Mandarin

The Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata), or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized, East Asian perching duck, closely related to the North American Wood Duck. It is 41–49 cm long with a 65–75 cm wingspan.

This is the first time I have seen these beautiful, marvelous creatures along the river Po, they look like toys!

The sky was grayish and cloudy, I was hesitated whether or not to visit the river, and I am glad I made this walk....
Some distance further up from the bridge at piazza Vittorio, there were this group of four navigating their way on the river, I followed them till they reached home, the shrubs along the river bank, neighbor with a group of mallards.

鸳鸯, is their chinese name, which is the symbol of loving couples, those who are longing for love often say : 只羡鸳鸯， 不羡仙 (Only envy the mandarin duck, do not envy the gods).

Strange enough, instead of sticking in a couple, I saw this group of 3 males and one female swimming together towards home....

Vespasiano

In Italy the designated public urinals in the form of sentry box or kiosk is commonly called Vespasiano. The term comes from Titus Flavius ​​Vespasian, the Roman emperor, who, according to the testimony of Suetonius, probably in reference to a tax he placed on urine collection (useful due to its ammoniac content).
Or according to some friends, because he was the one who ordered to build these public urinals, in order to stop people from pissing all over the streets in roman time.

In these photo, is the 'modern' public urinals which only a few still can be found along the streets...

Mr Hu And His Reflection

Mister Hu is one of the oldest Chinese restaurant in Torino, beside Chinese food, they serve also Japanese food (which i don't understand why, but it seems to be the trend, as more and more Chinese restaurants serving sushi, sashimi....). Although it is just next to my block, in Via Dei Mercanti, but I have never been to try it out yet.

Full Moon Of the Other Night

The view of the full moon along Corso Principe Eugenio....

Empty Benches

The benches along the river are left empty during winter, maybe is a bit hard to see on cold benches?

Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians

The Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians (Santuario di Maria Ausiliatrice) is a church in Turin, northern Italy. Originally part of the home for poor boys founded by John Bosco, it now contains the remains of Bosco, and 6,000 relics of other saints.
The church housing Bosco's remains was built in 1865-1868 to plans by Antonio Spezia.

According to legend, a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to John Bosco in 1844 or 1845 and revealed the site of the martyrdom of the Turinese saints Solutor, Adventor and Octavius. The Basilica dell'Ausiliatrice was built on the site of their death. The church houses the relics of these saints.

The Basilica is located in the piazza between Corso Regina Margherita and  Via Maria Ausiliatrice.

Wild Ducks Couple

The Mallard  or Wild Duck is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand and Australia. This duck belongs to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae.
Mallards usually form pairs (in October and November) only until the female lays eggs at the start of nesting season which is around the beginning of spring, at which time she is left by the male who joins up with other males to await the moulting period which begins in June.  
(Text from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mallard )

Have been seeing this couple for a few weeks in the same spot, doesn't seem like they have built their nest there, as it is not really a suitable spot for nesting, the place is too open.....

Unintended Art Piece

Torino is relatively 'old',  that's one of its fascination. Many roads are, as I consider, not very well maintained, although this caused me to stumble in more than one occasion, but then I still consider this as part of the charm of this city. Just few days ago, while walking on a rather worn out pavement, noticed this broken part which immediately caught my eyes, it looks like a  cavo-rilievo (counter-relief) of my dog, Kali the Bull Terrier .

Out Of the Box

Out of the box, whatever boxes, boxes that limit you from think further, see further, act further, feel further, sense further.....
Once in a while , it is really good to step out, get out, fall out from the boxes, such as the slim, tiny box we called mobile phone, the big, concrete box we called house, the box with audio and video we called TV, all the invisible boxes we called limit......

An art piece by the street in Torino at Via Gaudenzio Ferrari, near Via Montebello.

A Sense Of Country House

This building reminds me of country house, white wall, red roof, low stone walls, bushes surrounding...but it is actually part of the office building (I think!) in the area of the antique roman theater.

Fly Gulls Fly

One of my favorite thing to do along the river is watching the gulls floating on the water and flying over the water, they love to fly over to the upper stream and then sit their ass down onto the water and let the current brings them back downstream, they keep repeating it. They look so energetic and lively.

