, it was lovely! 

6. The other night in Lucca was Notte Bianca. My talented friend Vanessa Peters and I took advantage of it and took to the streets to play some music and sketch. 

7. Wandering through the streets of Rome and I found my favorite photo of the summer. A Fiat 500 and a cat. Quickest way to my heart. 

8. Sketching one of my favorite spaces in the world, the Pantheon in Rome! Perfect way to end a summer. 

La mia vacanza! Primo, Italia!

Time for another update...in fact, multiple updates! I have quite a lot of sketches to upload from this past month of vacationing. It's been a busy and amazing month. I'm very happy with a number of the sketches I've made. I'll put them into two posts: SC/Rome/Venice/Milan/Cinque Terre and France. So! Here comes Italy!!

This is one of the only pieces I was able to make her at Santa Chiara during the last session of students. Our courtyard gained a couple topiaries...

Roma!

I had some time to kill in Rome waiting for my friend to arrive from the states...so I spent a good amount of time around Vatican City and at St. Peters.

(This one is actually larger horizontally, but the scanner I can use has a small screen sadly).

This is one of my favorites of Bernini's angels on the Ponte San Angelo.

Venezia!

This was the view of the alley under our little patio at our hostel in Venice.

THE bridge of Venice.

A few of the locals in a quiet piazza.

Milan!

The train station in Milan is one of the most interesting stations I've come across...I'd still like to work on this one some more...

Cinque Terre!

The beach at Riomaggiore, a little bit cloudy that day.

Now, on to France!!!

Ciao Roma!

Inbetween the sessions of students, the RC's get to travel...where ever!

Because our last break was so brief I didn't get to go anywhere too far away but I did get a chance to go back to Rome! I had some time to mosey around the city before I caught up with my friend Sarah.

I stayed mostly in the Piazza Navona area, which is home to one of Bernini's fountains, the Spanish steps, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. Last year I didn't get a chance to sketch these places but I made a point to this time around!

The Pantheon

The Trevi Fountain

Quick sketch of the Colosseum

Even quicker sketch of part of Bernini's fountain in Piazza Navona.

Next break...CROATIA!! And hopefully Paris...