In America, one must be something, but in Italy, one can simply be.

Pietros Maneos

Arriving by bus in this quaint seaside down (one of five in Cinque Terre), we were directed by the driver to look up — above the rooftops of the town where views of people and everyday life came into focus: patios with a mishmash of flowerpots, a man working his terraced garden on a steep slope, and laundry out to dry. The way Manarola has been for many, many years.

But when we looked down, glimpses of rooftops and walls painted the colors of the Mediterranean — with a touch of blue, blue waters beneath and beyond — unfolded before us, and we prepared to scale the mountainside to enjoy all views.

As we took the rocky stairs and bridges downward, we could see vacationers and residents enjoying a secluded alcove and refreshing waters.

Boats bound together wished they could join their cousins out at sea.

When I look down, I just miss all the good stuff, and when I look up, I just trip over things.

Ani DeFranco

From the bottom, we saw what we came to see: boxlike homes in orange and yellow and pink and gray — iconic colors of Cinque Terre that have charmed visitors and residents alike for hundreds of years.

And when we took in the whole of the town from a bottom rung vantage point, we saw terraces at the top with underlying box homes stacked one against another. Underneath it all, rock walkways led us in and among shops and stalls selling mementos.

Always remember to smile and look up at what you got in life.

Marilyn Monroe

It’s not until you reach a facing hillside and stand on a stone walkway that you can look both up and down. And that’s where you take your postcard picture, the one you want to remember: people, houses, and terraced gardens above quiet boats in blue waters. Marvelous Manarola in Cinque Terre, Italy.

For more glimpses of ups and downs, check out Photographia from Sofia Alves. There’s lots to enjoy no matter how you view the entries.

Travel upward,

Rusha & Bert

Water links us to our neighbor in a way more profound and complex than any other.

John Steiner’s theme this week — On the Water — made me think of real estate.

I know. This is a water theme. But how many times have you looked for houses on the water, noting that waterfront real estate is some of the most expensive anywhere?

And you don’t have to look far to realize there’s no ritzier, lovelier, or more palatial on-the-water real estate than that of Lake Como, Italy.

No matter the time of day, Lake Como — the water and the buildings hugging it — makes for a lovely sight.

Who wouldn’t want to be on the morning ferry with a view like this?

Even in broad daylight, the lake sparkles with energy and life.

Everywhere you turn, you see open-air restaurants, stately hotels and people walking narrow steps upward to shops and places of business — all on the water.

And who doesn’t love the elegant villas that have been movie sets like the photo at the top of this post that formed the backdrop for the first James Bond movie, Casino Royale? Or other movies that have followed?

Could you live here? Well, no doubt someone does — and my guess is that whoever it is, he/she/they love it!

Even places that might be considered “ordinary” are extraordinary by our standards.

I’d love to know: Who lives there? How old these buildings? And what’s the best thing about the view, in your opinion?

The answers may only be available to us tourists, however, if we purchase a ticket to roam through a villa and look out at the water ourselves.

Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.

Lao Tzu

Thanks to John Steiner of Journeys with Johnbo for leading the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week. If you want to see more entries, be sure to check out his site. Next week, look for more great photo contributions for the challenge led by Anne of Slow Shutter Speed whose theme will be Black and White.

And thanks for journeying through Lake Como with me today.

Travel on the water,

Rusha

When making experiences, attention to detail matters.

A visit to Lake Como wouldn’t be complete without a stop in the colorful town of Varenna, Italy and a tour of Villa Monastero. This lovely villa — once a monastery but later a residence — faces the clear blue waters of Lake Como and awes visitors with its ornate architecture, statuary, and botanical gardens, always with something blooming.

But it’s the details that make the difference. Visit the villa, take your time, and view each room noting fine craftmanship from floor to ceiling.

Like this ornate dining room with an intricately woven tapestry, gilded chandelier, and detailed ceiling . . .

or the inlaid wood artwork in this circular table.

Handsome chests with detailed designs and stylish form will get your attention as well as tooled leather walls.

And there’s more outside. From handsomely manicured gardens to doors sporting fine grillwork — every detail is picture-worthy at Villa Monastero.

