Merry Christmas...........

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2014......to everyone who has so kindly visited my blog this year. Greetings to the blogosphere from the Riviera.....

Tracking down Caravaggio in Naples...

Tracking down the three Caravaggio paintings in Naples takes a while but is well worth the effort. The artist fled here from Rome after murdering a young man, and worked in Naples for only a few months before fleeing again to Malta desperately seeking a pardon for his crime...

Traipsing through the myriad of rooms in the gargantuan art museum called the Museo di Capodimonte which severely dwarfs the visitor with its baroque grandeur, one first sees this amazing painting by Caravaggio "The Flagellation of Christ" from a long way off at the end of a narrow vista in the gallery...

The painting is a masterpiece of Caravaggio's well known traits in striking naturalism combining perspective, composition, and the light/shadow effects of chiaroscuro to full theatrical and dramatic impact...

The Museum contains a wealth of Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Classics, and set in a huge green parkland with extensive lawns and palm trees, it was actually my first glimpse of a green space in Naples. Naples is a real cultural powerhouse - be sure to visit if you get the chance.....Next stop - the Caravaggio Trail in Rome in February - can't wait!!

Shadow Shot 201 - Naples

One of the images always associated with Naples is washing lines strung across narrow streets, and in the old town there are no shortage of such shots - you can also find no end of examples of residents holding conversations balcony to balcony - either across the street or to the floors above or below. Buckets lowered to the street on ropes to avoid going up and down all those stairs are also a feature of street life here.....

For more shadow shots this week, click HERE for Shadow Shot Sunday. Enjoy!!

Weekend Reflections 39 - Nice

Enjoying the new park in Nice on a lovely sunny afternoon, the reflections on the fountain pavement were sharp and clear....

La Coulee Verte in the heart of Nice is a wonderful addition to green spaces in the city.....and appeals to everyone resulting in a very enjoyable afternoon dodging the fountains, strolling from one end of the "corridor" to the other, or sitting on the benches people-watching.....

For more weekend reflections, click here...Enjoy!

Shadow Shot Sunday 200 - Nice

Something dramatic for my 200th shadow shot - late afternoon in May looking over the beach in Nice from La Promenade des Anglais.....I started contributing back in 2008 when I was living in Mexico City with this shot taken in the beautiful colonial town of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico....

Both are shadow paintings - painting in light and shadow....For more shadow shots this week, click HERE for Shadow Shot Sunday. Enjoy!

Imperia - Weekending on the Ligurian Coast...

This is November on the Ligurian Coast in Italy - just a short train ride away from Nice and the French Riviera. Imperia is a beautiful resort consisting of two distinct old towns Porto Maurizo and Oneglio linked by none other than Mussolini into the Imperia of today.....originially planned as his HQ to take over N.Africa...and the rest of the world...

Today Imperia is a beautiful location for a relaxing weekend as it has small sea-view hotels, scenic harbours, cosy trattorias, and in November an olive oil festival accompanied by gourmet food stalls and special menus on offer from local restaurants amidst a vibrant and friendly atmosphere...

And what's more there is a string of such lovely places along this stretch of the Ligurian Coast....What are you waiting for?