Natural splendour, real musics, wines, wordpower
Q: who usually rules the skies over the Indian subcontinent’s megacities?
A: Milvus migrans – black kites.
One of the world’s most abundant raptor species (possibly, the most abundant) has proved very adept at taking advantage of the “rubbish” discarded by urban humans.
If one is almost anywhere within a big Indian city, one needs no bird-watching expertise to see black kites; simply look up, and there they are!
”Holy” places are no exception…
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Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned what is still Delhi’s greatest mosque.
He was also responsible for Agra’s Taj Mahal.
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In the context of the Indian subcontinent’s human history, what we now call “Old Delhi” is not very old.
The original walled city was meticulously planned; its foundation stone was laid in 1639.
Then named Shahjahanabad, it was the result of Emperor Shah Jahan’s decision to shift the Mughal Empire’s capital city, from Agra.
What is still Old Delhi’s most imposing structure was built between 1650 and 1656; at that time Jama Masjid was the subcontinent’s largest mosque.
In 2024 it remains one of India’s largest mosques – probably, its second biggest.
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Amalfi’s town square is immediately in front of – and below – the cathedral.
We had just been uninvited “guests” (but welcomed) at a big, cheerful Italian wedding.
There was no shortage of invited guests, but once they stepped down into the (very public) square they were comprehensively outnumbered by tourists.
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The featured image captures the moment when the wedding photographers’ barrage had just ceased, at 6.21 pm.
Now relaxed, the wedding party was about to descend the steps from the cathedral to Amalfi’s town square.
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At 6.20 pm on 07 September 2023, the wedding party’s group photos were taken.
I was standing several steps below the front of the cathedra, on my right-hand side of the steps.
As is obvious in my photo, the “official” wedding photographers were all standing well to my left.
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Shortly before the “proper” wedding photographers set to organising the wedding party’s “group” photos, I descended a few of the cathedral’s stairs.
I dislike posed, “1,2,3 – everybody, say cheese!” photographs, and am usually bored witless by them.
However, watching what goes on around the taking of such photos is another story – often, a much more interesting one.
As you’ll see in this series’ next chapter, the amused “boy blue” – “off camera”, or so he imagined, at the moment that only my camera was pointed at him – would soon be summoned to the top of the stairs, along with other members of the wedding party.
The photo below looks up, shortly before the “proper” photographers and wedding party were ready for the “group” picture-taking.
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At 6.18 pm on 07 September 2023 the newly-weds looked out into the early evening air, and down to the large number of wedding guests who had spilled out onto the cathedral’s steps and across the near edge of Amalfi’s town square.
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I love the fact that very “public” events contain so many “private” moments.
Presumably, my photo captures the bride and her father, relishing a moment of mutual, wry amusement – one that looks like it verges on “complicity”. (If he is not her father, the bride already enjoys a close bond with the man who has just become her father-in-law)
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On entering the cathedral, we soon realised that we had walked into the latter part of a “big” Italian wedding.
Our presence was not in any way “discouraged”; an interesting event it certainly was, but I thought it would be inappropriate for me to photograph it.
The wedding-proper completed, the newlyweds, their families and friends then walked out into the wider world.
At that point, I thought it would be “socially acceptable” for me to attempt to “capture” the scene. (and it soon became apparent that “strangers” paying non-intrusive attention to their “big day” was enthusiastically welcomed by those directly involved in it)
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