SL-WEEK 9: Back to school – for some

September 1st has always been the first day of school around here. Therefore this day is especially suitable for going some place else.

My uncle, who has recently retired, says that he was unhappy since his first school day and has only now reached his peace. As a reward he will be able to take me home tomorrow. Instead of school.

Yet here is a girl who is missing school a little, I think. The book of poems for children that she is reading was written by my mom. Here is one translated poem, and here is another. (I did that, and the photos too. Everything instead of school.)

Holidays are over. Back to school for some and torna a casa Lassie for others.

Mina Fina’s drawing after a photo of my mom with our first dog Žak.

Photo: MM. Models: Zoja and bestia

For Sylvain Landry’s SL-WEEK 9: School challenge

There’s no time for anything else

This sounds like what I said to myself when I did what I did three years ago almost to the day. There was no time to lose. There were kisses to be had. Top photo of Ljubljanica river in Ljubljana: MM

WPC: From Every Angle (not)

There are more angles and corners from which to take this but I only saw the subject of this week’s challenge when I returned from the centre of Ljubljana. It was there that I found this atrium, more precisely at The Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. I like to give more and more information slowly until the viewer gets the feel of the space in full.

Photo: MM

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “From Every Angle.”

I really want you

I’m listening to James mofo Blunt. Nuff said. Three more days.

Thursday Doors, August 28

This week I invite you to click on the first door, which is no. 1, and keep clicking until the last which is no. 60. You’ll pass a cat, my uncle and the answer which is no. 42. Have a lovely stroll.

Grožnjan

Grožnjan

Motovun

Grožnjan

Piran

Piran

Piran

Piran

Motovun

Ljubljana

Motovun

Motovun

Motovun

Motovun

Photo: MM

For Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors challenge.

Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining.
—Anne Lamott (quote reblogged from Books, Music, Photography, & Movies)

“Lighthousekeeping” by Jeanette Winterson, the first book I read on my reader, up on our olive tree. Photo: MM

And so it’s back to my teenage room and immediately it’s the Smiths again:

I would rather not go
Back to the old house
I would rather not go
Back to the old house
There’s too many
Bad memories
Too many memories
There…

Memories are not just bad, of course, but for sure they are angsty. I’d needed many years of conversations with books before I gathered up the nerve to face the world.

This is the view from my window. Of my fir tree. It was planted when I was born, and look at it now.

In the evening

In the morning

With a friend.

The friend is Japanese maple.

Photo: MM

Well, or look at me.
We are doing all right.

The Smiths conclude:

I would love to go
Back to the old house
But I never will

I’m lucky. I am able to go. As for those teenage years, and since Morrisey will play in the city on October 10th: William (who is also a girl who lives far away and writes beautifully), it was really nothing.

1984. Big brother is watching you:

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Habit

Pearl Jam: Habit

Seen it happen to a couple of friends
See it happen and the message it sends
Taking off for what’s an obvious fall
Just to see what all the fuss is about

It’s not your way…Not your way… It’s not your way

Another habit says it’s in love with you
Another habit says its love’s overdue
Another habit like an unwanted friend
I’m so happy with my righteous self

It’s not your way…Not your way… It’s not your way

Never thought you’d habit

“A neurotic is a man who builds a castle in the air. A psychotic is the man who lives in it. A psychiatrist is the man who collects the rent.” — Jerome Lawrence / “…it is the means by which we proclaim our feelings to one another, the way in which we influence others. Words can do immeasurable good and inflict terrible injuries.” —Sigmund Freud; Piran street, Slovenia.

Chocolate dreams, Ribca, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Rum Room by Maraska, Croatia.

Fakin wines, Motovun, Istria, Croatia.

Love is in the air, Piran, Slovenia.

Photo: MM

For:

SL-WEEK 8: Art on the Road

Not that there are no arty roadside attractions in Italy but for this challenge let me artify a little myself for a change, even though I’ll let nature do most of her work. Lazy-ass photographer. Most of the time driving around my new home feels like a gallery drive-through anyway. The roads are Capalbio-Tuscania-Bomarzo and Capalbio-Piombino. Big screen is where you find it.

Photo: MM

For Sylvain Landry’s SL-WEEK 8: On the Road challenge

Pooh corner

We have had some reading aloud time again lately, after 40 years. This is the A. A. Milne’s dedication from The House at Pooh Corner:

DEDICATION

You gave me Christopher Robin, and then
You breathed new life in Pooh.
Whatever of each has left my pen
Goes homing back to you.
My book is ready, and comes to greet
The mother it longs to see —
It would be my present to you, my sweet,
If it weren’t your gift to me.