No wonder these images have remained favorites of ours since we visited in 2017.

Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.

Anna Akhmatova, poet

The theme this week for Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Focusing on the Details came from Patti Moed’s blog where you can find more detailed entries. If you’d like to submit a post with this theme, please link it to her original post and tag it Lens-Artists.

Travel for the details,

Rusha & Bert

The desire for symmetry, for balance, for rhythm in form as well as in sound, is one of the most inveterate of human instincts.

As I read Patti’s lead post for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #116: Symmetry, I couldn’t help but agree with her: Symmetry IS a powerful tool to create dramatic and impactful images — in any of its forms: horizontal, vertical, and radial.

Although I didn’t know the term horizontal symmetry when I stood almost elbow to elbow in front of the most photographed bridge in Maine (photo above), I do know it now. What a powerful impact is has had on many people who drive to the Village of Somesville on Mount Desert Island to photograph not only the pleasant arching white bridge but also its reflection in Somes Creek and the seasonal surroundings that enhance it. But thanks to writer and blogger Miriam Hurdle, I now know another term — reflective symmetry — that applies to this bridge that visitors include in calendars and family albums each year.

For vertical symmetry, I can’t think of any photo that I would rather share with you: the Hall of Maps in the Vatican Museum viewed during a private, after-hours tour with staff. At first, my eyes were glued to the marvelous maps with all their detail and color, but once I looked up to see where we were going, this sight took my breath away. I quickly grabbed my iPhone, moved to the front of the group so that no visitors would block the view, and snapped the picture. The painted ceilings, geometric flooring, statues lined up against the wall, maps of ancient times, and the symmetry — all as Patti calls it: an impactful image.

Finally, I offer an example of radiant symmetry taken on a routine morning walk through my neighborhood. I could see a stand of daisies in the distance gracing the mailbox of one of my neighbors, a common sight some might say. But there’s nothing common about God’s handiwork in designing the colorful array in the center of each simple blossom.

If you would like to contribute photos of symmetry, link to Patti’s original post using the Lens-Artists tag. You may find, as I did, that you enjoy looking at your shots with a different perspective. And that appreciation of symmetry can truly enhance our love of a picture.

Travel with ready eyes,

Rusha

Towels drying on the line: Cinque Terre

to boats lined up and waiting at the base of the famous postcard-pretty hillside where small apartments and houses vie for space on the mountainside.

Boats lined up in Manarola

Half-opened shutters exposed their lines to the morning sun.

Green shutters: Cinque Terre

And wavy lines of umbrellas shaded bathers on a crowded coast

Umbrellas on the beach: Cinque Terre

while two churches stood out among other buildings with their  distinguished lined facades.

A lined facade in Cinque Terre

Distinctive entrance: church in Cinque Terre

Find more lines — straight and curvy —  at Weekly Photo Challenge: Lines.

If you live in Varenna, you probably have to get accustomed to steep, but lovely, climbs.

This week’s Travel Theme: Steps from Ailsa who writes the blog Where’s My Backback? reminded us of the many steps we took in Varenna, Italy.  Walking there can be a challenge, if all you’re accustomed to is your fitness routine on even pavement in your neighborhood.  Walks in Varenna are definitely a step up, but when you’re in a beautiful town on Lake Como, you probably don’t mind at all.  Here are some of the steps we took.

After heaving luggage up steep steps, we paused at the doorway of our rental apartment from VRBO to admire this sweet greenhouse nestled above the stone walkway.

Pretty as a picture: a backyard greenhouse and stone steps in Varenna.

In town, we walked along water’s edge, following the signature red railing along Lake Como.

Stepping out in Varenna

The gardens of Villa Monastero offered even more steps with some leading directly to water’s edge . . .

Steps and statues: the gardens of Villa Monastero.

and others lined with artfully planted urns.

Concrete urns lining a walkway at Villa Monastero

If you plan a trip to Lake Como, know that you’ll be walking up and down.  But you won’t mind.  You’ll think you’re on stairways to heaven.

More photos are just a step away:  Travel theme: Steps.