Unexpected Treasure in Italy

Writing about Europe from Europe… And loving it

This is the first time that I am writing a blog post on a train, my new friend Jools who writes a great blog about train travel, will be proud of me I’m sure. I’m on my way to Salzburg after visiting some amazing places in Innsbruck, Seefeld, Vienna, and Budapest. It feels like I’ve been on the road forever since I’m seeing so much in such a condensed amount of time. I’m so fortunate to be able to photograph such a wide variety of historic places and many of the locations would not have been accessible without the collaborations and help of the Austrian and Hungarian tourism boards as well as the local tourism boards in Austria.

It is so cool to have access to such special places like the Opera House and Parliament in Budapest, or the Imperial Palaces of Innsbruck and Vienna. Sometimes though, it is the unexpected treasures that I stumble upon when travelling that make for some of the coolest photos. I always do my research for where I plan on shooting, but fate has a way of putting me in the right place at the right time on many occasions. For example the Il Tempo building in Rome that was literally 50 metres from my hotel. You can actually see my hotel to the right of the photo.

I managed to get this shot before the police stopped me from continuing. Little did I know the just s few more metres to the right was the Italian Parliament buildings. That explains the large quantity of nicely dressed police officers patrolling the area. This was one of those happy coincidences that placed me in a cool spot, where I was able to get several nice photos that I had not specifically planned on photographing.

Things are looking up in Florence

Walking down the streets of Florence was a complete joy. Every turn I made, every corner I walked by allowed me to see more hidden treasures than I could have hoped for. One of the things that I try to remember when discovering a new city, is to stop and look up as often as possible. You never know what you will discover when you take the time to see the details of the buildings that you were walking by. In old cities like Florence, those details are centuries old and the craftsmanship is extraordinary. In this photo, I love the way the cloudy sky contrasts with the pastels colours of the beautiful old apartment buildings. During the day when there is heavier traffic and more pedestrians it is really worth it to look up if you want to get some cleaner photos with less distractions.

A not so dark alley in Milano

I was visiting the Milan Canali with my friend Rosalba and her husband Daniele when I took this last shot. The Canali are not usually on the list of places for tourists to visit in Milan, but if you’re looking for some great photo ops, this is the place. Night time was magical in the area surrounding the Canali and since it was Christmas season you’ll see all the twinkling lights crossing over the canals. This time the unexpected treasure came in the form of a small alley that we passed heading to the canals. On the way back to the metro I felt the need to stop and get this last photo. To me it seemed so typically Italian, not a scene you’d find anywhere in North America. All I had to do to get this photo was wait for the drunk guys to move out of frame.

Taking the time to look around and walk down side streets and alleys can sometimes provide you with some very special photos. Getting the big shots that you absolutely know you want is great, but I have an affinity for those unexpected photographic treasures that you can find when you least expect them. This is why I always try to have my camera out and usually placed on my tripod, just in case one of these special moments finds me.

I’m having a great time here in Austria and Hungary, looking forward to heading to Germany tomorrow. There have been a ton of unexpected treasures on this trip to Europe, and I’m really looking forward to sharing them with you here very soon!

 

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