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Rome? A furnace. Sure it is hot in Florida. But we have a green, breathing buffer and the Gulf and Atlantic breezes.
Rome has--ancient stones, white, radiant gravel, marble monuments, roasting rubble, ruins shimmering in heat haze, all that stored pulsating heat--no relief a'tall from the vibrating swelter, riverlets of sweat plastered shirts to men's backs, women who shouldn't bared saggin' skin to to the world as a prayer fer a touch of moving air.
Oh the poor feet!
No wonder the gospels is full of foot washin'. I gits it now. The storied fountains of Rome weren't nuthin' but footbaths fer the groanin',blistered, swollen extremities of the heaving mass of tourists. The heat undid us. We lost all reason--sat on steps, window sills, wherever--an' snapped pictures of feet. I ain't never seen so many feet oozin' outa shoes--puffed an' red, blistered, bulging bunions. Toes resembled piglets, pink sausages hangin' over the edge of their shoe soles.
It ain't easy to shoot folk's feet--feet is personal. People scowl at ya', pull their feet back, their faces twist into shocked disgust, Did you just take a picture of my feet?
Uh, mebbe.
No. Don't deny it. You took my feet.
Well, it wasn't yore face.
My face? You can't do that--can't take photos of my feet.
Why?
WHY? You're asking "why'?
Yeah, jes' wonder'n whar's the harm?
The harm?
Uh-huh, no harm, right?
This is freaky.
It's the heat.
15 comments:
oh Sweet Jesus NO Aunty NO!!
feet are personal. I try very hard NOT to look at peoples feet -especially men with their frodo feet shoved in to sandals. gack.
yep. little swollen feet look stupid with a decorative sandal all sparkly....just accentuates the horror by contrast.
photo #5: man oh man.
#4 is awful too. bad footwear, chipping pedicure=revulsion
#1 is that for real? i thought charleton heston died
i love the black sock paired with my number one dreaded footwear nike plastic flop. i freaking hate that shoe. but at least his feet are covered.
gold anklet. WRONG! wooden mule on cobblestone. WRONG! 2 strikes youre out.
Thank the sweet Lord for espadrilles.
aunty - you are lucky you didnt get beat down for this voyueristic voyage. but..........well done and
LOL!
Aunty,
Well I been reading your blog for a spell now and I ain't niver figgered you for a foot fetisher.
Reckon I was wrong bout that since you have posted 42 images of strangers feet. Whooooeee you is lucky none of them folks dunked your heat addled decision maker into the nearest fountain.
Looking at this post I got to thinking some of them feets has got to be yours cause of the camera angles. I reckon you are not the one wearing socks with your sandals or with the tattooed ankles. Doesn't look like you are the one with the swollen feet rising like dough above the shoe tops or the ones with the flesh oozing out between the sandal straps. You probably are not the one wearing the snakey gladiators or sperrys. I reckon you be the one with the ruptured blisteres and the bandaids.
All them pics and not even a single soleful red for Moi? Musta been really hot over that big Pond. Good thing you came on home to keep us bloggers entertained.
"Andy decided he'd been here just about long enough. Andy did like he was told, buffed those shoes to a high mirror shine. The guards simply didn't notice. Neither did I... I mean, seriously, how often do you really look at a mans shoes?"
That is one serious foot fetish you have going on there Aunty. I think I'd be freaked out if I saw a sweet old lady down on one knee snapping shots of my feet. And if you're an American in Italy, it would be that much freakier. I wore an old pair of Adidas when I was over there becuase I knew I'd be walking.
Thanks for letting us follow in your footsteps.
fishys comment reminds me of a chris rock joke about *big* black women - they dress sexy no matter what their size and push their feet into fussy little shoes...
"looks like they baking bread down there"
ROAR!
Who says Aunty is old?
Absolutely fascinating. What a great social experiment, taking photos of people's feet and shoes. I'm interested to know who you got the most grief from, men or women? I would think men would care less and women would want to show off?
That's a lot of toes and reminds me of a song by Gilbert O'Sullivan:
"cover up your toes because everybody knows."
Can we now call you the European Foot Bandito?
I remember Rome in July - far too hot hot hot! Some of those feet were deeply unsexy, the stuff of nightmares!
