Saturday to the Villa Borghese

Blissfully unaware that international war had been added to civil war in the next country to the south, we joined families in the Villa Borghese on Saturday...

It was also to be dog-photo-day, beginning with this extraordinary dog-man hand-holding relationship in Piazza Barberini. Bernini's Triton fountain in the background. They held hands long enough for me to get out the camera and take the shot from crowded bus...

It is spring and in the Villa Borghese the grass is green and tiny daisies in bloom, 

this photo from knee height.

An exceptionally lovely morning by the lake

Lots of families in leg-powered vehicles, also a few of these up-market travellers

This photo of boy and dog perhaps captures best the atmosphere of freedom and fresh air

while these photos of an old man (older than I am) seems to call for a novella to be written;

there were in fact quite a number of older single men, in suits or jackets, 

airing themselves alone, 

 within their lifetimes the world has undergone so many upheavals and revolutions

Seattle Saturday

It has been wonderful to see Liz and Mike. Mainly Liz so far, as Mike was at work Friday and Saturday coaching endurance and also refereeing, as he does, for the Seattle roller derby league, the Rat City Roller Girls who were yesterday playing Detroit.

Yesterday we walked and looked at this and that in Seattle before taking the bus to the village of Ballard where we met Mike at the end of his day.

Here are some photos from yesterday: overcast, mainly dry, occasional glimpses of sky. Nice to be rugged up to keep warm after being unable to remove skin to be cool at home last week.

This first is illustrative of the urban look near Liz and Mike's place in South Lake Union, the streets empty on Saturday as this is an info industry area.

and this, the entrance to the South Lake Union Trolley Car garage... a photo full of industrial lines, also showing the spotless impact of trams on a city.

Here a photo of Liz in her favourite bookshop-cafe

and a photo of Helen in her favourite ambience - antiques and old garments.

We haven't bought the cap - yet..

I could not resist photographing this photo on the wall in the cafe, 

clearly a Chinese dog going home, without thought of the water table.

Here a photo Helen took. Liz tired at the end of a cold, 

also from the success of her play in Portland last weekend.

At South Lake itself, we came upon Canada Geese

and also this cuteness, included as Cat and Dom have been considering getting a miniature Dachshund

Across a little water

offering a view uptown of downtown in the mistiness

before taking the bus 20 minutes to Ballard

a view of winter pruning

...a crane half a high as a seaplane's path
(Helen's ladies investment group last week bought shares in a crane business,
there being a world shortage of cranes)

a walk by the sea in a working port

a glimpse of the Rat City v Detroit game (closed to the public for lack of room in the hangar)

and a dog of dignity