Japanese Easter


As I said in some of my previous posts, there's no need to move too much to feel like traveling...and this post proves it one more time.
I had just come back from my one month and a half unforgettable trip through India, Hong Kong and Seychelles, and I was taking a nice walk downtown Rome to feel finally back home when I ran into these crazy guys from a japanese TV network. Komatsubara was standing in the middle of Piazza Navona with a sign saying "I'm Japanese...do you want to be my friend?" and I just couldn't resist from stopping and trying to talk to him. I could never imagine that he was from a TV show and that hiding somewhere were his fellows with cameras and a translator.
The chat among the four of us was going just great, I was happy to bring some of my life experience into the show, when I suddenly thought about inviting them over my house for our family Easter lunch...and they accepted!!!
That's the way it all happened. We all ended up on Nippon Television Inc on a show called "Waratte Koraete".
I still can't believe my eyes!
Enjoy*

Er sor Mario e la sua dolce Teresa

I'm sorry for my english speaking followers, but this is gonna be a post in Italian and it wouldn't be fair translating it due to it's spontaneity when it first came out of my mind. I hope you'll get it translated from someone...and I'm sure you'll love it!

Sono le 6.30 e sono già in macchina. Er sor Mario alle 5.30 mi' sveglia chiedendomi "sei sveglio bene?!?!" ed io, per non risultare distrutto agli occhi di un vispo ottantenne mattiniero, faccio finta di essere già sveglio quando in effetti chi gli risponde si è una mummia sonnambula incapace di articolare i suoi gesti. A tentoni disfo il letto e piego tutti i lenzuolini, per scendere giù dove c'è... Mario con la gamba tremarella che mi fa col suo accento toscano, il baffetto hitleriano bianco tagliato tutto storto e asimmetrico :"siamo in ritardo sulla tabella di marcia!!!". In quel momento suonano le campane che rintoccano le 6, quelle stesse campane che ieri notte fino alle 00 hanno tuonato nelle mie orecchie con il campanile proprio di fianco alla mia finestra. Siamo in ritardo?!?! Mi ripeto autisticamente Mentre il rintocco ancora rimbomba tra un neurone e l'altro del mio cervello spappolato. Nella mia vita di tutti i giorni quando sono in ritardo sono le 11...cazzo, fra 5 ore?!?! Mentre tutti questi pensieri (tutti...è uno solo ma a quest'ora il mio Pentium cerebron ha le performance di un pallottoliere) mi passano per la testa, mi volto e guardo Mario muovere le labbra e gesticolare senza però emettere suoni; È li che racconta dei suoi viaggi in macchina con la sua dolce Teresa, che snocciola numeri manco fosse Berlusconi...ma sono numeri che fanno tenerezza perché sono la loro storia. 1973, 23 ottobre, orari, vie, nomi di paesi assurdi!?! Ho davanti a me due persone che hanno un energia tale da avergli fatto girare in macchina, fino a poco fa, mezza Europa. Addirittura ad Amsterdam sono andati! E Mi immagino Mario, tra quei canali, con un bel cannone che spunta da quei baffi smozzicati...si perché loro so gajardi! Torna l'audio e i labiali di Mario riacquistano un senso...bene, il mio cervello ha finalmente ripreso a funzionare. Teresa mi fa strada e scendiamo x le scalette della loro casetta, la più in alto di tutta Roccatederighi piace dire a Mario. Fuori è buio!!!! Ma non quel buio pallido di quando uscivo per andare a scuola, il buio nero quello pesto. Mario continua a raccontare e Teresa ogni tanto fa dei ridolini squisiti che riecheggiano fra le viette deserte del XII secolo, mentre io fra me e me penso che vorrei un giorno essere come loro.
E così iniziò la mia seconda giornata di un week end di novembre alla ricerca del mio terreno perfetto.

