Ponte Vecchio Over the Arno River, Florence Italy

The Ponte Vecchio, in Florence Italy.  The name means "Old Bridge".  Highly appropriate, since its first design, in stone and wood, was built during the Roman Empire.  Its current appearance dates back to 1345.

In the opera "Gianni Schicchi", by Giacomo Puccini  is a beautiful aria, "O mio babbino caro".  In English, "O my dear father".  Lauretta, finding her budding romance with the young man Rinuccio threatened by her father, sings to him:
(translated into English)

Yes, yes, I want to go there!
And if my love were in vain,
I would go to the Ponte Vecchio
And throw myself in the Arno!

Early Morning in Ego Alley, Annapolis MD

Ego Alley,the waterfront's gateway to Annapolis.
On evenings and weekends this little canal fills with boats and yachts.  It is a place to see and be seen, for  boaters and landlubbers to enjoy.  There are restaurants, souvenir shops, hotels, a yacht club, outdoor seating, benches, a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor all within a few steps from Ego Alley.     
Annapolis is also the Sailing Capital of the world, and hosts the sailboat and power boat shows every year in October, drawing enthusiasts by the thousands into Ego Alley.
It is a vibrant and energetic little canal.
But not now.  Right now I have Ego Alley all to myself...along with a couple of ducks, the sunrise and silence.  I think to myself, if I can take a good enough picture, maybe somehow, I can convey the serenity.
I take my shot and leave before the crowds arrive. 

Naval Academy Chapel, Annapolis MD

The Naval Academy Chapel was consecrated in 1908 and has a seating capacity of 2,500

In honor of the Academy's 150th anniversary in 1995, the Chapel was featured on a US postage stamp.

Lighthizer Gazebo of Quiet Waters, Annapolis MD

The gazebo is called the Lighthizer Gazebo, in honor of former county executive James Lighthizer, who secured about 300 acres to be used as a county park. 

 Quiet Waters officially opened to the public on Sept 3, 1990.

Tecumseh and Tammany - USNA Annapolis MD

On the Yard of the Naval Academy is a bronze figurehead named "Tecumseh". The original wooden figure was salvaged from the man-of-war ship "Delaware" and sent to the academy in 1866.  The builders of the ship intended the figurehead to portray Tamanend, but the midshipmen of the period renamed the bust "Tecumseh", warrior chief of the Shawnee and Tecumseh's Confederacy.  In 1891 the bust was immortalized in bronze.

Tamanend, also know as Tammany, was the chief of Lenni-Lenape nation and played a prominent role in establishing peaceful relations between the Native American tribes and the English settlers of Pennsylvania.  A quote attributed to Tamanend :  "live in peace as long as the waters run in the rivers and creeks and as long as the stars and moon endure."


By the early 1770's Tammany festivals were held annually on May 1 in Philadephia and Annapolis .  Even George Washington and his army, while camped at Valley Forge in 1778, celebrated the day... The "men spent the day in mirth and jollity...in honor of King Tammany" (Military Journal of George Ewing, 1928)

(Originally published on 1/27, but it got layered over by the large blank area, so I'm reposting it)

Eiffel Tower and the Seine River, Paris France

Gustave Eiffel, whom the tower is named after, was not its original designer; Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier were.  Gustave, however, bought the rights to the patent on the design, and was the engineer in charge of the tower's construction.  Gustave also engineered the construction of the New York's Statue of Liberty.  The entire statue was erected in Paris before being dismantled and shipped to the United States.

Replicas of the Statue of Liberty can be seen not only around Paris, but around the world.

The Seine River divides Paris into two - the Rive Gauche, or Left Bank, skirting the south side of the city and the Rive Droite, or Right Bank, the north side.  Historically and traditionally, the Left Bank was the artsy side.  A place where such literary greats as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein called home.  The Right Bank, historically, is the more affluent side. 

View from the Maritime Republic of Eastport

Spa Creek - over this body of water an annual battle occurs between Annapolis and the Maritime Republic of Easport -The Tug-O-War!   Billed as the longest "international" tug-o-war over a body of water in the world, it's all in great fun, music, food and parties.

