Vivid Boats Occupy Syracuse Harbor

The Story:

In 2014 I had the opportunity to travel to Italy with my dad; we visited Rome on south to Sicily.  It was a trip driven by a desire to see a mix of the history of the region: Italian, Roman, and Catholic Church.  Previously, my dad traveled the country extensively, so we mixed his recommendations with some areas I had read of.  One of the places where I wanted to view the storied history of Sicily was Syracuse.  It had a great mix of historic elements and picturesque views.

Most of our travel in Italy was by train, however upon reaching Messina we explored Sicily by car. I found this necessary by the remote nature of our Sicilian destinations, to include Enna and Longi, home of my great grandparents.  I found Sicilian driving to be quite the controlled chaos compared with home, and parking was always scarce.  After finally finding a place to park, we set about walking.  My dad insisted on taking our bags to lessen the risk of theft.  Even though I only travel with a backpack, and it’s a logical measure, his decision wasn’t popular among some people.  As a result, I think I was still peeved when we walked along the harbor edge and I noticed these especially vivid boats.

I noticed the eyes and azure hues contrasted against the silvery mirror of the receding clouds.  While composing, I tried to find a good mix of perspective and backdrop against the historic buildings.  At the time, though, I wasn’t sure I would find a medium to do the iridescent nature of the scene justice.  After several shots along the harbor, we continued exploring into the historic city.  I hoped to see the Castello Maniace, but continuing the Sicilian trend we experienced, it was closed.

Notwithstanding, we both enjoyed our venture to Syracuse.  Luckily, upon returning I discovered the new trend of metallic prints on actual metal sheets.  This medium complements the iridescent nature of this picture quite nicely.  When I see the sheen of the aquatic reflection, it definitely brings back fond memories of the trip.  Maybe next time my arrival will align better with the Castello Maniace schedule!