Posts from the ‘fotografia’ Category
GIOLITTI – rome’s best gelateria
the narrow alley is packed solid with kids of all ages happily slurping away. getting a cone at giolitti’s gelateria is a true roman tradition well over 100 years old.
the most difficult part is choosing the ideal combination of flavors
scooping it up. you can get your gelato on a cone or in a paper cup.
a whipped cream topping is another option. loved this guy’s expression
the annoying part is you got to stand in line twice: once to pay for your ticket, and then to exchange your ticket for your ice cream. obviously, complications sometimes ensue
sitting indoors is a classy experience that comes at a premium price. free wifi, though
most people eat their gelato on the street, standing, sitting, or walking
many people just get their cones and then plunk themselves down on the little tables outside, but the waiters don’t like this
it’s probably impossible to lick a cone and preserve a dignified expression at the same time… and she doesn’t seem too happy about this
young romans have no qualms about sitting on the sidewalk for a gelato-fortified chat
artsy doorknobs and gilded g’s on giolitti’s glass door reflecting the crowds of kids slurping their cones in the alley outside
happiness is a couple of good friends and a gelato di giolitti
oh, man. that was unforgettable!
few would argue that italy has some of the world’s best gelato. and rome being rome, it has attracted italy’s most talented over thousands of years. so it is fair to say that rome offers some of the best that italy has to show off. today’s photo essay was taken in rome’s most celebrated gelateria, giolitti, smack dab in the heart of ancient rome.
alessandro ciapanna
ROLLING ROME – a city on wheels
you know what happens when you give an italian a set of wheels.
and tourists are just as quick to imitate them…
wheelies require concentration: note the tongue sticking out of his mouth. villa borghese, rome
this kid was trying his hardest to flip over – to no avail. piazza del popolo, rome
this would have made a funny speeded-up video. the lady was trying out a segway, going around in circles, and the little girl chased her the whole time. piazza del popolo, rome
no, he actually didn’t fall… villa borghese, rome
the pair on the right were obviously on their very first rollerblade experience. the thingy in the background is a water-driven public clock (which never tells the right time) villa borghese, rome
tourists just lovin’ that italian-style cruising. villa borghese, rome
german kid getting hooked on a nasty habit at an early age. villa borghese, rome
these kids were racing, and nothing would have stopped them. villa borghese, rome
wait, no. one pilot losing his shoe, that’s what stopped them, but only temporarily. villa borghese, rome
the stylish guy on the mountain bike looks like he’s struggling. little does he know that the statue in the background is dedicated to enrico toti, who became a cyclist although he was missing one leg. villa borghese, rome
photographs captured in april 2012 in rome
alessandro ciapanna
FORM w/o FUNCTION – a bad bridge
rome’s newest bridge spanning the river tiber is not yet a year old.
beautiful? yes, definitely. useful? absolutely not.
this is the first bridge to be built in rome in many many years. not yet a year old, rome’s ponte della musica is built with high-manitenance materials such as steel arches which need frequent repainting and hardwood walkways already showing signs of ageing.
it is perfectly useless, as it links two sidewalks that run along two four-lane highways – the lungotevere.
you can walk or ride your bicycle on it. the difficult part is trying to find someone who wants to ride his bike from one highway to another, a bare 200 meters away.
cars can’t drive across it. buses will, oneday – maybe – be allowed to use it. or maybe a tram. who knows? especially – someone up high is shrugging it off – who cares? it’s all done with public money anyway. we took the photo ops at the inauguration, now let the next batch of public officials deal with all the nitty-gritty.
welcome to italy at its most beautiful. its sloppiest beautiful
alessandro ciapanna
EXTRA: you want to see for yourself the extent of italian sloppiness? take a look at ponte della musica’s official website, which looks suspiciously like it was last updated before work even began. but wait… wasn’t that about twelve years ago…?
