Another colorfull sunset

Just a few times in a year you find this extreme situation where the sun is low and fierce and the sky is heavy with thunder. You get these smashing pictures of bright trees and buildings and dark skies.

The view of the place I was staying is not that magnificent, but this light made it into something special.

 

Then the sun started to set. Everything went red. 

Isn't it wonderful to see a sunset like this. 

Rush-hour at Heathrow.....

 Heathrow (UK) is a very busy airport. The KLM-plane was not the only one that was leaving... There were two planes "staring" at us from the side. Then there was this huge British Airways plane (I am quite sure it is some "Airbus".) passing us. We both took different turns in the end.....  In the end we flew and there was only the beautiful sunset to be admired.

Skies just skies....

In Patagonia skies manifest themselves in a lot of fascinating ways. Evening, early morning or daytime, be prepared for some fantastic shows.

Clouds like rays coming from behind the mountains.

Or piles of cotton wool hanging above the landscape.

Turning more and more golden and orange as the sun sets very slowly.

Now this looks like an airplane to me..... it was flying over the Beagle Channel.

Something falling out of the sky? 

The unobstructed views are awe inspiring.

Sunset....

 ...... or sunrise; the skies are magnificent.

 The morning sun reflecting on the mountains.

But the most fantastic show I ever saw, was a long time ago in Puerto Natales. One evening the clouds looked as if they were on fire. Imagine people being inside their homes and missing this....

  

To much backlight..... ?

Sometimes there is a surprise among your pictures; to much "backlight". In most cases you didn't want it that way. At other times it creates a fascinating "world of silhouettes". A picture with no or little detail makes one look at a subject in a different way.

Itaguá beach - Ubatuba

I remember at school, translating from classic Greek, Plato's allegory of the cave. It took us weeks, so I didn't get the clue of the story at that time. Later when I read a translation (that made sense...) I understood that the prisoners, normal human beings like us, looking to the silhouettes on the wall considered this as reality.... Only the philosopher could see and understand the "real real world". Well I am not a philosopher!

Itaguá beach - Ubatuba 

Itaguá beach - Ubatuba

Being at the seaside in the evening, when there is not enough light, also many pictures turn out to be mere silhouettes. 

The seller of "cocadas" (cocos cookies) goes home......

Enseada beach - Ubatuba

The boy and the girl are still playing.....

Walking back before sunset....

In Brazil the sun goes down quickly and for some people a little to early....

Lazaro beach - Ubatuba

Sunset over Florence

Somewhat by chance we discovered the sunsets of Florence. One day we were near the Ponte Vecchio watching a demonstration. Then we saw the heavens turn  red slowly. It was fantastic.

Looking down the river Arno was the sky, bright and colorful, and everything else sticking out like silhouettes.   

Turning around the Ponte Vecchio was shining almost orange. In the daytime it was a bit of a disappointment to me. These rundown "boutiques" that sell jewelry. The bridge appeared neglected. Seeing it, in this beautiful light, brought back it's fair tale image.

Up river from the Ponte Vecchio and on the other bank is the Piazzale Michelangelo. It is a high place that is perfect to see the sunset. Just a bit of climbing.... and it can be very busy.

From there the river flows like a stream of gold to the sea. Passing many bridges.

Yes the Ponte Vecchio is great from here. 

Sunrise... sunset.....

Winter is the best time to see a sunrise. You don't have to get up so early!!

Looking out east over the Mediterranean, with only one building a bit in the way, we got up just in time to see a beautiful sunrise.

For sure, the clouds had a silver lining for us that day in Sicily.

 The beach of Giardini-Naxos is still in the dark, while the horizon grows more and more orange.

There comes the sun out of the water. One of the moments you are aware of the turning speed of the earth.
In a few moments the light changes from deep red orange to more yellow colors. It gets impossible to look through the camera. Too much light.

The effect of the cloud is stunning. The red gets deeper again, the silver lining appears and rays of light shoot into the sky. A complete light show. The day has begone.

At the end of the afternoon the light starts to fade again. Trees, that go unnoticed in the daylight, begin to "show off" against the evening light. 

The green landscape becomes blue.

 The mountains seems to grow in the dark. The many small craters on the ides of mount Etna in black contrast to the sky. Clouds are gathering around the smoking top.

Looking to the sea.... the sun slowly goes where it came from.  

It plunges into the water with a last spectacle of red and gold......