Oh, Tuscany

It was my years of dream to come back to Italy and tour the countryside.  Here I am, on vacation only, not on business.

Living in Williamette Valley, the wine country, I have done numerous wine tasting, but have not come close to inspect the clusters of grapes growing in the vineyard. Here in Tuscany, when the golden glow shines through our apartment window in the morning, it also glows on the vineyard. 

Good morning, Tuscany

Tuscany is the world famous wine haven particularly in Chianti region. Thousands and ten thousands acres of vineyards on the rolling hills are the 'trade mark' and the main element to create its breath-taking landscape.  

These vineyards, I believe, are mostly planted by original farmers according to pre-existing geography. Unlike in the States where everything is so regulated and checker-boarded, here shows history impact and true nature.

Dusk in Tuscany

I think the unintentional placement of the vineyards here has accidentally created dramatic and stunning scenery.  This land of vineyards is vast and magnificent. The spread is often beyond our vision of 180 degree view and beyond.  The mature growth of the vines shows sign of long history, experience and expertise.

Layers of mountains afar and behind embrace the continuous patches and patterns of the vineyards. Putting yourself in the scene, you would wonder if this is real or in the dream.

I brought my travel tripod. Unfortunately, the roads are extremely winding and narrow. And, there are no shoulders. Italian drivers do not use blinkers. If you use signals, you are telling locals that you are foreign and chances are, you will be pressed to drive faster and get out of the way.

San Gimingnano

On many occasions, when the photo opps were up, we either could not find a place to pull over or the cars kept coming no stop from both directions. If we were just a bit slower sometimes because we were reconfirming our driving directions, we would hear that screaming honks. Driving is stressful here, but for the sake of the scenery, a little bit of upset can easily be out behind.

Italian road system is governed by Roundabouts which are designed to do the same work as our Stop signs here except that we have to watch the traffic coming from all directions. It is a Yield, not a Stop. Most the drivers are pretty aggressive. It is quite tough for the visitors who are not familiar with the roads to ‘compete’. I said ‘compete’. Because if you don’t move, others will. This reminds me of my previous experience driving in Taiwan. The roads are narrow and the drivers are in multitude. If you follow the rules, you may get nowhere.

how enchanting

There are two primary types of grapes growing in Tuscany, one is Sangiovese used to make Red wine and the other is Vernache used to make white wine.

We visited Castello Verranzzano winery in Chianti and concluded that we like Chianti Classico the best. The wine list from the restaurants is usually 3-4 pages long, but we are not wine connoisseurs. All we do is to try a different one each time and they are generally pretty good. Just like olive oil and Balsamic vinaigrette, a glass of wine on dinner table is part of Italian  tradition  and   undoubtedly,  it  adds  ambiance  and

under grape vines

flavor the dish with the remaining taste on the tongue, in my opinion.

It was inside the winery and in the restaurants that I first saw grape plants are used as the roof decor for the open dining area. Aged grape vines provide nice shade and the sweet aroma from the grapes is enchanting. I wonder why Willamette wineries are not doing the same. Maybe the grapes are not aged and large enough to crawl on the roof. I looked up and saw these beautiful grapes hanging from the ceiling and bathing in the sun.

Giovani Verranzzano was an renown explorer after Christopher Columbus. An existing bridge in New York city was named after him. His castle is now a charming winery and also the living space for the winery workers. How do you like to live and work in a place like this?

Verranzzano Castle fence

The grapes are sweet. The winery is nicely architected. Vineyards are the landscape, amazing. But what excited me the most is to watch grape harvesting. I know from this point on, I will appreciate every single piece of the grapes that we have and enjoy it.

We were told that these workers are paid by pounds so they tend to work fast.  I had to run after them to take their pictures because they can finish picking an approximately 500 feet row in about ten minutes. Wages are mean, but the smiles do not leave their face.

A Smile to Remember

Farewell to Summer

 

September steps in fall, but the weather is still gorgeous. I however started to feel the chill early in the mornings. My flowers are pretty much past their prime period and the immigrated birds are ready to head south soon. I think it is about the time that I send summer off. Time to forgo flower close-ups and birds shots.  A bit of forlorn and a bit of reluctant to let go, but season changes and our life goes on.

