Anne's Short Musings

A ten minute stroll from the Ponte Vecchio (c) A. Harrison Once considered the unfashionable side of the Arno River, today Florence's Oltrarno retains a medieval air. A shoemaker at work (c) A. Harrison It is a place for wandering along empty side streets, and see artisans busy in their workshops , as they have been for centuries. Doves with a perfect view of the Duomo (c) A. Harrison Trees and gardens are everywhere, so at times I felt as I were wandering a Tuscan hill town, not the heart of Florence. A perfect spring morning (c) A. Harrison Shops and restaurants are filled with locals, a perfect place to sit and reflect on the wonders of Florence . A perfect sunset (c) A. Harrison Like my photos? - if you feel like contributing to my coffers, please click the link to buy my photos from my blog (still a work in progress, more photos to come) or else from the micro-stock sites iStock or Shutterstock . These are affiliate links, as may be some...

Just a happy, dancing samurai, greeting the boat as we sailed into Sado. Wherever our boat docked, there was always a greeting. I feel like I've seen the opening ceremony for the upcoming Olympics. Dancing, singing, performances with coloured flags, bands, speeches, acrobats; it was all there. I'm not quite sure who this fellow was. Something lost in translation, but he seemed to be enjoying himself as much as everyone else. Not to mention the proud parents who couldn't help but join in. From various ports I ventured to ancient forests, a village of canals or simply enjoyed walking through a garden in the rain; but everywhere, this fantastic greeting. Keeping the famed crested ibis of Sado under control was left to the dancing samurai. The ibis had a habit of running over to hug visitors as they returned to the boat. While others just enjoyed drumming away. The kids with their instruments were spectacular. They were there when I g...