Venice: The First Last View


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a little blue, a little pink
all the colours you can think
This is Venice!
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Hi y'all .. welcome to Part II of Venice Week. I've received a couple of tags lately which I will certainly get to soon, but as one of them fits into my Venice theme I'm tackling it now. The gracious and uniquely stylish Monika of 'Splendid Willow' has tagged me to post and discuss the 10th photo in my 1st photo directory.
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Well the 1st had only 1 photo and the 9th photo in the 2nd directory happens to be of Venice!!! Ok I can hear the non-believers out there already... but even surprising to me.. there was an orphan image of Venice sitting shyly amongst some unruly rosellas making havoc in the Jacaranda Tree... Looking sadly out of place, this particular image was one I'd borrowed from the net and depicts gondolas bedded down for the night, with San Giorgio Maggiore Island in the background... Not being one of mine, I almost ignored it, then remembered I had a similar photo I took myself, laminated and languishing in the kitchen. So as the point of the excercise was to discuss what I was thinking at the time of the photo.... a quick scan and makeover.. and..
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here is my own

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The First 'Last View of Venice'
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'Dreams of Venice'
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This photo was the very last I took on my first trip to Venice in 1993. After spending only a few days in this land of miraculous beauty, I was scurrying around trying to get in those last few photos before having to leave and say goodbye. Hoping to get a picture of the gondolas I came across this lone man .. quietly sitting and packing up his tools of trade.. Is he a fisherman? or did he manage the Gondolas? I'm not sure which .. but he had a calm stillness about him that made me stop, slow down and drink in the beauty of the moment.. To breathe in the colours of the sea and sky, changing hues in quick succession with nightfall fast approaching. To stop and watch the candy coloured visions playing out in front of me.
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Not knowing that I would return again one day, I soaked in every feeling of this moment. Imprinted the memory of this scene and each small nuance into my mind and heart, hoping it would be enough to treasure a lifetime. Then, upon arrival home, I displayed the photo where I could see it everyday.. to remind me of the beauty of Venice, the calm sweetness of the moment, and the hidden colours that are revealed when one stops and takes notice of their surroundings. A good reminder that a simple moment can become a grand memory if it is savoured and given the respect and adulation we do a 'last view'.

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For a long time this was my favourite photo of Venice. This single photo greeting me everyone morning fueled in me the hope and determination to get back to Italy a few years later. And as it lived on my fridge for a good many years, it also reminds me of the places I have lived and the people who have shared those moments, it has become part of my history and the fisherman an odd family member who's name I do not know but inspires me to travel and dream. With the exception of my grandfather, I come from a family of non-travellers.. probably more due to financial circumstances than lack of adventure... Growing up in middle class Australia, Europe is a very long and expensive distance from home. One that not all my friends had made and those that did had no plans to return....
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So a desire to travel was not instilled in me by my family, and travelling to Europe was certainly not something I wanted to do alone, nor expected to achieve in my lifetime.. It was an idea that grew from imagination and yearning.. an idea that needed daily inspiration to make it happen. It was some else's photo of Venice that inspired the passion to get me there the first time, and then my own 'First Last View' and my fisherman that got me there the second. Another trip to Venice.. another first view and another last view to once again be imprinted on my heart and remind me to yearn. Now I hope that my image will inspire someone else to dream big and travel...


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Pay It Forward
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Thank you Monika for thinking of me with this tag. And thank you everyone for such lovely warm comments on my last post helping me celebrate my blogging birthday...
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Blogging has been a true life saver for me over this past year, helping me to step out of the mundane work routine I'd become accustomed to and reacquaint myself with world of beauty, creativity and wit. It's allowed me to dream again of distant shores and the world of artistic beauty, and all your support has made it so much more rewarding. Just like my 'First Last view of Venice' .. it has reminded me to stop, slow down and drink in the beauty of the world and dream a little dream into fruition. So to say thank you I'll be having a little giveaway soon.. hopefully next post..
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But before that I have to tag five other bloggers to go forth and produce their 10th photo post!! So if they'd like to participate, the goal is to find your 10th photo in your 1st photo folder and discuss what you were thinking when the photo was taken.

