Portogruaro lies in the portion of Italy to the east of Venice, in the general neighborhood of some of the spots mentioned by Hemingway in his evocative novel "Across the River and into the Trees". Larger cities in the area include Pordenone and, still farther east, Udine. The countryside has a quiet beauty that I found quite appealing on my too-brief visits there advancing and then performing a pair of concerts in the area. Portogruaro itself also has a special appeal, with an arm of the river Le Mene diverted into the center of town, and many buildings that have seen a good deal of history, and have some interesting architectural ideas. The arcade seen in this photograph of a building that dates to the "Rinascimento" - the Renaissance - called out to my fascination with repetitive patterns, and lines, and perspective. I used the Pentax 6x7 with the 75mm moderate wide-angle lens, one of the sharpest set-ups ever available for making photographs.

Stairs and Arches - Portogruaro