More Taormina Balconies

Whilst we are talking of balconies - which we were in the previous post - there were several examples that caught my eye in Taormina. None of them as splendidly adorned with pretty girls, but you can't have everything!

The locals obviously take great pride in their balconies though. We saw lots of flowers, potted shrubs and hanging baskets and many of the balcony supports were carved with figures, faces and designs.

There were hardly two alike. Why don't I have a balcony from my bedroom at home I wonder? Would it look slightly out of place perhaps in an English end-terrace? I suppose there wouldn't be all that much to look at either in my quiet street. Quiet. Ah yes... that's why I like living there!

Girl On A Balcony

It was the 7th July 2008 and we had left the amphitheatre at Taormina and were walking slowly back into the town in the general direction of our pick up point to rejoin the coach for the trip back to the Island Star.

I hadn't taken many photos as we were heading for the amphitheatre as we were walking in a large group so there were too many people too close. I had known we had some free time later so I could take photos at leisure without having to try to take over the heads of people.

I saw this young girl on a balcony and she made an intruiging subject. She was just leaning against the doorway, smoking a cigarette and watching the people below. What was going through her mind? You can weave almost any kind of story about her and that's what I like about chance sightings like this. Perhaps if by chance she sees this, she can let us know! Or make up your own story!

This is an edit of a much wider view...

What Do You Remember?

Someone asked me what it was that I remember most about holidays.

If you have a look at my website you'll see we have been fortunate enough to have travelled fairly widely over western Europe.

Well I remember lots of things because I always make a point of taking lots of photographs and then using them as a basis for a written description when we get back. That's what the website is really about - it's so I can remember stuff when I'm 90!

But what I remember most are the odd bits of unintentional humour - those things that just happen that make you fall about laughing either at the time or later.

For instance - we were in Verona for a day's excursion from Lake Garda in 2003. We spent a lot of that holiday in the company of Kell and Denise Traynor from New Zealand who proved to be excellent company, were well travelled and knowledgeable themselves and who both had a good sense of humour.

We were taken to this small courtyard (above right) to see Juliet's balcony. William Shakespeare made it a crucial and memorable scene in "Romeo and Juliet" and Juliet herself certainly existed and had a balcony. Of Romeo there are no records at all, although there was certainly a family feud.

Anyway it was a warm day and we had been walking for a few hours. The four of us went to sit under the arched gateway to the courtyard and I was sitting next to a large Italian man who all of a sudden let out an enormous fart, like a clarion call to the gods...

Kell, who was furthest away from me shot me a look of horror - perhaps he thought it had been me, I'm not sure, but we soon dissolved into giggles and then laughter and at the point where someone said "Phwoar... Romeo!!!" the Italian got up and left us without looking back!

It was stupid, infantile and all the rest but it will make me smile for a long time to come!

So what do you remember most about holidays?