I did stroll on the streets of Malaga, Rome and Vatican not only to enjoy the ambience but also to get some good shots on the life on streets. Taking a transport to the place of interest did not impress me; believe it or not I did walk from St. Angelo's castle to Barberni's fountain and from Colloseum to Spagna. My day long walks ended just after midnight, yet the results were breathtaking for me.
It's a please for me to share a few interesting things that I spotted on the streets of Malaga, Rome and Vatican.
A fine evening and a walk along the Torremolinos beach beside Mediterranean sea, one can spot a number of people making buildings, cars, animals and even I did spot a peeing boy made of mud, I offered a few cents for the sand architect (!) to ensure his co-operation .
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 50 mm, f/5.6, 1/30s
I did give a long pause spotting youngsters skating at Plaza de la Marina, Malaga on a public holiday evening, they were co-operative and I had no sign of protest in taking pictures of them so I did utter the word "Gracias" to them when I prepared to leave that place.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 44 mm, f/5.6, 1/125s
On the same square I did notice a guy dancing for his girlfriend, he too was co-operative to pose for a photo and I did choose an appropriate shutter speed to record a little movement which you can notice on this legs.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 38 mm, f/5.6, 1/160s
From Plaza de la Marina I decided to take the Calle Marques de Larios street which led to Plaza de Merced via Calle Granada street which took me around the Cathedral, the instead of walking through it, just because I have been there before and I want to see more of Malaga local life. The above mentioned stroll gave me a good opportunity for a plenty of pictures, not to mention the streets were fun filled on a holiday.
I spotted the mother of the kid gave him a few cents to offer the street musicians, without hesitating I made a request to the kid's mother and handed over a few cents to her, thanks to the co-operative lady she explained her kid to make another offering to the musicians which gave me time to get set and shoot.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 20 mm, f/3.8, 1/100s, flash fired 
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 26 mm, f/4, 1/200s, flash fired 
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 26 mm, f/5.6, 1/125s, flash fired
For sure the kids on that street were amazed with the clown show of this old man, I wonder if he does this every day for his living!
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 20 mm, f/4.5, 1/60s, flash fired
When I sat outside the refreshment shop at the junction of Calle Marques de Larios street and Calle Granada street I noticed these group strolling across the street playing music, being seated with all my camera gear off loaded gave me time to grab the camera quickly and take a snap.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 52 mm, f/5, 1/80s When I took a detour from Plaza de la Merced on the same route I spotted these street musicians playing some good music for a few old people who were sitting on a bench in front of them. Though it was a little after sun set, the contrast colours of their music notes, their violins and their clothes compelled me to take a snap of them.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 22 mm, f/3.8, 1/10s, tripod mounted
Unlike Malaga, Rome & Vatican offered me a totally different experience. No doubt Rome can be seen at its best when seen on the feet; I hardly took a metro train or bus. From morning till midnight I did walk, walk and walk. I would have taken just 2 days for me if I would have taken a transport to all the popular places, but I would have missed a lot between them. It took 4 days complete for me to see 2/3rd of Rome and Vatican, assuring me the best of my trip and promising myself for another longer trip to Rome, yes Rome has more to offer than we guess.
Starting my day at the Coliseum and planning to end the first day at Pizza Fontana di Trevi I did spent 3 ½ hours there. After enjoying the ambience for a while, amid the large crowd I was looking for a location to place my tripod (the tough task at that place where there is enormous crowd round the clock). Just before spotting the location to mount the tripod, this young photographer did draw my attention, I caught him shooting the fountain.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 40 mm, f/5, 1/30s
I was waiting for the sunset as well as the lights of the fountain to go on, when I was setting my camera to shoot the fountain with night lighting I did spot this Bangladeshi selling flowers, I did dare to override the camera settings since there was no time to change the camera settings or else I should have missed this shot.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 95 mm, f/5.6, 1/30s When I did start to wind up my camera gear from Pizza Fontana di Trevi this guy just did arrive there with his wind pipe, since I was in a mood to end the day at Spagna at midnight, I did not think twice whether it is worth shooting this guy playing his wind pipe. Thanks to my DSLR, I wouldn't have dared it with my film camera which will eat away my purse with the cost of the film rolls.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 24 mm, f/3.8, 1/25s, hand held
I was walking from Pizza del Popolo to see the Pantheon I felt kind of lost and then I spotted this guy drawing a painting with colour powder, what did attract not only me but other tourist too to him was not only his sketch but also the lost tourist information that he had written beside the sketch. If you can read the lost traveller information kindly have a closer look, there is something interesting about it (click on the image to see a larger view).
All it says is ,
"Every day lost tourists keep asking me the same questions, so here are the answers.....
Pizza di Spagna – 2 minute walk down via condotti
................................................
.........................................
Nearest Mc Donalds - so......you travel to a new country to experience a different culture, famous all over the world for its food and wine and you want to eat at Mc Donalds.."
Quite interesting isn't it ?!!!
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 18 mm, f/5.6, 1/50sPassing this guy when I reached the Pantheon it was announced to be closed for 2 hours, so I did walk down to the Pizza Navona. There too I was disappointed to see the main fountain closed for maintenance, yet I decided to sit at the plaza for a while to catch up with the ambience. The wait turned out to be worth it.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 75 mm, f/5.6, 1/100s
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 75 mm, f/5.6, 1/100s
His show lasted for a few minutes and moments after it ended all tourists headed to the direction where the music came from, not far from the spot where the cyclist performed his tricks to discover another old man starting his puppet show.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 135 mm, f/6.3, 1/25s
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 135 mm, f/6.3, 1/125s
After the puppet show and before moving to the Pantheon, I spotted this guitarist. I sat down to take pictures of him and when I finished shooting him I spotted a east Asian female sitting just next to me with the same camera and lens that I held (!), just that similarity at that moment made me reciprocate a broader smile to her as I packed my gear.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 70 – 300 mm f/4.0 – 5-6 @ 85 mm, f/6.3, 1/30s
Nikon D80, Nikkor 70 – 300 mm f/4.0 – 5-6 @ 85 mm, f/4.2, 1/125s
On my last day of the trip I did visit the Vatican City, though I was there early in the morning to take a ticket to the Vatican museum, a mile long queue trailed outside the Vatican compound. I joined the queue letting more tourists to tail behind me. Spotted this lady selling shawls, do note the image of St. Peter's Basilica on the shawl that she displays for sale.
Nikon D80, Nikkor 18 – 135 mm f/3.5 – 5-6 @ 52 mm, f/5.6, 1/60s
I'm sure that you might have felt that every photo above has its own story to tell!
I will be thankful to receive your bouquets and brick backs on this photo compilation.
