Saturday 20 February 2010

Italian Days
Viennese Escapes


Morning by the Sea
I had arrived in the evening after dark,
in a raging thunderstorm,
the rain still pelting my window
as I fell asleep.
I was not expecting to wake up
the next morning to brilliant sunshine
and an almost calm sea.

I found this small coffee bar
just around the corner from the hotel,
and with a view of the sea.

True Italian Cappuccino
No, Signor Clooney,
the art of making
a perfect cup of coffee
was not invented by the Swiss!

To the last drop,
pleasure,
and all the while,
more pleasures wait:

Illuminarsi d'Immenso *
Yes, to fill oneself with light
which knows no bounds.

*

Photographed
in Marina di Pisa
Tuscany, Italy
September 2009


*) "M'illumino d'immenso"
Giuseppe Ungaretti
There are various translations out there,
the above is my own

*

Images and text
© by Merisi


28 comments:

  1. Dear Readers:

    I hope you do not mind the virtual escape from Vienna! The days are grey in grey still, the melting snow releases a lot of humidity and high fogs, obscuring the sun completely. I have had it!

    I have been working on my archive for some days now and encountering all those brilliant sunshine pictures reminds me again and again that those days will come back, soon, I hope!

    In the meantime, a little escapism can't harm, can it?

    A wonderful weekend to all of you,
    Merisi


    P.S.:
    I have experimented with taking off word verification, working on the "approval setting" instead to see whether it would be possible to eliminate the time consuming verification step for you, my readers.

    Unfortunately, dozens of spam comments, at times quite filthy, were coming in, day and night!

    I have now once again the setting with word verification with the recent two posts, and "approval" for older posts, in order not to miss any of your comments on not so recent ones.

    Thank you for your understanding,
    Merisi

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  2. What wondeful photos and loove the coffee cup!! Sad to hear you are getting so many bad messages...it is funny people don't have anything to do. Hopefully that will improve. Just loved today's post, Thank you !!!

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  3. You've done it again. Transported me :)

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  4. @ Rosemary:

    These are only the usual spam messages, planted by some robot or other! Not to worry, no one has left an unpleasant message of a personal nature!

    Thank you for your concern! :-)

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  5. That first picture -- ahhhh!

    A little escapism never hurts -- what a pleasure to escape at will.

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  6. Escapism......it's what I do every day when I come to visit your site. Whatever you put up makes me smile!! The first photo is FANTASTIC!!! Makes me just want to sit there and listen to the water lapping on the stones. Happy Saturday, Merisi.
    ~Allie

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  7. Yes, I took word verification off my blog and have been getting spam. I need to add it back. I do now approve the comments before they are put into the comments.

    Love the pictures of the sea.

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  8. OOOOhhhhhhhh,
    le capuccino:
    c'est mon péché mignon !
    très belles photos d'italie, merci

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  9. @ Christyn: *smile*

    O/T
    I just realized that I must be the dumbest person on Twitter! I joined because I did not want anyone else to twitter with my name (dumb to begin with, isn't it?). Then I thought, wow, I shall twitter about new posts here (ha, even dumber - who needs that?). I have typed three tweets in all, I think. They are sort of sitting in that little cubicle called "home" and I have no idea what they are doing there. Are they just a record of my poetic short nothings? Should I push or shove them to get out into cyberspace? And since I am asking: How does one create a new tweet? Most depressing: No one tweet me! *wahaha*

    Seriously, folks, and I am speaking here mostly to the four of you who kindly invited me in: I just don't get it! Besides, I have hardly time to answer your kind comments here, why in the world should I tweeter anyway? But it is fun to think, "Been there, tried, took flight!" - *flies off into the sunset behind the high fog and the clouds somewhere*

    Sincerely,
    Merisi

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  10. P.S.:
    I have no idea if the Blue Bird tweets or twitters.

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  11. Che bella, Merisi. I have escapes all the time...so I hope you keep it up.

    ciao from Washington, DC

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  12. hello friend...loved seeing all this beauty...

    sending blue sky wishes to you

    kary
    xxx

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  13. I am laughing - Does the bluebird tweet or twitter?!!! Too funny. Your view and your coffee are sublime. I think you are enjoying yourself. Happy weekend, Merisi.

    Catherine

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  14. Lovely images, Merisi!

    I've never been to Marina di Pisa, but I worked in that area, and visited other great parts, like Migliarino, San Rossore, Torre del Lago Puccini etc. Love love love it there.

    We must meet over bountiful cappuccinos one day. It's a must. My barista has learned to make me a double espresso cappuccino served in a maxi-size cup. You should see it... I don't even have to ask, he gets it ready as I walk in the cafe.

    Escape... Torna presto in Italia!!!

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  15. I sure loved that first photo! Gorgeous water and wonderful rocks!

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  16. I'm headed to Italy this fall. This is whetting my appetite.

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  17. Your translation of Ungaretti is just beautiful, Merisi!

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  18. I understand about the word verifacation. My blog was bombarded with ugly stuff too so I had to go back to the veri. also.
    Your photos of Italy are a pure feast for the eyes. Beautiful. Makes me want a special cup of coffee.

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  19. Love the photo "Morning by the Sea"! Sounds you had a great time in Tuscany. I would love to be there with you for a Cappuccino.

    Love the poem of Emily Dickinson on the "Leave your comment". Nice idea!

    PS: Me too, I have to put a word verification on my comment to avoid many spams...

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  20. Merisi,

    I was all set to comment on your post, but after reading all those comments I am quite off track.

    Regarding word verification, I find it quite refreshing, like a poetic challenge. I always assign a definition to my word verification, even if only in my own head.

    For example, my word verification for this post is "kindunt". Definition? Someone who is too stupid to know how to be nice.

    See? It's fun! Don't worry about us readers, we know how to make lemonade with word verification!

    Okay, back to the post. I have to say, that top photo and the following description about going to bed in a storm and waking up in brilliant sun reminded me so much of the trip that my mother and I took to Ireland a few years ago.

    We would meander all over the countryside all day, and sometimes didn't trundle into our B&B beds until after dark. One night, it was stormy and rainy, and our B&B was on a sort of promontory, with ocean on either side. When we awoke, it was much like the picture you posted - brilliant, diamond-hard sun on pointed waves. We breakfasted heartily that morning, having been buffeted to a find point by the sharp wind off that shining sea!

    Thanks for the memory.

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  21. P.S. Come 'round my blog today, if you get a chance. I need some advice.

    Cheers,
    M

    (Lurkers welcome!)

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  22. Le temps au bord de mer est si changeant...une pluie, puis un soleil radieux comme notre humeur...
    Et ce cappuccino, un nuage de bonheur!
    Bonne semaine Merisi

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  23. What a beautiful and elegant place to visit!

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  24. I always escape with you Merisi, and this was perfect. There is something magical about waking up in a warm place with a view of the sea, gentle breezes wafting light curtains and filling the room with exotic aromas. Like really good coffee.
    veri word:
    venca: translation...come for coffee

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  25. @ Moannie:

    "Venca!" = venire + coffee! Love it! :-)

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  26. The photo with rocks and water, esp. the first one, has beautiful colour contrast.

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  27. Italy, AUstria, whereever you are , it is always beautiful and your coffees are to die for

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