Annalia S.'s photos with the keyword: Arno River

A pair of Egyptian geese taking a rest on the Lungarno wall seemed to be contemplating the palazzos across the Arno River. Happy Fence Friday, everyone!

River plants live on the very edge of two worlds, their lives precariously balanced on a tight rope. A few centimetres farther and the water would drown them, a bit more rain and the river would gnaw at their roots and carry them away on the current, half a step more inland and the rocky banks would no longer provide enough moisture. As summer comes to an end, their beauty is poised on the brink. Soon the rains will come, swelling the river and moving that line of transition between land and the watery world. Their short lived paradise and their miraculous little lives will end with the season and many months will go by before their children - if they were lucky enough to take root on the right spot, that magical place of transition - will bring it back.

On the banks of the Arno River. I find interfaces very interesting. Here the vegetation on the very edge of the river banks finds sufficient moisture to thrive even in the summer heat. A few paces away from the water everything dries out (and Park Services mows it down). For Maurice: no swans visiting this stretch of the river yet this year, but there's a small group that shows up almost every year. For Andy and Maurice: wishing you both a moment of simple serenity as you work at recovery or wait to learn news about the way forward.

Evening light filters through at a slant and helps reveal the intricate structure of the railway bridge as seen from the Arno River trail. In the PIP: a southbound Frecciarossa high speed train crosses the railway bridge. Happy Fence Friday! And happy travels to those who are taking advantage of the lifting of travel restrictions!

Sometimes on one bank, sometimes on both, structures that were once water mills punctuate the course of the Arno River. Over the years, they have often gone through various transformations (factories, granaries etc) and this one has more recently been repurposed to become a hotel, called - what else? - Il Mulino di Firenze. I took this shot just before the wind picked up and ruffled the water surface of the pool created by the milldam. In the pips a different format in color of the same site, the "twin" mill on the opposite bank (now a residential complex) and a closer view of the milldam.

Olive tree and lush spring vegetation by the banks of the Arno River (with a little help from the light of the westering sun) Have a nice Sunday afternoon, everyone!

The light of the westering sun shines on two friends as they take a break from their riverside walk. HBM and have a nice week, everyone!

Along the Arno River, downstream from the city, on a misty winter morning. I liked how the mist softened colors and made for a perfect background for the tree silhouette. In the Pip: people (and a dog) take morning walks along the river despite the humid weather; in the distance, almost hidden by the mist, the newly refurbished pedestrian bridge that connects the Isolotto area to the Cascine Park.

A feast of golden fall colors reflecting in the Arno River upstream from the city.

Olive groves in the surrounding hills and vegetation by the old river dam cast their reflections in the still water of the big bend of the Arno River from which the village of Il Girone (the "big turn") takes its name. Tuscany just "graduated" to an "orange alert" zone with a consequent uptick in restrictions and, while currently we can still take walks as long as we don't leave the municipal borders, that may not last unless we can take the infection rate back down. On this particular walk I still saw small "herds" of unsupervised teenagers wearing no masks and definitely not keeping even a semblance of social distance. I understand they are kids and that they don't stomach having their freedom restricted easily, but unfortunately they then go home to parents, siblings and grandparents and we all end up paying a pretty steep price for their otherwise understandable rebellious spirit ... It's almost like this virus knows exactly what our weak spots are and how to take advantage of them.

A small hamlet just a few kilometres from Florence, Il Girone (Italian for "the big turn") looks on to a bend in the course of the Arno River, in a spot where one of the old river dams hinders the water flow creating a pool that makes for very pleasant reflections. The villa that can be seen in the distance is Villa la Massa, currently a 5 star hotel. I don't know what created the mist/smoke behind the Villa. Perhaps a field cleaning fire or possibly just the humidity from the river beginning to raise as evening approached.

Two ladies walking along the Arno River banks got a halo of light as the westering sun hit their hair at a slant. (I think it does better large) In the PIP: their dog followed at some distance, with his nose close to the ground, absorbing all the heady smells of the riverbanks.

Dodging the construction work in progress on Lungarno Corsini, it was still possible to get this shot of the reflections on the unusually still water of the Arno. Hope everyone is having a good week!

A fence along the Arno River gets the "evening light" treatment :) In the Pip: on the way back HFF, everybody!

Today along the river, one of the old milldams on the Arno River.

Should I ever be reborn as a rich woman, this is the house I would buy. A complex made up of several structures, including a tower (see PiPs), "Molino di Sant'Andrea a Rovezzano" was once one of the mills on the Arno River, later converted into a factory, then a hydroelectric plant and now a residential complex housing several families. The milldam that once served to divert water for the mill now attracts sunbathers, families on outings and generally anyone looking for a fresh air walk by the Arno river. I shot these on one of the first Saturdays after Italians were released from lockdown, when I was one of many strollers eager to enjoy the newly regained freedom. The (clickable) PiPs show different parts of this extensive complex, from different angles. As you can see, I would have to be pretty darn rich to afford buying the whole thing! :D