Photo a day - Stairmaster

Walk up these stairs to get from the Corniglia train station up to the town, and consider your workout done for the day! Train commuters here must have thighs of steel. Photo from April 2010.

Photo a day - A weight on his shoulders

Look beyond and above the fisherman to see the 1910 sculpture of Neptune in Monterosso, another of the Cinque Terre (five lands). The sculpture was partially damaged in World War II (the trident is gone), but it's still impressive at 14 meters high. Photo taken in April 2010.

Photo a day - Manarola harbor

Manarola is another of the Cinque Terre (five lands). It seems to have the same colorful house painting customs as the other four. Photo from April 2010.

Photo a day - Colorful harbor

Vernazza is another one of the Cinque Terre (five lands). It has a very pretty little harbor. Photo taken in April 2010.

Photo a day - Non-athletic sneakers

Check out this young lady's footwear. I'm guessing she won't be playing basketball in these sneakers with 3-inch heels. Ah, fashion. Photo taken in the Cinque Terre in April 2010.

Photo a day - Cornigila

We stayed in Corniglia, one of the Cinque Terre (five lands) on the Ligurian coast, in April 2010. The town is perched on a hilltop and partially down its side. It's filled with colorfully painted buildings, as are the other four lands (nearby towns). The Cinque Terre are joined to each other by footpaths, which are flat in some places and steep in others. It's a great place to walk or hike.

Photo a day - Shiny puffy

During the two years we spent in Italy, shiny puffy jackets were all the rage, especially among young people. City sidewalks were crowded with shiny parka wearers all winter long. The most popular colors were purple and black, fur trim optional. So many people wore them that they almost seemed like uniforms.

Photo a day - Burning art

As mentioned in yesterday's post, the sculptures of cartapesta (papier mâché) in the Lecce style are finished off by burning. Pictured above is an artist, working his magic with a hot iron. Photo from March 2010.

Photo a day (almost) - Cartapesta di Lecce

We really do try to post a photo a day, but we've been remiss the past few days. Sorry. Back to your reguarly scheduled blog post.

Artists in the southern city of Lecce specialize in papier mâché, which is called cartapesta in Italian. To create details such as fine lines, creases and curves, they actually burn away parts of the surface. The resulting works resemble carved wood. This elephant is an example. Photo taken in March 2010.

Photo a day - Image use approved?

Our president is popular in Europe. In Lecce we saw a fast-food place named after him. Photo taken in March 2010.

Photo a day - La Laurea

The young lady on the right just graduated. In Italy, when students graduate from college, they don't wear the graduation cap familiar to Americans. Instead, they wear a crown of laurel leaves. The degree they receive is called "La Laurea." Photo taken in March 2010.

Photo a day - Caesar was here

The Roman forum is a spectacular archaeological site, so evocative of ancient times. Amazing to think it became a cow pasture and dumping ground in the dark ages. If you haven't been there, go. Photo taken in May 2010.

Photo a day - Machinery & art, together

The city of Rome owns so much ancient art that it has run out of places in which to display it. To create an amazing showcase for these old and beautiful pieces, the city converted an old, unused power plant into an art museum. It's especially interesting because they did not remove the power plant equipment. It's all still there, surrounded by 2000+-year-old sculpture and mosaics. The place is called Centrale Montemartini, and I highly recommend a visit. Photo taken in March 2010.

Photo a day - fish or horn or both?

In March 2010, we visited Villa Farnese in Caprarola, outside of Rome. It was built in the 1500s in the Renaissance style, and in the back are formal gardens with a lot of sculpture. It's hard to tell what exactly is going on with this one, but it looks like the figure is blowing into a fish-shaped horn. Any other guesses?

Photo a day - Trulli

In the region of Puglia (the heel of the geographic boot that is Italy), there is a town famous for its distinctive architecture. The town is Alberobello, and its particular house is the trullo (trulli plural). The trulli are round, constructed without mortar, and topped with a cone. Photo taken in March 2010.

Photo a day - Cave of the Sibyl

Near Naples is are ancient Greek ruins in the modern day town of Cuma. This was the Greek settlement of Cumae, founded in the 8th century B.C. The photo shows the cave of the sibyl, a reknowned prophetess in ancient times. Photo taken in February 2010.

Photo a day - Via di Villa Giulia

To visit some friends, we frequently walked down this small, quiet street. Just out of camera range is a gap in the wall that reveals a soccer field where we often saw men playing in team uniforms, sometimes at night under bright lights.

Photo a day - the other Pisa

Most postcards and snapshots of Pisa feature the leaning tower, but there's more to the town than that. Here's a shot of Pisa's river, the Arno. Somewhere over on the right is a fancy chocolate shop. Photo taken in April 2010.