Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever seen one? Maybe not, but there is one sort of ‘ghost’ we can all see: the ghost sign. I’m not a dedicated ghost sign hunter, but I do like to spot them and always take a photo when I do.
-
-
Randazzo is the nearest town to the summit of Mount Etna, lying on its northern slopes. Its architecture reflects its location. Many of the older buildings here are constructed from the black lava stone from Etna, giving them a very distinct appearance.
-
One of the joys of Italy for me is the warmth in the colours of the buildings. When I think of Italy I think of ochres, terracottas and umbers. So it may seem strange to photograph Italian scenes in black and white.
-
This beautiful hilltop town on the east coast of Sicily is understandably a magnet for tourists. Sitting high above the coast in the shadow of (very) active Mount Etna, it has everything you might hope for in such a town. Vistas of both sea and mountains; ancient ochre-coloured buildings glowing in the Sicilian sun; great restaurants and quality shopping; narrow lanes and bustling squares lined with cafés for people-watching; a small but beautiful cathedral; and to top it all an ancient Greek theatre still in use today.
-
While it is true that each of us can get something different from a picture, I think it is also the case with words. We often bring our own interpretation to them, do we not?
-
May in England has been marvellous this year! Lots of warm sunshine and almost no rain. Not so great for farmers and gardeners perhaps, but wonderful for getting out and about. Our parks have been full of picnicking families, ball games and even sunbathers!
-
These traditional balconies are found all over Malta. Their origins go back to the Arabic architectural feature of a muxrabija. This was a wooden frame which screened the window space completely. It allowed a person on the inside to observe all that was going on outside, whilst not being visible to anyone in the street below.
-
According to Wikipedia, Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily and is one of the tallest active volcanoes in Europe, and the tallest peak in Italy south of the Alps. Its height however varies depending on eruptions.
-
Robins are the friendliest of our wild birds, or at least they are friendly to us. They are fiercely territorial and will aggressively defend their domain against other robins, but we invade it they seem positively pleased to see us. The little chap above joined us on a recent walk around the London Wetlands Centre.
-
Today London is a huge metropolis, but it wasn’t always so, of course. It started as a small Roman settlement on the north bank of the River Thames, Londinium. In 200 AD a wall was built, surrounding and protecting the city. Over the centuries it grew and grew, but that Roman town remained at its heart, the original City of London.