海鸥飞在蓝蓝海上，不怕狂风巨浪，飞得越高，看得越远，不怕迷失方向。。。

Snowy Rain Or Rainy Snow

Yesterday, was sort of snowing in the town, it was sort of raining and snowing at the same time, or alternately. Of course at the end there wasn't any snow accumulated on the ground.

 Snowing

 

 

 Raining

Reflection Of La Mole On Board

A rather jocular shot of the reflection  of La Mole on a advertisement board along Via Montebello, had some fun trying to position the shot to look like the top of La Mole was extending out from the board.

A Series Of Street Lights

A series of street lights at piazza Vittorio leading towards Gran Madre church....

La Casa Florio

La Casa Florio is a building at the corner of via Bertola and Via San Francesco D'Assisi, it is one of the liberty style building in Torino and it is recognizable by the large bow window overlooking the crossroads of Via San Francesco d'Assisi and by Bertola.

 

Look Under the Bridge

Once in a while I like to walk along the left side of Murazzi, look under the bridge, look through the other side of the bridge, it gives me another perspective view of the river.

Arch To The Palace

The archway leading from the Duomo to the space in front of royal palace.

Via Montebello

Via Montebello is the street in front of La Mole Antonelliana, along the street there is a big signboard of the cinema museum which is inside La Mole.A striking big red signboard which is really eyes catching.

 

A couple at via Montebello

 People passing in front of the signboard of the cinema museum

The Wizard of Oz

Yesterday attended the theater musical show of  'The Wizard of Oz' at teatro Alfieri. The musical was presented by the Compagnia delle Formiche and directed by Andrea Cecchi and with the support of the Association Onlus Dottor Sorriso, part of the tickets sale will go into donation.

Railway

Someone who lives in an apartment where he can see the railway everyday from above once told me, every time he looks at the railway,  it makes him sad, because it represents departure. Well, it brings in and brings back many people too, that's what I told him.

The railway at Porta Nuova, the main train station of Torino, looking from the over head bridge above it.

Tower Rising

Looking from a distance the building of the grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo.
The skyscraper will be the site of the Intesa Sanpaolo banking group and will be located in the district of Turin Cit Turin. Once completed, it will be the tallest building in Turin after the Mole.

Cheese Seller

Cheese seller at the weekend farmer market in the piazza in front of the town hall....

Carignano Theatre

Carignano Theatre is one of the most important theaters of Turin. Owned by the city, is the theatre in which the king went to see the play (as opposed to the Teatro Regio , which was the opera house). It was built by the princes of Carignano in the late seventeenth century, it was built in wood and was hosting small performances especially for the use of the family. In 1752, which it had fallen apart, was then rebuilt in bricks and  designed by Benedetto Alfieri, who some years earlier had designed the Teatro Regio. It is managed by the foundation of the Teatro Stabile di Torino

Entrance to the theatre with the work of Luci d'artista decorating the ground of the piazza.

Winter Sunset Po

Sunset over the winter river, the flowing water sparkles, the rosy clouds over the sky, the birds fly home while it is getting dark, a lone canoe sails along the river, creates a series of ripples.
(An evening watching sunset over river Po)

寒河暮日, 凛水流, 波光粼粼，晚 霞天,
暮色微沉，飞鸟归，独舟划过，溢涟漪

Hollow Promises

Saw this statue at the town hall, looking at the seemed like piece of scroll he held in his hand and couldn't help to notice the hollow. It made me think of the Italy politicians who are launching their election campaign, lots of hollow promises should be expected.

The Church of Our Lady of Suffrage

The Church of Our Lady of Suffrage is a particularly important church of the city of Turin and located in the San Donato.
Its official name is the Church of Our Lady of Suffrage and St. Zita. It is a neo-Romanesque building, built in 1866 by Francesco Faa di Bruno. Is the culmination of the compassion of Blessed Francis Faa di Bruno, who founded the Society of Saint Zita in 1859, the Congregation of the Minim Sisters of Our Lady of Suffrage, founded by Faa di Bruno in 1881, took his name from the title of the church. Among the significant works inside, note behind the altar of the nave the statue of Our Lady of Suffrage Universal made ​​from a single block of Carrara marble and signed by Antonio Tortone.
Its 83 meters high bell tower, is the third highest peak in the city of Turin, after the Mole and the Tower Littoria.