Bright and vivid summer colors are stunning and exciting. I also think that I should not let season changes impact my good spirits and therefore I decided to shoot and show a few black and white images. Although I have not done many B&W pictures, I do have a special liking for them. Black and White images appear to be simple but their impact seems contrarily deeper.

For colored images, I found my attention is on colors. And, for black and white images, I am drawn to details and in some cases, emotion.

Crowned

This cornflower (Double Scoop Bubble Gum) is one of my favorite additions this year. The color is beautiful and the blooming time is long. The original color image is striking and I like its dainty pedals.

When there is no color distinction between the upper scoop section and the lower long pedals, I begin to see a bride's bouquet, or an award ribbon. Instead of glamour, I see elegance.

White Corals

If not for the simple tonality, these Lantana would not look like the white corals adorned with diamonds. They are originally yellow and creme two-tone flowers which look like buttered popcorns. I am not using the best resolution pictures for  web posting; otherwise, you would enjoy the crystal clear 'diamonds' even better. Between popcorn and diamond, what is your pick?

the Tradition

As I just mentioned in my last blog, Chinese tea set designs look more subtle and understated. With the colors removed, I think the image fits even better to portrait that old traditional and solemn look.

It reminds me of a traditional living room with a pair of honored and wealthy parents as well as their sons and their wives. The seatings are in a U shape. Parents sit in front followed by two rows of next generation who all carefully follow their tradition: tea to be served to the older first and parents have absolute power over the children.

There are authority, ranking, respect, and rituals involved in the scene. You surely would not hear any loud laughter or see kids running around. It is a very disciplined and controlled environment.  Wanting to know why Asians tend to be more well-mannered and quieter? There is a long and hard tradition going around for thousand years.

cottonwood seed pod

Claradendrum is a fast growing flowering tree. We were given a starter by a precious friend. Just about 6 months period, it has grown to 7-8 feet high. Not only that, this tree has been putting out lots of babies. Flowers are small but a whole cluster of them. Multitude of anything cause distraction. I originally aimed for this single flower, but the tiny cottonwood seed pod suddenly flew into the scene and became my subject. If not for the black and white, it would be buried in the colors. 

Bathed in Sun and Drew

I cannot identify this flower any more after it has been growing in my yard for 16 years. Just like Claradendrum, its roots grow aggressively and expand speedily. The deep peach color is quite dramatic in fall, but I seem to enjoy it even more when they are secretly hidden under the maple tree and quietly sucking in the morning drew. 

I have taken quite a few shots of Great Gray Herons, but they have always been too far away from me and too sensitive to my existence. But not this morning at Delta Pond, he was waiting to fetch his prey in the pond. Very slowly and cautiously I walked towards him, but he did not make any move.  To play safe, I started to shoot from distance and moved in closer till it was about 30 feet away. There was no more foot room and this is the best I could do.  To my surprise, I did capture his eyes, clear and vivid. And, I see he has no fear. 

If it is a color image, the gray heron will blend in with the murky pond water and 'disappeared' in the scene.  Besides, the black and white presentation makes the image resembling an impeccable pencil drawing. It conveys ancient and more a traditional Chinese heron painting that I used to see. This image concludes a great summer for me and I am looking forward to the next one and the next.

Time for Tea, Tea for Two

Coffee is my regular drink in the morning. Tea is what I have throughout the rest of the day if I am craving more caffeine. Coffee aroma is mostly bold, rich and ‘invasive’ that I found irresistible. Tea is, to the contrary, is calm and tranquil. Its fragrance is acquired through the making and serving. The refreshing effect is slowly carried on and lasts long.

Understated Aroma

Tea drinking originated in China more than 4000 years ago, and it was introduced to England 300 years ago. India was once a British colony and that's when the Indians were first exposed to the tea and learned how to grow it.

Tea grows better in the warm climate such as southern China, India and Ceylon. Chinese drink brewed tea straight, but British tend to drink tea with milk and sugar. I believe most of the Americans drink Chinese tea with lemon and honey. It is just like drinking coffee with crème and sugar. Creme and sugar are intended to make coffee taste better, but they dilute original flavor.

Tea for two

Besides, good tea usually comes in a can with dehydrated tea leaves. When the tea is brewed, large leaves remain in the tea kettle. Tea from teabags are often made from ground loose tea leaves. They are as good as the whole leaves, but the flavor is not quite the same and quality may not be as supreme. Nowadays, tea providers add dehydrated fruits and flower pieces to the tea for added flavor and enhanced visual, in my opinion, it is more a marketing strategy. But if you are after ambiance, drinking fruit tea from a personal glass teapot is actually quite enjoyable.

