Tag Archives: florence

Photographs: Europe, Photographs: France, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Big Pletzel

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Big Pletzel, Paris
“Big Pletzel” — A mosaic tile covered Paris bakery with a sign featuring “Big Pletzel.”

First, the title “Big Pletzl” comes from the sandwich board sign on the sidewalk in front of this Paris delicatessen. We were out for a long walk this past winter, and I grabbed the photograph as we passed the business. A few things caught my eye, including that sign. (Yes, I had to look up what a pletzel is.) It also has the generic outdoor tables – and there were people seated there even on this cold December day. But the main thing was the tile on the front walls.

Today we are accustomed to generic, corporate signs on businesses. Chain stores and fast food “restaurants” may be the most common offenders, but even individual businesses now try to copy that appearance. But I love places whose appearance is at least a bit novel and individual. Here it is the remarkable mosaic tile work on the outside walls, including both text and imagery.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Fountain, Florence

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Fountain, Florence
“Fountain, Florence” — A streetcorner fountain in late afternoon sun, Florence, Italy.

I made this photograph on one of our more-or-less random walks. This time we crossed over the river and headed in the direction of the Pitti Palace. After visiting that site we continued wandering in the nearby neighborhoods, stopping for a drink in the Piazza Santo Spirito before resuming our walk.

It was getting late in the day, and we were generally working our way back toward the river and then toward our lodgings and dinner. But walking slowly we had time to look around and notice details. This elaborate fountain was on a street corner, and I photographed it as an early evening beam of light illuminated it.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Bar Tabacchi, Citta’ di Fiesole

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Bar Tabacchi, Citta' di Fiesole
“Bar Tabacchi, Citta’ di Fiesole” — A the entrance to a small business at a bend in the road in Feisole, Italy.

Fiesole is a small town in the hills above Florence. It is apparently known for its elevated views of Florence and for its Etruscan and Roman amphitheater — which we did not visit. (From all appearances, it is a place for contemporary concerts and festivals.) We went because friends had suggested it, because of the prospects of the view, and because we like to occasionally get out of major cities, especially when we are there for a longer period of time, as was the case in Florence.

So we hopped on a bus near the Florence train station and were soon traveling through parts of Florence that do not look at all like the historic and popular center of the city. Before long the route ascended into the hills, becoming steep in places as we approached Fiesole. We spent a few hours wandering this quiet place and admiring the town and its broad vista over Florence.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel, Photographs: Urban/Street

Street Scene, Florence

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Street Scene, Florence
“Street Scene, Florence” — People walk along a narrow street in Florence, Italy.

There’s a lot happening in this little street vignette, photographed in Florence, Italy in the summer of 2023. You may have to look closely to see. Beyond the woman at the far right is another woman who is rather extensively tattooed. Behind her we see a young man and a fellow in black and a wide-brimmed hat assisting him. What looks like a family is about to disappear around a corner. One of the things that street photography aspires to do is capture these brief, fleeting events that occur spontaneously.

If you have been following along here you know that this photo is a pretty big contrast to the Death Valley photographs that I have been sharing since late March. There are more of those yet to come, but there are still even more of these photographs from our 10-week European adventure in 2023… and it is time to start catching up.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

Blog | About | Instagram | Flickr | Facebook | Threads | Post | Email

Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.