Always time for a photo
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
From every angle, Florence is breathtakingly beautiful. The word “beautiful” certainly doesn’t do it justice because the word is overused, and because the city’s charms are much deeper than what is visible. Today on my way home from a couple of appointments, I pulled my macchina fotografica (camera) from my bag and took a foto (picture). I wasn’t planning to take any foto today, but had my macchina fotografica on me for an intervista (interview) I had to do. While I was walking down the lungarno (road along the Arno river), I was so taken by the veduta (view) that I felt compelled to take a foto.
I was heading for the Ponte Vecchio to go back to our place after being in Piazza Pitti, but I saw how crowded it was and changed plans. I decided to take my alternate route and walked down Lungarno Torrigiani toward the Ponte alle Grazie instead.
Across the river, I could see the long lines of tourists following a tour guide holding up a colorful umbrella. The sun was shining on the other side of the Arno while it was shadier on the side I was walking down. I had almost wished I was on the other side just to be in the sun, but I know how difficult it is to navigate the narrow sidewalk when it is crowded.
I would’ve liked to stand along the river where I took the foto a bit longer to take in the view of the Ponte alle Grazie and the Piazzale Michelangiolo hovering above the buildings in San Niccolò, but the brisk wind motivated me to get moving. I was happy to reach the Ponte alle Grazie where I could feel the sun penetrate my coat and warm me up.
I always have time to take a foto of my city as long as I have my macchina fotografica with me. I sometimes miss a few good opportunities when I don’t bring my macchina fotografica along. Although sometimes when I leave the house without it, I’m able to ponder more about my feelings for my beloved city and how its magnificence touches me instead of just capturing a moment and then moving on.
