patrik banas | photo blog

Betty in Siena

At the Torre del Mangia, Siena

Lucky at the Torre del Mangia, Siena

Gina in Sienna

Monticchiello

Monticchiello

At the Torre del Mangia, Siena

Fall season is almost gone and long dark winter evenings are here - whether we want or no...
Good time to warm up while going through the folder taken during May's Tuscany visit! Oh that helps! Is it summer yet?
And you know what? I am going back to Tuscany next year again! This time as co-instructor (and scout agent, entertainer, Nikon expert and driver) with Scott Stulberg, who invited me after our famous trips to Death Valley, Palouse and of course one in Tuscany, where we spent nice time together scouting and preparing a year in advance! This Scotty's workshop was sold out within literally few hours and I am really looking forward to revisit this Italian gem...
Meanwhile, open the bottle of the good wine (Italian would be preferred), light up the fireplace and ... enjoy!



Jeseň je takmer preč a dlhé, tmavé, zimné večery sa pomaly ale isto vkrádajú - či sa nám to páči alebo nie... Správny čas na zohriatie sa tým, že jeden konečne pretriedi adresár nafotený v máji v Toskánsku! Oh, to ale pomohlo... Už je tu leto?
Najlepšie na tom je, že do Toskánska sa chystám znova na budúci rok. Tentokrát ako spolu inštruktor (a vyhliadavač miest, zábavač, Nikon expert a šofér) spolu so Scottym Stulbergom, ktorý ma pozval po našich skvelých spoločných výletoch do Death Valley, Palouse a samozrejme v Toskánsku, kde sme strávili spoločný čas obhliadkou miest a pripravovaním sa rok vopred! Tento Scottyho workshop sa vypredal doslova za pár hodín a ja sa fakt znova teším na návštevu tejto talianskej perly...
Medzitým, otvorte si fľašu vína (odporúčam talianske), zakúrte si v kozube... a užívajte!

Do you know saying - keep your laundry at home? Well, it is not the case everywhere... While in some part of the world I lived, it is forbidden to hang out and dry your laundry (under a penalty from the local municipality! no kidding!), in some parts of the world, it is absolutely normal thing to do... Here's the collection taken recently between in Italy and France... Enjoy! ;)
PS: One more cool laundry shot has been taken during that period, but Monika claimed the copyright sooner I was able to post it, so she will post it soon on her blog!!! ;)



Poznáte to príslovie, že (špinavé) prádlo by si mal človek držať doma? No, nie je to všade pravidlo. V niektorých častiach sveta, kde som žil, je zakázané vešiať a sušiť vonku svoje opraté prádlo (pod hrozbou pokuty od miestneho úradu, nekecám!). Na druhú stranu, v iných častiach sveta je vyvešané prádlo neoddeliteľnou súčasťou koloritu ulíc a mesta... Toto je zbierka, ktorú som nedávno nazbieral v Taliansku a Francúzsku. Dúfam, že sa vám bude páčiť ;)
PS: Ešte jeden skvelý záber sme nafotili počas tejto doby, ale Monika sa prihlásila o vlastníctvo záberu, skôr ako som ho tu zverejnil, takže čoskoro ho môžte očakaváť na jej blogu...!!! ;)

Yes, it is really an art - to build a leaning tower. At the end, it took them over 70 years to finalize it!
We spent two sunny autumn days in Tuscany, Italy and couldn't avoid to stop by in Pisa. Even though everybody kept warning us, that the city is pretty boring and except the Leaning tower there is nothing else to see. Well, I beg to disagree! First of all, The tower is magnificent! Unbelievable. Really. You saw it so many times on the pictures, but to stand there and see how much REALLY it is leaning - that was worth the trip!
And second and third and fourth of all... Pisa is awesome! They have fantastic pizza in Pisa (ha! ;) and city is nice to roam around, go through tiny streets. Observe people. It has a charming and cozy atmosphere... We took together with Monika hundreds of pictures just in Pisa itself (like for example here and here).



Few other "leaning examples", just for the documentary purposes are below... Of course - including one of myself leaning against the tower, as a proper tourist! ;)

That was an easy topic to pick up. It was just a matter of a proper moment. As they happen to be here, and then there...
During our holidays, we spent also two day in Tuscany, Italy and visited Pisa with famous Leaning tower. Gosh!!! It really is leaning quite a lot!!
Anyway, when we promised kids, that they will have real Italian pizza in Pisa - you should see the speed they picked up! ;) And pizza was just gorgeous!



BOLI TU DETI - Toto bolo ľahká téma, bola to len otázka správneho načasovania, keďže oni naozaj zvyknú byť chvíľu tu a potom zase tam ;)
Počas dovolenky sme strávili dva dni aj v Toskánsku a navšívili aj Pisu s jej slávnou šikmou vežou. Koxo!! Neuveriteľné ako sa fakt nakláňa!!
Nuž, ale keď sme deťom sľúbili, že di dáme pravú talianskú pizzu, priamo v Pise - čéče, tí ale pridali do kroku! ;) A musím ešte pre úplnosť dodať, že pizza bola absolútne skvelá!

What to do if you are in a nice place, you have a few moments to take a picture, but you still are missing that "interesting object" to spice up the cool wall? Well, throw yourself into the frame! 

Nikon D800, 24-70mm @ 45mm, f/14 @ 1/3 sec, ISO 320