Travel Essay - Italy In the Springtime
Article
and Photos By Greg Matchick
The following article appeared
in the Spring 2005 Issue of Exposure Gallery Magazine:
My wife and I have been
gardening for a number of years now and always enjoy the arrival of springtime.
Living in the Midwestern United States we are privileged to observe the
beautiful display of flowering trees such as redbuds, dogwoods and crabapples
as well as azaleas and other flowering shrubs. But there is one flowering plant
that has remained elusive to us. We have tried for years to coax several
wisteria vines in our garden hoping to see a lovely profusion of blooms gracing
our arbor and fences, but without success. In fact we rarely see the wisteria
vines around our city blooming in such a manner. We have seen photographs of Britain and Europe where the wisteria
climbs the stone walls of homes in graceful clusters of blooms that hang from
the vines. However, we began to wonder whether we would ever see such a sight.
Imagine
our surprise when we unexpectedly encountered such a sight when traveling
through Italy in April of last year
(2004). We travel to Europe almost once a year, or
at least every 18 months or so, but usually we visit in the autumn. During the
last half of April 2004 however, we visited Germany and Austria and then took a train
to Venice, circling back to Germany by way of Verona and Bolzano. As we crossed over
from the chillier northern side of the Alps the change was
distinct. The sun-warmed Tyrolean region was a most welcome change – the tender
greens of spring in the vineyards and best of all, wisteria in bloom
everywhere.
My
original reason for visiting Italy was to photograph Venice in color. Five years
before I had photographed the city primarily in black and white but I hoped
this time to capture the colorful play of light and reflections in this special
city. Immediately though, I saw that there was something else, something
unexpected, that was going to attract my attention – wisteria! What
opportunities would await? What might be the
challenges of coming away with images worthy of display? Without answers I was
ready to face the challenge. After all, if we can’t get it to bloom at home I had
better capture it on film at least. (I would like to believe I am a better
photographer than gardener anyway).
Of
course, we photographers know that it is one thing to see a beautiful scene in
real life and another to capture that beauty on film and then convey such
beauty to the viewer. This certainly proved to be the case when photographing
the wisteria blooms as well as the rest of the sights in Venice and northern Italy, during this trip. Although
I always have an agenda and plan out my trips carefully ahead of time (with my
photography in mind) I try to keep myself open to all the possibilities and go
with the flow. For example, had Venice proved to be gloomy
and rainy during our stay I would have had to forego my plans for colorful
reflections and adjusted my photography to the circumstances. (No I would not
have put my camera away). But, such was not the case and we had beautiful
weather and numerous photographic opportunities.
In
Venice there were a number of
places where we found wisteria blooming. Often these were on backstreets and
alleys or in small courtyards. Although many sights were tempting, there were
the usual challenges: there were electrical wires in the way, I couldn’t get
enough height on my tripod to crop out a wall or the sun was striking from the
wrong direction, etc. Yes, I know the latter seems to have a solution – come
back at another time of day, but this is Venice! If you have ever been
there you know how confusing it is to find your way. (The maze of streets and
alleys would confuse the smartest of lab mice). With the exception of the
landmarks I could never find the location of many of my shots again if you were
to ask me. However there were a couple of pleasing wisteria shots I was able to
capture while visiting the islands of Murano and
Burano. The image “Wisteria and Gate in Venice”
was taken in a small courtyard on Murano.
Of
course wisteria blooms were not the only color in Venice. The image “Shutters and Flower Pots” captures the
intimate side of Venice. This photograph was
also taken on the island of Murano and illustrates the
appeal of Venice – ‘shabby chic’. The
islands in particular are given to more color in the homes, especially Burano
which is known for its colorful homes and the rigid laws to maintain their
colors. Although homes in such disrepair would be torn down here in the states,
in Venice they convey romance
and charm. (As they say in real estate – location is everything). Yes in Venice even the puddles are
romantic, as you can see from the image “Reflection
In a Puddle”.
Leaving
Venice we traveled to Verona, a short distance
away. As we looked out the train windows we could see more wisteria in the
small towns along the way. What would we find in Verona I wondered? In Verona we wandered the
streets, visited the castle and the Roman amphitheater, but I always had one
eye open for wisteria. It was late in the afternoon when we exited the castle,
where I uneasily had to leave my photography equipment in a room among the
piles of backpacks, etc. (Needless to say my mind was not on the exhibits as we
toured the castle). Upon exiting the castle, lo and behold – a profusion of
blooms! There it was – wisteria climbing a wall and up the balcony, then
spilling down over a gate. It was truly beautiful. However, there were
challenges. I moved about in a small courtyard across the street from the home.
There were cars parked in the street, angles were tough, I kept changing lenses
(I still use a manual camera and fixed lenses). In addition, I was shooting
with 100 speed film and working in the shade in late afternoon light – with a
breeze! I am not sure how long I spent composing and shooting but I am thankful
that my wife is a patient woman. (She does not share my enthusiasm for
photography, although she appreciates and enjoys the finished product, and
understands that it takes time). The results are the two accompanying photos, “Wisteria Climbing a Wall” and “Wisteria and Gate in Verona”.
Yes I had more shots of wisteria, which I hoped would turn out well and could
be added to my collection.
Additionally,
there is a Piazza in Verona with some very old
frescoes. Under very low light I set up my tripod in the square in the midst of
a flurry of activity as evening began to fall. Focusing in on them with a long
lens from the ground was a challenge trying to keep the film plane level for
sharpness and shooting from an angle. It yielded several successful shots, but
I think the image “Veronese
Fresco and Balcony” captures the color and beauty of these old frescoes.
Our
departure from Verona began the return to Germany, from where we would
fly home. But there was one more stop in Italy, Bolzano. There is very little
said about Bolzano in guide books and I
was going to ‘wing it’. I knew it was in the Tyrolean foothills and there was
an old castle there but that was about all I knew. Bolzano itself was an unusual
experience. Although it is in Italy and signs are in dual
languages (Italian and German) it is distinctly the Germanic presence that is
felt. When asking for directions to Castello Roncolo I continued to get puzzled looks, until I asked for
Schloss Runkelstein. The
castle is a few miles out of town and we were on foot so we set out walking. As
our walk approached the outskirts of town I photographed Castello
Mareccio and its vineyards clothed in the tender
green colors of spring, as can be seen from the image “Castello Mareccio
and Vineyard”. But wait, there was one surprise left – the path out of the
city ran through a sort of city park and what was it
lined with? Wisteria! Wisteria climbed the fences along both sides of the path
for perhaps a mile and the fragrance pervaded the air. The accompanying image “Wisteria, Vineyard and Home” is a
result of this walk.
Yes
Italy in the springtime is
full of surprises. Expect the unexpected and go with the flow. Beautiful images
can be had no matter when and where you go in Italy. You may or may not be
able to get the shot you came for, but if not take what you can get. Get up
early and take advantage of the golden hours for photographing, be patient and
work with the circumstances given you. I have experienced a wide range of
circumstances traveling Europe, including having most
of my equipment stolen once (but that’s another story) but I keep going back.
And sometimes, if everything goes right and comes together, you may walk away
not only with the images you came for but you might get a bonus, such as I did
in April.
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