Tuscany set

Behehehehehe
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No words

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Sleeping Vineyard

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Colourful

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Fingers like

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Harvest under the sun
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Cut in the sky
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San Quirico d'Orcia



Traveling doesn't mean only taking planes and going to far away places, traveling is a way of living, a way of exepriencing any kind of situation and that's what I've been doing lately. Italy is probably one of the nicest country in the world (talking about beauties to see) and Tuscany is hands down the region which has the most to offer.
This post is about the part of Tuscany I like the most (and I know Tuscany very well since I spend more time there then in my hometown Rome): the Orcia valley (Val d'Orcia in Italian).
In one of my older posts you might have read about Pienza, or you might have run into a post about a trekking I did in this area...well, this time I'm gonna talk about San Quirico d'Orcia and again I'm gonna give you some great tips on how to explore the surroundings being sure not to miss the best part of it.
Starting from the accomodation, my lovely girlfriend invited me to stay over a fabulous Relais called Palazzo del Capitano. The hotel is in an ancient building perfectly restored just behind the majestic Palazzo Chigi (the city hall bulding), and here you can be sure to spend a delightfull vacation either enjoying the wellness center after a long day out or just chilling out on the marvelous terrace on a shiny sunny day. The restaurant, then, is just supreme. The Trattoria il Vecchio Forno is one of those few things in life you can count on, from the menu, to the wines, to the great service you get in a cozy location (during winter time is jsut sweet to have dinner in front of their powerful fire place) everything is just perfect and the only thing you can do once you're finished eating is to wait for the next culinary experience you'll have there.
And what's better then a nice walk after such a great meal?! You're only few steps away from the main square and the astonishing Horti Leonini from the 15th century; here you'll be able to walk through history deeped into a blinding green (check my pics in the post) surrounded by the powerful walls of the town and a sense of peace. But this amazing mediaval center has much more to offer: the "Collegiata" is another thing you can't miss visiting, because here is where you reach the highest level of beauty. I was speachless the first time I faced such a masterpiece and if you're so lucky (like I was) you might have the chance to attend a classical night concert in it depending on the events the town organize every once in a while.

But San Quirico is not only what's inside the walls. Even better is the outside, with its worldwide famouse surroundings and the many path leading you to hidden castles or colourful vineyards. What I did was to buy a detailed map of the many trails and start walking from early in the morning till down and get "lost" with my heart into such amazing locations and colors.
The first day my girlfriend and I had a 16 kilometers walk follwing the "Bagno Vignoni ring", an easy walk going through dirt roads, woods and follwing for a short time the river giving the name to the valley (the Orcia river indeed).
The following day, to rest from the great effort, we enjoyed the day visiting the many wine producers tasting and buying fresh squeezed olive oil and above the average wines (Poggio Grande is defenatly worth a visit especially for their Sesterzo wine).
The third day we totally challenged ourself and had a 30 kilometers trek starting from San Quirico to the Sant'Antimo abbey and back to Castello di Ripa d'Orcia getting lost few times but happy for that beacuse we saw things otherwise we would have never.
It's quite useless to speak to much about what we experienced during these walks and what we saw, it's better to let the pictures speak, and if you have any questions I will be more then happy to reply as fast as I can and in an accurate way.
Hope you enjoyed the post but above all I hope you'll visit these places.


Sfizi di mare, San Foca, Salento



Together with my older post, this one is intended to enrich the possibility to have an unfrogettable experience in southern Italy and to be more precise in an area called Salento (Puglia).
My girlfriend and I were so lucky to run into Sfizi di mare right at the beginning of our short vacation, that all our staying turned into a culinary orgasm!
Right on the road following the coast of San Foca, you don't have to put to much effort to discover this place, first because of the chalkboard on the street capturing your attention and second because of the people coming out of this place with a big smile on their face. You must be a seafood lover but above all a raw seafood lover to enjoy it, beacuse all you get here is super fresh dishes coming right from the Adriatic sea.
The place is not that cozy, wiht plastic tables and palastic chairs, but that is the main value since here you're free to be yourself and no formality is required at all.
If you'll ever go here beacuse you followed my sugestion, please let me know what you think.
Enjoy*

The Cool Hunter



How can I miss the opportunity to publish a post pointing at a site with such a cool name!?!?!
Plus this is actually one of my many sides (check on the homepage), and the guy who put this site on the net really caught the inner sense of such a way of being. It doesn't pretend to be posh, but just share with the rest of the world everything beautiful (in every way), or just a brilliant idea.
The Cool Hunter is totally worth a visit.
Enjoy.

