I realize that I still owe the pictures from Calin’s wedding, and so much more, and that I haven’t blogged in almost a month. It’s been a crazy summer and I barely had time to get the stuff done that I needed to do. My paperwork is piling up on my desk and my dirty laundry underneath it (my desk, I mean). The house is a mess, and I don’t even remember when I answered my last email. The good news is, we did have time last weekend for an amazing barbecue of slowly smoked ribs and tenderloin by the one and only Raymond J. Suda that blew my family and me away and once and for all redefined what we know as barbecue. Also, we managed to squeeze in a short trip to our beloved Island of Elba with Beth’s parents. Here are some shots from my cell phone:
August 21, 2012
As I discovered new parts of my beloved island that I hadn’t seen previously on our hikes with Beth, Flo and Corinna (see also my post from yesterday), I played around more with panoramas. I’m trying to get a grip on this technique, as it massively distorts the scenery in front of you. Apart from getting a uniform exposure over the entire panorama, I’m also trying to figure out how to play with background and foreground as well as depth of field. Below are some of the ones I liked. Click the pictures to view them large (the large files are downsampled to 3,000 pixels on the long side. The originals are up to 30,000 pixels).
View from the patio to Porto Azzurro; approximately 270 degrees. Monday, May 14, 2012.
On the Percorso del Monserrato, Porto Azzurro; full 360 degrees. Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
On the Percorso del Monserrato, Porto Azzurro; full 360 degrees. Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
On Monte Perrone, Marciana; approximately 270 degrees. Friday, May 18, 2012.
On Monte Strega, Rio nell'Elba; full 360 degrees. Monday, May 21, 2012.
On L'Aquila, Marciana; full 360 degrees. Friday, May 18, 2012 (Happy birthday, Beth!).
June 4, 2012
We recently came back from a two-week trip with Flo and Corinna to the island of Elba in Tuscany, Italy. Even though it wasn’t the expected fry-in-the-sun-at-the-beach vacation because of the chilly spring-time weather, it was a great trip. May is wild flower season in Tuscany and the entire island was exploding with colors. We went on several hikes and saw places that I have never been to in the thirty years that I’ve visited this island now. Below are a few impressions of the Elban spring.
Flo and Corinna feed the sea gulls on the ferry from Piombino to Porto Ferraio, Elba, Sunday, May 13, 2012.
Lichen and two-colored rock work together to create an abstract painting on the Percorso del Monserrato hiking trail in Porto Azzurro, Wednesday, May 16, 2012.
Looking East from our roof terrace across the sea to the Italian main land, Saturday, May 19, 2012.
Beth celebrates her birthday at L'Aquila (the eagle) just off the pilgrims' church of Madonna del Monte above the village of Marciana, Friday, May 18, 2012.
A huge agave spreads its leaves at the Percorso del Monserrato hiking trail.
Flo hikes up the Percorso Pietre Rosse trail from Cala Del' Inferno beach in Rio nell'Elba.
Pine trees cast their shadows on the grass underneath at Mount Calamita, Capoliveri, Tuesday, May 22, 2012.
Flo, Beth and Corinna take a break after hiking up the steep and strenuous trail to Monte Strega, Rio nell'Elba, Monday, May 21, 2012.
Rosaries, photographs and other offerings are lined up on a wall inside the Madonna del Monte pilgrims' church above the mountain village of Marciana, Friday, May 18, 2012.
Flo, Corinna and Beth fool around while watching the sunset atop L'Aquila in Marciana, Friday, May 18, 2012.
June 3, 2012
Last week, Beth and I went on a short trip to Elba with my family. The small island in the Italian Tuscany region is something like my second home, because my family and I vacationed there almost every year of my life. However, I hadn’t been there in almost four years because of my stint in the States. It’s hard to describe how much I missed this place and how excited I was to finally go back there. I was so busy enjoying the experience that I hardly took any pictures, let alone good ones. Beth did a way better job, which you can see here (and at the end of this post…). In the meantime, here are a few of mine:
The early morning sun shines on the village of Capoliveri.
An Opunita bears rich fruit near the village of Ripe Alte. The figs from this cactus taste delicious, but picking them without gloves is a bad idea...
An old man climbs the stairs to his home in the mountain village of Marciana.
This winery between Chiessi and Colle d'Orano on Elba's wild West Coast is one of my favorite places on the entire island.
October 2, 2011