I'm passing this tag onto ;
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Jeanne at Collage of Life
Cecilia at Desde mi Ventana
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Suzan at Old Grey Mare

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Julie b
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IMAGE SOURCE: photography, text and artwork - [being ruby©]
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51 comments:

the old boathouse said...

So amazing Julie...and I love how you talk and capture the feeling of consciously knowing you may never return to this place...I moved a lot as a child, my Dad was is the army, and this feeling of knowing you will never return to a place you have loved, the desperate feeling almost in your stomach, was always very present in my life. It makes the places somehow become implanted in my head so I can remember the smell and texture even of the places...a room, a tree, a face. I can almost hear the water lapping at the Gondolas and feel the breeze blowing across the water in your pic.Wonderful!! Have not seen the moon here as it has been very cloudy, feel a bit let down really, oh well. Did you hear about the school girls stuck in Paris because of the Volcano? I love how one of them said it was like a "little miracle" as they get to stay in paris longer, haha, hope you have a great week, cheers Katherine

rjerdee said...

What a lovely review of Venice, Julie...so soft, so dreamy. And your words softly wrap the pictures, making it a complete package and a rewarding stop along my blogging way.
Ciao for now and thanks for being such a great blog friend!

Unknown said...

Ahhh, Venice through your lens IS miraculously beautiful!!! Italy is next on our list of "big" trips, but that will probably be a few years away {my father's family is from Lucca}.

Hugs ~

:) T

Stephanie said...

Beautiful as always! I love to travel, and document the "little moments" with photos. Lovely... I adore Dash, Jeanne and Sharon's blogs, and am off to check out the others now.
Best,
Stephanie

Giulia said...

Cara Julie--

Lovely words & photographs, as always. You know I love as many pix of Venezia (& rest of Italy, Greece) as possible.

Planning on late this year...fingers crossed. (Or January. I know that seems wild but Venice is great in the winter.)

ciao-meow

Pooch Purple Reign said...

ahhh venizia, ... i love the pink shot.
i wonder if it whispers to the heart of everyone who has been there.
it sure does mine
~pooch x

1 Funky Woman said...

Absolutely gorgeous pictures. You are extremely talented. I love looking at all your photos!

Dash said...

Julie, love your photograph and the lovely prose, I am so glad you got to travel round Europe and I hope you return many times. The last photograph of a place you have visited is so special and often tinged with sadness.

Thank you for tagging me, I have just had a look to see what my tenth photo is, now I will have to put my thinking cap on.
XX

desde my ventana said...

Julie,
Thank you very much for inviting me to play,I work in just now.
Your post make me dream,dream in Venezia,so beautiful.....I want to be there.
Have a wonderful new week my friend,
Hugs,
Cecilia

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

Stunning! Your first last view of Venice is a wonderful photo...made even better by your artistry. I know I have told you before how much I loved Venice...my pictures are buried somewhere ...perhaps on my external hard drive. You have inspired me to dig them out...maybe I'll send a few to you and you can turn them into magic for me! Julie, why don't you just come over! Or...maybe we can meet half way....where would that be?
:)

Unknown said...

Very poetic and lovely, Julie. I wish I could see the world through your eyes.

Luiza said...

Came by to wish you a great start of the new comming week.

Congratulations to the tagging- thing =).
I was tagged to, by Koralee.
So much fun!
So tomorrow, I´ll make a post about this.

Hugs/
Luiza

Jeanne Henriques said...

Ah, Julie...too beautiful for words, these are so precious and I love how it greeted you every morning! I am going to find something special about Venice for you....I will come back to you on that.
In the meantime...10th photo! You sweetie! Now, being a bit slow, does that mean the 10th photo to appear on my blog or is it literally the 10th photo post. Sounds silly but I am a Virgo and we tend to have annoying habits like this.
Jeanne xo

e said...

Perfect post, dear Julie. I emigrated to the wilds of Scotland from the suburbs of New Jersey when i was 48, anything is possible. Hold onto your dreams, folks, they really can come true.
:) Lizzy

myletterstoemily said...

anyone who photographs venice that well
should be allowed to take as many trips
there as she desires!

and a late happy birthday!

