I went to Florence for a couple of days, hosted by friends. This place is magnificent and so alive thanks to its glorious past that, at times, I had the feeling I was on a postcard!
Firenze [2015]
Tag: travels
Capbreton [Landes, 2014]
In 2014, I worked in the Basque Country for a couple of months. This part of France has remained in my heart. I cannot forget the beauty of the hinterland, the green hills, but at the same time I was ravished by the beauty of the coast, by the vastness of beautiful beaches which are a Paradise for surfers. Nor can I deny a sense of belonging or closeness to the sea, which I still feel strong in me.
Week-end in Hamburg [2013]
Hamburg is…echt toll! Unfortunately, my German knowledge did not evolve far enough to enable me to write the rest of this article fluently auf Deutsch 😚 This city is so elegant, open to the world, rich, sophisticated and full of art. Heading back, even for just a week-end, is always a pleasure for me, especially after I was an Au Pair there in 2009. Enjoy these snapshots dated late September 2013.
Bournemouth [2013]
I love the sea and I like living near the sea, so a daily trip to Bournemouth was a must! It was a hot August day and people were relaxing on the beach, close to its attractions. Here’s the summary of my day…
Weekend getaway [Paris, 2013]
Blogging these old shots (dated March 2013) lets me remember that I have been in Paris quite a few times over the years. I deeply love this city but I would’t like to live there, it seems to be a dysfunctional relationship 🙂 There is a charm and a vibrancy that catches you so that you know you will always return!
Verona [2012]
Verona puts finely together history, elegance and romance. It was indeed a romantic, misty but warmish week-end of late November that I had the chance to spend in such a beautiful location. Enjoy these photo memories!
Ostend [2012]
The fact of working in Pas de Calais gave me the opportunity to partially explore the Flemish coast, Belgium being a country that has always attracted me. During a daily trip, I reached by car Ostend, a city “of water and on the water”. The large seafront made me think of a modern metropolis: I had never seen such large, modern buildings overlooking the beach! Ostend is modern but it has an history. The wooden staves supporting pieces of art, the outline of lighthouses like Lange Nelle, plus Sint-Petrus-en-Pauluskerk were stunning. Following the water, the canals creeped into the city, through dykes giving access to the boats. I was impressed by imposing French-style buildings in the city center and in front of the drawbridge road, that interrupted the car traffic as boats were passing. The weather was gorgeous, as a warm summer day and the sky was blue for most of the time.
No idea who these guys are / were but they posed!
Rotterdam on Koninginnedag [27/04/2012]
It was late April 2012 and a long weekend was ahead of me. Together with a friend, we decided to go to Rotterdam for a 3 days trip, as it was super easy to reach by train and relatively cheap. As my first time in the NL, it was a success: we got there right in time to celebrate Koniginnensdag (27/4)! I always heard of their open-minded and tolerant culture, however being there allowed me to fully acknowledge the uncomplicated, practical attitude and the steadfast, positive thinking of Dutch people. Throughout history, they have been able to merge the traditions of their past with the modern needs of the present, looking forward to ambitious goals of the future. We could admire an “oranje” triumph of shirts, hats, crowns and every sort of gadgets!
Even though I am not interested in modern architecture, I enjoyed the modern buildings and skyscrapers. Rotterdam was clean and tidy and I could notice a precise order, based on a simple, schematic disposition of many lines.
Le Carnaval de Dunquerque [2012]
Because of my Italian heritage, I have always known the principles of Carnival. I remember lovely, fancy dresses that my mum would buy me on that occasion, to go to a children’s party (see the last picture of this article!). I stopped dressing-up when I was a teenager. However, when in Rome, do as Romans do! So, while I was in Saint-Omer, I could experience the craziness of the Carnaval of Dunquerque (to remember their dead fisherman, throughout the years), which I thought brought these principles to the “really next level”! It was a triumph of a very specific libertine style, it was noisy, had even too much colour, and people were uncomplicated, and delighted to have their picture taken! Even though colour was one of the main characters of this parade, I find that the most powerful shots, below, are possibly the ones in B&W. Enjoy these pictures dated March 2012!
Getting to the party! February 1992…
Parisian snapshots [2011]
I had an internship in Paris in 2010 and I had the chance to travel back in 2011 for a catch-up session with friends. This was a good time of my life and I am a bit nostalgic of “la Capitale”, even though a thing that I don’t really miss is that life there was frantic and tiring: more than once I got the feeling that time never stops in Paris!
And to finish, a beautiful memory of the “Maurini”, the 2 cats owned by my friend Francesca who, at that time, was living in Montmartre!
Elena Arvasi Portrait Photographer 