Ryanair. Trapani's Birgi airport, a short cut to Levanzo.

Wow, I've just realized that it's been quite a lot I haven't posted anything on my blog, but that's mainly because I've been busy at work to get ready for my vacation...and then with my vacation itself!
But I'm back again, more motivated then ever to tell you about great places to visit and maybe let you dream a bit.
This summer my choice was Sicily again, but to be more precise we decided to stay in Levanzo island.
From Rome (as from any other city with where Ryanair flies from), is really a piece of cake to get there: fly to Trapani, take a public bus to the port, a ferry...and in 20 minutes you're set!!!

Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa
This is not the place for night life, shopping or anything compared to Ibiza or even the eolian island Panarea...this island is for true nature lovers, for those who love the wild, the quiet of a small town still looking like 50 years ago but above all for those who like laying on the rocks while sunbathing (and we're two of them!!!).
The main point here is that there's no sand beaches, but if you look at the bright side of the thing, during peak season you might run into little bays where you're gonna be the only one there to enjoy the amazing waters. That's what happend right the first day we challenged the island (beacuse you gotta "fight" against nature a bit to be alone) and got to "Cala Calcara" on the east side. Not only the bay is breathles, but on the way you have to go through a land property with a huge abbandoned villa inside where there no sounds at all around you and the time seams it has stopped. Villa Florio is the name, and on one side there's an ancient Saracena tower giving that special mystic touch to the place makin' it even more unbelievable!

One more hot spot you gotta reach with a tough walk is "Cala Tramontana", on the very north side of Levanzo. There's only one road on the island (and half of it is dirt road) and to get there you gotta walk all the way to the end of it (we're talking about a small island though) and then face a damn steep path into a canyon to finaly feel relased...but it's worth every single step, I assure you!
Let's have a break with hard places to reach, and let's talk about the place where you can enjoy one of the best sunset ever: "Il faraglione". From downtown (lol, this makes me laugh!!!) it's just a 5 minuts walk and to tell you the truth I think this is the best spot on the all island (actually on the way there there's another one, but I'm not gonna tell you since it's alway empty and I don't want it to get crowded).
"Cala Fridda", Cala Minnola" and "Cala Nucidda" are ont the east side of the island as well and are all pretty easy to reach, but it gets dark around 5 o'clock there (the sun sets on the opposite side and they're all underneeth a hill) so you'd better go there early in the morning if you want to enjoy them for a quite amount of hours.

Talking about the town, it's very easy to get lost in the many alleys forming sort of a labirinth, so be careful because you might run into some wild dogs very dangerous especially if their hungry!!!
Ahahahahahahah! Did you believe me?!?! Oh please! This is the safest place on earth, where you could leave your kid out till 3 o'clock in the morning and be sure they come back happy and with a big smile on their face. Life here is very simple and so is the night life...just be sure they can swim, because the only thing that could happen to them is to fall into the water.

The day we left, we were super sad and wanted to stay 2 more weeks there at least, and this thanks also to our wonderful house we rented where we had great moments and bbqs always chilled by the wind typical of a house on top of a 600 meters freaking stepp hill.
Though to walk up there, but unforgetable once you face that view!
Levanzo is totally among the three best islands I've seen in Itlay!

We miss you...but we will come back soon for sure!

Four Season



Four Season is one of those site I'd recommend to anyone in love with trekking, biking or anything related to an healthy lifestyle. The range of offers is unbelievable, prices are fair and really easy to use to customize your own perfect vacation.
It's both in english and italian, and the section I like the most is the "Yes week end" part, where you can find lots of ideas for a different way of spending your spare time. I think this week end I'll go for IL CAMMINO DI SAN FRANCESCO
I don't get paid by these guys, trust me, but it's just one of those discovery driving me crazy around the web.

