My Melange

Travel Photo Friday

Welcome to our third edition of Travel Photo Friday!

This month Linda of Milanese Masala, submitted photos involving three of my favorite things. 

Italy, Wine and Nutella.  How did I get so lucky?

Linda lives in Milan, Italy and blogs about food, life, travel, music and my favorite of late...calcio, Italian soccer. She has the sexiest photos of the players on her blog.  Sweaty, sexy, photos.  Ahhhh.  Yes. 

Oh, scusi.  Mi dispiace.  Lost my mind there for a minute.

Ok, back to these photos.  Read Linda's description of the photos below.

"These were taken last fall in the gorgeous Monferrato area of Piedmont. It's an area famous for wines like Barbera and Grignolino but hazelnuts also reign supreme. Yummy Nutella is a regional product.

We had lunch at a great B&B called La Quercia Rossa and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the owner's vineyard's and chestnut groves. Their dog was even our impromptu guide, showing us around and playing with the kids. As you can see, the vineyard was at its most beautiful. The colours were breathtaking, as if the hills were on fire. We had a wonderful day and I just wanted to share it with you and your readers."

 

Linda, your photos are stunning and beautiful.  The orange, yellow, amber and green are so strikingly different from what I am used to in Italy.  I am familiar with beautiful pictures of Tuscany and the Chianti area with lush green foliage.  It is so nice to finally see where one of my favorite wines (Barbera) and Nutella are created.

 

Thanks for participating!! And for sharing your photos, your story and the info on the lovely B&B with us!

 

Calling all photos!!  Do you have a favorite travel photo to submitt for Travel Photo Friday?  Just email your photo over with a short description. I'd love to inlcude you!!

 

Join me for our next Travel Photo Friday, Friday August 1^st.

 

Travel Photo Friday

Welcome to our next edition of Travel Photo Friday!

This weeks entry comes from Joanne of Frutto Della Passione.  She lives in Italy and her blog is about Italy and Italian food.  Two of my most favorite things in the world.

Joanne submitted two photos for this event.  They were both taken in Santa Cristina di Val Gardena in the Alto Adige region of Italy.  Here are her photo's with her descriptions below.

"We go skiing in this part of the world every year. The ice fountain shown in the picture is just one of many that are located throughout the village. If you look really carefully you can see a spray of water mist at the top. That's how these fountains are created. The mist is sprayed non stop and freezes as it falls, creating the cascading effect. No two are alike and each one is constantly changing"

"This is a life size, hand carved presepio (nativity). This area is famous for it's woodcarvings and sculptures, and this is an excellent example of the craftsmanship. "

Wonderful photo's Joanne.  I love the ice sculpture, but that nativity is breathtaking!!  You have truly captured the lost art of hand carving in Italy.  Your photos and descriptions remind me why I love Italy so much.

Thanks for participating, Joanne!! 

Do you have a favorite travel photo to submit for Travel Photo Friday?  Yeah, you know you do.  Please email it, along with a description, to mymelange (at) yahoo (dot) com. 

Join me next month on Friday, July 4th, for our next entry!

Travel Photo Friday

Well, what can I say?  Whoohooo!!

Welcome, to our first edition of Travel Photo Friday.  I hope you are just as excited as I am about this kick-off!  Once a month, I will feature a travel photo, submitted by none other than you, my dear readers!

Our first photo was sent in by Angie.  Angie shares my love for France and Italy, so I was over the moon when I saw her name pop up in my email.  I was anticipating a fabulous photo.  And she didn't disappoint!

Not only do I love the picture, but the story behind it is as well.  You can tell she has a passion for research, for seeking things out and she definitely has a good sense of humor, which is certainly important when you travel, right?

So without further ado...here is Angie's contribution to Travel Photo Friday.  Her description is below.

"This picture was taken in Rome in September 2006.  In one of my guidebooks, a mention was made of this foot with very specific directions on how to find it.  Apparently, it’s the only part of an ancient statue that’s left and no one really knows what the original statue looked like.   I just loved the fact that it’s still there…that no one decided at some point just to destroy it because it’s just a foot.  It’s in a back alley of Rome and I probably couldn’t find it again without my guidebook but while there, we were on a mission to find it!

