Italy from various points

The view of Como lake from Brunate. This shot illustrates perfectly the golden light that seems to flood across Italy, making everyone and everything look good.

With big strong arms, this lady from Puglia, in southern Italy, spends her days making pasta by hand for sale. The gadget she is using here is like a harp, and a rolling pin is used to cut the pasta sheets into strips.

She also makes them in shell (and other) shapes, and then leaves them to dry. Witness all the people standing around. They spend much of their days gossiping in the street. Such is life in the south.

Ok, this is the Trullo we stayed in in Puglia, and it used to double as a winery. Basic is the key word here, with no running water, no electricity, no gas, but plenty of insects. Still, with a roof this cool, how could you resist?

On the left, you see the sole source of water, being a well and bucket combination, and on the right the crush for the grapes that used to be grown in the field outside.

The Trullo hot water service.

The Trullo shower.

Who said religious icons had to make sense? This is a saint carrying the 2 eyeballs she had gouged out by some hedens. Apparently she looked lousy sans-eyeballs, and so the artist took license, and gave her an extra pair.

Another beautiful Italian coastal town. This one called Otranto.

This spot was beautiful. A good stretch of dramatic coast, and about a 10 minute walk from the beach was a great, but muddy, fresh water lake to wash off in.

Me and a new friend.