Photo: MM

The book was excellently translated into Slovenian by Majda Stanovnik, whereas the Pooh songs in it were translated by a major Slovenian poet Gregor Strniša. I’m not sure which one is responsible for this beautiful dedication. This page is from the first, 1959 edition.

With local produce and a thriving Roman ficus. Photo: MM

Sivček: Eeyore—Tiger: Tigger—Ru: Roo—Kengu: Kanga—Zajec: Rabbit—SVOA: WOL—Pujsek: Piglet—Pu: Pooh—Christopher Robin. First time, at 45, I hear that Sivček (meaning ‘The grey one’) is actually Eeyore! This changes everything!

Photo: BM

This is how it went: Mom reading The House at Pooh Corner in Slovenian from the year 1959 that uncle has just bought online. Same as it ever was.

And this is a page from my original Winnie-the-Pooh. The additional artwork and grading are mine, from preschool days. Plenty to gather from it, I’m sure, not only that after using them all on grass I ran out of greens for the trees. And that I was truly in a hurry to finish.

ADD-IT: “You’ve made 500 posts on The Mexi Movie.” And a fine 500th post it is.

WPC: Un giorno buono

This Thursday was indeed un giorno buono, a good day. We spent it discovering the part of Croatian peninsula Istria along the Mirna river which is such a good and quiet river that in Italian it is called Quieto. I love it when Weekly Photo Challenge imitates life.

Most of the time was spent in arty Grožnjan (Italian: Grisignana) and cinematic Motovun (It. Montona). I could make two separate posts for them but… the hack, life is short. Završje (It. Piemonte) I covered in this week’s Thursday Doors, while Oprtalj (It. Portole) provided lunch.

It was hard not to shoot every door (coming up in future Thursdays) and sit behind every table we encountered which you can see for yourself, just follow the story in captions.

Grožnjan

Welcome to Grožnjan!

So close to Slovenia and still first time I see it.

Arty touches on every building.

Including an orange goat…

…opposite a perfect tree.

Music is in the air.

The first table to call me its Favourite.

This one did not go by unnoticed either.

This one almost won, even if only for the awesome awning.

So edgy.

Pointing to Motovun on the hill, our last destination of the day.

But the winner was the shady neighbour.

Entrance to a restaurant.

Artist is present?

Happy.

“Look, a blog,” dad said.

“Infamous three stripes” and another…

…almost bestia.

Inspiring Grožnjan, ciao!

Greetings from your table testers.

Završje & Oprtalj

Father is directing Završje and me. Photo: BM

Cat in Završje

Oprtalj provided lunch but not at this table.

Motovun

Either late or VERY early for next year’s film festival.

A little trick – first you pay for parking, then for transfer uphill and then you still have to walk.

But it is worth it.

First table gone by.

And another – even though it has our name all over it, especially above. 😀

The Mirna river and the road which we took about a month ago to reach Krk island.

Tuscanicious.

A river or a road?

Up on the wall, getting thirsty.

Yep, a straw man.

The dog who came running to see who is whistling for him and why. /I did. What? I was missing bestia./

Quiet valley.

They are not nearly scared enough, considering.

Truffle town

A chocolate house

And even though they brag about their wines…

…our star-crossed table is still empty and waiting.

And another one bites the dust.

But eventually – we found our match. Grazie, Motovun, we will return for a film or two.

Photo: MM & BM (of Završje and me)

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Today Was a Good Day.”

Mom’s favourite flower. Photo: MM

Have you
a flower you prefer?

Does the flower know this?

According to you,
how would the flower
have learned of your preference?

—Eugène Guillevic, Interrogation #2 (with thanks to D.)

Thursday Doors, August 21

Yesterday I took 350 photo. I bet almost 200 of them were of doors, because my uncle kept yelling DOOORS at noticing any candidate. It was Thursday after all.

The trip was to the Croatian Istria peninsula, just across the border with Slovenia. The route was Grožnjan (Italian: Grisignana), Završje (Italian: Piemonte), Oprtalj (it. Portole) and Motovun (it. Montona) with an international film festival. To say that it reminded me of home, sounds a bit cocky, but I am a Tuscan now after all.

The rest of the towns will get their share of fame in the future, but today’s doors are all from Završje which is called Piemonte in Italian (just like Slovenian coast, this Croatian territory is bilingual as well). Unlike other towns it is practically abandoned.

First there is the church.

From it leads the old Romanesque road. And the doors that line it are in their last breaths.

As you reach the top, the doors must stop calling themselves that.

But there are also more familiar scenes: another church, a rare inhabited house with beautiful entrance, and your tired but happy traveller.

Photo: MM & BM (last)

For Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors challenge.