Photos from Boston

 I was in Boston very early in the new year and the tempreture was so very cold.. one day was between -16 to  -18 Celsius. Here are some photos.

 

Escaping the cold, by being indoors. Don't let the clear looking sky fool you. 

 

Night time in black and white.

A mound of dirty snow.

A slightly warmer day to walk around in, perhaps only -5 to -7 Celsius.

 

I definately need to go back in warmer times.

.

Images copyright Matthew Schiavello.

After Alex... (New Years Eve 2019, NYC . 9412)

After Alex... (New Years Eve 2019, NYC . 9412)

.
You pointed out the light as we went on a walk that afternoon.
Which is why I name this 'after' you.
You stopped at every place I asked you to and never looked bored, nor were impatient.
It was the last day of the year.
We were invited to a party, but I said that I preferred to just be with you.
You smiled in agreeance as we headed back to your place and ordered in.
We drank to celebrate life and us.
I tried to keep up with you, and ended up on the bathroom floor at 3am.
I should have known better.
It was a good reminder to be myself when I am with you.
It was a good reminder that I don't need to impress you,
as you accept and love me just as I am,
as I do you.
.
We woke up together on New Days day.
I felt the luckiest person in the world.
Not because I didn't have a hangover,
But because you had your arms around me.
We lay in bed for ages
just being with each other.

It was the perfect start to a new year.

copyright matthew schiavello 2020

Holidays 2013, Netherlands and Belgium pt 8: The Bicycles of Amsterdam

It has been a while since I posted about my holiday to the  Netherlands and Belgium late last year. Here is the next installment, a short pictorial post about the bicycles of Amsterdam.

Everywhere you go in the Netherlands you will find bicycles. In Amsterdam the city has special bike paths that put Melbourne's to shame. Visitors to the city need to quickly get their heads around these paths, otherwise you will be run over by a bicycle and I kid you not.

Graffiti above a bicycle reminding me which city I was in.

 

Even the posher suburbs have bicycles chained to their lovely faux period lamp posts!

Somewhere in Jordaan:

Did I incorrectly give you the impression that bicycles are neatly chained up one per post?:

Less cluttered:

So many places have signs stating not to leave or chain your bicycle near or against walls/windows.. This person ignored the sign and the neighbourhood cat was not impressed!

The thing that struck me about Amsterdam was the variety of styles of bike:

Using a milk crate on your bike as storage must be a universal idea?

When I arrived back home I was inspired to buy a dutch style bike. The bike shop I went to was run by a Dutch man..what are the odds? He advised that the heavy frames on these bikes are fine for the flat Netherlands, but not so good for bike riding in Melbourne...So I left empty handed, what a shame!
Maybe I will simply have to move to the Netherlands?
For now,

Vaarwel!

All photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2013-2014

Holidays 2013, Netherlands and Belgium pt 7: Amsterdam's gay life and churches.

Who would have thought that gay life and the church would sit so comfortably together?
In Amsterdam there is a gay and lesbian info point for tourists, which sits just outside the lovely Westerkerk church.

 

 The Westerkerk church was built in the early 1600's and Rembrandt is said to be buried somewhere in the church itself. Right near the Westerkek Church is a Homomonument, a monument for the gays and lesbians subjected to persecution because of their sexuality.  At another church I visited, The Oude Kerk, founded around 1213 (yep, you read right!) not only was Rembrandt's wife Saskia van Uylenburgh buried there, but they had a photography exhibition, the Pride photo Award winners! I doubted I would have seen anything like this back at home.


A few of the Pride Photo Award winners:

 This one was titled  'Next time hit harder, I am still gay':

What a beautiful venue for the photographs, and to think here in Australia we still have church groups protesting against homosexuality!

Some bits and pieces laying about... 1756? umm  That's before Captain Cook landed in Australia isn't it?

