I have said for quite a long time that if I ever make any real money, I will live in Italy. I might be talked into Spain or Portugal also, especially if its near the water. And Croatia has a deep place in my wanderlusting heart.
But I simply love everything about Italy.
It helps that when I cook, Italian food is on the menu about ninety percent of the time. Add in cheap and wonderful wine. Scenic towns and villages all over the place. Rolling mountains. Good transportation. Excellent coffee.
And coming from the American South, they seem to just have the speed of life that I appreciate. If you aren’t from the South, I am not sure you will fully understand (I didn’t for a long time), but basically… life shouldn’t be lived in a rush.
Here are some of the images I took in my last few weeks there that resonate with me:
The Roman Colosseum as seen through a passing bus. I should have gone over and given some beer money to those guys on the other side of the street that sat still while I snapped this longer exposure shot.
A view from inside the Colosseum, wide angle.
One of the many beautiful churches in Assisi, which is one of my favorite mountain-top towns in Italy, though I am certainly up for finding another couple dozen of them for proper comparison.
As you know, I love photos of people taking photos. I had to crop out the two photographers here, but I got the subjects posing. This is in front of the Arch of Constantinople, right outside the Colosseum.
Occasionally, I like to just get a little funky. This was just a random street corner in Rome.
I hope I have some good video and time lapse of this street artist at work. We’ll see, whenever I get a chance to do some mass editing.
Did I mention the food??
Have you been to Italy?
What are some of your favorite aspects of this country? Do you share my love of it?
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Italy is indeed awesome, although not an easy country to live in.
There’s so much beauty everywhere that visitors get somehow overwhelmed and dream of staying here for ever. Funny, because I escape from my country as soon as I can
On a side note, the one close to the Colosseum is the Arch of Constantine, not of Constantinople
Curious to know where you’re headed next!
Simon recently posted..Edinburgh: Austere and Beautiful
Love the first five photos, they are absolutely stunning.
Lorenzo recently posted..Things You Might Not Know About Belize
Love the wide angle shots! I’m completely with you that Italy is the best place to travel, eat, live, love!
Goodness but that 1st shot of the Colosseum is surely a keeper – very nicely done!
And yes, I spent 3 months going to school at the University of Foreigners in Perugia (with my then 8 and 11 yr. old daughters.) This was back in neanderthal times (pre-internet but post Christians & Lions)
My most persistent memory is of the colors of Italy: the deep green of olive trees against the the reds of tiled roofs scattered amid the countryside.
Would love to go back, but presently my wanderlust plate is pretty full living here in Vietnam. Ah but it’s such a gloriously diverse globe, yes?
I feel the same.. Amazing food and wine, great culture and history, beautiful language and people. It’s my favorite playground when I want to escape. I’d live there too if I made any money. Lol
I only got a brief taste of Italy when I on a high school trip, and I hope to go back and spend a lot more time. Love the night shot at the colosseum.
Totally agree – Italy is amazing! One of the countries I always keep coming back to and it never stops to surprize me. Food is delicious all over and Italian red wine stays on top of my list
Going again this summer, this time attending Andrea Bocelli’s concert in Tuscany. There is an open-air theater built next to his home village of Lajatico just to host his concerts once a year. Very much looking forward!
Love that photo of the Colosseum! Very groovy, and I think it nicely captures what I find so striking about the monument: it’s this huge testament to time and history, but modern-day Rome bustles around it.
On our upcoming RTW trip, my husband and I have devoted most of our planning energies to Asia… with the exception of Italy. I think it’s the one place in Western Europe we REALLY want to make sure we spend some serious time. I’ve been to Italy once before, but even at that time, I knew I would have to return!
I love Italy! It’s one of the few countries I could go back to a million times, and I wouldn’t mind living there for awhile either. Good seeing you in Assisi, looks like you enjoyed the rest of your time in Italy!
Ali recently posted..One Day in Wanaka
You already love Italy and you haven’t even been to Sardinia yet
Angela recently posted..A trip a photo – In Abu Dhabi port, bringing ancient myths back to life
Nicely done Michael. Like the wide angle shot of the Colosseum. Reminds me how I still need to pick up a 10-22mm.
Pete recently posted..The Solo Travel Experiment
love. it. all. First shot is fab!
I love that first photo of the Colosseum at night. Good work!
Beautiful! I love the first photo – I have a similar one of the Colosseum (light trails included) and it’s one of my personal favorites.
