More Cats of Rome

This was the first cat to greet us in Rome. This poster is at the airport. I am not sure what it is telling us, (anyone read Italian?) but I like the style.
This little Kitty met us just inside the Capitoline Museum. He seems as if he is ready to move.

This Regal fellow lives on one of the fountains at Quattro Fontane. There is a fountain on each corner of the intersection.

Look at all these cats. I especially like the little black and white who is looking right at us.

These can be found in the Al Sogna Toy Shop in Piazza Navona.

This is a wonderful toy store.

If you ask, they will take you upstairs to show you the posh collectors dolls. Way out of my price range but well worth the climb. My guide book compares this shop to Santa's Workshop fifty years ago. I want to go back already.

This is another resident of Piazza Navona. Who knew lions liked water so much? He adorns one of many Roman fountains by Bernini.

My Sweet hubby is grinning from behind an old Egyptian statue on the Vatican grounds.

Detail from a Sarcophagi in the Vatican collection. This guy is carved from marble yet the detail is like the finest of porcelain.

One thing that amazes me is that, as old as my house is, art like this has been sitting right where it is since before my house was even a dream. Some of these things are at least a thousand years old. This guy was carved without the aid of electricity.

No, this isn't an escapee from the last post. Jaguars are cats too. This is one of my Sweet Hubby's favorites.

A big cat in an ancient mosaic that is on display at the Colosseum.

One of the sweetest kitties of all. This little lady was taking a nap in the sun at the Colosseum.

That's it for Roman cats but I have lots more to share from the trip.

Cheers,

Kat

Inspirational Designs, Transportation in Rome

Cars are one of my many obsessions. I should not just say cars because the obsession caries over to many forms of transportation. The catch is, they have to be appealing or well designed. This bus met our plane at the airport in Rome and carried us to the terminal. It isn't really special in the looks department, but it is a very cool vehicle. It kneels to allow passengers on and off. Why can't our buses do that? You could push a wheel chair right up on it with no problem.
You may have heard me go on about vehicles before. If so, you know that Volkswagens have a special place in my heart (even with their nutty electrical systems) vans most of all. I spotted this little custom model in a shop window. Isn't it adorable?

I still have lots of photos from of cats in Rome and I promise to do another post just for them.
This post is all about things with wheels. A few days before we were to return home, we stumbled upon a Roman Car Show. There was a street fair to encourage "Green Living" and tourism amongst other things. The car show was part of it. Look at the face on this one, it is hard to say who is smiling more the car or the driver. Don't you just expect Sean Connery to jump in and take off?

This tiny little car is smaller than the an old VW Bug. It is cute and the sun roof is well designed, just roll it down, snap it tight and your ready to go.

Spring is the time for "Fashion" and the Romans take it seriously. Many of the cars had models in period fashions as passengers, here are a couple of the more unique ones. The lady in white and black has zippers all over, even the hat is covered! One of the galleries was partially closed off for a few hours for some sort of fashion show. We got to wander among the mannequins when they were done.

Who doesn't love a gleaming red sports car?

Doors open backwards on this one. I can see where that would be helpful in tight parking situations. Parking and driving in Rome looks like a nightmare. We did not even try and as our hotel was wonderfully located, we did not need too.

This is from my teen years. It is one of my favorites. Sleek!

A bit older, but adorable. This one is also on the small side.

You can't talk about Rome and transportation without mentioning the Vespas. Note the side car on one and vintage costumes for both. The design had changed a bit over the years but they still look like fun. (I don't think I want to try to learn to drive one in Rome traffic though, Yikes)

Did I mention that parking in Rome is an art form in itself? These two cars are "Smart" but are their drivers? Notice how they are parked pointing out in a parallel spot. We saw this a lot, neat trick. Somehow I don't think my Tacoma will fit quite the same.

Vroom,

Kat

New Orleans

I recently read a couple of murder mysteries set in New Orleans and the most recent edition of Victoria Magazine has a story with pictures of New Orleans so it has been on my mind. The pictures bring back great memories and it is fun to envision the places where a story takes place because you have been there. We were there in the spring and I loved it.

The first picture shows some of the lovely Iron work in the French Quarter. You can just imagine the old Southern Ladies in their long skirts and hats.
We stayed in the French Quarter at the "Chateau" it is reasonable, centrally located, clean, comfortable and has very friendly staff.
Breakfast each morning in the courtyard was continental style with pastries and the Chicory Coffee that New Orleans is famous for.


We were usually joined by some of the smaller locals. This mule and driver were filming a commercial for New Orleans just outside our hotel. They use Mules as horses don't do as well in their climate.

The people in New Orleans were all incredibly friendly. Like any other big city, you should use common sense to protect yourself and your belongings. We were warned numerous times to be careful, but we had no problems whatsoever. The locals and were wonderful. They seem genuinely glad to see tourists returning.

I truly hope all goes well for them this week. As Gustav approaches, I will be thinking about them and their lovely old city.




The other two photos are from the Garden District and St. Louis Cemetery number 1. In New Orleans, they do everything with beauty in mind.


I have posted twice this week, please scroll down to see some of my artwork.
Kat