The building on the foreground is the Charles Carroll House, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.  Charles Carroll of Carrollton, to be precise.  All signers of the document were automatically guilty of sedition against King George III, a crime punishable by torture and death.  Since the name Charles Carroll, was, at that time a common name in the colonies, he appended it with "of Carrollton", minimizing the risk to anyone of the same name being captured and punished.

The steeple in the background belongs to the Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or as it is locally known, St. Mary's.

On a Gondola in Venice Italy

Ciao amici miei!

The painting on the bow of the gondola is the Doge's Palace.  According to our gondolier, it was painted by his grandfather when he was a gondolier.  The bell tower beside the Doge's Palace is the Campanile di San Marco.  Facing the gondola on the Grand Canal, is the Santa Maria della Salute.

Gondolas have been used as a means of transport in Venice for over 10 centuries.  Only 3 to 4 gondolier licenses are issued annually, and only highly skilled oarsmen, after passing a rigorous training and an exam, are allowed to be a gondolier.

St. Paul's Cathedral and the "Temz", London England

Speaking of Londontowne, (a previous post) here's a shot of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.  The dome is open to the public.  Its acoustics are so precise that a whisper can be heard all the way on the other side.  Climb another 271 steps and one can reach the very top of the dome.

The Thames River, in the foreground, is pronounced "temz" in London.  According to our guide, one of the stories was that King George I  had a very thick German accent and that is the way he pronounced it.  In deference to his position the king's subjects began pronouncing it that way too, the Temz.

Londontowne, Edgewater MD

Created in 1683, Londontowne  was once an important tobacco port.  Laid out over 100 acres and overlooking the South River, it once held the Anne Arundel County courthouse, until the courthouse moved to Annapolis in 1695.  Today Londontowne and Gardens is a twenty-three acre park featuring history, archaeology, and horticulture on the South River in Edgewater, Maryland.

Missing Mallard Ducks, Annapolis MD

A few minutes walk along a wooded path from Holly Pavilion in Quiet Waters Park is this cove off of the South River.  Mallard ducks usually populate this spot, but this afternoon I saw them waddling off along the river's edge.  (While on the ground, a group of mallards is called a sord, and when they are in flight are called a flock.)

A Snowy Morning on Main and Francis Streets, Annapolis MD

Off in the distance from Main Street is Saint Anne's Episcopal Church.  Founded in 1692, it is the oldest church in Annapolis.  To the right, going up Francis Street, is the Maryland State House, the oldest in continuous use.  Here, George Washington resigned as commander-in-chief  and congress ratified the Treaty of Paris, officially ending the Revolutionary War.

Turandot in Quiet Waters, Annapolis MD

 The sculpture, entitled "Turandot" was created by artist Douglas Warnock.

Turandot is also the name of a beautiful princess of an ancient tale.  She had many suitors; however, to win her hand in marriage the suitor had to answer three riddles.  One wrong answer, and by her edict, they were executed.  One day, a young prince watched as she coldly ordered the decapitation of another who had failed.  The prince fell madly in love.  He struck the gong that announced his intention to marry her and of his attempt to answer the riddles.  The riddles were:
What is born each night and dies each dawn?
What flickers red and warm like a flame, yet is not fire?
What is like ice but burns?
The prince answered each one correctly, but Turandot still refused to wed.  He then offered his own riddle.  If she can guess his name, he would allow Turandot's executioners to kill him.
There's more to it, but in the end, she falls in love with him and they live happily ever after.
Weird.

 Giacomo Puccini later composed an opera based upon this tale.   

Autumn Foliage at Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis MD

Through the seasons, my camera and I have often spent hours wandering about Quiet Waters Park; I've never been disappointed.  From inhaling the crisp autumn air to listening to the hushed crackling of winter's frost beneath my boots, my Nikon and I have captured, albeit in a small way, that which is fleeting and ever-changing, as ethereal as the light.