A New Look

This water fountain in Via dei Bottini dell'Olio has a new look, and even more the wall behind it.

I took this picture of the same fountain in January 2013: it was posted in March of the same year, the occasion was our glamorous three days without water.

See also: Without Water

English version

Jeans

On the decorative side, this jeans planter at the “Orti Urbani” is quite creative.

See also: Orti Urbani - Two Plants and a Dragonfly - Tobacco Plant - The Scarecrow

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Turgut Reis

The 170-meter bulk carrier “Turgut Reis”. This ship is named after an Ottoman Greek Admiral and privateer who was once the terror of our coasts. (Picture taken last August)

External links: Turgut Reis (Wikipedia) - La Chianca Amara (Vieste)

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The Animals of Harborea

“Harborea” wasn't only a place for plants and flowers, but also for... animals.

Probably you would not leave these geese out in the garden,

but these others would be perfect outside.

See also: Harborea - The Flowers of Harborea

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The New Scaffolding

It is good to see that a new scaffolding is being erected on the facade of the Dutch church. With the still scarce funds now available they will be able to stop the decay, preserving the building from further damage and at least partially securing it.

See also: Dutch church - A Good Start - Works Have Started
External links: Temple of the Dutch German Congregation (Wikipedia)
Search labels: Dutch church

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Assembling the Bridge

Half of the new bridge, with the sliding part visible, safely moored in a day with 100 km/h (70 mph) winds.

On Friday, two days later, most of the footbridge is already in place.

From afar, we can easily see the retractable part in the middle and the fixed pontoons on the sides.

See also: Waiting for the Bridge - Fortezza Vecchia - Piazza dei Grani - Scalo Regio - Porta del Duca
Search labels: Fortezza Vecchia

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Pastel Colors and Geometry

Windows, Scali della Dogana D'Acqua.

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After Yemanja

A curious new mural has taken the place of “Yemanja” on the wooden fence of a construction site in Viale Caprera.

See also: Yemanja
Search labels: mural

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The Scarecrow

“All the same,” said the Scarecrow, “I shall ask for brains instead of a heart; for a fool would not know what to do with a heart if he had one.” “I shall take the heart,” returned the Tin Woodman; “for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.”

(Frank L. Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)

At the “Orti Urbani” you can find what probably is the only scarecrow in town.

See also: Orti Urbani - Two Plants and a Dragonfly - Tobacco Plant - Jeans

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SCL Margrit

The 108-meter general cargo ship “SCL Margrit” with her three holds open.

External links: Port of Livorno (Pinterest)

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Waiting for the Bridge

The new footbridge between Piazza dei Grani and the Fortezza Vecchia will be installed in the course of this week. Some preparatory works were already done last Friday, to protect the flagstones from the weight of the heavy crane.

The crane was already in place yesterday: it will be probably used to lift the preassembled floating bridge and deploy it on the water of the canal below. In foreground, on the right, the “buca del grano”.

See also: Buca del Grano - Fortezza Vecchia - Piazza dei Grani - Scalo Regio - Porta del Duca
Search labels: Fortezza Vecchia

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The Flowers of Harborea

Livorno is a florally deprived city: walking her streets it is easier to see dog turds than flowers, and planters seem to be the only places that attract trash more than the pavements. Thus, at “Harborea”, also a rose gets our attention.

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

See also: Harborea - The Animals of Harborea
External links: Echinacea purpurea (Wikipedia)

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The Two Melorias

The islets of the Meloria seen from our flight in route to Pisa. Not a great picture, but it shows the 18th century tower on the right and the relatively more recent lighthouse on the left.

On summer weekends many boats gather around the islets, which are easily visible from the coast. Here is a view from the Terrazza Mascagni, with in foreground a group of passing paddlers.

External link: Meloria (Wikipedia)
See also: Terrazza Mascagni - Meloria

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Tobacco Plant

I'm a total disaster when it comes to plant names, but during my visit at the Orti Urbani I was able to recognize this gorgeous tobacco plant, not very common around here.

See also: Orti Urbani - Two Plants and a Dragonfly - The Scarecrow - Jeans

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Burger King

In a desperate job market, thirty hirings in a fast food chain are front-page news on our local paper. (Burger King arrives, 30 hirings, the professional figures needed and how to apply)

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Two Plants and a Dragonfly

During my first tour of the “Orti Urbani” my friend Ephraim was my guide, then he introduced me to Gabriele, the “botanist” of the gardens, who showed me a lot of plants I didn't know of, in a still untouched part of the land. Sadly, I was able to photograph and remember only a few.

“Rosa canina”

“Iris foetidissima”

OK, that's not a plant and the picture is far from perfect, but the beast wasn't easy to catch...

External links: Rosa canina - Iris foetidissima (Wikipedia)
See also: Orti Urbani - Tobacco Plant - The Scarecrow - Jeans

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Porto Mediceo at Sunset

For six years, since 2009, we posted almost 700 photos of our port, showing many different boats and ships. Now, if you wish, you can browse them all on our new board Port of Livorno. Like in any Pinterest board the images are linked to the original posts.

