The city’s existence is based on a series of extremely unlikely events: Barbarians invade Italy around 500 AD, so the people of Venice sail out to the lagoon to get away from them. Then they drive a bunch of tree trunks into the lagoon floor, build some platforms on top and start building a city that, amazingly, doesn’t sink. Then the Venetians (great sailors) establish trade routes around the world, become filthy rich and powerful, conquer some people, and for a time the small strange unlikely city is one of the world’s greatest superpowers.
Or something like that. Regardless, Venice is just so … bizarre. Not a car in the whole city. Some streets are so narrow you can nearly reach out and touch both walls on either side. The entire place sits just slightly above sea level, so high tide means a flood. And everything is decaying, slowly and elegantly.
Although Venice is (and has been for centuries) a touristy place, it still feels authentic. I loved wandering around the strange little streets, allowing myself to get lost, then reorienting using signs that just point in the general direction of major landmarks. I loved wandering with Amber to St. Mark’s Square after dinner, listening to the orchestras playing outside the historic cafes (like Caffe Florian, in business since 1720!). I loved the odd twists and turns of the city, the way shafts of light snuck into the narrow deep crevices that are the city’s streets, I loved the dead ends, the hidden plazas, the bridges, the crowds and the slow bustle of a living monument to a grand and strange past.
Amber and I got married in Big Sur, a wild stretch of the California coast where steep mountains plunge into the sea. Well, if Big Sur was a little warmer, had a smattering of quaint villages clinging to the cliffs and the mountains were stacked with vineyards, it would look a lot like the Cinque Terre.
Something else about the Cinque Terre reminded us of Big Sur: It was on fire. California is the land of wildfires, and Big Sur had some pretty substantial ones a couple years ago. When we arrived at our first stop in the Cinque Terre, Corniglia, we were greeted by smoke rising from the hills and a water-carrying helicopter buzzing overhead. The town wasn’t threatened, but the phone lines were down for awhile.
The five towns of the Cinque Terre are connected by a wonderful walking trail — it hugs the mountainside above the coast. Stretches between towns range from a 20-minute walk to two hours.
The whole time I was in the Cinque Terre villages (except resort-y Monterosso) I felt like I was on a movie set. The streets, more like pathways, were narrow and windy; the buildings, like row houses from the middle ages, stacked together like four-story jigsaw puzzles. The place seemed so unlikely. And so likeable.
It’s hard to grasp what it means for a city to be nearly 3000 years old until you go there and walk around. And walk around we did: Amber and I ended every night of the first stop on our three-week Italian honeymoon with sore feet.
In the Roman forum, we walked along a stone road that the ancient emperors walked on. We saw the mound where they burned Julius Caesar. Piles of ancient rubble and remnants of buildings thousands of years old stood around us, all around the city. And all around them, modern Romans lived out their normal lives, the monuments to history not just tourist attractions, but an integral part of the living city. A Roman might say, “To get to my apartment, turn left at the light after to Colosseum … ”
In the U.S., an “historical attraction” might be only 100, 150 years old. If you want to see something really old here, you go to Philadelphia and see things about 250 years old. In Italy, that’s nothing.
In addition to all the history, Amber and I were struck by something else we saw during all our walking: People. People outside, enjoying public spaces, being social. Sitting on the steps and sharing a bottle of wine or strolling along a street, the amount of outdoor social activity we saw in Rome made us feel like we’re really missing out on something in American culture, where we so often stay inside, and where gatherings of large crowds are often viewed by authorities with suspicion.
So I left Rome with a changed worldview. And it was a great place to start a honeymoon.
Alex Velasquez of Salinas gathers balloons during Monday’s candlelight vigil in Closter Park in Salinas, organized by A Time For Grieving and Community Building Circles to remember the year’s homicide victims. The balloons, with messages attached, were released in memory of loved ones.
Christina McKnew, greenhouse manager for the Watershed Institute at California State University Monterey Bay, pictured Nov. 2 with native plants inside one of the institute’s greenhouses.
Salinas Police Chief Louis Fetherolf is interviewed Tuesday during the Measure K election night party at Casa Sorrento in Salinas.
A window washer works outside a second-story window Thursday at the California State University Monterey Bay library.