The floor of the church:

More of Oude Kerk:

The next photograph I have called 'Sunflowers: Amsterdam #199':

 

Oude Kerk has a cafe inside:

 'Flowers in Oude Kerk':

I must also share that as I was heading towards this Oude Kerk, I heard a 'tap tap tap' on a window. It was around 10.30-11am and this woman beckoned me over. I figured, given I was a tourist, she must have been motioning someone else.... but then it happened a few more times by other women, who were standing behind glass doors and tapping the glass to get my attention... Ohhh I realised, I must be in the red light district!! Apparently Oude Kerk is right in the midst of the red light district and it operates 24 hours a day!











All photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2013

Holidays 2013, Netherlands and Belgium pt 6 : Amsterdam - Reflections and abstractions.

During several of my trips through beautiful Vondelpark I was often captivated by the reflections in the waters. I love that some of these are clearly reflections of trees etc, but others have this strange abstract quality that disorientates you.  Are you looking up at the sky or down into a reflection? Does it matter?:

Black and white:

While we are on the subject of  reflections, here are a couple more images taken in Amsterdam:

Not quite the image I was hoping for, but still, here is a bicyclist in the city center riding after heavy downpours.

The shaky night view from my apartment, looking across into the lives of others:

These final two images are of a building opposite the main library in Amsterdam that I found interesting. There was something about the images I saw that captivated me and made me want to keep looking. Where did the reflection begin or end? What was part of the building? What wasn't and in the end, does it really matter? and it is about just enjoying what I see?:

All photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2013

Holidays 2013, Netherlands and Belgium pt 5 : Amsterdam Library

Petra, the landlord of my apartment in Oud West, suggested I go to the public library in Amsterdam. 'Take the elevator up to the top and admire the views over the city', she said. She was not wrong, the views are great, unfortunately I had a lot of dust on my lens so the photographs I took are unusable unless I  spend a considerable amount of time cleaning up each image... and too be honest the photos don't warrant that time spent. Petra did mention in passing that he library was lovely as well.....Jeepers, is it ever! It is such a cool space I walked around taking many a photo!

The library was opened in 2007 and is spread out over seven floors. Walking about I noticed lots of space to study and lots of natural lighting. The website for the Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam (Amsterdam public library) can be found here. The website itself is standard boring stuff, but if you are planning a trip to Amsterdam do check it out for the address details and visit the library, if only for the great view over the city. I thought I would share some images of the Library:


Did you want to sit and chill, or even read a book (you know those things that are kind of like kindles, except they are thick and made of paper... and you can only fit one book into a book, unlike a kindle.. as weird as that sounds....), anyway, if you want to read a book, then take a seat!:

Did you want to study? We have the run of the mill boring desks and tables, or you can use one of these study pods!

Did you want to borrow a cd? Feel free to browse our shelves:

Dvd's? We got them too and for some reason have coloured the spines of them. As you can tell by this photograph, I was obviously in the English dvd section,  they also and obviously had many Dutch dvd's... err.. somewhere else!:

Take a seat in these concrete looking, but actually light and soft seats, while you listen to music online, on our Apple computers:

I think someone must have suggested when they were building the library to put a cool looking light installation in the middle of a walkway.... 'Great Idea!' everyone said. I have to say it does look very cool and caught my eye from across the other side of the building. I was transfixed wondering 'what is that??? I need to get closer!'. I zoomed straight over, not even looking where I was going, just focusing on the lights and needing to get closer to them..... I must have been a moth in a past life!

Behind the above curved wall, infact on the inside of it, was a subtle and shifting light installation that spanned the whole inside length of the curved wall. There was a gap in the curve in which you could enter. It was really lovely to just stand there and watch it. I did wonder how many people had actually noticed it. Here is a photo of one moment of one small section:
 

looking down into the children's section:

The Library also had a couple of different exhibitions on when I was there. I saw an interesting photographic exhibition and some sculptures:

Lastly, looking through from where I was exploring the sculpture exhibition, I just couldn't resist taking another photograph of those lights!:

All photographs copyright matthew schiavello 2013