Sunday, June 24, 2012

A Visit to Ventimiglia . . .

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Back in May when we were really starting to get to the nitty gritty planning phase for the upcoming trip to Italy in June (which just ended, much to my regret), over on Catherine's blog, Small Fish In the Big Taco, she put up a post about the old town of Ventimiglia, located just across the border from France in Italy on the Riviera coast, which you can see here. Her report gave me a strong desire to follow in her footsteps and take a look around, and it happened to work out perfectly that as we left Genoa and were heading across to Toulon in France, we just had time for a short stop in Ventimiglia. The following photos were the inevitable result.
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I would highly recommend a visit to Ventimiglia if you are ever down that way, just be sure to wear a pair of sturdy walking shoes, as it is a steep climb from center of town at sea-level up to the top of the old quarter.
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26 comments:

French Girl in Seattle said...

Bonjour Mr Toad. Thank you, first of all, for your message on my blog. Life is good in Nice, and how could it not be, with this glorious weather, right? This week is going to zoom by, I know it, but if I had a minute, I would love to stop by Ventimiglia. Your amazing shots have done a great job at selling the town, as always (I confess I adore the dog shot :-) Looks like you and Madame had a successful trip on all counts. Take care, Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

Owen said...

Hi Veronique, indeed, indeed, a very wonderful trip; now long hours ahead to sort through all the photos, close to 1700, and see what will appear on the blog. Am sure you are finding all sorts of ways to enjoy Nice, so can only wish you a very "nice" time there !

Steve said...

What beautiful blushing colours!

Owen said...

Steve... the blush of antiquity ?

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

Ventimiglia is a place that I have earmarked on that "list," having read and seen much on Jilly's blog (Menton Daily Photo).

Your photos of the town with the rich colors, ghost signs, and diverse architecture are compelling. I will have to check out Catherine's post as well. So glad that you and la Grenouille had a great trip... I look forward to seeing much more of your adventures.

Bises,
Genie

Lorrene said...

Thank God for clothes dryers !!!!

Love your blog.

Lynne with an e said...

These pictures bring back to me all the wonderful sights and smells that I adored and revelled in in Southern Italy. The crumbling facades, laundry hung out to dry, weather-beaten doors, the pastel colours, the cobblestoned steep streets, the beautiful ruin of time displayed on every surface. Tutto! These are the textures and memories I was after in my Calabria Series. Bravissimo! I want more and more and more!

Lady Mondegreen's Secret Garden said...

Hello Owen, I've just been catching up with your doings: meeting up with TomB, your Sepulchral discoveries, and Italian holiday. All those photos and more to be sorted! I'm not blogging or visiting much as I've been setting up an Etsy Shop (Dunedin Street) and that's taking up my photographic energy. You have such passion for all your subjects. How can you be anything other than a photographer?

Owen said...

Hi Genie, I can only imagine your list is rather long... but if you are ever down that way, Ventimiglia is well worth a detour, it's just a skip and a jump from Menton or Nice... and plenty more photos coming soon, stay tuned... :-)

Owen said...

Dear Lorrene, many thanks ! Though if they all had clothes driers in Italy the urban landscapes would be far less colorful, not to mention the huge increase in electricity demand... I really like the open air version visible here. In some places the clothes hanging lines go across streets or other open spaces, then it really gets interesting...

Owen said...

Dear Lynne, "more and more" coming right up, well, in a few days, just need time to sort through the 1700 photos taken on the trip ! Ah, indeed, the smells of the back streets, even if sometimes they were sort of strong... not for the faint hearted... But texture everywhere, gorgeous textures of time passing and the slow disintegration of nearly everything... looking forward to seeing more from your Calabria works...

Owen said...

Hi Lady M., That's quite a bit of catching up, but happy to see you out and about... many thanks for this kind note. Sure wish there was a realistic way to make a living as a photographer, but so far I haven't found it yet... but who knows, maybe one day. In the meanwhile I'm happy to do it as a hobby, a passion... Good luck with the Etsy shop, hope it leads to some customers... Best wishes...

Anonymous said...

Uuuuuh que beleza! Beautiful!.. Excelentes fotos...

Owen said...

Many thanks Edu... obrigado

James said...

This looks like my kind of place! You're not kidding about the steep climb but it looks well worth the effort. Thanks for the tip and these wonderful photos! Ventimiglia is now on my list of places to visit. I can't wait to see more photos from your trip! :)

Oakland Daily Photo said...

If it weren't for the laundry hanging out to dry, it would be easy to imagine Ventimiglia as an abandoned village.

jeff said...

Waow... tes photos sont grandes !!! De pure beauté ! Je retrouve l'Italie dans ces couleurs, ces ruelles... Il ne manque plus que le son ! ;-)
Bravissimo cher pixpotfriend !

French Girl in Seattle said...

Bonjour again, Owen. Thought you should know there is a small "dédicace" for my friend Monsieur Toad on tonight, post chez French Girl! :-)

French Girl in Seattle said...

Bonjour again, Owen. Thought you should know there is a small "dédicace" for my friend Monsieur Toad on tonight, post chez French Girl! :-)

Stickup Artist said...

It seems to me that many of the best places involve a steep climb. All the more sweet for the effort. And I've never seen a reclining crucified Jesus. I love all the richness of life, textures, colors, history, and geometric twists and turns in this post. A tribute to the photographer is the sense that it's the kind of place one would have to reluctantly drag themselves away from.

PeterParis said...

Yes, a very nice place! ... and then, did you mistt the fabulous cemetery of Menton? You must go back! :-)

babbler said...

Hello from Mrs Slug!!! Great photos!!!

Catherine said...

So pleased you stopped off here for a visit - I thought this old town was stunning and seemed forgotten and little visited...your photos certainly show it off to its best - glad to see all the washing is still out!!

Anonymous said...

Sus fotos son tan hermosas...

¡De una luminosidad impresionante!

Mil gracias Owen.

Maria O. Russell

Amanda Summer said...

i've always loved how this town's name just rolls off your tongue, as well as its prime location straddling two beautiful countries. you've honored it with your images. the skull waterspout (i presume it's a waterspout) beneath the statue in the niche is quite arresting.

David said...

You always have the best posts. Can you tell me if this is a Wordpress template and if so which one it is?
Thanks