Iconic photo tour of Edinburgh

My flight from Australia arrived early morning and to help my body get used to the different time zone I was determined to keep busy until the sun set. A walking tour of Edinburgh combined with photography advice seemed like the perfect way to adjust to UK time and enjoy the sights. My art teacher was also arriving that day so she and I had signed up to join a small walking tour of Edinburgh’s old town led by local photographer Will from Iconic Tours.

We met Will outside the main entrance of St Giles Cathedral where he took us through aperture and shutter priority, two settings that would make taking photographs easier without relying on auto. The clouds above us were ominous, the tour would go on regardless and Will had a plan if the weather really turned to shite. The technical aspect is not all that we learned, we were encouraged and guided to look at potential subjects from a different perspective.

Inside St Giles Cathedral

Detail of the caarved stone portico at the main entrance to St. Giles Cathedral

Dragon gargoyles on St Giles exterior

One of the numerous characters carved into the facade surrounding the main entrance

View of St Giles from Parliament Square

The statue was erected in 1685 as a tribute to Charles II (1630-1685). This life size stature depicts Charles dressed in Roman military dress. It is situated in Parliament Square, in front of the Parliament Buildings and behind St Giles Cathedral

The Royal Mile forms the main thoroughfare through Edinburgh’s old town, popular with tourists it is home to many shops selling whisky, fudge, tartan scarves, kilts and various other souvenirs. Groups of tourists following guides in kilts compete for prime position in front of the main sights, the sound of bagpipes being played fills the air and attracts the interest of happy snappers as does the various street performers now using the pedestrian zone as their stage. The red phone booths are perfect for experimenting with shutter speed, stopping people in their tracks with a fast shutter speed and creating a feeling of movement with a slower one. Here we also try using manual mode, previous experiments helps me understand the theory however the time it takes for me to capture the shot is longer and the experience a little frustrating.

As the main square fills with people we venture to quieter parts of town to hone our skills, such as the Council Chambers carpark, Advocates Close and Parliament Square. Will shows us a series of golden handprints in the footpath, recipients of the Edinburgh Award and we listen to him tell the tale of John Knox and his final resting place which is now a carpark near St Giles.

Crowds on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh

Traditional red phone booths on the Royal Mile

Author JK Rowling last year became the second recipient of the Edinburgh Award and her handprints can be seen in the City Chambers quadrangle.

Writing dating back several centuries can be seen above a doorway in Advocate’s Close

Playing with depth of field

Experimenting with shutter speed on the Royal Mile and starring tour guide Will

View of the Scott Monument from Advocate’s Close on the Royal Mile

Getting off the Royal Mile and exploring the other parts of the old town is a must, Victoria Street is a colourful and beautiful part of the city lined with popular restaurants, bars and cafes. It is easy to see why it is so popular with photographers on instagram. Will recommended a few places for dinner and some cheap eats for lunch, sadly we never got there but it is something to look forward to on my next trip to Scotland, whenever that may be.

The Princes St Garden is a beautiful place to take a walk in spring, the tulips are in bloom and the garden beds are filled with vibrant colour. Viewing the castle from below the rock will give you an appreciation of the effort and engineering that went into creating such a formidable looking and enduring structure, Edinburgh Castle dominates the skyline.

Three hours well spent, the tour only cost $100AUD and in addition Will emailed a document containing all his tips and advice. Had I not signed up for the tour I probably would have found myself wandering aimlessly all afternoon and I would have missed all those wonderful photo opportunities.

Edinburgh Castle

Looking up at the castle from the Princes St Gardens

Princes Street Garden and the Scott Monument can be seen in the background

The Call Statue. The Scottish American Memorial, or Scots American War Memorial

Edinburgh’s old town skyline

George Heriot’s School from Victoria Street

Gorgeous blooms in the Princes St gardens

Experimenting with the ‘ghost’ technique

Deacon Brodie’s Tavern

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle as seen from the Princes Street Gardens. The Ross Fountain can be seen in the foreground and has stood in West Princes Street Gardens for more than 140 years.

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Walking tour of Rome

Each time I’ve been to Rome there has been something new and different for me to see and experience and after three visits to this ancient city there is still so much more worth exploring. On our last trip in November 2015 I was hell bent of doing a walking tour of the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere so I booked a private guided tour with expat Tiffany Parks, author of The Pines of Rome blog and contributor to The Bittersweet Life podcast to which I regularly listened in the lead up to our holiday. Tiffany is now an Italian citizen after living in Italy for ten years, she is a legitimate tour guide and in addition to sharing her knowledge and experience of Rome she has a relaxed manner and made us feel like welcome visitors, her walking tour was one of the highlights of our trip.

