Eugene Fiume: A couple of images

Click on images for a higher resolution view, if you dare.

I've been known to turn people to stone if you look at me too long

Looking pious giving a talk in Hangzhou, and mellow me, at Dagstuhl, shot by Fredo Durand.

Home and Heritage

My heritage in the hills of Calabria (left: Savuto; right: Cleto).

My pond in summer and winter.

Some Travel Shots

The view from my favourite bar (so far!) on earth, Villeneuve-Loubet, just west of Nice.

Another lovely view from a beautiful restaurant in Gourdon, France after 75km of cycling.

A silver Calabrian sunset and a golden sunset over Fiumefreddo.

A shot through the arch of the ramparts of Fiumefreddo.

A partial shot of the glorious interior of the "Asamkirche" in Munich.

Sunset over the Danube in Vienna.

Half a world away, a rock face of an old quarry on Pulau Ubin, Singapore.

Now after a hot walk, I am on top of the cliff, looking to the far shore.

A view of the Singapore skyline across the bay from the same cliff. Interesting juxtaposition.

Hikes

Samaria Gorge, Crete, 2011

I don't do many hikes and instead tend to bike, but this one is special. Crete is full of gorges and this one is the best known. We took the bus from Chania to Omalos and descended, going first through forests and then into the gorge itself, and subsequently emerging at Agia Roumell. We spent a couple of hours sipping raki while waiting for the ferry to take us eastward to Loutro and then Chora Sfakion where a bus awaited to take us back to Chania. It is a spectacular walk full of inspiring views.

Click here for a slide show.

Cycling

Many of the bike photos below were taken as part of various cycling trips on various visits to Nice with my good friend George Drettakis.

Col de Turini and Col de Bleine, 2011

A lovely climb through forests and plateaus (Turini) and breathtaking gorges (Bleine) in the South Alps. Some challenging bits, but overall not as crazy as Bonette. Bleine is particularly rewarding.

Click here for a short slide show.

Col de la Bonette 2010

A challenging 26km ride to 2800 metres in the Alps, starting at Saint Etienne de Tinee. It would have been even better had we not been hit with high winds, lightning, rain and hail right at the summit! Unfortunately no pics of this, as my hands were literally cramped shut around the bike handles. Click here for a slide show, or just sample a couple of the pictures below.

Looking down toward a rider at about 1900metres on the route to the "Col de la Bonette".

Looking uphill at the same rider.

Stark vegetation at 2400metres.

Trophy shot of bike greased, tired old me. The summit at last, at 2800m, but the mountain soon got angry.

Col de la Madone

This ride goes from Menton on the southern shores of France to about 1km into the Alpes-Maritimes. There are no pictures that can capture the beauty of the ride down into the Riviera with the warm Mediterranean breezes floating up the mountain.