The Porto Mediceo at sunset: cruise ships, ferries, bunker tankers and a pilot boat.

External links: Port of Livorno (Pinterest)

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Saint Seton's Bell Tower

The “essential” bell tower of the church of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, in Piazza Giovanni Maria Lavagna.

See also: An American Saint - S.E.A.S. - Inside S.E.A.S.
External links: Elizabeth Ann Seton (Wikipedia)

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Harborea

“Harborea” is an annual garden fair organized by the Garden Club Livorno at Villa Mimbelli.

The theme of the fourth edition was: “Festa delle Piante e dei Giardini d'Oltremare” (Festival of the Plants and Gardens from Overseas).

You can see, and eventually buy, an interesting assortment of plants and garden-related merchandise.

See also: The Flowers of Harborea - The Animals of Harborea

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Mascagni Velodrome

The Terrazza Mascagni is the new velodrome of Livorno.

People keep riding bicycles all the week on our sidewalks, just training for the Sunday race here.

See also: Terrazza Mascagni

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Kayaking on the Fosso Reale

Late afternoon, in the Fosso Reale (Royal Canal).

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Orti Urbani

Last summer a group of citizens has occupied and cleaned a vacant lot in Via Goito, with the purpose of organizing a community vegetable garden: the “Orti Urbani”.

Some of them are pensioners, a few are unemployed, others are simply fans of horticulture.

The group has created more than fifty plots of land, each one assigned to one or more people. They also have a well on the lot, so they can use its water for irrigation.

Most of the plots are thriving, but the owners of the land are not happy with this because they claim to have plans and permits to build on at least a part of it.

See also: Two Plants and a Dragonfly - Tobacco Plant - The Scarecrow - Jeans

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More Raw Milk

The first raw milk vending machine I saw was four years ago in the Borgo dei Cappuccini neighborhood. This one is in Piazza Damiano Chiesa and you can have a liter of milk for one Euro. Bring your bottle or buy one on the spot.

See also: Raw Milk

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Samar's Helicopter

When we first presented you the 77-meter luxury yacht “Samar” we told you that she was provided with a helipad.

Now we can see a Bell 407 helicopter, by Bell Helicopter Textron, sitting on the pad. The aircraft was barely visible in last years's photo, but it was already there.

See also: Samar
External links: Bell 407 - Bell Helicopter Textron (Wikipedia)
Search labels: yacht

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Works Have Started

Restoration works have started at the Dutch church. The area has been cleaned up from weeds and the old rusty scaffolding has been removed: quite a difference from a month ago.

See also: Dutch church - A Good Start - Theme Day: Rust and Ruins
External links: Temple of the Dutch German Congregation (Wikipedia)
Search labels: Dutch church

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Buca del Grano

For the first time I can show you a “buca del grano” (grain pit), a bricked interred silo of sorts, where once the grain was stored. There were many around here, and the place is still called “Piazza dei Grani” (Square of the Grains). Until last week the pit was covered by wild vegetation and completely hidden. It has been like that for four years...

Just behind the skylight we can see the Scalo Regio: this was once the original entrance to the Porta del Duca, the main gate of the Fortezza Vecchia, on the other side of the canal. Then, a boat was towed back and forth to access the fortress, today the entrance is on the other side. It seems that a movable footbridge will be soon built here.

See also: Fortezza Vecchia - Piazza dei Grani - Scalo Regio - Porta del Duca
Search labels: Fortezza Vecchia

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Livorno Superstar

Marco Sisi is an experienced video editor at RAI, Italy's national public broadcasting company, and a professional video maker. He is also a passionate cinephile and a few years ago he published an interesting book about Livorno in the movies: “Livorno superstar. La mia città dentro il cinema”.

He made this incredible short video, a montage of clips from almost every movie shot in Livorno. There is also a longer and more complete version, practically a documentary with interviews, which you can find here.

External links: RAI (Wikipedia) - Livorno superstar. La mia città dentro il cinema (Amazon)

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Palazzo Gragnani

Palazzo Gragnani is often called Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace) for the brick-layered facade. It was built around 1840 in what is now Piazza Cavour by the architect Innocenzo Gragnani. The facade has a ground floor of rusticated stone, while the ornamental columns on the other floors, called pilasters, show the three distinct orders of Ancient Greek architecture: Doric capitals on the first floor, Ionic and Corinthian on the and second and third floors. On the back of the building, guarding a gate, there are the two Sphinxes of Livorno.

See also: Palazzo Rosso - Piazza Cavour - Capitals - The Sphinx of Livorno
External links: Pilaster (Wikipedia)

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The Vain Cat

It was late afternoon in Via della Meridiana (Sundial Street) when I met this cat: he wasn't in a hurry and also took some time to pose for me just in the middle of the street.

Search labels: cat

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More Kites

A few more kites from the “Aquiloni in Festa” festival: here is a flying village.

Not too colorful, but it was surely eye-catching.

This kite was surely my favorite of the set.

See also: Terrazza Mascagni - Aquiloni in Festa
Search labels: Terrazza Mascagni

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