Standing Into Danger: May 2019

Friday, May 31, 2019

Buyer Beware!

The allure of a window display in a gelateria is hard to resist
when you're hot and tired from sightseeing in beautiful Florence, Italy.
Temptation is everywhere, because Florence is loaded with gelaterie.
That's not surprising, since the first "modern" gelato was created
in Renaissance Florence by alchemist Cosimo Ruggieri for the Medici family.
italymagazine.com

Gelato

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

One look at a luscious array, and my mind is anticipating
the silky mouthfeel of gelato and its intense burst of flavor.
Chocolate hazelnut cream? Pineapple? Coffee? Mint?
What to pick? What to pick?

Terry and I succumbed to the temptation of gelato at least once a day in Florence,
but our most memorable indulgence was not what we expected.

We had just walked across one of the most famous bridges in the world,
the Ponte Vecchio which spans the Arno River at its narrowest point in Florence.

"Ponte Vecchio" means "Old Bridge," and old it is.
A bridge has likely stood at or near this spot since the second century B.C.
when the Romans built the Via Cassia to connect Florence and Rome,
and the bridge is documented as far back as 996 A.D.
lifeinitaly.com wikipedia

Ponte Vecchio

Spanning the Arno River

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

The day we visited this Florentine icon, we had looked forward to

browsing through its famous jewelry, art, and antique shops

and gazing at the Arno from scenic overlooks on each side of the bridge.

Shops have lined the bridge since the 13th century,

when butchers and fishmongers rented the first shops from the city.

The stench of these wares prompted Ferdinand I to decree in 1593

that only goldsmiths and jewelers could have shops on the Ponte Vecchio,

and so it has been since.

theculturetrip.com visitflorence.com

But on that hot, humid September day that we visited it,
the bridge was teeming with people
roaming back and forth and jockeying for the best selfie spots.

Forget viewing the Arno, we couldn't get close to an overlook,
and I actually gave up on taking photos and put my camera away.

Crossing the Ponte Vecchio

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

As I jostled my way through the mobs of people,
I completely forgot to look up at the Vasari Corridor,
a long passageway that runs above the shops on the Ponte Vecchio
and connects the Pitti Palace to the Uffizi Gallery.

Duke Cosimo I de' Medici had it constructed in 1565, so that he could move freely
between his residence in the Pitti Palace and the government palace, Palazzo Vecchio.

Palazzo Vecchio

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

By the time we neared the left bank of the Arno and its Oltrarno district,
I was overheated and cranky. Then we spotted a gelateria!

We should have known better, but all we could think of was getting off our feet
and creamy, cool, rejuvenating gelato sliding down our throats.

"Dark chocolate and something with carmel," I said to Terry
as I chugged from a water bottle.

Terry (Right) Ponders

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

Gelato

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

And More Gelato

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

Terry returned carrying two small cups of gelato and sank down on a seat.
Looking gobsmacked, he handed me the receipt.

The Receipt

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

"Twenty euros?" I gasped.

"Twenty euros," he answered.
"There were no prices posted,
and I didn't think of asking before he rang up the order."

He looked at his cone and groaned,
"And to think we usually share."

My €10 Gelato

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

We returned to the Ponte Vecchio again,
and enjoyed this Old Bridge under less crowded conditions;
but guaranteed, we indulged in gelato elsewhere!

The Ponte Vecchio
from the left side of the Arno

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Sidewalk Cafe

Florence, Italy

September 16, 2018

Note: €20 = about $23.40 on September 17, 2018

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Italy

Wikimedia

Location of Florence

Google Maps 2018

Location of Ponte Vecchio

Google Maps 2019

Fun with Maps!

Google Maps 2019

Ponte Vecchio

Spanning the Arno River

Florence, Italy

September 17, 2018

Friday, May 24, 2019

Springtime in the Rockies

Tuesday morning we woke to fine snow and fog smothering our neighborhood,
the winding down of a late May snowstorm that surprised us with six inches of snow.

Fine Snow and Fog

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

May 21, 2019

Wednesday morning we woke to the big meltdown
and the sight of deer foraging on grass pushing up through the snow.

Foraging Mule Deer

May 22, 2019

By late morning the snow had vanished,
and by evening it was hard to imagine it had snowed at all.

Tough Baby Leaves, No Longer Cocooned in Snow

Such is springtime in the Rockies!

Prior to the snowstorm, I had spent days wandering in our open space,
finding comfort in the greening of our world.
Here are some of my favorite sights.

A mallard drake swims on "my" middle pond.

Piney Creek Open Space

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

Spring, 2019

Ready for Occupancy

Baby Cottonwood Leaves

Flushing Green

Grackle with Female Catkins

Along Piney Creek

New Leaves, Old Bark

Drake Swimming on "My" Middle Pond

Nature's Garden

Mama Red-winged Blackbird

Cottonwood Stand

A Male Grackle

Greening Up Along Piney Creek

Rabbitbrush: Dried Blossoms and New Leaves

Mallard Drake

Till next time ~

Fundy Blue

Waiting for the Ferry to Tiverton

Grand Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada

July, 2016

For Map Lovers Like Me:

Location of Aurora, Colorado, USA

Wikimedia

"My" Open Space Along Piney Creek

Where I Often Walk

Google

Southern Aurora and Northern Parker

Google

Adapted from a Sign in the Park

Red-Tailed Hawk Park

Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

I Kid You Not!

On Monday afternoon big slobby raindrops, on the verge of turning to snow,
splatted my car as I drove home from an appointment.
As I climbed up Inspiration Drive, the rain thickened to snow,
huge fat flakes setting up for a heavy spring snowstorm.

East Rockinghorse Parkway

Near the Douglas and Arapahoe County Lines

May 20, 2019

Give me a break, I silently groaned. It's May 20th!
But no break was to be had;
by the time I arrived home and hustled into the warmth, the snow was pelting down.