chasing light through photography
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a haze of hot days spent seeking the coolest spots at the sound of cicadas.
anaps of laughters and diving
pic-nics with friends,
hands picking wild berries,
ice creams dripping and mozzarella bubbling on our pizzas.
and bridges, many bridges crossed of course,
***
The first day of holidays.
That sweet feeling of coming home and old time friends
And the light, Rome’s unique light!
It’s sweet to come back sometimes.
***
Rome is a light that you’d recognize anywhere.
A technicolor sky, reflections on the river and birds flying up above.
It’s the great beauty, flowered balconies, crowded restaurants and open bars.
A traffic mess, cars anywhere, dirty streets, messy public services.
It’s a never-ending vacation, a mellow and joyful decadence.
Rome equals time slowing down.
And finding yourself by the river over and over, catching a different sunset each time.
***
There are days when you’re in one of the places you love the most, at the hour that you prefer and with a camera on hand. People pass you by, friends may speak to you but you’re only half there. Your mind eager with anticipation.
And maybe it’s because you know you won’t get more chances for weeks or months, but you just wait for that moment that could – should – be about to happen as the most precious gift.
And if you’re lucky enough for it to happen while you’re right there waiting on the first row, that the Roman light turns that particular shade of gold and slowly paints the water below, the walls, the leaves – you just feel your heart might burst and you’re at a loss for words. There you remember exactly why you so often bother to carry a camera with you. Because one needs a tool to share the world, its light and shadows, whenever words are just not enough.
Sweet evening friends.
*This moment*
A weekly ritual, inspired by SouleMama’s blog: a special picture, without subtitles. A unique, everyday or extra-ordinary delight that I want to record and cherish. Don’t hesitate to share your link in a comment for all to see if you wish to join in.
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Walking on country paths I used to know very well.
The kids look so grown up against these secular olive trees.
I tell them all about how beautiful the mimosa tree will be in the spring, covered in yellow fluffy flowers whose scent can be smelled from far away.
Having lunch outside in the middle of winter
strolling down the beach
looking at fishermen and kyte-surfers
collecting seashells
throwing stones into the waves.
I guess my Roman ancestors knew how to pick their locations.
A typical Roman winter day.
Cold but sunny.
Bathing in the brightest light,
under a perfect blue sky.
Pour continuer cette petite série sur ma ville natale, ce soir j’ai envie de vous montrer un endroit magique que j’étais moi-même très heureuse de (re)découvrir. Pas très loin de la maison de mes parents, dans une zone qui a été miraculeusement préservée par les coulées de béton, se trouvent des prés, des chevaux, des oliviers, des buissons à mures et un ancien château du moyen age qui pendant longtemps était laissé semi à l’abandon. Enfant, on passait sous les clôtures et on allait jouer ou pic-niquer dans ces pâturages, on s’imaginait explorateurs dans les vieux bâtiments décadents, on jouait à se faire peur avec les serpents d’eau qui se cachaient parfois dans la vieille piscine abandonnée. Adolescente, je parcourais les mêmes chemins pour aller courir et je regrettais beaucoup de voir ce si beau domaine laissé un peu en ruine.
Les années ont passé, je ne suis plus allée si souvent à Rome et de toute façon pour des périodes assez courtes. Mais cette été, ayant deux semaines entières devant moi, tout naturellement j’ai eu envie d’aller visiter cet endroit avec l’espoir secret de le voir revivre. Qu’elle n’a été mon étonnement en découvrant que le domaine avait en effet été remis à neuf par de nouveaux propriétaires et a été transformé un relais cinq étoiles qui semble bien valoir sa réputation. Comble de la surprise, la où avant se baignaient heureuses les grenouilles, il y a maintenant une magnifique piscine entourée par les pins d’autrefois. Chiara et moi nous sommes empressées d’aller la tester et nous y avons passé deux excellentes après-midis sous un ciel bleu cobalt, bercées par le chant des cigales. Comme quoi, si le temps qui passe parfois vous laisse un mauvais goût dans la bouche, parfois il réalise aussi vos rêves d’enfance…
Belle soirée chers amis,
si vous avez l’occasion de faire un jour un tour au Relais della Castelluccia,
passez-lui le bonjour de ma part.
In order to continue this small series about my hometown tonight I want to show you a special place which I was so happy to (re)discover. Near my parents’ place there is a bit of land which has luckily escaped massive construction. There are olive trees, pastures, blackberry bushes, horses and a Medieval castel which used to be half abandoned. When I was a child, we went down these paths with my mother or friends to play and picnic. We would pass under the fences and go exploring or looking for snakes in the abandoned pool. When I was older I used to go jogging there and each time it would make me sad to see such a beautiful place left to crumble.
The years went by and I didn’t go back to Rome that often and for short periods of time only. But this time around, knowing I had two full weeks before me I looked forward to paying a little visit to this place with the secret hope of seing it flourish again. I was not disappointed! A new management has bought the manoir and it looks beautifully tended. We’ve only visited the hall but it was enough to get a glimpse of how sumptuous its interiors must be – for the wealthy clients’ delight. But the surprises were not over: where snakes and frogs used to be, shimmers now a huge flawless pool surrounded by the old trees I know so well. Chiara and I took it very seriously to test it and we’ve had a lot of fun diving and swimming under the perfect blue Roman sky. Well, so nice to see that if the years revolving can make bad jokes on you they can also make your childhood dreams come true.
I wish you all a lovely evening friends.
If one day you have a chance and go visit the « Relais della Castelluccia »,
say I from me.
CRISTINA PORZIO 