So proud of this news report about my home state of: Oklahoma

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57582908/oklahoma-offers-pre-k-model-for-nation/

Leaning Tower of Pisa--- Part 2 OR the advantages of LOOKING UP....

Leaning Tower of Pisa.  One of the world's landmark buildings.   A bell tower that took hundreds of years to finish.  It is an amazing sight to see.  The first time that I went there- It was in 2000.  It was my first time to live in Italy and I was moving away after living in Italy for three years.  The local travel agent booked me a trip to Sienna and Pisa on the train.  She made arrangements for the hotel rooms of places that she had stayed herself..   I went alone because school was already out for the summer and truthfully... 'no one' had ever been friendly since many of the teachers had worked at this school forever and hadn't moved around very much.   She had me me leaving late at night on the train and arriving very early to Pisa.  I was then to back track away from Pisa (closer to where I had been living) and arrive in Sienna in the late afternoon and spend the night.  I would continue on with my trip early the next morning.   While I'm sure that there is plenty to see/do in Pisa... when you are on a time-limit- you can visit and see the area very well in only 4 hours.   Just make sure you LOOK UP... otherwise, you will miss so much.  **CLICK on photos for a larger/clearer view.

 At the train station, I had to get on a local bus that would take me to the Leaning Tower of Pisa.   After you get off the bus and as you approach the area- you can't see the tower... and you arrive in front along the wall that surrounds the Pisa Tower and all of these other buildings that you see in the first photo.  There is a huge stone archway in the stone wall that you enter into this area that you see above.  So, until you actually walk through the archway, you don't really see the Tower from the street.

 At the first glance/glimpse that I had ... I honestly 'gasped' out loud.  Every poster, photo in a book, on a calendar, on a post-card... just does NOT prepare you to see this building that is probably as well known as the pyramids throughout the world.   As an art teacher- it might have meant more to me than to some people?

However, I also remember seeing this building as a child, as I poured over photos in photos in Life and in National Geographic Magazines, while living in rural southern Oklahoma while my only travel opportunities had been to go across the state line 5 miles away to Texas when my step-dad bought some baby calves for his farming ranch.

Those photos and maps instilled the desire to travel and see the world some day.  I didn't know how I was going to manage it- because my family was poor.  I just knew that I wanted to see what was out there.   And that one of the places that I wanted to see was the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

If you've read my blog before; you know that I often 'look up' and if I have my camera with me- I take photos of windows/everyday life/etc. that others just walk on by and never notice.   When I am with a group of people... there is always someone who comments and thinks it is odd that I do this.  Of course, they are the very people that miss so much and/or think many things are boring/etc.  *I've had actually people tell me that they didn't think that The Leaning Tower of Pisa was even worth seeing.   

Case in Point:  The above urn.  Do you see how no one is even noticing it?   I immediately noticed the carved people and the huge bird.   So, I got my camera out and ....

See the grapes worn down along the edge?  The people are looking back, walking somewhere and most look stressed/at their wit's end?  Escaping?   I wonder what piece of history or the bible that is depicted on this urn?  Plus; I just love the bird hanging out too. 

Know what this is?  A waterspout.   (with another bird too)  Just look at the carving along this edge.

Do you see the tops of the columns?  Each of these statues are of different people with different expressions.

Close up of the above building.  Different colors of marble.   I just don't think that in modern times or in the future... that we'll ever see this type of detail and artistry on buildings ever again.

Flowers and faces at the top of the pillars.

This door is huge... but, look at the carved stone (marble) facing!   Everything is different! 

Looking up above this door.   Just remember:  LOOK UP  there is another world up there waiting to be discovered.

Some photos of the Leaning Tower of Pisa... (I have more, many more photos of this place...)