Thinking of tea, I think about friendship.  It is purely personal. I am more a coffee drinker than tea, but I am often given tea as gifts, particularly from my Taiwanese friends. Chinese tea is available at Asian stores here, but it is mostly not fresh and the quality is no way close to what I had in Taiwan. Believe or not, in the last three decades, I have never bought any Chinese tea at the stores here, and I have never run out of the tea supply either.  I like almost all the tea cans and I kept most of them for other use.

Having two cups of tea made for pictures, I missed my old friends and good old days... Chinese has an old saying 'Gentlemen's friendship is as light as water.' 君子之交淡如水. That means, a friendship between men of virtue is light but effective. True relationship is established on mutual respect and understanding. There is no jealousy involved;  It is not forceful and the relationship is not imposed upon each other. All is natural, all is simultaneous. That's why it is as light as water.

Two for Tea

My memory tunnel goes back to my school days when the music recorder in our house was playing Doris Day’s ‘Tea for Two’. 

“tea for two and two for tea, just me for you and you for me. Nobody near us to see us or hear us, no friends or relations on weekend vacations…”

This song has been played in many movies and has always stuck in my mind. I actually used it for my ring tone for a few years till my phone was sunk in tub water. How I learned my lesson in the hard way: Be smart. Don't bring the smartphone into the restroom.

What a joy to enjoy a cup of authentic tea with an old friend in this environment? Tea is freshly brewed. Morning sun has just lightly touched the ground. It glowed on the tea kettle and illuminated the background. I found the scrips on Kim Klassen's texture inspiring:

I lost my faith and you gave it back

You were my strength while I was weak

I am everything I am because you loved me

You touched my hand I could touch the sky

You gave me wings and made me fly 

Beauty is made for Tea

This is exactly what I am thinking about my friends and many precious moments that I had enjoyed a nice cup of tea with them.

I don't usually collect 'trophies' while traveling, but this mug is too beautiful to resist. The price tag $15 for a mug is silly, but if you know coffee costs $5 minimum in Norway. This $15 isn't too much overall.  But I brought it home and I put it up for display. Now I got it out for a picture and I will start to put it into use, enjoy my morning coffee or afternoon tea. I need to increase its value by using it.

The other mug was bought for the man in my house. I thought he would not like the mug with flowers. So I got this one with Leaves and Grapes. Now I can say, they represent Tea and Wine. Oh, my goodness, it sounds like something I really need, a good afternoon nap.

One thing I noticed, the design and color of European ceramics are intense, vivid and outspoken vs those from the Chinese version are peaceful, subtle and understated. Interesting, isn't it?

Afternoon doze-off

Bug me, Please

 

Wonder how “Don’t bug me” phrase was started at the first place. On quite a few occasions I really felt the threat of the bugs, but occasionally, like this last week, I hope they come to bug me, to be my photo subject.

The most deadly bug attack I had was at Steens Mountain swamp in Central Oregon. It was our first visit and we were not fully prepared to bug proof. . Small price to pay to enjoy the stunning colors of the swamp, I think. I remember that we had to dash out of the place and run into a general store to get a $7 can of bug repellent.  I still quivered and felt itching all over whenever I thought about it.

I like to shoot birds and natural habitats such as wildlife refugees are full of bugs. From distance they look like tornadoes. When I had to pass by them, I usually held my breath and walked as fast as I can. It’s like walking past a bug blind. But for the love of shooting birds, I have no problem to bear the nuisance.

In this nice summer days, we like to enjoy our meals on the porch. Just recently got a smoker, smoking meats become our weekend routine. Bees (I mean, yellow jackets, not honey bees) do not go to the trap any more, they hang out our patio table and sniffed our smoked meat without fail. We have a Zapper (like a tennis racket with metal screen, battery-powered) which works really well, but I don’t enjoy roasting bees while we are having our dinner.

Why God created so many bugs? To fill in the void space as the universe is so big and plenty of room left? Of course not. I think they are created as the food for many creatures, at least I know my birds live on the seeds and bugs. I have seen hummingbirds attacked bugs in the air. On this note, I accept their existence as long as they don’t attack me except that I tend to be the victim of mosquitoes, I think they like Chinese food.

