This week I’ve submitted my Monochrome Madness photo a bit hastily, I admit. It made me wish I’d actually shoot in monochrome for a change. I’ll give it a go soon, promise.
Below is first a similar, just differently cropped colour image, followed by more photos taken that day. It was last year (see for yourself if my editing skills have improved), about this time, mom was visiting and she is about to again. The town of Pienza and Val d’Orcia valley are yet to greet me with a sunny disposition. I’m patient.
Buon anno, e un buon compleanno! In Orbetello. Photo: MM
Today my father celebrates big. I will join the celebrations shortly but for now I’m sending greetings and warm wishes in the shape of selected images taken by you:
Blonde bundle of joy, and this is exactly how I still feel sometimes.
Possibly my favourite photo ever. With your father.
By Burano Lake
In Bagno Vignoni
Bežigrad Challenge
With my new branco in Terme Saturnia
Paparazzo, Mille miglia race
In Val d’Orcia
In Giardino dei tarocchi (featured photo above also from here)
Giardino dei tarocchi selfie
Photo: BM
Portrait of a young photographer
Young writer
Your Maribor. Photo: BM
Your city. It will be forever.
It used to be so far. Traffic jams, fog, snow, heat – things needed to be endured.
And then finally Maribor, and most often sunny. Main square. Those four floors – sometimes it seemed even higher, depending on form.
View of green Pohorje. The scent of the kitchen. Cheerful baca.
This is your courtyard. High school. Basketball court. Drava river. “Don’t let NATO see your bridges,” Balašević said during his concert on the raft.
Impressions from my last visit? Pretty, quiet, friendly. Romantic, yet rainy on this occasion. Just where there used to be the marketplace, little chicks can no longer be bought.
And then, in Piran, the exact same number of stairs?
In Piran. Photo: MM
You always love to surprise and please.
The age is right for me to like Shakin’ Stevens. He is a regular in Bravo. His posters look down from the wall.
When you go abroad once again, you return with cassettes. A bunch of them. I look at them in awe. Names I have never heard before. And then one that I know. Stevens! Shaky! But no. The name on the tape is Cat Stevens. Disappointment lasts several years until I realise that Cat is a hundred times better.
In the same bunch of tapes there is also one of Buddy Miles, Jimi Hendrix drummer.
Many years later I will be at his concert in Vienna. The name will ring a bell from somewhere.
Father, not really son, but the year is right (1970). Tanti auguri e grazie per tutto!
Today celebrates my mother. You really should get to know her.
People say that we grow to become our parents, boys grow into fathers, daughters grow into moms. Am I lucky in that regard! This is what awaits me:
In Orvieto
In Il giardino dei tarocchi
In Pienza
She loves bestia, to read and to make others happy (that car race must have been really the last thing she wished to see but it was my birthday).
In Orbetello
In Bagno Vignone
Mom reading Lidija Dimkovska
Mille miglia race
There is much more about her, though. Not only she must be the oldest Slovenian rapper (here in my old, “skater” shirt),
she also writes poems. Here is one from her first collection of poems for children, illustrated by Mina Fina and published in Slovenian:
Kaj delajo fantje v vrtcu by Meta Maksimovič
Tine mi meče drobtine iz bližine, Vito me vleče za kito kadar jem pito. Zvone mi krade bonbone in skriva balone. Samo me suva v ramo, ko se igramo, Rok me spravi v jok ko mi vzame sok. Le Dado ima lepo navado, da nosi mi čokolado.
Illustrated by: Mina Fina
I translated it into English because I would really like for the whole world to enjoy her poems (another one is here, soon the translations will make a book as well). Now it sounds like this:
Fred, you throw pieces of bread
On top of my head
Nate, you’re pulling my braid
When the table is laid
Boon, you hide my cartoon
And blow my balloon
Zak, you push me in the back
When we play in the shack
Sly, you make me cry
When you steal my pie
Just Clyde is so very polite
He gives me chocolate, I bite.
And this is what I could add (hippies, like partisans, will NEVER die out, no matter how others count on old age to do them in):
Maybe it will all really be okay, mom. Imagine that! I’m happy that you like what I did to your poem. Wishing you a happy heart (and many more heart-shaped stones that you collect and can be seen on the top photo), a peaceful soul and calm sea. Happy birthday!
This year my birthday was again spent in the company of my parents, amore and dog, which is all one wishes to hope for (since my sister is absolutely too far). Forty-five easy pieces. It was yesterday, and one glorious day it was.
New green pillow
New green stompers
New carnation design: cranberry chocolate from Slovenia
New pretty bowl
New recipe: peppers stuffed with tuna!
New surprise
We went to San Quirico d’Orcia to observe the Mille Miglia oldies race. Stay tuned for many more photos from here.
“I used to have her,” he said.
Paparazzo
Val d’Orcia
I was having fun taking photos. This is much easier to do when you are surrounded by what I have been.
Orvieto
Bagno Vignoni
Orbetello lagoon
The perfect day was concluded at I Pescatori at the Orbetello lagoon in merry company. Cin cin and thank you, everybody!
And when we exited, we were reminded that the world is indeed one. Photo: MM & BM (pillow, peppers, poppy, paparazzo)
The Mexi Movie I. (closed) 