Michelin North Towers

Michelin North Towers are the three skyscrapers located in the Spina 3 zone, in district Borgata Victoria in Turin. The buildings are included in the quadrangle bounded by Via Orvieto, Corso Mortara, and so forth Mondrone Tesso.
There is no official name for the three buildings. In general they are often known as :
- Towers Michelin North America, as the area was once occupied by an establishment of the     famous French brand of tires;
- Towers Corso Mortara, as they face the road Corso Mortara;
- Sometimes, they are also  referred as the Media Village, as in 2006 they were used as the temporary residences for journalists working in the chronicles of the Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006.

Woods In City Center

A few heaps of soil were piled up and placed around piazza San Giovanni in front of the Duomo, plants and dry branches were planted into the soil creating a path in the woods. This was made to let people in the center to have a feeling of taking a walk or sitting on the benches in the woods, have a sense of closer to the nature. 

The idea might be nice, but it is actually quite pathetic. Just a few steps away, there is the royal garden with real trees, real bushes, real grasses and real paths, and it has been closed to public for more than 10 years now. So they just have to re-open the garden, all the people can enjoy the nature whenever they want (except of course when the garden is closed at night). Instead they spent money to create this artificial path of nature which would be too crowded if more than 10 people decided to walk into it together.

Graffiti On Fountain Of Toro

With all of the pubs and bars being forced to closed down at Murazzi, no wonder this boy designed on the fountain along Murazzi looks so pissed off....

Foggy Day At River Side

Misty secluded fog, gurgling river, a lone tree, a solo traveler. . . .

蒙蒙幽雾，潺潺河水，一树独立， 一路独行。。。

 A view of the river side in winter.

Personal Best 2012

Well, personal best photo in term of personal preference, difference factors are involved, feeling, emotional, visual, self achievement....
Photography for me is a way to create images, so I usually process(that's adjustments) the photo after taking them, in order to present them in the way I wanted to.
Here are the 10 photos which I have made in 2012 and selected as more significant ones.

This photo was made on my birthday, I combined the two things I received that day and made this photo. I like its simplicity and depth of field.

 

This photo was made while having aperitive with friends at piazza Vittorio. It was made against the bright sunlight, so obviously the foreground was pretty dark, I processed it rather extremely and turned out to be something pretty different.  I like the effect of the photo which made it looks like a combined image.

This photo was made while crossing the road, didn't expect anything special out of it, but was surprised by beauty of its colors, especially on the surface of the road. It presents a sight of this part of the town which I normally failed to notice.

 This was made during my night walk around the vicinity. Was attracted by the light projected from the restaurant on the side into the narrow street. Asked a friend to stand right in front of the camera and created this image with light and shadows into sort of a mysterious lane.

This was made during the film festival. Was sitting around in the hall of the cinema, snapping photo of peoples in and out of the hall. At the entrance, this man was standing there looking at people coming in and out, then Laura walked by, and this was the look on the man. I like the feel of this photo, sort of like a part of a story, it has a ambiguous feeling.

This was taken during a wedding dinner of a friend, it was by the river Po and right in front of Murazzi. Was lucky to capture the moment while the sky was not yet dark and the lights of the pubs along Murazzi have began to light up. This photo is more significant now that the pubs were forced to close down now and not sure if they will be re-open again.

Full summer 2012, windy, the clouds were moving, the light was bright. A little processing was done to even out the shadows and the light. Like the interesting sky which enhanced the beauty of piazza Castello. It was a beautiful day and I was in a beautiful mood.

This was taken in spring when a sudden downpour began. Taking shelter under the arch in piazza Castello, actually wanted to snap photo of people running from the rain, but was attracted by the reflection and the effect of the light caused by the heavy rain. Had to enhance the contrast to create this almost gothic style. Pretty satisfied with the post process effect.

 This was taken during a long walk along the river Po just after snowing. Actually was pretty satisfied with the set of photo made during the walk, the snow had transformed the area completely and it was breathlessly beautiful. This photo was chosen mainly because of the framing of Superga and represents a memory of this particular walk.

It was difficult to set focus on these little creatures, they move fast! It was taken in the medieval village in Valentino park. I toned down the colors to make it look like Chinese painting, which the swallows are a common subject in Chinese's art.


This post is submitted to CDPB Photo Of The Year. View photo of all the participants by the link.