We met Tiffany near the ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina, a square that was home to Pompey’s theatre and is now home to a cat sanctuary. There were plenty of cats lazing about in the sun, although it was late autumn the temperature was mild and the skies were clear. Having only seen photos of Tiffany, I was worried that I would not recognise her however that wasn’t a problem and I am sure that we stood out among the locals. Neither of us had ever been through the Jewish Ghetto and Trastevere neighbourhoods, it was fascinating to come face to face with things that I had only read about or seen on travel shows. We started in Trastevere, it is very close to the Largo di Torre Argentina and at first I was a little overwhelmed and wanted to absorb everything Tiffany was saying so my camera stayed put in my bag. I also felt as though I was intruding on the local’s Sunday morning by toting a large camera around and taking photos of everything. That said, I eventually relaxed and managed to take a few shots as we walked through the Jewish Ghetto, across the Tiber and in to Trastevere.

The ancient ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina

One of the many cats looked after by volunteers at the cat sanctuary housed in the ruins of Largo di Torre Argentina

The late Italian Renaissance Turtle Fountain (Fontana delle Tartarughe) located in Piazza Mattei

The turtles on this fountain are copies of the originals which were added years after the fountain was originally constructed. Bernini apparently suggested the addition of the four turtles during a restoration commissioned by Pope Alexander VII in 1658

Small, cobblestone-sized memorials, placed in memory of the individual victims arrested or sent to concentrations camps during WWII when the Nazis occupied Rome

Stone reliefs mounted on a wall in Via Reginella alley in Rome’s Jewish Ghetto

Baghetto Milky, a restaurant serving arabic and kosher meals in the Jewish Ghetto neighbourhood

The ancient Theatre of Marcellus, still used to host classical concerts in the summer months

I will spare you the details of the tour, one, I can’t remember them all and two, there is plenty of information about these areas online including several posts on Tiffany’s blog. There were several memorable moments especially as we walked through the narrow alleyways in the Jewish Ghetto. As you look down at the cobblestones you will see memorials to the many victims of the Nazi occupation, look up to see the stone reliefs featuring the menorah and the Star of David on building walls. To see these things is an extremely sobering experience.

Once in Trastevere it is hard not to fall in love with the beautiful buildings covered in vines or the absence of thousands of tourists like us, the lack of heavy traffic is also a plus. Tiffany knows this area well and takes us to some of her favourite sights including well known churches such as Santa Cecilia and Santa Maria. Hubby isn’t a fan of churches but I love the art that is often contained within and these two churches are home to stunning mosaics and beautiful sculptures. Food is also very important to me when travelling, and Tiffany provided us with great tips for two lunch venues and a gelateria. It was a toss up between a pizzeria and Da Gildo for lunch, in the end the thought of eating authentic Roman gnocchi for lunch won us over followed by a visit to the gelateria for dessert before heading back across the river.

There are plenty of tour guides in Rome, some are legitimate and some are not. Tiffany was perfect for us and had I not been listening to the podcast she co-hosts then we probably would have settled for a small group tour. Both of us are so glad that we didn’t have to settle and if she is still doing private tours I recommend you consider booking some time with her when you’re in Rome.

The Basilica di San Bartolomeo all’Isola on Tiber Island

Crossing the Tiber River via Ponte Cestio

Trastevere is a labyrinth of narrow, cobblestone streets.

Beautiful buildings in Trastevere

The façade of a tenth century synagogue in Vicolo dell’Atleta (Athlete’s Alley), Trastevere

The church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere façade was built in 1725 by Ferdinando Fuga, the courtyard is decorated with ancient mosaics, columns and a large water vessel.

The church nave of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere

Famous baroque sculpture in the Santa Cecilia in Trastevere church, Martyrdom of Saint Cecilia by Stefano Maderno. On the floor in front of the statue is a marble slab declaring that Maderno sculpted the body as he saw it when it was discovered in 1599

Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere

The breathtaking apse calotte mosaics (1140-43) within the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere

On the wall outside the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere are fragments of gravestones of the early Christians from around third century AD.

The arch of Porta Settimiana, reputedly the onetime home of Raphael’s lady love, La Fornarina is nearby.

A view of Tiber Island from the Ponte Garibaldi as we leave Trastevere after our walking tour

Roman Gnocchi for lunch, delicious.

Our lunch venue in Trastevere, good food and filled with Italians on a Sunday

I have tried to put as much information as I can in the image captions. If I miss anything or get something wrong please let me know.

Ciao!

 

 

Melbourne Walks: Street Art

Melbourne Walks provides walking tours around Melbourne and recently I was lucky to be part of a walking tour exploring the lane ways to discover fantastic street art. The tour guide, whose name escapes me, have us a fascinating insight into the history of the movement and the different styles used by artists, from stencils to found objects, paint and mosaics. The weather wasn’t the best for being outdoors however the rain did make the artwork shine.

If ever you go to Melbourne I highly recommend going on one of these walking tours and if you need a break after all the walking there are plenty of cafés and bars where you can find nourishment.