4 days in london

Yes: London again! I was so happy the few days I spent there and I also got the luck to catch the last incredibly hot and sunny days of the english summer

I stayed at a wonderfully located friend’s apartment, just above a nice and busy street food market

finally got to eat a proper english breakfast

spent a lot of time looking at the legs of the Greylag gooses of St.James Park… they look amazing!!!! Something in between an alien thing and a slice of ham

wandered around the Victoria Station area, which is quickly changing and now looks like a gigantic construction site

and strolled down the canal from Little Venice to Notting Hill…

London_King’s Cross Station / S.Road / Victoria / St.James Park / Paddington Branch Canal / Portobello Road with the illustrations by Fiona Hawthorne

//images: Littlelulu

carnia corners

A few corners of some small quiet villages between the mountains of Carnia.

It is not the first time I visit these villages in the summer as I’m in love with their simplicity and vintage feel: you may have already seen a few pictures I posted here and here (actually I just realized I already photographed and posted the picture of the same board here above!)

What I most love about Carnia is its rustic vibe: almost no hotels around in its tiny villages, but I discovered that you can book your staying in a proper local home through the Albergo Diffuso (Scattered Hotel)

Comeglians / Maranzanis / Povolaro_Carnia

//images: Littlelulu

five random holidays notes

• Incredibly few mushrooms around. People that know something about them say that a prolific year is followed by a poor one: ever heard about that? Anyway you don’t get wrong if you trust the old popular knowledge. I think it is the first time I didn’t spotted even a single Amanita muscaria, but I’m happy to have eaten at least a few chanterelles.

• This must be the year of the snail: I saw lots of snails and shells in every place I visited. Apparently they’re not only in the mountains: they’ve been happily eating plants on a few family and friends balconies and I saw the cauliflowers of the urban vegetable gardens in Paris all eaten up :) Some snails expert between you that can bring some explanations?

• Curious to see as lactose-free cheeses and vegetal milks are now everywhere, even in places where milk is one of the most common traditional foods as in the mountain regions of Austria. Even gluten-free products and rice cakes are available in even the tiniest village supermarket.

• Ants are impossible to photograph! All the close-up pictures I attempted are blurred as they move too fast! Any tips? I also still wonder if they do sleep at night…

• It always amazes me to see how many things are going on at the same time on just a few inches of grass.

Padola / Danta

//images: Littlelulu

old mountain souvenirs

This was the house were I spent so many summers as a child.

A few things have changed now, but there are so many corners in this village that are becoming ruins of a bygone era…

And what about snails? I think this must be an incredibly special year for them because on my mountain trip I saw lots of snails everywhere!

Laggio di Cadore

//images: Littlelulu

hello there

It is almost a week since I came back from the mountains: as I imagined no wi-fi connections around (and I must admit I didn’t miss it at all: holidays must be holidays after all!)

A few posts with the mountain tag are coming soon: I still have to arrange some pictures as the coming back was a little busy…

…and me a bit lazy.

Padola_Comelico Superiore

And what about you? Are you back from holidays? …or maybe you have to leave yet?

//images: Littlelulu

frogs friends

Last week I discovered that the best time to visit the Jardin des Plantes is right after a late afternoon summer storm.

Paris_Jardin des Plantes_5ème

I didn’t see the ‘Planète Grenouille’ [Frog Planet] photographic exhibition as it was almost closing time but I met the real ones instead, all out and happy after the rain.

//images: Littlelulu

lazy and hot

Paris_Parc de Belleville_20ème / Jardin Catherine Labouré_7ème

It is now official: after the longest winter ever, hot summer has arrived even in Paris (temperatures are expected to reach 30° and more throughout this week).

//images: Littlelulu

a stroll along the zurichsee

Of course we are in Zürich: with 4.- chf you can enter the peaceful oasis of the China Garden and watch from under the pagodas the pollen of the trees floating on the breeze and the koi fish swimming quietly just above the water surface, as in a perfect coreography. Than back to the Zürich lake, for free (drinks not included).

Zürich_Seefeld_district 8

//images: Littlelulu

painted house

Zürich_Uraniastrasse_district 1

//images: Littlelulu

bizarre dog

one of the strangest dogs I’ve ever seen

Paris_9ème

//images: Littlelulu