L-A: Time for reflection

• Manja Maksimovič

Here is a selection of reflections from here, Italy, and there, Slovenia, with the red zone in between, enough to calm our heavy heads in these turbulent or isolated times, as you see it.

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I’m in no particular mood to browse photos from the previous years when everything was still normal since now it definitely stopped being so. Italy will never be the same.

But it’s not all bad. Some secrets will surface, some lifestyles will change, less will be consumed, produced, traded. Most obviously this is what the virus is after.

Oh! This just in: All shops to close in Italy except pharmacies and food shops. “It is now only permitted to leave the house to buy food or medicine.” What about dog walks? Luckily I live in the countryside and can walk the dog for weeks without meeting anybody.

Amore will still go to buy us some groceries and furnace pellets tomorrow, alone, because this is limited too: only one from one household allowed to shop. See if I complain. But easy for me to say, I’m an introvert.

I still wish to do my post for the Lens-Artists photo challenge though, guest-hosted by Miriam at The Showers of Blessings this week. Her choice of topic? Reflections.

I probably have one in at least every second post, I’m a fan. Actually, there is a couple of fun inverted ones in my previous wordy post entitled Hi, I write.

For today I have selected twenty shots that caught my eye, mostly from near me here in Tuscany and some from Slovenia, all from my archives. I haven’t taken a photo in days.

Oh, before I go, a most splendid poem by my friend Olly Crick, posted on Facebook today under a gorgeous found photo from Italy with the purpose of cheering me up, no doubt. It worked. Thanks so much, Olly!

Beauty built by merchant pirates
will out-live this effing virus.
Stone and art will still endure
till we’ve found a working cure.
In the meantime, stop being bored
and follow Manja’s blog on doors:
curious and local: quaint:
odd designs and weathered paint,
a strange aesthetic, enter in,
open up and have a swim,
see the portals, old gateways
to other times and other ways.
All show chances, all show hope,
open up, make home elope:
all in all a worthy blog,
built by Manja and her dog.

❤

  • Let’s start with the most recent one and work back in time. This is from my daily dog walk to the station.
  • A month ago I had a sleepover with the new blogging friend Flavia and we went around. It feels years ago.
  • The Orbetello lagoon is one eye-catchy feature, even without flamingos. They only come for the winter.
  • Still there. A nature reserve around a disused factory.
  • Nutrias and birds rule here.
  • A bit far for my zoom.
  • Does he egret anything? I don’t think so. (Or is it a heron? I never know.)
  • Wider picture. That “no fishing” board always cracks me and the birds up.
  • To end the day in Porto Santo Stefano. This is the sea, not the lagoon. It was a really calm evening.
  • One more from that evening.
  • With Flavia in Villa Lante in Bagnaia near Viterbo two months ago. These days I don’t feel like going anywhere, even if it were allowed.
  • More reflected objects from there.
  • A hop and stop in Rome. Here the reflection is just a part of this excessively filled shot. Just how I love them the most.
  • An evening in Rome reflected in a car window.
  • This one as well, but the street is the one where I was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
  • This used to be my daily walk to the station if I wanted to go to the city centre where there were my high school and university.
  • Where I studied English: Faculty of Arts. This is its official title, even though literal translation would be Philosophical Faculty. It was not as fancy when I went there.
  • A hop to Slovenian coast. Between Piran and Portorož there are many sunset reflection ops.
  • Also in Piran. The last light in Slovenia. Across the sea it’s already Italy.
  • The last light in front of my Tuscan home. Time to rest. (If you are not on your phone, click on the photo and view them again in a colourful gallery.)

For Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, guest-hosted by Miriam at The Showers of Blessings: Reflections

53 thoughts on “L-A: Time for reflection”

  3. These are really beautiful reflections – such a creative variety. The new rules for the virus in Italy sound intense. Many people will suffer and not just the ones who get sick.I hope the restrictions work the way they are intended to – so it’s worth it. The news I see about Italy makes me so sad. I like the poem though 🙂

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    1. Claudiaaa! Thank you. I’m glad to hear this. We are fine, our unit, my pack. Amore still needs to go to work by train and says there is nobody around. But weekend coming up. Let’s hope there is still some pellets and milk in the shop today. And let’s hope your country gets some more test kits soon. I hear they are not nearly enough.

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      1. We can discuss our introversion levels when we meet! After the madness ends, hey Manja! Actually I am inwardly pleased that you are an introvert! I am sure we will get along famously!

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  6. I can see that you can walk your dog with no restrictions, Manja. You have lots of space to move around. Fabulous photos of reflections. It’s so cool to do things with your blogger friend Flavia. My favorites are Porto Santo Stefano, Villa Lante and your shopping!

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    1. Thank you, Miriam. Well, the restriction is that only one person can accompany the dog and is to pass others with 1 meter distance. But this is a very quiet region with more nutrias than people.

      Which shopping do you mean? The photo of the shopping window in Rome? I didn’t shop, I was just passing by, but I liked the display. Or do you know that we do our grocery shopping by the lagoon that I show? 🙂

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      1. I like “window shopping” a lot, just looking at the beautiful display. Yes, I was talking about the last photo.

        We have one state just announced closing all the schools. The church gathering is limited to church with no more than 250 people, and something else no more than 50 people.

        My daughter lives in on the edge of one county with one death. Her baby is due in two weeks and I’m going to help her out. We try to be careful. Even though California hasn’t announced restrictions, we’re not going to the gym or restaurants. 🤗

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Loved the poem – and your pics of course. ♥ Manja, secretly happy you are an introvert – like me. ♥ Stay safe, virtual hugs from a distance to you, your man and sweet Bestia.

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  17. Great line “Most obviously this is what the virus is after.”
    I am dreading my shopping about 100x more than I usually do and wish very much your amore would buy ours as well 😉
    I like the poem, especially his ending line 🙂

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    Reply

    1. Ahhh, I wish we could do it like this. 🙂 He buys the stuff and a vacuum tube swwwwweeeep! spits it out over there. Thanks, Joey. I hope all this settles soon.

      And I hope that American soldiers who had to come to Europe on a grand exercise right now of all times fare well. And leave soon.

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