Tag Archives: florence

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

Woman in Dry Cleaner Doorway

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Woman in Dry Cleaner Doorway
A woman stands n the dorrway of a dry-cleaners and smokes, Fiesole, Italy.

Woman in Dry Cleaner Doorway. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

A woman stands n the doorway of a dry-cleaners and smokes, Fiesole, Italy.

During this summer’s lengthy European travels, one of our longest stays was in Florence. There’s a lot to see there — much of which we had missed on our previous visit in the pre-pandemic era, when we barely did more than pass through on our way to and from other places. So one reason for the longer stay was that we had some catching up to do. In more practical terms, we feel that after a lot of active travel it is good to stop and stay in one place a bit longer — and Florence was that place. But this photograph is not in Florence…

… which might lead you to wonder why I’m posting it here. Well, it is very close to Florence! Friends had recommended a visit to Fiesole, a smaller town in the hills above Florence. So one morning we caught the bus up there for a partial day of wandering and looking at long views of the Arno Valley and Florence. This was a quick photograph I made while wandering through the town — a woman taking a cigarette break outside her dry cleaning shop.

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

Arno River, Florence

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Arno River, Florence
The Arno River flowing through Florence, Italy on a hazy summer evening.

Arno River, Florence. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

The Arno River flowing through Florence, Italy on a hazy summer evening.

This will not be the only photograph from this memorable evening in Florence. We had heard about an elevated viewpoint overlooking the Arno River and central Florence, so we started walking in that direction. We were surprised — but really should not have been — that there were lots of other people heading the same way, crossing the Arno, entering the narrow streets, and climbing toward the Piazzale Michelangelo.

I had many impressions when we arrived. The first was, “What huge crowds!” It seemed like everyone in Florence was there, and it was a giant waiting-for-sunset party — there was music, people singing, and vendors sold food and drink. Another impression was, “What a remarkable view!” But along with that, “What a lot of haze!” At first that was a bit disappointing, but as the evening developed it started to make the light more interesting, the distances clearer, and the light softer.

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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Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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Photographs: Architecture, Photographs: Europe, Photographs: Italy, Photographs: Travel

Firenze Duomo, Evening

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Firenze Duomo, Evening
The Duomo of Firenze/Florence, Italy in evening light.

Firenze Duomo, Evening. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

The Duomo of Firenze/Florence, Italy in evening light.

Florence, or Firenze in Italian, is a remarkable city full of remarkable places and artifacts. And, yes, it is also really crowded with tourists during the peak travel season… which is when we were there this summer. But still… it is one of those places that is amazing enough that it is worth braving those crowds. And, on occasion, the crowd can even be part of the fun. That’s how it turned out on this evening.

We wanted a longer, elevated view of the city, so we headed to the Piazzale Michelango, a sort of park perched on a hillside overlooking the Arno River and the central city, with views extending into the far distance. To be honest, we were not looking forward to the crowds, but we really wanted to see and photograph this view. When we arrived, there were so many people that it was a challenge to even find a place to stand. But gradually we figured out that it was a sort of grand party. Vendor were selling refreshments (including adult beverages) and food, musicians were playing, some guy was doing essentially improv theater in front of the crowd, the light was increasingly magical, and people began to sing as they watched the sunset.

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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

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

Santo Spirito Toilet

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Santo Spirito Toilet
Two Florence doorways, one leading to the “Santo Spirito Toilet.”

Santo Spirito Toilet. © Copyright 2023 G Dan Mitchell.

Two Florence doorways, one leading to the “Santo Spirito Toilet.”

To arrive in this area of Florence you could cross the Ponte Vecchio (or other convenient bridge across the Arno) and walk a few more blocks. It is still a busy area, but the further you get from the Arno the more the tourist traffic diminishes. It was certainly not gone in this spot, but it was not the crowded scene that you encounter north of the Arno in the old part of the city. We were exploring a small square when I noticed the strange and seemingly-unfortunate name of the doorway on the right…

I think the the area is known by the “Santo spirito” name because of a nearby church. Logically I can understand how that name ended up being applied to other features in the area. But “Santo Spirito Toilet?!” Since people here likely know that they are in the Santo Spirito are, perhaps it would have been sufficient to erect a sign that just said “toilet?” Ah, well, who am I to say?

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 | Twitter | Flickr | Facebook | Email

Links to Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Information.

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