Tag Archives: photography

Milan – city of lords

Posted on March 12, 2013 by nekochan

Hey there Cuties!

~~It seems as if the blogging fever has hit me~~~
But you know how I am with these things, this could very well mean that afterwards it’s going to be quiet for a while. Started wirting this entry somewhen last week but didn’t finish it. It’s exactly one week since my last entry.. I still have to show you some impressions of the rest of Milan. After the verbous last entry this going to be an illustrated one.

Want more? Read on~
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Views of a Pomegranate

Posted on March 2, 2013 by nekochan

Views of a Pomegranate

Hey Cuties!

No special reason for this entry, just an extremely beautiful pomegranate that became subject of my photographical experiments.

Standing on the balcony in the snow for good lighting.

I can’t remember when I last bought a pomegranate but when I went to the supermarket and saw this one I just couldn’t resist. I’ve always liked these fruits because there’s something mysterious and important about them. It’s such a satisfaction to pick out one by one all the jucy acidulous grains but it also takes a lot of patience.

Pomegranates are believed to have many meanings such as longevity, fertility, prosperity, abundance and generosity. Here are a few myths and beliefs about the said fruit.

“When Persephone, the queen of the underworld and vegetation goddes in greek mythology was held captive in Hades, she swore she would not partake of food until her release. However, she could not resist the tempting pomegranate, consuming nearly the entire fruit before halting herself and leaving only six seeds uneaten. It is from this story that believers think our yearly cycle of six months of growth and harvest followed by six months of winter is derived.”

“Berber women used pomegranates to predict the amount of their offspring by drawing a circle on the ground and dropping a ripe pomegranate in the center. The amount of seeds expelled outside the ring allegedly prophesied the number of her future children.”

You can eat them brutally by using spoons and hands….

“The Hittite god of agriculture is said to have blessed followers with grapes, wheat, and pomegranates. The seeds were sugared and served to guests at Chinese weddings. When it was time to consumate the marriage, pomegranates were thrown on the floor of the bedchamber to encourage a happy and fruitful union.” source

or simply break the half in smaller pieces so that the arils pop out.

How do you like pomgranates? I think their flavour is really refreshing because it slightly sour and astringend and so good in fruit drinks!
Can’t wait to eat many more of these during spring.

byebye,

The Duomo and the Galleria

Posted on February 18, 2013 by nekochan

The Duomo and the Galleria

Hey there Blogosphere!

Today I would like to show you some impressions of the cathedral church of Milan and the The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
As you may know I’m half Italian so half of my relatives live in Milan. My parents grew up there and came to Switzerland to finish their studies. That’s why I was born and raised in Zurich but sometimes I wish I lived in a big city like Milan.

The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the fifth largest cathedral in the world and the largest in the Italian state territory. At least that’s what Wikipedia says…

Pink light…. seriously?!

I was so lucky to get to the piazza, the cathedral square, at a good time. Shortly before sunset there was a beautiful evening light and the pale marble bricks of the cathedral glowed so intensly!

Wiki: “The piazza marks the center of the city, both in a geographic sense and because of its importance from an artistic, cultural, and social point of view.”
If you’re afraid of birds though, you shouldn’t go there.

There are doves everywhere and they’re not afraid of you.

Sorry Lucerne, this lion has definitely more dignity!

The Galleria

Wiki: “The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is the oldest shopping mall in Italy and named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. The structure is formed by two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covering the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala.”
The atmosphere inside there is simply breathtaking and comforting at the same time. The floor is made of mosaic stones and there are some of the oldest shops and restaurants in Milan, such as Biffi Caffè, founded by the pastry chef of the monarch.