isola tiberina

The light was amazing on the Tiber Island the other day.
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tevere

The Tiber river in autumn.
When many thoughts crowd my head, chores pile up, and the days seem too short for the million things I need to take care of, I walk by the river and put everything back into perspective.
See how small my shadow is on the bridge?

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via s. francesco a ripa

sant'egidio a trastevere

dal terrazzo

{Lungara citadel}

My friend J lives in a pretty astounding place. This is the view from his living room balcony. The larger terrace, where we customarily have lunch under a canopy of Virginia Creeper, enjoying the aromas of fresh herbs and the sound of birds chirping, overlooks another part of this gorgeous inner courtyard. 

Notice the many different shades of red: the typical Roman brick-red wall paint, the bright red geraniums, the baked terracotta of the roof tiles, and the fire engine red bougainvillea.

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via dei pettinari

{unhurried}

Yesterday welcomed summer. 

So I ditched the car and took a long, relaxing passeggiata in town. I alighted the tram in Trastevere. After attending a business breakfast, I crossed the river to the Jewish "ghetto" where I met a friend for lunch. We sipped espresso in the shadow provided by Michelangelo's palazzo in Piazza Farnese, and leisurely walked all the way back to the bridge.

ponte vittorio emanuele

victory

Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II–commonly referred to simply as Ponte Vittorio–crosses the Tiber and links Corso Vittorio Emanuele to Via della Conciliazione, two wide boulevards, the latter of which dead ends in the Vatican.

The 111-meter bridge is supported by 3 arches ad 2 massive pillars that are topped with four heavy allegorical sculptures. The marble statuary groups represent allegories of Liberty, Oppression defeated, Unity of Italy, and Loyalty to the Constitution.  

The four end pillars are decorated with bronze winged Victories. 

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ponte sisto

the kissing bridge

Ponte Sisto is a footbridge in Rome's historic centro storico, spanning the river Tiber and connecting Via del Pettinari to Piazza Trilussa in Trastevere. The current Renaissance bridge was built by Pope Sixtus IV (hence the name) between 1473 and 1479 as a replacement of a prior ancient Roman bridge named Pons Aurelius.

The bridge is characteristic because of its central circular 'oculus' Latin for "eye." It connects two very fashionable night-life areas near Campo de' Fiori and Trastevere, and has become part of Italy's pop culture, recently featured in films, music videos, and ads.

I shot a film on Ponte Sisto a few summers ago, and our crew was a motley one indeed, young, reckless, stealing images with a hand held 16mm camera, no permits to shoot in that location and with an actor who had indulged in one vino too many. 

The unpredicted gift of a spectacular sunset and an unexpected couple kissing passionately in the closing frame of the romantic scene of the solitary protagonist who returns to Rome after many years, was just perfect. It's one of my favorite parts of the film.

For more images of bridges around the world,
please visit San Francisco Bay Daily Photo,
hosting the weekly Sunday Bridges series.

slow food

pc all the way

Despite the cliché checkered tablecloths and quaint hanging braids of peperoncini and garlic, this Trastevere hangout professes the opposite of the widely acclaimed Italian trattoria-style menu and philosophy. Care is given to a slow approach. Ingredients are certified local and organic, and cooked according to authentic Roman recipes. The menu entries change every day according to season and ingredient availability. In a district that has more than its fair share of set tourist menus, this little rebellion is worth a stop.

Aristocampo

Via della Lungaretta, 75

Trastevere

bucato al sole

Vicolo

A white balloon, a vespa, a waiter on his cell phone. Plants, windows, doorways, laundry, sunlight. Graffiti, burnt sienna walls, wires, old gaslight lamp, drain pipes, blue sky.

The many elements in this photo sum up Trastevere's character.

trastevere

Snail mail, graffiti & espresso machines

Trastevere is one of Rome's most popular neighborhoods. It is a place of winsome contradictions, social strata and strong local identity. Everything about Trastevere contributes to its charm. The unique character of this neighborhood has attracted all kinds of artists, foreign expats, students and travelers. Trastevere's Medieval architecture and the snaking, narrow and irregular cobbled streets weave an intricate web on the map, but purposely losing one's direction is the best way to discover places one might never find otherwise.

I have often dreamt of moving to Trastevere.