KarenB said...

I love them all.

count it all joy said...

Goose bumps. You are obviously part Venetian. It has soaked into your very being, I am sure. Bring on the book version! Meredy xo.

Angie Muresan said...

Oh, so beautiful! What you've done takes my breath away, Julie.
I am in love with exploring as well. I always tell my husband that if I could make money traveling, I would do it in a heartbeat. There's so much beauty in this world. I want to see it all!

P.S. You've won the giveaway. Email me your address, please? :)

beachvintage.com said...

What a beautiful romantic view Julie!

sharon santoni at my french country home said...

Such beautiful photos Julie, but coming from you this is just normal. Are you actually making us blasé about art!? Thank you so much for tagging me, especially in such good company. I'll do my best but I'll never manage to rival with these pictures of Venice.
Sharon

rjerdee said...

Hi Julie,
Just popped back over to answer your question about leaving Florida. Yes, I migrate like the Monarch every season...summers in Iowa near corporate headquarters and family (and away from Florida hurricane season)...winters in sunny Florida where I have work around the state...the magazine business has been slow lately--lots of cuts...my last shoot was styling Linda's kitchen (Lime in the Coconut blog)on the Atlantic coast for KITCHEN + BATH MAKEOVERS.

Charlotta Ward said...

Your photos are great and Venice such a magical place!

Thank you so much for your super sweet comment on my 'feeling the love' post. It really moved me Julie. I love that you visit and leave comments. It means so much to me.

Have a nice start to the week.

xx Charlotta

Ange said...

Ahhh Julie, you have just given me itchy feet. And I feel ungrateful. I told Beaker I didn't want to go to Venice because I would rather horse trek around Iceland (ie do something more 'off the beaten track') Your blue has made me change my mind and consider myself shameful! Sigh - you have that inspiring way about you...

Renée Finberg said...

i have such incredible memories of venice as well.
it was as close to a fairy tale as i have lived.

xx

Kellie Collis said...

Oh such a lovely stylish place. Luke and I really need to start planning a trip to Europe...

Thank you very much as well for your lovely birthday wishes xx

Anonymous said...

Once we visit that one special place, we return over and over again - sometimes in real life; sometimes in memory - but it is always a joy to return.
Thank you for taking us to your lovely Venice, Julie.

Splendid Willow said...

Julie, you are so talented with your images and your words - that I am at times speechless.

Reach for the sky, my friend. I know that you are going to go very far.

I am go glad to have meet you in blog land. You are a true gem. (And thank you for the lovely mention!).

Much fondness, Mon

Princesa Nadie said...

Thank you very much for your inmediatly answer
Cecilia at Desde mi ventana has invited me to play in your game and I am really happy.

Venecia is the most wonderful city in the world...

Carole said...

Oh Julie you always get me to think outside of my little world and dream. I never did get to visit Venice when I went with a tour group years ago. I was sick and they left me behind. They of course raved about how beautiful it was....thanks a lot I thought:)) rub it in!!!
Maybe someday I'll get another chance. Meanwhile I will enjoy your amazing pictures and enjoy your stories.
I love all the different looks you created. A little mysterious and romantic.

xxx
Carole

Anne Marie said...

that should be a cover of a book Julie - amazing eye you have - I love the 'sea sky'

Viera said...

First Brooke from V&L and now you. How I love Venice. And I miss Europe....
(sorry Julie usually I mark photo sources but last one I forgot.)

Val said...

these photos are wonderful,they look like pinting,the atmosphere of this picture is so mysterious..great!
val

Brabourne Farm said...

These photos! They look like beautiful paintings - exquisite!!! Leigh

Madelief said...

Dear Julie,

Thanks for your sweet comment on my blog. Like yours too! Love pictures from Venice. Never beent there, but hope to visit one day!

Lieve groet, Madelief

La Petite Gallery said...

Thanks for sharing these beautiful memories and photo's I can almost feel San Marks square with
the music drifting over the area.
Venice is my favorite city..


yvonne

Mise said...

