Tales of Two Cities

Venice

I am still slogging away on the pictures I took on our cruise in June hoping to get back to the set from the May photoshoot in Utah so that things are pretty much under control before we leave on September 8 for another month in Paris where I will take more photographs.  My passion for photography has turned into a full time job for which the sole pay is personal satisfaction.  Pretty good wages by my account.

The photo on the right is one of my favorites so far from Venice.  This was taken looking towards the San Marco Canal basin. The Doges Palace (Palazzo Ducale) is on the right. Although the Venice SmugMug gallery is still a work in progress and not yet available to the public, you can take a peek at what Ihae already posted here or see the photographs as a slide show here. 

Meanwhile, my Santorini gallery is complete.  Check it out here.

Santorini

In between babysitting for the Adorable One, getting back into Pilates and enjoying a visit from our son, I continue to cull through the 1,700 plus photographs I took on our recent Mediterranean cruise and to "develop" the ones I like.

I started with one of our later stops, Santorini, probably influenced by the rainy, gray days that greeted our return to Boston.  Who can resist the near postcard-perfect white and blue vistas of the villages, the panoramic views over the deep blue Aegean, the art galleries and charming gift shops, the inviting tavernas, or the rugged beauty of the beautiful volcanic island?

These Santorini kitties were waiting for new homes in a shop in Oia, a picturesque village located high on a cliff on the northern end of the island.  Despite the winsome looks on their carved faces, I am afraid I only brought home the picture.

You can see more of my photographs of Santorini here.  Alternatively, you can look at them as a slide show.  For historical information about the island check out Answer.com's entry for Santorini.

Antidote

If I have this right, we are now in our fifth straight day of gray skies, high humidity, drizzle, rain and occasional thunderstorms.  The fact that there is flooding in the mid-Atlantic states doesn't make our less disruptive sog any easier to take. 

We need absolutely clear, deep blue skies.  We need warmth without humidity.  We need cheery colors to lift our spirits.  We need to be in the Greek Islands.  NOW. 

Stuck as we are in Boston, however, this photograph taken in Oia, Santorini will have to suffice.  Think ouzo.  Or lemonade.  And don't forget the sunscreen.

Addendum:  It's still hot and humid but the sun is out.  Ah, the power of the written word.