.8 days of happy: Day 2!

[aesc]

EIGHT DAYS OF HAPPY! | prev. days: 01

Happiness: Day Two
I was drinking my espresso this morning, made in the moka pot I acquired when I visited smilla02 in Sicily oh my god almost three years now. That was probably the best trip and one of the best experiences of my life, and although I miss A. and Sicily (and the wat_europe girls from London) so much, every time I think about my week there, I'm so happy.


Monreale is the hilltop town that looks out over Palermo. Like Sicily, and Italy and Mediterranean Europe in general, its architecture is a graceful hodgepodge of Norman, Gothic, Arabic, and Byzantine Greek.



Taken on the first of two trips up to Monreale. This is beyond the cathedral walls, looking out over Palermo. The valley beneath Monreale is the Conca d'Oro, for the citrus groves.



A vegetable stand closed up to keep the sun off the veggies. (There were so many vegetable and fruit stands! And everything looked wonderful. Also, don't get me started on the bakeries and cafes.)



The nave of the cathedral, looking into the choir. Angels and the patriarchs and evangelists are on the uprights; in the apse over the altar (you can't see it) is the great Christ Pantokrator; you can see the book he holds in his left hand. Practically all of the cathedral interior is a mosaic, gold and azure and vermilion, the stories from Scripture turned into fire.

.eta!: In moar happy news, the Vermont legislature overrode Gov. Jim Douglas's veto to legalize gay marriage. GO VERMONT. (As MSNBC points out, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Iowa's legalization were by court ruling; Vermont is the first to legislate it.)

Comments

[dogeared.livejournal.com]

Oooo, good happy, aitches!! :D

[aesc.livejournal.com]

One of the very best of happys, Jenns! *snorfles*

[mirabile-dictu.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh, what gorgeous photos! The colors are so rich. What a great memory to have.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

I did not do much to retouch these--the cathedral is really the only one, because it was so dark. All the colors there are unbelievably rich, and there's a certain quality of the sunlight that only makes them richer.

[meanheans]

I just had to tell you that the second picture in the post (of the fruit vendor and the multi-colored buildings) always, ALWAYS makes me think of the video for Pitbull's "Ay Chico" and so every time I see your icon I start hearing the song in my head. It's a wonderfully vivid photo (and a lovely place, obviously), and I feel totally silly about what I associate it (and you) with, but there you have it.

I see that icon, hear a dirty spanish rap in my head, and it makes me happy. :)

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Heee, the brain will do that to you sometimes :D

[smilla02.livejournal.com]

I miss you like whoa! I can't believe it's already been three years! :(
But, you promised a post graduation trip, and I'm holding you to that. Definitely P is holding you to that.
♥ ♥ ♥

[aesc.livejournal.com]

*hugs you up!!!!* I might have good news! (Emphasis on might.) I am applying for an extra assistantship next year. If I get it, I'm going to put some of the money toward a ticket :D Keep your fingers crossed for me! *crosses own fingers*

[rilestar.livejournal.com]

Nice meme. Nice photos, too. Hooray for good memories!

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! It was such a wonderful trip ♥

[winkingstar.livejournal.com]

Wow, those are gorgeous photos! :)

*sigh* It really is so much prettier in colour. I work at a photograph & fieldwork archive, and the main collection I work with is b&w photos of Byzantine sites, so I've seen Monreale before. It's just all so blah, without the colours, especially when you know the real thing has beautiful shades of azure and gold and, you know, colour.

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! And I totally agree... Monreale is really one of those places you need to see in color. And in person :D

[le-mot-mo.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, I remember those sights. Sicily is such a beautiful place. :o)

God-- London seems like eons ago. I'm so missing all of you. I'm completely out of the loop these days with the cleaning, packing and moving. But hopefully I'll be able to spend more time on LJ once I've moved in the new place (which should be next week! YAY!).

If you ever decide to visit the north of Europe, you're more than welcome to come visit. It would be so great to see you again. :o)

*hugs hugs hugs*

[aesc.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeeee, E!!! *hugs you up!!!* I have missed you!! ♥♥♥