Nerium Oleander

The Oleander is another flowering tree in my front yard. I love its delicate pink petals and had no idea until looking it up online that it is one of the most poisonous plants in the world and contains numerous toxic compounds, many of which are deadly to people, especially young children. (Despite this fact, it is often grown in school yards.) The toxicity of Oleander is considered extremely high, and it has been reported that in some cases only a small amount had lethal or near-lethal effects. Who knew?

Punica Granatum

These are the buds and flowers on the ornamental pomegranate tree growing in my front yard. I love the delicate and variegated color of the petals. These trees do not make edible fruit, but are pretty and create some shade. They are carefree and drought resistant, and don't mind the southern Italian heat. Which, by the way, has arrived with a vengeance!

Downtown Skyscraper

This is the tallest building in Molfetta's center...10 whole stories! Other buildings as tall or taller have been built on the outskirts of town, but for many years this was Molfetta's only "skyscraper."

Sunset Through the Olive Trees

Blooms in the Rain

I hope you don't mind another photo of the same tree as yesterday, but I just love the movement in these branches. They remind me of a Japanese ikebana flower arrangement. The tree is either a peach or a plum, I'll know for sure when the flowers turn into the fruit!

Check out the link on my sidebar Likely Links to a new site on Molfetta. It is called I Love Molfetta and is available in English, Italian and Spanish. You can see more photos and videos of Molfetta, including some amazing snow scenes.

Buds and Blooms

Despite the grey skies and the rain...spring is on its way!

Monthly Theme Day: Wood

Olive trees can live to be hundreds of years old and have amazing patterns in their bark.

This one is a tree with a view!

Today is Monthly Theme Day in the City Daily Photo community. Our theme this month is "wood." Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Winter Beach

The Prima Cala beach is much more peaceful and infinitely cleaner during the winter months.

What about those fuzzy trees? Sometimes it seems like all the trees around here come out fuzzy in photos. Olive trees are terribly difficult to photograph (check out that silvery green blur in yesterday's shot) and these Marine pines are no better.

Maybe Molfetta's motto should be "Town of the Fuzzy Trees." No one would back me up on this, I know. Especially since Molfettans call their city the "Paese delle Belle Donne" which means the "Town of Beautiful Women." What would you choose for a motto...beautiful women or fuzzy trees?

Pruned to the Bone

I have been enjoying the "bad tree" series on Liege Daily Photo and couldn't believe my eyes when I discovered that trees have been punished in Molfetta, too! All of the trees along the seafront have been pruned so drastically they look positively stunted. But, I know green leaves will be sprouting forth soon. The sooner the better!

Half in Bloom

Last month I showed a close-up shot of the mimosa flowers on the tree that lives just outside my front door. I mentioned how this particular tree blooms half one month and then the other half much later. Well, this shot was taken today and you can clearly see the division of blooming and non-blooming sides of the tree.

I am still really unsatisfied with this new camera of mine. It does okay with close-ups and shots taken a few feet away from the subject, but is no good at all in larger views like the tree above. It really lacks definition. I got much better results with my son's camera, which I think I am about to go dig out of his drawer and start using again!

SS98

State Road 98 is a lonely two-lane highway leading from Bisceglie (the next town to the north of Molfetta up the Adriatic coast) inland to Andria. It is full of curves and people tend to drive it too fast. They get impatient with the cautious drivers (you know, the ones who respect the speed limits, what are they thinking?!) and pass recklessly. Driving in Italy is not for the weak of heart!

* Bonus points for those of you who noticed the subtle continuation of my leafless tree theme in this photo! ;-)

Leafless Tree

Yes, another day, another leafless tree... I have no idea what kind this one is, but I think it captures the Molfettan winter mood. Grey sky, rain, leafless tree...next to lots of trees with leaves! The majority of trees here are not deciduous.