Dancers perform Friday night at Sherwood Hall in Salinas during the Colors of the Rainbow Team match dance competition. The dancers were 132 fifth grade students from 10 schools in the Alisal School district who completed a 10-week program called “Teaching Children to Take a Bow.” The Dancing Classrooms program uses ballroom dancing as a tool to teach social development and cooperation. Judges were dance instructor Galvin Calkins, Gail Higginbotham of Ariel Theatrical and Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Hulsey, a dance enthusiast.
Alisal’s Taylor Tomas celebrates blocking an extra-point kick during the first quarter of Friday’s game at Alvarez High.
Palma’s Max Gibbons (78) celebrates his third-quarter touchdown with teammates Bruce Taylor, left, and Blair Gardiner during Friday’s game against Hollister at the Salinas Sports Complex. Gibbon scored after recovering a fumble, starting Palma’s comeback from a 17-point deficit to win the TCAL league title 24-23.
Ehab Youssef, CEO of Green Vehicles, pictured Friday in his company’s new 80,000 square-foot space at the Firestone Business Park in Salinas. He’s sitting in a TRIAC, one of three electric vehicles his company produces.
Rachel Osias, a student at California State University Monterey Bay, is pictured Thursday on campus. She’ll be honored during the National Philanthropy Day Awards.
Competitors watch Friday’s air band competition at Buena Vista Middle School.
Santa Claus greets children during his grand entrance for the holiday season Friday at the Northridge Mall in Salinas. Families waiting for Santa were entertained by a puppet and magic show, and later participated in an arts and crafts supplied by the Northridge Mall. To check the times Santa Claus will be at the mall, see the Northridge Mall’s website at www.shop-northridge-mall.com.
Seaside’s Brian Serra runs in the second quarter of Friday’s first-round Central Coast Section playoff against visiting Hillsdale.
Salinas Police officer Raul Rosales works the seventh annual Turkey & DUI checkpoint Tuesday night on East Alisal Street near Towt Street. The Salinas Police Department bought 188 turkeys to give out to sober drivers. The checkpoint is held by the Safe Teens Empowerment Project in Salinas (S.T.E.P.S.) in conjunction with the Salinas Police Department.
Salinas’ Sarah Reams makes a save during Tuesday night’s NorCal volleyball playoffs against Granada at Salinas High School.
Warren Church, pictured Wednesday among trees at his business, Warren Church Christmas Tree Farm in Royal Oaks. Church planted his first trees on the property 50 years ago.
Seaside’s David Williams avoids a tackle by Saratoga’s Marcus Hoffman as he runs into the endzone to score in the third quarter of Friday’s Central Coast Section Division III Semifinals at Westmont High in Campbell.
Seaside’s Brian Serra, left, pursues Saratoga’s Vinnie Carstens in the fourth quarter of Friday’s Central Coast Section Division III Semifinals at Westmont High in Campbell.
Salinas’ Gary Carranza, right, breaks up a pass intended for Hollister’s Dustin Franco during the second quarter of Saturday’s Central Coast Section Div. I Semifinal at San Jose City College.
Salinas’ Christian Ruelas pauses as the clock runs out on Saturday’s Central Coast Section Div. I Semifinal at San Jose City College. Salinas lost by one point to Hollister.
Salinas’ Austen Heitz (23) and Zach Moore leave the field after Saturday’s loss to Hollister in the Central Coast Section Div. I Semifinal at San Jose City College.
It’s the newspaper photojournalist’s monthly ritual: When the calendar page flips, you flip through the last four weeks of photos and enter the monthly clip contests.
Some months I’m stoked: Great stuff, hard to narrow it down. Some months I suck. (Some months I suck so bad I don’t enter.)
The site you’re looking at now is the result of a redesign I’ve undertaken during the past couple months (read more about that here). I’ve made a few other changes and added some ways for people to keep up with my photographic goings-on.
Here’s an overview of the changes:
A new site, scottmacdonaldweddings.com
I’ve separated out my wedding photography into this site, giving potential wedding clients an easy way to find out everything they need to know about my services in one place. There’s a link at the bottom of every page on this site.
Integration with Photoshelter
Click the “archive” link in that black bar above and you’re in my Photoshelter account, where you can view additional galleries and buy prints and downloads. I’ll be adding a lot of galleries during the coming months.
Newsletters
You can sign up for newsletters on both this site and my weddings site. I won’t be sending them very frequently, and you can opt out anytime.
Spread the word
At the bottom of every blog post (see down there?) I’ve added a series of boxes that will help you share links to content that you find interesting.
Hope you enjoy the changes and I’d be happy to hear any feedback. Thanks, folks!
