Italy: Dogs!

Everywhere I travel, I take photos of dogs. After being in Italy for two weeks, I've snapped a lot of dog pictures. Dogs hanging out with hipsters drinking wine:

Spoiled dogs begging treats at eateries:

Hounds sitting nicely for a lick of gelato:

Dogs in coats that match their owners':

Sweet pups sitting patiently:

Big, big, beeeeeg dogs:

And little, tiny dogs. This is "Virgilio," a two-month-old Yorkie:

Dogs trotting on the cobblestone streets without a leash (but almost always with a collar--they belong to somebody nearby):

Dogs of all types:

I've found dogs rendered in oil, and in marble, and in pottery:

Of course, my favorites are the pugs. When I see one, I blurt out "Carlino!" in a semi-squeal and rush to say hello. Through pantomime and showing my own pugs' photos on my iPhone, I convince their owners that I am a Trusted Person. Of course, sometimes the pugs don't believe that, like this little cutie patootie who barked at me when I tried to say Hi:

 

But most pugs all wiggles and smiles, like this one:

And this one. This is "Bolt," a darling pug I met at a flea market in the little town of Umbertide. His owner and I are now FaceBook friends:

Making a new friend is one of the nicest reasons of all to take photos of dogs!

Tuscan and Umbrian Blues

 A wordless essay on my favorite color, as seen around Tuscany and Umbria:

Italy: Men's Shoes and a Tiny Dog

Hello! Sorry I was away for a bit; I got sick. It took some inter-continental texting, a lenient Italian pharmacist, and a round of antibiotics, but now I'm feeling better.

Sometimes I'm not sure why I photograph the things I do. But it seems that I like Italian shoes.

Italian men's shoes, to be precise. Love the lapis blue of these suede oxfords:

The red laces of the pair on the right caught my eye. So chic!:

I have a feeling The Boy would like a pair of these:

Now, I'd like a pair of these! (the lavender ones--I'm not brave enough to wear a three-color shoe):

I spotted these beauties on a guy in line for tickets. There's a thin stripe of a lighter blue between the tan sole and the dark-blue uppers. And the tan laces? Terrific!:

This little mini-fashion plate was rocking his Topsiders and slouchy scarf with perfect ease:

But this is my favorite pair of shoes, thus far. Red suede shoes, attached to a man in jeans, attached to a red leash, attached to a wire-haired Dachshund puppy:

Be still, my shoe- and dog-loving heart!

(Mostly) Florence Blues

Hello! I am in Tuscany with The Hubby. (Not to brag; just to explain.) Although we are only a few days into our trip, here are some blues I've collected from our stay in Florence, with a side trip to Pisa:

Our little rented Fiat:

Leather purses for sale. This city has lots and lots of beautiful leather goods in the shops:

Bicycles are locked--or not!--and then left leaning along walls all over Florence:

Sunset on the Arno. This couple clambered out onto the point of the Ponte Vecchio for a spectacular view:

I love his blue socks:

The intensely blue sky in Pisa, and the famous Leaning Tower:

Some pretty stone fretwork, from the same church complex as the tower:

Another bike. (Did the owner know how great it would look against that wall?):

Shutters near the Galleria dell' Accademia, where we saw Michaelangelo's wonderful "David," which was totally worth the one-hour wait standing in line:

Gelateria shops often display their paper cups this way, but the cinnamon bundled in aqua satin ribbon is what caught my eye:

 Adorable body language (and bitty blue jeans):

 Design over a doorway of the Medici palace near the Ufizzi:

The Hubby finds a Blue Guy to pose with:

Lovely blue eyes, spied on the giant carousel in the Plaza della Republica:

Portraits hanging in the salon of our hotel:

My first course for dinner last night was Pecorino, honey, and pine nuts on a charming blue-and-white polka-dotted plate. What's not to love about all this?:

Jeweled buttons on a ladies' coat, in a shop window:

More Florence to come, soon!