Cargo Ship Voyages



Ok guys...have a seat and take a deep breath because this could be the time of your life!!!
I've just found out about the Cargo Ship Voyages and I'm totally crazy for it! I've just sent an email to gather informations on my next journey which will be from Europe to South America (to be more precise I'd love to reach Buenos Aires where I have planty of friends living there!).
Reading on forums about this kind of experience, I found many people just crazy for the kind of trip and that would recommend it to anyone (of course anyone with an adventurous soul).
I'm really looking forward to receive a reply from these guys and I will keep you updated as soon as I know more.
Stay tuned buddies!!!!
Cheers*

The Wild Path


Maybe this is not one of the best site ever (in terms of interface), but here you can find planty of paths for trekking, cross-country skiing or anything related to mountains! What I like the most is the number of huts mentioned in each section (the Italian mountains are divided by category) and the infos you need to eventually book them for a reasonable price!
My country has always something new and unbelievable to offer...you just need to be brave and curious.
Enjoy.

Indie Travel Podcast



There we go with another amazing discovery on the net!!!
Indie Travel Podcast might be more uncomfortable then a classic guide, but during a long bus ride or a train trip might be a good company.
Any mp3 player should do for it, but obviously the world wide famous iPod is certainly the best way to listen to them.
My next departure is still pretty ahead, but I'm probably gonna download the one concerning my next moves and try to figure out what's best to do in this or that region of the world.

The Venice carnival


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It happened few years ago now, but still this images are very clear in my mind.
The Venice carnival is an experience you should try at least once in your life, because this city during those days turns into a carousel and each corner is the ideal place for a small party or a dj set. It happened to me to find a dance hall with the dj playing from a floating platform in the middle of a canal!!!
But beside all this, the masks (as you can see form the pictures) are something astonishing. They're master pieces, people rent them from hundred years experienced manufacturers and sometimes spend plenty of money just for the pleasure to have the most admired mask and be captured on a film. Even dogs get their own masks, and sometimes they're the funniest ones.
I was very lucky to be there on sunny and warm days and that's when the shiny colors of the masks give their best.
It's not Rio de Janeiro for sure, it's not samba and naked women but you won't believe your eyes anyway, especially because the city itself, the stage of such an event, is the second most beautiful city in the world (Rome is definitely beyond)!
Go, go, goooooooooo to Venice for the carnival!


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You can donate for these pictures as shown in the "DONATE FOR THESE PICTURES" link, but this time please attach to the mail a snapshot of the one you wish to receive due to the big amount of them or it might be hard for me to understand which one it is.
Thanx in advance!

Fishermen's cove


So far I've been traveling quite a lot in my life and to tell you the truth the Fishermen's cove is one of those places I would reccomend to anyone. Giuseppe is the owner and you can totally rely on him and his staff for a high quality holiday in one of those country not so many people ever consider for their vacation (at least italians...but we're the best to be second in everything). Philippinos are just lovely, the crystal waters are something unforgettable and if you're a scuba diver...well, this is the place to go! The infrastructure has been improving since the first time I was there, and the swiming pool is the perfect place to relax after a long day on board of the amazing typical boat you'll be cruising everyday to go visit secluded bays or after one of the many entertaining activities they can arrange for you.
The first time I was there was back in 2000 and 7 years later (you can check some pics and read more about it clicking here) I decided to go back there to prove myself my mind wasn't playing tricks on me...thank god it was alll true, and even better.
Not to mention the cusine!!! Delightful, blessing, unbelievable. The catch of the day is gonna be the highlight of the dinner for sure, but if you're not in the fish mood Giuseppe will be more then happy to satify any of your needs.
To make it short...100% happy to go back there again and again and again.
Hope to see you soon Peppe!
Take care.

LPCover Lover


Here's what I found looking through my old bookmarks!
LPCover Lover is a stylish archive for nostalgics and people in love with vintage desing, but also for those in search of records they forgot or never knew about.
It's a pleasure to go through this site...give it a try.
Enjoy!

Skyscanner

Skyscanner

God knows how many trips I've planned on my own since I discovered Skyscanner.
Easy to use, comprehensive and user friendly I've never found a better way to look for a flight.
Hope it's gonna be the same for you.
Cheers my traveler friends!!!

Central America set

Sleeping Beauty

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Playa Negra

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Real Estate Costa Rica

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One Arm Shoe Shine in Nicaragua

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Egg Adv.

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Happy 5th Bday Espresso Yourself!!!


