Italian Summer [part one]

Nowadays it's a tiny bit hard to find the time to enjoy some quality time with the loved ones and friends. I am not saying it's impossible, it's just that getting caught up in the daily routine can be tricky for the most of us, in general.
I never say "No!" to spending a couple of days in the company of friends. And the summer days are great for such delight!

This summer I had the great opportunity to travel to Italy for the first time and since I am not the only one who enjoys visiting castles, destination Miramare Castle was more than welcomed!
Long strolls near the Gulf of Trieste gave me the chance to admire the cormorants,

enjoy also the company of Le Twiggs.

One of the nicest feelings ever was to witness (again) how the people before us were able to create beauty. Proof is Miramare Castle, which stood the test of time:

Some details stuck into my memory:







I enjoyed so much walking among flowers and plants

and seeing this pigeon made me smile:

I got the chance to get really close to this cat, since it was hungry and somebody was feeding it:




I was taken away by the greenery of the Holm-oaks which are lining the road of the Miramare Castle's main entrance. The laurel and the viburnum undergrowth looked surreal:

Another long stroll was in the nearby Parco del Castello di Miramare, which also hosts the Napoleon round terrace with the bronze statue of Napoleon I:



Some other nice moments for me were playing with the shutter speed

and taking photos of the foxy:

As a closing remark: a trip to the Miramare Castle is not a great trip if you don't try the ice cream they sell in the Castle Square!

Where - Miramare Castle;
When - middle of July this year;
With - Nikon D5300 (VR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G; 18mm-105mm - ISO 250-400; 1/40s-1/2500s- f5.6-11; 0EV)