Springtime inside, snowy winter outside

Outside, little icy flakes are falling heavily to the ground, but in the kitchen springtime blooms fresh and white, profuming the whole apartment, thanks to these hyacinths from a dear friend.

Honeysuckle

Another nostalgic surprise...I miss honeysuckle.

Never been one to fawn over a plant.

They're too much trouble.

Would like a garden choc-a-bloc with roses, but would need first the garden, and then a gardener.

Too much water, too little water, too much sun, not enough sun.

Whatever it is, plants always die on me.

But honeysuckle for me is childhood innocence...More......

There was an enormous honeysuckle bush, or series of bushes, all along the long fence that separated our back yard from that of the neighbors.

The honeysuckle bush was so high and broad and thick that we used to climb up onto it, and it seemed like being atop of the mast of a ship, or the broad sure back of an enormous horse.

Fresh air, sun, adventures, safety.

And that heavenly smell (and bees).



In Italy, I've been keeping my eyes open for honeysuckle for years and years with no results.

The similarly heavenly smell of pittosporum fooled me more than once, leaving me increasingly crushed with disappointment.

I knew why.

A bit homesick (though when I'm there, I'm homesick for Italy).

Forcing myself to take a walk this last weekend, grumbling to myself at first, but already knowing that within minutes of being outside, walking briskly, getting a bit of fresh air and sunshine, "have camera, will travel," I'd be in good spirits, and probably would stumble across something wonderful.

I did.

It caught my eye.

Nawwwww, it can't be...(steps ahead...pauses...steps back...)...what if it is? It's just a few steps backwards, go check.

The first honeysuckle flowers that I've seen and smelled for decades.

I almost cried.

Really.

I just stood there, staring at this small slice of honeysuckle, wedged between who knows what the other two plants were.

Gaping.

Nawwww, I won't be able to get a good picture of it, but I'm so glad that I saw and smelled it...(takes a few steps forward...pauses...takes a couple of steps back)...but the light's good, and that's what's so great about digital pictures...if the photo doesn't come out, no harm done.

So I snapped a few for me and for your personal non-commercial use: a couple from farther away, a couple of close ups (Saturday, May 7, 2011, at about 2:45 P.M.).
I turned this photo into Milan Monday's needlepoint diagram on my blog dedicated to needlepoint, Ars acupicturae stellae (http://arsacupicturaestellae.blogspot.com/2011/05/honeysuckle.html).

(And here's to Chris' marvelous blog, "serendipitous," in which she makes heartfelt comments and posts wonderful nature photos...contemplating what I see as an homage to the writers of my favorite blogs sharpens my eyes, so this one's for you, Chris, thank you for your blog.)

Delicate and exquisite: a classicizing vegetal border from the portal of Santa Maria delle Grazie

Delicate, exquisite, classicizing: a spiral of acanthus on the frame surrounding the principal portal of the fifteenth century church, Santa Maria delle Grazie. A condottiere of Francesco Sforza (ipso facto duke of Milan) called Gaspare Vimercati sponsored the construction of the church--founded in 1463--around a pre-existing chapel in this area then outside city walls. The adjacent Dominican monastery was finished in 1469. Both were projected by one of the day's top architects, Guiniforte Solari, and the nave and side aisles were painted by top artists, Bernardino Butinone, Bernardino Zenale and Giovanni Donato Montorfano, a good hint of the importance of the patron. In and of itself, the church is both beautiful and exemplary, don't miss it when you come to vist Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper in...More......

...the monastery's refectory (dining room). And be sure to make the reservations way in advance (I'm talking about a couple of months; check out the official online calendar, and even if it's filled up, write them, anyway, as there may be free spaces just liberated, but which haven't been registered on the site, yet: http://www.vivaticket.it/evento.php?id_evento=298097&op=cenacoloVinciano&change_language=1).

Heard of Bramante, the architect who 'started' Italian Renaissance architecture in Rome with his little San Pietro in Montorio? He was in Milan first. Where Leonardo da Vinci worked off and on over about twenty years, including painting his Last Supper. Bramante is thought to have designed the principal portal (1488-90) of marble--featured in today's picture--, and also to have collaborated, at least in the design of the semi-circular apse, where--skipping over complex and bloody dynastic power struggles--then duke of Milan, Ludovico il Moro, buried his young Este wife (1497), and planned to make the apse the new Sforza mausoleum.