I am not that patient hunter. But when the opportunity comes, I don’t let it go easily either. A pair of butterflies have been come back and forth to my yard as freely as they wish. They remind me of a fictional Chinese love story. ‘Romeo’ was sick and died. ‘Juliet’ came to moan and die from overwhelming grief... There were two white butterflies flew out of the tombs just before The End shows on the movie screen… 

They are not fancy butterflies, but it is interesting to look at it close and examine its delicate parts. Butterfly's antenna is used to detect which plants are producing nectar and males are using them to sense pheromones from female. At the base of the antennas there is an organ called Johnston Organ which controls the orientation of the Butterfly.

The most interesting part to me is the proboscis which is like a long nose. Imagine how elephants fetch their food. This proboscis is the channel for the nectar to pass through from the flower to the mouth of the Butterfly. 

I happened to capture the image on the right when this moth is ready to take in the nectar that it just harvested. The coil and the big eye of the little creature caught my eyes.

People (including me) often think Butterfly is more attractive than Moth. Most of the moths look plain, I agree. They are usually blended in and appeared lost in the background. But God played a little favor and designed the nice robe for them.  Did English kings' apparel designers were inspired by a little moth to design the robes for the kings? They certainly look the same to me.

Never too late to learn particularly I have not spent much time on biology as a student. Brisk as butterfly and quiet as moth, I say, bug me, I would love to take their pictures.

Exactly what is the difference between a butterfly and a moth. The chart below offered by Encyclopedia Britannia is a good illustration.

Color, Light and 'Highlight' - 曇花開了

A gorgeous Sunday. Extremely quiet and peaceful in Crescent Lake. Water is blue and calm, slight ripples, no waves. But when the boat steams up, white waves churn and roar.  It is only white and blue, but action-packed. Sunlight has dramatized it all.

Excited and misted by the boat ride, it is nice to ease into an afternoon recess on the deck among the lofty firs and occasional visits from Hummingbirds and Stella Jays.  

The little ones began to put out their toys while the big ones are cooling off with beers and lemonades. Don't know since when the deck has gradually (hypothetically) become a studio of our little artist and she looks quite serious, too. It is unpredictable what little ones are capable of these days.  It is my fun and my job to capture the moment.

Wish every day is a weekend day but we have to leave. Summer is almost over. I want to hold on August a bit longer. Back home, we have our dinner on the patio. A light supper with healthy ingredient plus a glass of wine make us a pleasant evening. It is 82 degree outside, but the light breeze and patio umbrella have made us an enjoyable dinner retreat. 
A white linen has Bordeaux wine bleached through... imagine. A small forest was shown through the utensils, oh, light. And the colors, source of the ambiance.

A cup of authentic Chinese tea made from fresh tea leaves to wash down the after taste of red wine refreshes and adds relaxing effect.

colored tea time

I love these colorful hand-made tea cups. Drinking tea in a real tea cup makes me ponder on tradition and cultural value. Coffee cup is meant for coffee or drink tea out of tea bags.  In the past, freshly dehydrated tea leaves were usually higher quality than the content of a tea bag. Nowadays tea bag quality is improved and enhanced with hydrated fruits and flower pieces which may add a hint of flavor, but mostly serve marketing purpose. 

A nice cup of Chinese tea is brewed from whole tea leaves (not from individual tea bags) and there are serving rules. There is no doubt in my mind that bag tea has no comparison with the tea brewed in traditional method.

I did not plan to talk about flowers again, but....  Epiphyllum 曇花 is originated from South Africa. It would only bloom in the evening between 8-12 o’clock and the bloom lasts only 4-5 hours before it starts to fade.  Chinese literature uses Epiphyllum to symbolize short-lived occurrence (曇花一現). The flower is also named 'Moonlight Beauty' because of its blooming in the night. For the fact that it blooms once a year and lasts only a few hours. Unless you are mindfully watching its growth, you may not see the flowers for years.  My sister gave me couple of leave cuttings when I was there in June.  In California, blooming season for this flower was over then. I was not sure if it will grow in Oregon and if it does, I thought, it will be next year or years to come. 