Ack, way too hot .... when we went it was early June and perfect. Everyone said, come back in July and you'll be sorry. However, I loved Rome and thought it magical. Sorry the heat didn't make it that way for you. And if I'm touristing (if that is a word), you can always spot me as the American in the crowd because I wear the most comfy sneakers I can find. I don't know how women can vacation in thin little sandals like this. Cute for dinner out with the hubby, yes, but walking for miles and miles, up and down hills and steps, uneven pavement? No thank you. I don't care if I'm spotted as the American from miles off, my feet need comfort! I always have all the wrong clothes for Europe anyway.
Now, back to your post ... I love all the different suffering feet! Lots of cute and not-so-cute shoes. And please tell me it wasn't Uncle with the socks and man-sandals?
Oh, Aunty,What a hoot!
Those are the most unusual vacation pictures I have ever had the pleasure of lookin' at!
Get stuck in O'Hare Airport in Chicago for 8 hours with a 5 year old, shoes become a major fascination. My now 18 year old and I still remember that trip.
Aunty's in Rome? Coolio!
troll
What an interesting and unusual array of vacation photos, especially after your lead-in from that previous post showing a the foot of a giant statue.
However, you've got me nervous as to how you're going to segue in to The Food :)
eggy
I am both fascinated and repulsed, as I, too, have to agree with most of what Chickory said, at least regarding what's ON these feet. (Socks with sandals will never, ever, EVER be okay. Ever.) But your impulse to shoot the feet, and the fact that you got away with it? That's just a total gas.
Unfortunately, I was expecting more sartorial savoir faire from the Romans (although, I realize, half the folks in the photos are most likely tourists?) How disappointing to see mostly flip flops. But a couple of those sandals (the snakeskin gladiators, for instance) were to die for.
lol......
should we ever meet i'm gonna make sure my footsies are completely covered up...
Oh y'all is the mostest FUN!
Love seeing ya TROLL -man!! Whoo hoo--can ya PLEASE resurrect yore Troll County?
An' DOOM? Hey hey! so please to see ya back!
Shamy,
thanky fer suggestin' Aunty ain't old--as in OLD, old. (Food is Italy post)
Chicory and Moi--I know, I know--but ya shoulda seen how much fun I had as a "cultural anthropologist". Moi--I has shooz a 'comin'--after the food for Shamu.
BuzzK, thas' a funny association! Why'nt I think to snap a photo of that Raquel Welch poster I seen in an antique frame in a tourist rip-off "gallery."?? heh heh.
Cakey Pie girl!! No kiddin'--nuthin' sexy about blistered bunions--LOL.
Fishy, hoo-- Aunty ain't fetishin' her own foots--ewwww. The angle of most shots that seem really personal is on account iof sittin' on the Spanish Steps an bein' up close and personal as folks walked by, or gave up an sat down aside me....very propitious circumstances fer a footie.
Boxer-Babe? Ha! Foot Bandito? I like that.
PamOKC, oh no no no --Uncle would NOT wear nuthin' like that--in fact, Uncle is sorta fussy about his shoes and socks, now that I think on it--but he warn't wif' us--an bless mah soul, I ain't got a clue what shoes he woulda worn -- he doan own no mandals or crocs or gladiators.
FOAMY! Doan hide yore feeties from me--I woan take advantage of ya'--it wuz jes' a heat thang-punchy, heat stroke weird warp in the atmosphere that got to me.
Caroline-- on no, not O'HAre--I walked MILES thar' onc't to get to the right gate--MILES. 18 year old? does she love shoes now?
Eggy!
"Melanzane" you win! yOPUSE THE ONLY ONE THAT REALIZED MY HINT AT THE POST TO COME--CLEVER VEGGIE YOU ARE. Foodie post is next.
Buongiorno, Bella Zia!
So glad you are enjoying your trip! Interesting post, I think the shoes, for the most part, are pretty stylish. Not nearly as many ugly white tennis shoes as I would have thought! I don't know how anyone can walk around in ballet flats, so thin and no support. And what about that barefoot guy?
But what really intrigues me is the material those ancient steps are made of? It reminds me of the coral used in lieu of cement here in Southern Florida. Any idea?
Ciao!
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