Pic and a Word #221: Massa and masses

• Manja Maksimovič

Today we visit the pretty town Massa Marittima and have a look at how an image is composed (I mean, how I lucked out). There is a bleak poem too.

.

M

a

s

s

s

s

s

a

.

mass extinction
mass protests
mass panic

mass hallucinations
mass killings
mass murder

mass storage
“MASS
puts shoes on your ass”*

mass communications
mass media
mass control

massive
opium
for the masses

*MASS® is a European shoe brand. In Slovenia its ad used to say “MASS obuje tudi vas”, “MASS puts shoes on you too”. I modified that, to preserve the rhyme, you see.

In photos nothing morose but rather a photo selection from my three visits to the town in Tuscany, aptly named Massa Marittima, “maritime mass”. Even though it’s not by the sea and the origin of the name lies elsewhere, and there were no masses at all on any of the three occasions. Some parts of Italy get too many people and some not enough. (And now? All places will get nobody.)

From the first view to the last it was love at all sights.

I didn’t discover it before May two years ago when I took my parents there to see if my hunch was correct. It was, so in late September I returned with the visiting Canadians, of which Norm was one and we were after doors.

Last I was there on a special, if hot June day for the opening of the portrait exhibition by Donna Stiles. She had decided to paint me after a photo taken when I was sweet 17 and I had no idea until she was finished. And so I was hanging in Tuscany for a week.

I wish you only this kind of surprises and send you massive hugs and a pretty town.

  • The first photo ever. You see this when you park and get out of the car. Can you tell how I fell for it?
  • Mightily stylish.
  • The style continues behind the corner. These photos are in the same order as I was looking around and trying to nail my shot.
  • I was quite mesmerised by this display.
  • Then I noticed the landscape below.
  • I saw how special it was.
  • No no, too far. And why vertical?
  • There you go.
  • One more close-up just in case.
  • A happy scene. It was May and love was in the air.
  • When we returned in the autumn, I saw what a difference a couple of months make.
  • This time I know exactly where to head. Still pretty, but much drier.
  • I found a nice autumnal frame.
  • The view of the same terrace from the back.
  • A turtle spread.
  • Here comes the Canadian master doorman. I can hear the trumpet. All doors in line! Surveillance!
  • And finally, this was last June. We didn’t go through the town, just to the library where the exhibition was. It was hot and this cat was very clear about it.
  • Lo Squardo, The Look. Donna’s first exhibition. It was glorious. Visit her website here.
  • “Sweet 17”. Thank you, Donna. Not something I could see coming.
  • Blessed between two pretty doors. Photo: Norm.

In response to Patrick Jennings’ Pic and a Word Challenge #221: Mass

19 thoughts on “Pic and a Word #221: Massa and masses”

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