Italy 2010 (Part 1) - Bologna

I knew this would be a big trip for me, and I would come back a changed man. I wanted a remember-me-when shot to start the trip. This is the mirror in my bedroom... in the house that I'm renting now. ... Look at my seemingly-absurd amount of camera gear.

This is another picture for me, to put this trip into the context of my life. I had been living at 170 Allison St. for two years, and alone for four months (well, with three cats), and I expected things to change quite quickly once I returned from Italy. And I was right - I'm editing these pictures from a friend's basement, and I'm about to move into Joel's new house in a couple of days.

A familiar sign for international travelers - Lufthansa Airlines' logo on a building at Frankfurt's airport.

With hours to kill in the Frankfurt airport, I found myself taking pictures of concrete.

I noticed the heart in his hand, and figured he was texting the person that gave it to him. ... You'll definitely notice some unsurprising themes throughout my Italy pictures - love, romance, heartbreak, pain, etc. I like to think of this collection of photos as a breakup gallery, analogous to a musician's breakup album.

This is what most people do at the airport - look out the window and think. The other small percentage take pictures of unsuspecting people.

Bologna, Italy!

It was Sunday afternoon, so most businesses were closed and had their doors down, putting Bologna's serious graffiti problem on full display.

Seen a lost dog? Need guitar lessons?

This boy had a great idea. He was wondering if his teacher would yell at him. They didn't. Several of his classmates joined him.

Bologna is famous for its porticos (sidewalk coverings). A fantastic city to be in on a rainy day. The porticos also create more camera-friendly lighting during the high-sun hours of the day.

This Bologna Bomber (see right door) is still a graffiti novice, especially compared to Nambo (see left door).