This post is not meant to give usefull informations about the cities I'm about to mention, but with it I want to celebrate the fifth birthday of a video project I invented on a hot summer night.
It was back in 2006 when I decided to leave for a european tour of my Espresso Yourself project. The budget was 1000 euros and a month free to touch Prague, Berlin and Oslo. Everything started from a crazy idea I had a couple of days before, and right away I found out that a friend of mine (Matteo) was driving up to Verona. I couldn't miss the chance to get a lift and reach the city where I would have taken the train to go to Prague from. After a quick stop over a wonderul restaurant somewhere in Veneto (can't recall the name and location), I finally jumped on the train and met right away two sweet irish friends that wanted to take part to the project and joined me in my adventure. From Verona to Prague is a one night trip...and that night we really had a party! The day after we finally reached Prague central station and as soon as we jumped off the train a nice man approached the three of us and took us to a sweet hotel right behind the clock square. One room with private bathroom for three crazy guys at a ridiculous price.
I didn't get to see the city that much, since from the first moment we were all so busy to set everything up, from drawing the logo, to testing the coffee machines, but once ready we headed to the main square and sit there to start dreaming.The People seamed enthusiastic right away, and I couldn't believe my eyes how many stoped by to have a coffee with us or just for being curious about the event. In a couple of days we had guests from all over the world and I left Prague with a great feeling: Berlin was gonna be even better! The fab three split at this point since the girls were heading to A'dam.

Same as for Prague, it was my first time in Berlin but my staying here didn't start as well since during the trip on the train to Germany my video camera broke and the first two days were spent looking for a Canon center to get it fixed. But with no results! It would have taken too long and too much money...and that's when I decide to spend the rest of my budget on dj sets, tasty dinners and everything this city had to offer just to turn the bad luck into a crazy week. And that's what happend!
The whole thing ended up with me taking the wrong train on the way back to Rome, so I had to stop in Florence for the night where a friend of mine (the mighty Daniele from Montezuma) was supposed to live. Supposed, right...he was on vacation somewhere else, so my only choice was to spend another party night there waiting for the next morning and sleep on a bench in a park on a augost rainy night.
What a great experience!I really miss those days.

Cheers*

The concept

When I first started this blog my only goal was to have a diary always available wherever I was and to look at it as you might look at a real photo album...with that kind of feeling that you get from the old good memories.
Little by little I started realizing that Flamingshoe was becoming more then it was meant to be, and as my ideas towards life were evolving the blog started to turn into something else as well. Traveling has played a big role in my life, and from my journeys I learned more then I could learn in any school or university; that's when I started to think at my blog like a place where I could share my experiences, my approach to a way of traveling that led me to meet thousands of people, a simple way of moving around that took me to places I wouldn't have known.
My next step now is to take my blog beyond (to the infinity and beyond), a level where my love for traveling is not only the expression of the pleasure for staying on a secluded island and get to know any of its hidden corner, or to simply spot an interesting web site useful to the travelers community. I want this blog to help me to feel useful to the world, to the environment, to the poor children I met along the way. Because the pictures I'm selling on my blog are not a way to make money, but to save enough money to try to accomplish a lifestyle that will get my hands dirty and be active on this planet. Some people feel released sending an sms and donating money for some natural disaster or to adopt a small kid on the other side of the earth, some others do volunteering during the week end. I get the greatest emotions from being there, maybe cleaning up a beach from our wastes or giving my old cloth to a poor man sleeping on a street of Varanasi, but either ways I can't stay still (that's where the name Flamingshoe comes from) and keep wasting my time, because from all this I get back something my normal life will never give me: the impression that I'm really giving (not only in a material way) something.

How to buy my pictures

I'm so glad you like my pictures!
In the section "The photographer" you can find many more...don't miss the chance to check them all out!
The minimum donation for each photo is 5 Euro. However, if you like my work and enjoy the information you can find here on my website, please feel free to donate more. Any extra money I make from selling these pictures will be used to improve the lives of the local people I meet while traveling.
Once you have completed the donation process, please send me an email at elcapesino@gmail.com with the name of the picture you purchased and a snapshot and I'll get right back to you with an email and the high res file attached.

These pictures are not intended for commercial use.
Thanx in advance.