Post your best current shots

[Kayaker72]

Most years I have a work trip to Banff and get to see Jonathan and photograph the Canadian Rockies. This year, I had a number of other work trips that diverted me. But, not all of them were bad. One was to meetings/conference in Italy and my wife and I tacked on a few days before. I've dropped a couple of these into the weekly contest...but here are few of my favorite pics from the trip....

537A0110 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A0207 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A0557 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A0580 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A0654 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A0699 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A0702 by kayaker72, on Flickr

537A0960 by kayaker72, on Flickr

That's the last of them...Thanks for viewing...Brant

[neuroanatomist]

One was to meetings/conference in Italy and my wife and I tacked on a few days before. I've dropped a couple of these into the weekly contest...but here are few of my favorite pics from the trip....

Catching up here after a rather long hiatus. Great pics, Brant! Where in Italy were you? I had a conference in Pisa some years back, and we (family) are headed there at the start of summer, several days in Venice, a week in Taormina on Sicily that will include my older daughter and I doing some scuba diving, then several days in Rome before flying home.

[Kayaker72]

Catching up here after a rather long hiatus. Great pics, Brant! Where in Italy were you? I had a conference in Pisa some years back, and we (family) are headed there at the start of summer, several days in Venice, a week in Taormina on Sicily that will include my older daughter and I doing some scuba diving, then several days in Rome before flying home.

Thanks John. Sounds like a great trip that you have lined up. Venice is great. I would try to pay attention to the cruise ships. I was there in late June once (weekend before a work trip) and 3 cruise ships were in port. It got very busy. I actually headed over to another island in the lagoon, Murano, which was much less crowded and still a great place to visit. Doge's Palace was impressive, but lines were as well. First thing in the morning, no line. So, if you can get going early, it is likely worth it. Taormina? I hadn't heard of that one, but pictures online look great. And Mt. Etna in the background. Would be very lucky if it erupts a bit (not too much) while you are there.

Italy was a good trip. We knew we wanted to try Tuscany as that was 2-3 hrs from where the conference would be and, hey...Tuscany. Not knowing much, we actually picked where we'd go by looking at a few wines we liked, which included a Nobile di Montepulciano. A quick internet search and we were based out of Montepulciano in SE Tuscany, almost to Umbria. We visited a number of the fortified hilltop villages like Pienza, Sienna, Montalcino. All beautiful, good food, and distinctive. An area I would definitely recommend.