‘What do you think?’, I asked. We had been for more then five minutes in the old piazza and she had not said a word.
We had got here at the right time. The sun setting. The marble facade of the Cathedral turning to a light pink/brown tint.
We walk a bit in the square. She took a deep breath and said: “It is nice to be back.”
One photo a day
One photo a day
The takeoff was smooth even though we had to climb through thick rainy clouds. The fields and trees on the ground disappeared very quickly. The clouds were very low. I looked outside the window and saw just fog. All of a sudden it all disappeared and we flew suspended over the clouds as the sun was setting.
One photo a day
One photo a day
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Hyvää idea Yle-sta ulkomaalaisille
You walk down the stairs from the old Central Post Office, in between the Kiasma museum. You turn the corner and the new Oodi library suddenly appears.
It reminds me of an old piece of wood that has travelled a long time, carried by waves and the currents across lakes and rivers and that has finally reached a shore where somebody has picked it up and brought it home.
One photo a day
Summer. Late night. The sun will not set. No clouds. The wind is blowing and pushes the waves.
One photo a day
In transit at Terminal 1 in Singapore
‘Col tramontar del sole il vento si era calmato. La notte era tranquilla e fresca. Verso mezzanotte le voci cominciarono a chetarsi; un gallo cantò; dietro ai tigli si mostrò la luna piena; si levò una bianca e fresca nebbia fatta di rugiada, e sul villaggio e sulla casa regnò il silenzio.’
L. Tolstòj, Guerra e Pace, Libro Terzo, Capitolo XII
I find it nice to re-read books I have read when I was in my teens. So, here I am back to War and Peace. Almost to the end of book 1. I have the memories of when I read the book maybe 20-25 years ago. The memories have blurred with the passing of time. Re-reading the book is discovering it anew.
It’s 1809. The Rostov family has moved temporarily to St Petersburg. The whole family attend the grand ball hosted by a noble man on New Years which has a guest of honor the Emperor Alexander I.
It is the first grand ball of Nataša Rostov. There she meets again Prince Andréj Bolkonsky who is struck by her beauty, falls in love with her and decides to ask her hand. He consult with his long time friend Pierre Bezuchov who tells prince Andéj to follows his feelings. Nataša notices also Pierre at the grand ball.
Prince Andréj asks his father, Prince Nikolai Andreich Bolkonsky, permission to meet Nataša’s father and ask the hand of his daughter. Prince Andréj’s father is not happy about his son’s proposition and gives his permission under the conditions that his son would wait one year before marrying Nataša. He tells him to leave the country. Travel to Europe. If in one year, his and Nataša’s feelings have not changed they would then marry.
Prince Andréj is re-born. He feels life, love, compassion which he thought he had lost and goes to the Rostovs to ask to marry Nataša. Permission is granted. Nataša accepts as well and feel the join for the love towards him and the sandees for his imminent departure.
The story continues …