Carabinieri: Rome 2006

No matter where you go, cops are always cops. These guys are from Italy's national police force. The "Crabinieri" are a paramilitary group and wear a wide variety of uniforms from military to very fancy. Usually they are hanging around chatting with each other or drinking espresso but every now and then they watch and see what's going on. Just like everywhere else.

This guy was especially interested in me taking his photograph but I suppose I was so obviously a middle-aged tourist, that he did decided to ignore me. Age has it's benefits

The Slaughterhouse District: Rome 2006

The more you visit a place the more you see. The first time we went to Rome we had to check out all the sights; The Vatican, Trevi Fountain, Coluseum, etc. The second time you visit the minor sights and finally you get to see the city itself. Now we just hang out and visit neighborhoods that are free from tourists. Sharon suggested the slaughterhouse district and me naive as I am believed it to be similar to the meat packing district in NYC. You know- yesterday's grime is today's young hip spot. Not quite. It really was the slaugterhouse district. Tenements, graffitti infested warehouses, etc. The only thing interesting was a 130 year old restaurant which specialized in innards and roman roadkill.

As is our custom, these tours fill one s bladder and the proper thing to do is go into a bar, buy a drink and use the facilities. In this district it really didn't matter because any side street would do but we stuck to our plan. This spot was owned by two guys and while sharon used the toilet, I shot a few shots of the guys and sipped on a bottled water. Tha't what I really like about this town. Everybody's so cool. We spent the afternoon wandering around and then walked over to Travastere for the evening but that'.s another sory.

Tango: Rome 2006

I usually don't mess with my images but every now and then...

This couple was performing in the Piazza Navonna in Rome for coins and they were good, very good. I really loved the image. The only problem was the fucking tourists who kept getting in the background so I did the unthinkable. I substituted a background of my own. The floor is from a monastary in Naples. What the hell.

In a few hundred years there will be absolutely no visual record of our time. It will all be manipulated and altered so that nobody will ever know what was real. We will all be ghosts!

Sam: Montreal. 2006

Sam is my Tai Chi Instructor and also my second oldest friend. Since I hardly hear from my oldest friend anymore because he seems to have disappeared, Sam probably is now my oldest friend along with Brian. Brian, (http://www.boppin.com/) I hardly see anymore because he lives in Vancouver and rarely travels, but we correspond regularly via email. It would be nice to have a picture of him here also but I would have to go to Vancouver to take it. I really don't remember who I've known longer but I met them around the same time 45 years ago. (Actually, Brian was in my grade 9 class but I didn't hang out with him then.) But I digress...

I took this picture of Sam last week when I was in Montreal. I bought a new small camera (Panasonic Lumix LX2 If anyone gives a shit) and was dying to try it out. Sometimes I go places and am too lazy to schlep along a camera and "the shot of a lifetime" is missed. This happens about once a week so I bought this small camera so I would always have it with me whenever another opportunity occurred. Since I bought it, I have never stumbled upon another " shot of a lifetime", even though I always have the camera with me. I suppose I have to forget to bring it along when the next "occurance" happens. But I digress again...

Anyhow I am visiting with Sam and had it along and he kindly condesended to let me take his picture.