There's lots more to recount about this church, its chapels--whose decoration was entrusted to important families and at least one confraternity--, the sagristy and the lovely little cloister courtyard open to the public, but all this for another day.

I took this photo for our enjoyment on the 17th of April, 2011, around 4 P.M.

If you're interested, I also created a diagram for needlepoint and cross stitch from the design for my blog, Ars acupicturae stellae - Star's Needlepoint art: http://arsacupicturaestellae.blogspot.com/2011/04/milan-monday-27-beautiful-classicizing.html.

Enjoy!

Wisteria and more ice cream

I've now got ice cream on the brain. I've probably passed this sign on Corso San Gottardo 500 times, at least, but never noticed it. All of a sudden, a couple of days ago, there it was. I didn't give in, though, so you go, and tell us what it's like. In the meantime,...More......



More 'spring has sprung' photos. A delightful very Milanese turn-of-the-century building a bit veiled by the netting of tree branches and small new green leaves; come summer, the building will be hidden completely by the thick foliage of the trees.





Heavenly heavenly heavenly perfumed air...aaaahhh, wisteria!






Now, back to ice cream.

On the way home the other day, I noticed an ice cream store I hadn't seen before, or rather, I had, but since it's called "Chocolat," I figured it was a candy store. The lighting must have been right because I finally could see into the big front window. Tell-tale refridgerated counter and a flash of more or less colored circles. Ice cream. Mental note.

This afternoon? After a day's hit-and-run storm, the sun was back, a brisk breeze kept it from being roasting. "Aaah, I could walk to that ice cream place, and check it out for the blog readers." (Are you feeling guilty, yet? No? Read the text in cursive, again.)

Chocolat, via Boccacio, 9, just around the corner from the Cadorna train station (where the "trenino" arrives from Malpensa, just in case you have some time to kill while to-ing and fro-ing between the airport and town).

The medium (i.e., medium-small) cup is more expensive than the average, at E. 3,00 (about $4.30). There is a baker's dozen of cream-based flavors, a half-a-dozen sherberts, a hearty handful of tables indoors (great for when the roasting temps begin) and a few outdoor seats in the shade during the hot afternoon.

The first couple of bites were very full flavored, but quickly something just wasn't right. The consistency is halfway between ice cream and a spongy soft serve, so the doubt arose in my mind...do they whip their ice cream, or extend it with something, so that they can charge more for less, and just what is it that I'm eating, anyway? At home, I checked. Their web site says they use only the most expensive natural ingredients.

If they say so.

And the type font, interior decor and logo are silly looking and faddish, too. (No photos because the light was wrong.)

Am I playing the part of the persnickety, overly critical critic?

I'm sure I am...especially since I now am reassured by the claims of their web site regarding the contents of their ice cream.

Would I go, again?

Yes, but not YES. My favorite ice cream place is still LA CIRIBICIACCOLA, Viale Romagna, 10.

Teentsy delicate periwinkle blue flowers

Up against the low walls protecting the basin of the reflecting pool and fountain in Piazzale Giulio Cesare creep these little ever-so-delicate periwinkle blue flowers, an insistence of nature in a metropolitan world....More......

For more on the reflecting pool in Piazzale Giulio Cesare, see my pages "Let's Start with my Self-Sacrifice" and "Getting Settled in the New Neighborhood.

I snapped this photo for you all, but above all for Chris of "Serendipitous" (http://chune123.blogspot.com/), on the 19th of February, 2011, at noon. Her delightful blog dedicated to her love of the nature she sees and experiences around her home warms my heart.

P.S., does anyone know what this plant is? Have I already asked this question, gotten an answer, and just can't remember anything from one day to the next?

I love daisies

It's time for a break from art and architecture.

When about 8-10 years old, I hated daisies as cut flowers ("cheapskate!"),...More......and this active disinterest lasted until fairly recently. Nevertheless, I remember noting daisy differences in the lawns around our house, even then, and even have dreamed about the different natural colors of daisies (my childhood predates artificial colors for real flowers).

The daisies crept up on me, though. Especially these little lawn daisies that pop up for about a month in spring, and which I look forward to seeing each year.

I really love them. I love their delicacy, their bright and clean colors, their happy little faces, their promise of summer.

I snapped this shot on April 30, 2006, at 5 P.M.