Lots of great statues and decorative features on the buildings and the faces are all different.  Or maybe, I notice them more because I always "LOOK UP"

This helps with the scale of how big this area is... it is also surrounded by a stone wall...  The second time that I saw this place when I lived in Gaeta, Italy (photos of that amazing place are on my blog) I stayed in a hotel just to the right of the far group of trees.   We were less than 2 blocks away and had a view of the tower from the hotel window.   One of the best view from a hotel that I can remember ever enjoying?    I had a 'room' with a view for sure.

I am always in awe of the beauty of the buildings here.  Of course, the first time that I saw this place-- I was a little surprised at how many different buildings there were- after all... you usually only see photos of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.   *Click on the photos for a larger/clearer view.

life quotes...

Pondering life... I went searching for some quotes...  finding some quotes... led me to more quotes... (you know how the Internet leads you all over the place)...



  


Sort of like that saying:  You make time for what is important to you.

I liked this one... sometimes it is easy to put off life, making decisions, etc.  Simply because the 'KNOWN' is far more comfortable than the UNKNOWN.    Got any favorite quotes?  

Cute little French Kitties...

Last year, (I think?) I went to southern France on a bus trip (yesterday's post is from this trip) with the military base.  On this trip, we stopped and had a great meal at this restaurant.   While waiting for the meal to start, I was walking around taking some photos and I noticed that the owners had a few cats... and eventually I noticed that there were also a couple of really adorable kitties.   They were so cute.   Trying to hide in the tall grasses while playing and also wanting to get close enough to check me out.  Both adult cats stayed close and I honored that and only took photos w/ my zoom lens so none of the cats would feel 'threatened.'   This is when I first saw the kitties.   I love little orange tabbies... and the white kitty was adorable and had beautiful markings.  Check out the little mouth... looks like a grey smudge around her lips.  

*Click on the photos for a larger view.

I wish I could have taken them home.

You can't see me... I'm hiding behind this tree branch.

"Did you see that brother?"   The little white one is sitting on an old glass wine bottle.

Papa?

They love each other and were constantly right beside each other.

We're just 'resting our eyes'...

I think that this is the 'mama kitty'???

Fuzzy, because they were always moving! 

Finally this little guy gave me a perfect pose.

Aren't they so cute?  I think the little white one is part Siamese? However, she/he also had really light tabby markings.

It's a plane? A bird? No, it's the Leaning Tower of Pisa... sort of...

Location?  Somewhere on the road about 7 -8 hours away from Grafenwohr, Germany on the way to Southern France or maybe we were on the way to northern Italy?  No, I think it was France.  Actually, now that I think about it... I'm sure of it.

 

What is it?  It's a public bathroom... somewhere at a rest stop 'somewhere'... Last  year, while still living in Germany, I had gone on a Military bus tour to southern France and we'd gotten on the bus sometime around midnight and this was probably about 7am?   Everyone got a kick out of the unusual bathroom.

I really liked this sign:  Local Technique.  No one wanted to open that door.   We didn't want to know.  Some things are best left 'un-known.'  Know what I mean? 

Anyway, it gave everyone a chance to stretch our legs, laugh a bit, and there were several photos taken.  At least this time, I wasn't the ONLY ONE taking photos of the bathroom.  

I was going through some of my old photo memory sticks and I thought that I'd share these 'bathroom' photos with you.

Old Italian Door... hundreds of years old

I'm always noticing old windows, doors, doorknockers and mail slots.  Isn't that a nice set?  The door knocker is of course much older as indicated by the much simpler style.  IT is probably original to the door?   This door is hundreds of years old.   These wooden doors are about 10 foot tall or taller and over a foot thick.  I love the detailed work on the mail slot and the door handle.

Look at how simple the face is over the doorway.   Many old ledges, doors, etc. have statues or faces on them.   The door locks have also changed through the years- you can see 3 different styles.

The archway probably also held a wooden doorway long ago?  It is now a shop.  I really like the ornate ironwork on the balconies.  This is a very old building- one indicator is of course the 'barely there' Juliette balcony style.   The wooden shutters behind the balcony are fairly new; usually you'll see the wooden shutters that open outward on a building this old.