6:45pm, 1st day

Completely caught me by surprise, I saw reddish something popped up on the edge of the leave about three weeks ago. I emailed my sister and she said, that is a flower bud! The 'bud' grows bigger every day.   While sipping my tea and enjoying the blueberry silk cake, I discovered the size of the bud looks bigger than ever and and it seems to me that the flower can pop anytime. Still not totally convinced that I am going to see a flower,  I however had my camera ready. Maybe they would bloom tomorrow night, I thought. 

11:00pm, 1st day

It was all dark outside and a TV show was on inside. House was warm and I decided to go to the patio for some fresh air.  Instinctively I turned my head, and I saw the bloom!!!  It was close to 10:00pm.

My heart was racing and I rushed to grab my camera. This was my first experience trying to use macro lens in the evening and I am not quite used to it. I had hard time viewing the details. On the other hand, I was not sure then how long the bloom would sustain, so I took as many pictures as I can for about an hour. The shot on right was taken at 11:00pm.

This flower is more a creamy white color. I tried not to use flash, but it appeared to be mission impossible without a flash to get the color right. Flash also took away some details. I have to be more prepared next time.

1:40pm, 2nd day

7:00am, 2nd day

I downloaded all my pictures to  assure that I have them before I went to bed. I am not sure how much longer before the flower began to fade, but this is what I saw when I checked it again at 7:00am, the next morning. 

The blossom seemed to close completely when I took the image on right at 1:40pm and the look remains till now.

I think Epiphyllum is simply magnificently gorgeous and utterly exquisite. I wish she was not so hurried to conceal her peerless splendor. I was surely lucky to capture the moment.

A few more images for your enjoyment:

9:45pm

       

                            

           

Lotus Flower vs Water Lily

Lotus Flower

Getting good grades and preparing to go to good schools are all what I did in my youth. I have studied hard and supposedly learned and seen everything from the textbooks. As the years went by and my memories started to fade, I feel that I am back to a be a student again. But this time I want to make sure that I actually see it or touch it. It cannot be just the text or the drawings.

I wonder how these old textbooks were put together with the pictures (some of them have only drawings) that I later can not identify with what I see physically. Even with the digital technology, we still rely a lot on post processing not mentioning the photos taken more than six decades ago.

Water lily is very common in water ponds, but I don’t recall that I ever saw actual Lotus flower till I went to Lan Su Garden (Portland) in 2007. I took a picture with my point and shoot camera when I had no clue then what composition was about. Good or bad, that picture is always in my mind. At Northwest, Lotus Flower usually blooms in August. Ever since I started to use DSLR, I have been wanting to go back and believe or not, it took me seven years to finally go back there right in blooming season.

Asian culture is deeply influenced by Buddhism which calls Lotus a symbol of purity and spontaneous generation and therefore, it represents 'divine birth'. It is unique due to its pure and spotless character. Growing in the mud, Lotus flower is untainted and unpoluted. That is the reason why the Buddha images we see often show him sitting on a full bloomed Lotus flower.

There is another Buddhism theory about Lotus to be calm and peaceful. It grows in hot summer and heat is the symbol of worry. But it grows in water and water brings coolness and calmness.   
Therefore, Lotus becomes a calming factor for people to stay cool in summer heat, i.e. to be relieved of worry and gradually step into the state of ultimate peace and freedom. Undoubtedly, Lotus has its respectable place in Asian culture and philosophy.

According to my research, lotus flower and water lily are different botanically.  Water lily have pads that float on surface of water, more round shaped. Lotus leaves are larger more folded upwards and grow above water. Lotus flower is larger and has more multi fold petals growing above the leaves while water lily grow low almost attached to the leaves. 

The most distinctive difference between lotus and water lily is the female part (carpel-pistil) of the two. Lotus shows barrel shaped carpel that is embedded in an expanded receptacle and ring like stamen is at the base while water lily has its pistil sits at the center of the base and surrounded by its stamen.

Water Lily

Lotus Root is used in Asian food, either in a soup with  chicken or porto stock or as a cold dish with soy sauce, sesame oil and so on spices. It has an acquired taste and texture. It is not my personal favorite, but it has high fiber and rich in vitamin C. Lotus seedpod has a distinctive look and is a popular item for flower arrangement.

