Springtime Delight, May 5, 2015, Florence Italy

As usual, our street corner greengrocers were ahead of the crowd in welcoming a new season.  In this case, it was springtime which (in Italy) is welcomed with as much enthusiasm as Christmas — minus the stress.  A true springtime delight in the form of outrageously red strawberries just in from Basilicata filled one whole corner of their bancarella.  They were all gone in a flash because just the sight of them changed the mood from gray and chilly to sunny and warm!

Bernini’s Elephant and Obelisk, Piazza della Minerva, Rome

It was early in May of 2014.  We  were on our way to Greece after a brief stopover in Rome.  While wandering about on a Sunday afternoon we came upon this startling piece of work done by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1667.  So much of his work is in museums that to be able to enjoy a public display of such exquisite talent (and whimsy) is one of the many great gifts Rome has to offer.  Remember……it’s just another street in a big and bustling city……but this is here for anyone to see and reflect upon!