A misty mountain

Guess!!! Where are we??? Doesn't it look like a scene somewhere in the British Isles?
No! This is Brazil. In some places the mountains of the Serra da Mantiqueira (between the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais) look a lot like England. The woods are more dense, but as you can see the weather can be rainy....



This time we went out to have a view over the Valley of the Paraiba river. This is the Pico do Itapeva near Campos do Jordão. On a good day you can see about 7 cities. Today there were clouds.



So we stayed on the parking place.



Looking at the local products that were for sale. Sweets and honey.... and cachaça.



And look there.... in a corner behind the commerce. A snowman and a cow. Like in all countries in Latin America... concrete figures!



A happy looking cow.... could this be a reference to the chocolate they sell in Campos? Campos poses itself as a kind of German / Swiss city. Yes that means chocolate!!



For Brazilians snow is magic. Campos is a mountain resort. In winter on a very rare occasion this means snow!! So what better than to put a snowman here?



I loved the way some inventive person mended the window in this building. Don't throw out your old serving trays. One day they might come in handy!



The weather stayed as it was. Gloomy and wet.



The dog didn't mind.



On the way back home we passed the small lake again.

 

The horses were at the same spot.



The rain kept falling.



We went home. Leaving the lake for better times. A perfect place for a picnic.

Land of wine and cheese and sausage.....

Yes, this is the most photographed chapel in Tuscany. Believe me, it was real difficult to find the right parking spot to take this picture. But there is no discussion about it, it is stunning. Like the Tuscan landscape in general, the many impressive old cities with their churches, palaces, sculpture, paintings.....

But now it is time for lunch. Luckily Tuscany is also known for its wine (Chianti), sausages, cheeses, vegetables and all kind of other tasty products. 

The markets are selling a score of fresh products. Greens and reds....

Golden honey and creamy colored honey and in between shades of honey.....

Or marmalade, olives, olive oil, sauces for the pasta .....

What to think of these fantastic looking cheeses.

Shops are full of wines, cheese and sausages. 

All this food looks so beautiful, so inviting.....

Just find a little restaurant in the countryside and enjoy while the weather is nice, 

Empty landscapes

Iceland

I was watching a writer explain that landscapes are important for the creation of the characters of his novels. And he liked empty landscapes. Suddenly I realize how strange it is to call a landscape empty.

Canada

Even the fact that we talk about an empty landscape… It suggests that there should be something extra in there. That something is lacking. Is nature not sufficiently filling the landscape? Can a landscape with animals, like a herd of cattle, be “empty”. Can you make it feel empty”?  Is a landscape filled when there are buildings in sight?

Canada

I can think of many ways to fill a landscape. Like the painters Jeroen Bosch or Salvador Dali fill the landscape with demons and dreams. Looking at paintings, the landscape is often filled with a story, a battle or some biblical scene.

Scheveningen

Looking at my pictures, I see landscapes that feel empty because they are filled. It might be the indication, suggestion, that people are absent that makes them feel “empty”. Sometimes you even need people in the picture to make you see the “emptiness”. But on the other hand a landscape empty of people can feel full when it is overwhelming.

Iceland

I am not a philosopher, so I won’t pretend I can explain. For me it counts what I feel when I see a landscape. The emptiness means different things in different times and different places. It can be filled and at the same time be empty. An empty landscape is free to wander in but also forms a kind of mental frame. It puts you in a certain mood. A kind of mental peace; no noise, no action. Maybe some loneliness. It certainly makes you believe in space, in freedom……

Patagonia