clearing out the house




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Risotto Festival in Monza

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At noon today I met cousin Leo by the Milan cathedral. I arrived a little early so I wandered around the Galleria to enjoy the gorgeous displays and people-watch. The windows of the Galleria are a who's who of designers: Fendi, Armani, Chanel, St. Laurent.  People in Milan all seem to be good-looking, but what makes them so isn't their actual features; it's the care with which they dress and groom themselves. Most do not wear the latest fashions, but they take some care to wear clothing that fits and keep their shoes in good repair. Men have neatly trimmed beards, and both men and women accent whatever they're wearing with a nice scarf. I wish I had been less shy today about photographing ordinary people; I'll have some more chances as I'm out and about in the city.  Galleria ceiling reflected in Louis Vuitton's elegant window display   For some reason this woman was posing right there among the crowds Even the cops in Italy have swanky clothes At the appoin...
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The 4,000 Year Old Olive Tree

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Our flight to Milano didn't leave until dinnertime, so we crammed in one last outing near Stazzo Chivoni before heading back to the airport in Olbia. Leo drove us on a twisting, one-track road to see a grove of Sardinia's ancient olive trees about 15 km away, where we met Marzia and some of their friends. The 4,000 year old tree is now roped off. When this was private property people would climb the tree and carve their initials in it. A nearby tree, about 2,000 years old, is accessible. The ranger told us that the branches grow downward toward the ground, forming a natural shelter. 250 sheep could take refuge in this outdoor "room." These are the original heirloom olives, from which cultivated olives are derived. The fruits on these trees were tiny, about 3/8" long, and mostly pit. The trees are on a hillside overlooking Lake Liscia. Whether we were under the boughs or out in the meadow, the entire place had a fresh, earthy aroma that was somehow fa...
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Window Seat

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Icebergs in the North Atlantic. When I first caught sight of a couple in the ocean I thought they were ships. Nope. Ice! It's been over a week since I returned from Italy via Iceland. When I got back there were a lot of things to take care of, but now I'm taking a few minutes today to reflect and wind up this chapter of the blog.  The trip home was a visual delight. I took off about 5 pm Iceland time and flying west, chased the sunlight until landing in Minnesota at around 7 pm Central time.  I always try to book a window seat. For the cartographer in me the view from the plane is a glimpse of the world map in real time. This trip didn't disappoint.  The east coast of Greenland. What a delight to be able to see where glaciers met the ocean. At first I thought there was a settlement on the coast, but no, all those white things were icebergs. Once we'd cleared some clouds west of Iceland, I started to see icebergs in the North Atlantic below. They increased in frequency a...
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