Live Pronto!: Open Says Me

I hold the odd shaped key as though it were made of gold.

It might as well be. It's the key to the apartment we stay in while we visit Panicale every year. We have been warned that it is difficult and expensive to duplicate.

Fair enough….we keep it close at all times. It is heavy, makes a great clunky sound when dropped, and never goes missing. Well, not yet, anyway.

It reminds me of a key that was golden and magic…the key that we would get at Children's Fairyland at Lake Merritt in Oakland. Always a very special outing. Mom or Dad would insert this magical key into a slot at whatever Fairyland exhibit we would be standing in front of, and the fairytale would come to life as the tale was read aloud through a speaker.

This was so high tech and so cool….at the time. Sigh.

Then we would go and feed the seals. Oh, the simple pleasures of childhood in the early 60's.

Wow…a classic memory, for sure.

Anyway, like I was saying, this old Italian house key is very much akin to that magical golden key of yore…

This key opens the door to many dreamlike days and nights in Umbria, filled with all sorts of fairytales. Sure, these fairytales include large doses of pasta, cheeses, and wine, late nights chatting with friends, fantastic espresso, as well as scary drives down wet and muddy backroads, language faux pas ga-LORE, and bouts of the flu…

But, oh, how I have come to love my new, grown-up version of that Magic Key from Children's Fairyland…..

And cue the angels singing, please…..
I love you, key. Keyhole, you can be a pain in the ass sometimes.
Just saying.

With a key like this in hand, you know you're somewhere else in the world. Then you begin noticing all the various hardware that is meant for a key like this. Old keys for old doors...

I should rephrase that.

I begin to notice and then I become obsessed. Like I need another subject to obsessively take photos of….jeez. This being said, here I go.

There are so many ultimately wonderful old doorknobs, knockers, handles, all textured and funky. We actually ended up buying some really nice old door handles and pulls for our house at the salvage place we love so much.

By the way…where are they? Hmmmmm…..Must remind Johnny about this forgotten project before we go away again, and bring back yet more rusty old things that are awesome.

Super Old School and very functional.

I'm guessing the old keyhole isn't used anymore, but it looks great.

Just a very nice door knob.

Don't you just want this at home? I do.

Ok, so sometimes reality is this.
It works.

Once I got started looking around, I would see ironwork on doors everywhere, of course. Lots right in Panicale, but every town is full of all types of door jewelry….

I'll take this for my front garden gate.

This one for the back garden gate….

A newer version, but still lovely.

This might function as both a knocker and a hook thingy.
I get a kick out of the "dots" on some doors I see.

I can just imagine this one at the front door.
Who's there?

You will often see faces creep into the scene. I see the Egyptian theme a lot, as well as beautiful women. It's always the beautiful women, isn't it?

The patina is just about perfect here.

Yeah, I would go for this for my front door.

Don't go to this house for a party.
I'm warning you...

I guess she doesn't like her hairdo.

This might be my favorite…maybe...

The handles are very practical. You have to grab on while you insert the key, and jiggle it all around. It takes two to four hands and a handle, sometimes.