All posts filed under: photography

most memorable photographs of san gimignano, italy

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There are some places in Italy I have wanted to see for a long time but didn’t dare to rent a car, so this trip I decided to take a day tour just to get a glimpse of the small villages throughout Tuscany. After Siena, we headed out to San Gimignano, which is situated on a hilltop somewhere in Tuscany, click here if you want all the statistics and other vital information.  After given a brief explanation of what to look for, we were let loose to wander about the village. Which is exactly as it should be during a bus tour. Brief explanation and alot of time to be on our own. From San Gimignano, I took away the following: {photos are the property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com}  

gilli delight in firenze, italy

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It’s amazing how we are drawn to some things in life. Like for instance, when I walked about Florence yesterday on my way to the Uffizi Museum, I was immediately drawn to a corner bakery, Gilli,  simply because of the picture above. I had seen the photograph throughout most of my adult life and wondered where it was taken? I knew it was somewhere in Italy during the 40s or the 50s but wasn’t exactly sure where in Italy. Well, it was apparently taken at the very corner of the street where a delightful cafe, simply referred to as Gilli, is located in Florence or at least that is what I was told. As I sipped on my cappuccino and nibbled on fresh baked  butter cookies at the coffee bar inside, I stared out the window at the corner where the photograph was taken in an attempt to interpret the contents. I wondered was the picture an authentic reaction of a women, while being aggressively propositioned by the men of that era or was it …

indian summer in san francisco

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I used to hate the end of Summer, because although it was foggy and cold in San Francisco, I felt a sense of sadness when the season ended. I suppose Summer for me marked the beginning of outdoor activities and longer days and colorful fashion, suntan and sidewalk cafes. However, since in San Francisco we normally experience what is known as Indian Summer at the end of September to almost mid to end of October, I have begun an appreciation for the Fall season as well and actually look forward to it, secretly. Since this past week we have experienced the hot, gorgeous, weather of Indian Summer, I decided to take my camera to work and capture some of the most beautiful colors reflecting off of the high-rise building in downtown, at the early morning hours. Please enjoy the photographers  and remember they are the property of http://www.rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com. Thank you

a sentimental day

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Looking back, I have been told, is never a good thing, but once in a while I find myself having the need to look back thirty plus years,  just to escape the complexities of today’s world. The funny thing is, as my mind  reflects on  most of my amazing childhood,  I subconsciously or perhaps just by pure accident come across  online photographs  which, I could have sworn, were taken from a time during my childhood. You see my parents, along with the entire clan on my father’s side and sometimes my mothers went on picnics in the mountains of a place where I was born, but back then I had no idea how precious those days were, I simply took them for granted and played about without a care in the world. Fast forward to my adult life and the need to escape the daily chaos, I spend a good amount of time reflecting on those amazing moments and when I come across a photograph which reminds me of that time, I add it to …

romantic vacation recommend: isle of capri, italy

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Most of my previous travels are to the main cities or towns within a country in Europe. But a few years back, when I ventured towards the Southern tip of Italy (the booth) I decided to take a ferry to the island of Capri. I must admit I wasn’t disappointed with the choice, even though the ferry schedule a bit unreliable and the frequency less than desirable, the trip was well worth it. The way it works is, after disembarking the ferry from Napoli, you have to take a taxi or a bus up to the top ( Alta Capri). This is where the main town square is and most of the civilization on the island. I did get a bit sick because of the altitude or maybe because of my fear of heights, but every where I looked there was the most beautiful view anyone can imagine. We stayed 3 nights 4 days and because the best way to see a place is by walking. We walked one entire day around the island, actually …

happy blog anniversary to me

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One year ago, I decided to start a blog different than my other blog here. I dabbled at first at another blogger site and after a few entries and not knowing which direction I wanted to go, I opted to join the WordPress family to get inspired. Sure enough, within a week I knew what I wanted to write about and quickly imersed myself into the project. One year  later, here I am with over 50,000 hits worldwide and several hundred, subscribed loyal followers. Not bad if you ask me for a years worth of work. However, I hope year two will inspire me enough to keep the blog alive and fresh for my readers and for myself. I want to thank everyone for encouraging me to continue and praising me for a job well done. I can honestly say, if it weren’t for this blog, I  would probably be working at Starbucks to get my pop culture on 🙂 With sincere appreciation, your truly Manya

outdoor sitting french style

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This is going to be my first summer without a backyard. After selling our house in the country, we traded in a grand backyard with a pool and garden for a view of the Pacific Ocean. Not a bad trade off. But I vowed I would not write about outdoor spaces, patio furniture or backyard get togethers until I worked the entire experience out of my system. But knowing me and the need to talk outdoors, I had to include some of my favorite photos of French country backyards and furniture.

happy mother’s day from rawsilkandsaffron.wordpress.com

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Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful and amazing women, without you the world would simply cease to exist. You are the most inspirational, fascinating, amazing and admirable individuals on the face of this planet. Thank you for everything, I am truly humbled by your dedication and sacrifice.

when the going gets tough – escape to greece

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Right about this time of year, I get the vacation planning itch. Although I pretty much know where I want to go every year, at the beginning of the year, sometimes what life decades throughout the year, almost forces me to imagination of a place I can actually escape to, where I could just sit by the ocean or sea and think through my problems. Well, today was one of those days, as I wrote the train to work this morning, I put on my i-pod and closed my eyes and quickly escaped to Greece. So I decided to post this entry and share some of my favorite photos of Greece.

pacific heights – san francisco – an architectural marvel

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San Francisco is probably one of the most beautiful travel destinations I can recommend. But of course you all already know that, right? What I truly appreciate the most about my city is the fact, that even though it is comparatively small to most other metropolitan cities, the hills more than make up for the size and of course the fact, within walking distance or (a Muni ride) away, you can experience different cultures within each district (or neighborhood), making it actually and suggestively  a huge city. My choice of exploring any city is of course walking and one of my favorite neighborhoods to explore, not only because of the challenging hills, which give me a great work out, but also the architectural marvel for my visual therapy away from the 9×11 computer screen. Now, I have included some street signage for you, amazing tourists from around the world and neighboring states and Southern Cal  as a guide, so that when you are visiting the city, you can chart your walking tour based on the …