Travel Trivia 9 - More People Watching

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 9 Trivia - More People Watching
My grandmother was Italian, and we lived in an Italian-dominated neighborhood in Newark, NJ. She spoke very little English. Most days, a lady friend or two would walk by and stop on the bench in front of our house, and they would chatter away in Italian, very much like I observed countless times in every neighborhood we visited, this one in Assisi.

Travel Trivia 8 - People Watching

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 8 Trivia - People Watch
How else can one learn about the ways and means of a culture? And since one is allowed to spend hours over the smallest cup of espresso at a cafe, it's also a great way for a cheap seat.

Place - Murano, Venice, Italy
Subject - Graziella and Fabio (fictional names)
They arrived on their boat, tied it up to the side of the canal, and proceeded with their champagne brunch...la dolce vita!



So how surprised were we to get a comment from Joe telling us we had taken a picture of his brother-in-law's house, in the background!

Travel Trivia 7 - The Earlybird

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 7 Trivia - Get Out Early

In even the most crowded places, if you get out early, or stay out late, or go two to three blocks off the beaten path, you are rewarded with solitude, an opportunity to see the real place, observe the locals, and travel as a temporary local yourself.

Travel Trivia 6 - Form

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 5 Trivia - What is this?
I like to look for interesting and colorful patterns or repetition.

This picture was taken from the top of the Campanile in St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy.

Travel Trivia 5 - More Gnomes

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 6 Trivia - More on Gnomes.
Because I like gnomes, and treat them well, gnomes like me, and reveal themselves to me.

I found this fellow in a stairwell/alleyway in Varenna on Lake Como in Italy. Tod did not see the gnome, so I know it was only revealing itself to me.

I know I said only one picture per day, but I couldn't help looking back to our visit to Varenna in 2005, and lo and behold, there he was.

Travel Trivia 4 - Coffee

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 4 Trivia - My day starts with coffee.
It's tough sometimes when you are traveling internationally, and there is no 'in-room coffee maker' to help you get going in the morning.
I remember when we were in Megeve, there would be the occasional person who would shuffle to the breakfast room in robe and slippers, which is the way I like to drink my first morning coffee. But I am not brave enough or quite old enough for that, so instead I get myself ready and present myself, properly attired, at the breakfast room.
The breakfast room at Hotel Centrale in Bellagio was lovely, just like the rest of the hotel, and then when presented with this lovingly prepared cappucino, my day was off to a grand start!

Travel Trivia 3 - Fleur-De-Lis

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 3 Trivia - I like fleur-de-lis.
I mostly associate fleur-de-lis with Paris and all things French, which I love, so it was intriquing to find fleur-de-lis and fleur-de-lis-like shapes and symbols outside of France.

Like in this lovely metal mailbox I stumbled upon in Bellagio on Lake Como in Italy.

Travel Trivia 2 - Artwork

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 2 Trivia - I break for artwork.
Not only am I interested in art, but I am interested in seeing the art that people choose for their homes or businesses.

The Hotel San Carlo in Lugano, Switzerland has wonderful customized artwork. Someone created a series of mixed media collages which incorporate photos of the hotel. They are unique and interesting, all different, and best understood as a set, but this one gives an idea of the style - colorful grids with the photos worked in.

Travel Trivia 1 - Gnomes

I am traveling from August 23rd to September 10th. Detailed journals of my travels and tons of pictures are on my Shutterfly site.

But I thought it would be fun (albeit difficult) to pick one picture per day that represents something special or different or unexpected, and that explains how and why I travel.

Day 1 Trivia- I travel with a gnome.
Why? Because I like gnomes and gnomes like to travel and it's fun to take pictures of places with gnomes, and I like to have fun when I travel.

This particular gnome, Cedric, is small enough to fit in a pocket so it's easy to take him along, but that also means it's hard to take pictures of him, with both he and the background objects in focus, unless the background objects happen to also be something small, like this coffee cup in the Red Carpet Club at San Francisco Airport.

Wordless Week...Collaging My Day

Wordless Week...What's in the Garden?

Wordless Week...A Thoughtful Thank You Card

Wordless Week...My Nightstand Reading

Wordless Week...Dancing Diagonals Samurai Quilt

Wordless Week...A New Location

Wordless Week...Seeing a Legend

Shared Stitches Part 2 - Subtle Quilts

In addition to Part 1 of the Shares Stitches collection, three more quilts were added to the collection of "Shared Stitches"...

Shadow Boxes...



Tricolore...



and one of my favorites, Love Letters...

Shared Stitches Part 1 - Bright Quilts

It's rewarding when the relationships built over shared interests last a long time. I met Sharon at least a dozen years ago, a quilting colleague. When she recently sent an email asking if I remembered her, the answer was "of course".

Long story short, Sharon is now the owner of a quilt shop called "Shared Stitches".

She is also now the owner of several of my quilts which will grace the walls of the quilt shop and hopefully inspire the quilters who walk through the doors of the shop.

First, some bright quilts which will adorn the shop!

Pic Pockets, featuring three-dimensional envelopes sewn into the seams of a colorful quilt!



Pixie Stix, in which contrasting stripes create the illusion of a colorful lattice...



And Circus Peanuts, in which candy-wrapper shapes interconnect forming secondary and tertiary patterns of color and value.



I am so happy to have these quilts find new homes!