The Michelin man (whose name is Bibendum, by the way) is a windup toy that we travel with…we place him in strategic spots and photograph him.  In an ode to the movie Amelie, we send random pictures to friends who saw the movie with us.  We don’t label them or give any clue as to who sent them so periodically they get photos from Bibendum’s adventure."

Angie, I can totally relate.  Haven't any of you ever been on one of those missions?  Where you can't rest until you find that one thing you are searching for?  I, for one, am so glad you found it!

And what did I tell you about her sense of humor!  I love the whole *Bibendum* idea.  Wouldn't you just love to get an email of a photo with this little white wind-up toy and have to figure out where in the world Angie was?

Yeah, I would too!

Great photo, thanks Angie!  Go over and check out Angie's blog, Aradgirl,  for a more in depth look into her life, her travels and her adorable new (huge) puppy, a Burmese Mountain Dog.

Do you have a fab photo and description to be featured here for Travel Photo Friday?  Yeah, you know you do.  Don't be shy!  You can remain anonymous if you like or I will shout and tout ya from the rooftops (of Paris perhaps?)!  Just email your photo and description to mymelange (at) yahoo (dot) com.  Put Travel Photo Friday in the subject line.

Hey, and if your featured, or if you just want to spread the good word about this event, feel free to grab my badge and put it on your blog.

I can't wait to see what you guys send me for our June event, which will take place on June 6th!!

Until then....Keep snappin' those photos!

What's new and exciting at My Melange?

I have decided that we need to have some more fun around here...and I'd like your help with that!!  I am introducing two new categories, and the best part is...they are interactive!

Yep, that's right.  It's all about you!!

Let's get right to it...

Numero Uno~

Since this is part travel blog, beginning next Tuesday...I will have a weekly feature called Travel Tip Tuesday.  I will post a new travel tip every Tuesday.  It can be anything.  Airfare, packing secrets, discounts, new hotels or museums opening.  Really.  Anything. 

Here is where you come in.....I want YOUR travel tips!!  You know you have 'em, those certain little things you always do when you travel.  Something your friend taught you or something you read somewhere.  That little something that makes your life a little easier when you travel.  And what fun it is to learn from one another, right? 

So, send me your travel tips!!!! 

Email them over to me at mymelange (at) yahoo(dot) com, with Travel Tip Tuesday in the subject line. Please include your first name and city and/or country, so that when I post your tip, you get the credit.  If you happen to have a blog, please include that info as well, I will give you a little *linky love*

Travel Tip Tuesday will kick-off next Tuesday, so get your tips in by Monday!

Numero due~

I have also admired so many travel photos on other blogs.  I thought it would be a great to see photos and hear stories of other readers travels!  So sticking with the travel theme, I will also reveal....Travel Photo Fridays.  This will be a once a month event, on the 2nd Friday of the month.

I will post another readers picture and a short description (written by you of course) of why it is one of your favorite pic's.  And of course, you have to tell us where the picture is!! 

Now, as you know this is a blog with a focus on Europe, so if you have pictures to submit that are from Europe..that would be spectacular...but it doesn't have to be Europe.  It can be anywhere in the world...really!!  The more diverse, the better, right?

Won't it be fun to see different parts of the world that you haven't gotten a chance to visit yet?  Maybe we'll be inspired to travel somewhere we had never even considered. 

So, I don't know about you, but  I am pretty excited to see these photos start rolling in!!  If you have a friend or another blogger that has great photos on their blog, it might be a great opportunity to tell them about this event.  The more the merrier!!

Email your photos and descriptions over to mymelange (at) yahoo (dot)com and put Travel Photo Friday in the subject line.  Again, include your name, location and blog (if you have one).  May 9th is the official kick-off for this event!!

Fingers crossed, these events will be complete with blog badges.  Since I am graphically challenged, it is taking a little longer than I expected, but I am hoping to have it all worked out soon!

I need your help to make this successful.  So, get your entries in...I can't wait to see all the good stuff rollin' in!!! 

Stay tuned.....