I really like that first shot! The bus lights add a little something extra
Audrey | That Backpacker recently posted..The EngRish Edition: Cracker Sand
Absolute love the Colosseum shot.
Wonderful photos. I love the energy that that lens gives.
Your pictures are fantastic. How long have you been doing photography? What type of camera!?
Well done
Awesome shots!
The photos are amazing! and yes, I do share the love for Italy – I’ve been there twice and I can say that it’s one of my favorite countries. I love their food (I can eat that ultra delicious salad with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella for days and still crave for more), the ice cream, their laid back attitude, the language, the sights, the people, the cities (I’ve only been to Milan, Venice and Rome) but would gladly return in a heart beat.
These are excellent photos! Unfortunately, I’ve never been to Italy … but with the ruins, the history, and the stunning coastline, it’s definitely on my list. We loved Croatia, which is where we would live if we could choose anywhere in the world. I have always said I am not the type of person who could just sit around and do nothing, but I’m pretty sure if I lived in Croatia, I would have no problem with it.
Lovely photos! Kali and I backpacked around Europe for five weeks after college, and we had planned to spent most of our time in France. We never quite made it out of Italy, though – I think we spent 70% of our time there!
We also had the most incredible pizza on our very first night in Naples, but then got completely lost and couldn’t find the place again later (despite many attempts). I still dream about that pizza, lol.
Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..Things That Cost Less Than a Dollar in Thailand
I love the photos. However, I am not as big a fan of Italy as some people. I’ve been to Rome, Florence, and Venice and liked 2 out of the 3. However, I want to go back to Italy and check out some smaller towns and get away from the big cities and tourist areas to see a different side of it.
Like you, I am from the South as well (South Carolina) so I know what you mean.
Jeremy Branham recently posted..A northern California hiking guide and photo essay
That first photo is amazeballs!
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Another option is to hang the photo cube and allow it to rotate in the breeze. A photo cube is a simple way to display your favorite photos
Laura recently posted..Mein neues Hobby
Two things I loved most about Italy – espresso and gelato!
Roy Marvelous recently posted..How I’ve Used $6186 To Travel Around The World For 8 Years
I LOVE Italy. I have been to Florence and Rome and would love to go back and explore some of the smaller towns and villages.
I also love the pace of life and their never-ending appreciation of food and art. The architecture is wonderful too. It truly is a gorgeous country…
Colleen Setchell recently posted..Visiting the ‘Cliffs of Moher’
The first photo of “The Roman Colosseum as seen through a passing bus” is really clever. Hope you keep enjoying Italy!
Jump into the Photo recently posted..Lagunas Miscanti & Meñiques
Just visited Italy last fall for the first time. Loved your beautiful photos; I reminisced about my trip of a lifetime! Love how you write about traveling!
Such lovely photos! … that also keep me lusting after a wide angle. I love the contrast of movement and being still in your long exposure!
I love your photos! They are all beautiful and stunning! What I love about Italy are the breath-taking places that you cannot found in other countries. And the food.. so fabulous! I’m dying to taste Italian’s pasta again..
Thanks for the photo trip through Italy! Those long exposure night shots can be magical.
Matthew Karsten recently posted..Zebra Camouflage [PHOTO]
Very impressive shots! and the architectural design of the Colosseum is really awesome. I hope that i can visit this place someday. Thanks for sharing those wonderful photos with us and i’m looking forward to see more of this from you.
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Of course I love your night shot!!…well actually all your shots and Italian food and Italian wine but I hate paying the cover charge (il coperto) for a table especially when its not obvious to newbie tourists. Last year I got dinged with a 6 Euro tab in Bellagio for eating the rock hard roll provided. Make that 12 Euros because I was paying for my daughter.
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Hey Michael – pretty cool photos especially the HDR (quite popular at the moment). When i visited Italy my favorite spot was the lake garda – beside the beauty of this place i had my best pizza ever in a tiny village right at the waterfront there!
Good pictures. I love photography.
Volunteer Abroad and Intern Abroad recently posted..Hello world!
Do I love Italy? I’ve written 3 posts in the past week about Italy. Plus a short story I submitted to a travel writing contest. Italy is my muse.
If you like wine you need to know about Chianti
http://adventuresofacarryon.com/2012/06/17/panzanoinpictures/
Ahhhhh, Chianti. One of my favorite grapes.
I’m with you on that I would love to live in Italy someday. Love that picture of the “random street corner”. Beautiful shots.
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