When I traveled in Europe, I was not particularly interested in the churches and castles. Same in China, I have seen enough traditional gardens, and I don’t need to plow through the big list from the tourist guides.  However, when Chinese gardens are not readily available here, I am contrarily drawn to them.

I don’t necessarily enjoy authentic Asian elements, but something has not changed, I love Asian style of windows. Either it is framed by white stone, constructed by bricks or wood-carved panels. I love to peek through the windows and expect the unexpected.

I particularly like the idea how Chinese used the shapes of flowers and fruits to architect a window. A few specific fruits and flowers are chosen to be the designs because they either symbolize richess, fertility, tranquility or anything in that aspect. So here comes a cluster of grapes. It is a multitude of grapes, not just one. Inside the stone window, there is another modern framed window with a piece of petrified wood and an overgrown plant. It says, Aged.

It is exciting to be on a steam boat cutting through the white water and watching the wave churned. It is even more interesting for me to be on a sail boat and let the wind (the nature) runs its course. It is meant to be exciting to ride a motorized fishing boat, but it is so much more peaceful and joyful to be on a bamboo raft or a wood boat and let it drift...


While drifting on water is not something can be  done on a daily base or randomly available, I think a boat image with long trailing greens and restful creek water will serve the purpose.

This is the calm and tranquility energy source that we busy people are in need, but not always in pursuit.

It may have something to do with my cultural background or my personality, I can certainly better enjoy the quietness than the noise. Party will eventually come to an end, but internal peace and calmness remains as long as you want them to.

I have hard time controlling myself not to paint or to texture the gorgeous Lotus flower. However, as pure as it is, my respect for it overcomes my desire.

from TV shows to Waterfalls

Never been much of a TV watcher, I am actually addicted to a Spanish TV show, ‘Grand Hotel’, for three weeks.  Well, I should say ‘we', because my husband is included. There are total three seasons, 70 episodes and we only watched them in the evenings. Started out from 2 episodes per night, we advanced to 3-4 episodes and last week we did 5-6 episodes every night .   In less than three weeks, we gobbled down all the episodes.  Believe or not, we watched the last 28 episodes through You-Tube without English subtitles. Even we have no clue what the conversations are about, the ‘silent' movies still grabbed our heart and kept us interested. It is surely Agatha Christy comes alive.

I love mystery and suspense stories. I don’t usually read through a fiction, but I almost always do with John Grashan’s books. The twisted plots and the last big surprise are thrilling. And we love to analyze the characters and predict the next development. Entertaining factor is definitely there. Addiction is not what I expected, but I do learn something from watching this classic TV show. 

The setting of 'Grand Hotel' is inside the former Palace of Magdelena which was a gift given by City of Santander to royal family King Alfeonso XIII as a summer palace (according to Wikipedia). In 1982, the palace was declared as a historical monument and now becomes a conference and meeting hall. It is supposedly the most visiting place in Santander, Spain. The location is in an idyllic countryside, sitting high above gorgeous rolling green hills and being surrounded by blue waters. The architecture is tastefully colorful and decoration splendidly classy. 

While enjoying the beautiful backdrops, we noticed that almost every single clip of the video is a nice piece of photograph.  It is the combination of a good composition, a preset lighting, a directed expression, a bevy of colors or (of course) a focal point. The photograph (the clip) is so mindfully spliced that our enjoyment is not just the story itself, we were going through large collection of great photos, one after the other, with our familiar and favorite characters as subjects. How cool is that!  Chinese has an old saying, '隔行如隔山'. One profession can be very different from the other. I had no idea how movie clips are so sophisticated composed and how I adore the talents and expertise behind the scene!

It is surely a good change without nightly TV shows. I am back to my normal schedule and start to organize my photo library again. With my head so cluttered with weeks of treacherous plots, intense moments and perpetual suspense, I feel waterfall images have soothing and cleansing effect.

Below are some waterfall pictures that I took in our hike to Falls Creek and Copal Creek. Going through waterfall pictures is like having Popsicle in the hot summer day. White water just has that magic power. I used to Think Snow to cool myself down and now Think Waterfall to cleanse and refresh.

Oregon is not lacking waterfalls, but I have not taken much interest in shooting waterfalls. Somehow I felt the creamy look is not natural.  But when the water color is transparent, it looks quite boring.  There is a reason why most of the photographers produced creamy looking waterfalls.  I decided to test it out and I have to admit that I like them better.