I missed your blogging birthday! But here I am now, shyly producing a virtual blogging cake.

I'd like to live in your images. Can you turn me inky blue and rose pink and a little grainy, under striking skies, with that air of mystery and lingering possibility your images have, and I'll pose by the water with a French tilt to my hat, watching the moon?

animal print gal said...

Julie I am always impressed of your work,you are amazing my friend! Keep doing it!

Elaine said...

First of all congrats on your blogaversary! Your blog is a total joy to read.

Such beauty in your Venice photos. I think the Venetians should hire you as their tourism director. You have me convinced I need to travel to Venice.

koralee said...

I so miss coming to visit..it has been a while and I have forgotten what an amazing photographer you are!!!! Love your 10th image..you always inspire me. I just got photoshop and have no idea how it works...I seem to spent hours fiddling with it and nothing amounts to it. Hugs for a great day. xoxo

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Oh Julie,
You know that I love Venice as much as you do. It has to be my favourite holiday destination. The most magical, fairytale place, with great food thrown in for good measure.
Your photographs capture this wonderful mood perfectly. Mystery, magic and a sense of another world. Just beautiful Julie. XXXX

La Belette Rouge said...

I usually dream of Paris or Florence or Marrakesh...but your dreamy photo has me dreaming of Venice.
xxoo

Anonymous said...

I have been to Venice eight times. It is my hearts desire to be bored by this city, to gorge myself on it's beauty until I can take no more but this has not yet happened and I suspect never will.
Thanks for sharing your serene photos.
Happy belated blog birthday.
X David

Splenderosa said...

I had to find the time to truly savor this post, read every word and understand what you mean. I know exactly. I love Italy. More than most people. I see all the colors you see, and I've told my photographer son he must go there one day just to watch the changing light. Beautiful post. So very beautiful. Thank you.

Sue said...

Hi! I'm back...or at least I'm trying to be. My heart is still in Florida, but my mom would certainly want me to do the things I enjoy and as I can "talk" to her on the speaker phone each day (she responds by squeezing my dad's hand that she understands)I want to be able to tell her I'm back to blogging.

Your photo is as always stunning. But, this time it is your words that touch my heart. The sentence "a simple moment can become a grand memory if it is savoured and given the respect and adulation we do a 'last view'" certainly has new meaning for me these days. Some of my moments of the past month will be the ones I treasure most for the rest of my life...and they were all quite simple moments.

Thanks for the continued care and support. I too wish that it could all be made "better" but some things just are what they are...life. I'm choosing to focus on all the wonderful time I've had with my mom. That is what she would want for me.

Sue

BALLET NEWS said...

Wonderful, wonderful post. Thank you. Have a brilliant weekend

Luiza said...

Well ,my friend, what can I say... The award is an original... And so are you, in a very good way!So I thought, you deserve it =).
I hope you´ll have a wonderful weekend!
Hugs/
Luiza

Millie said...

Have never been Julie, but now am DESPERATE TO GO!! You'll get my bank ballance into big trouble, am supposed to be saving for a new stove!
Millie ^_^

Greet Lefèvre said...

Dear Julie,
I can't get enough seeing photos of Venice! The passed week I also saw beautiful pictures of Venice at Velvet and Linen blog. Brooke was there a few days. And visiting your blog I am so happy to see more of Venice! You have an eye for taking the most wonderful pictures!!
Have a wonderful weekend Julie and thank you so much for all your lovely comments on my blog!
xx
Greet

Queen Of The Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries said...

Simply stunning Julie...just beautiful!!!

Beatnheart said...

Dear Julie,
I realized today as I looked at your photos, how you are seeping in to my own self as I try to capture things as beautifully as you do. I hemmed and hawed, resisted mightly with the new fangled digital world. I stopped taking photos for a good 20 years...and now? A Fiend..!! Snap away madly, who cares? you never run out of film...out of focus? Adios...YOU helped me with this...I wanted to be like you...I still want to be like you. an inpiration from the depths of your soul you cool Ozzie Chick you.

La Petite Gallery said...

Hey Julie,

Yes I saw Pat had done some work in your country..Your photo work is awesome.

yvonne