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On Corridors

From Old French and Old Italian corridore, literally: place for running; from correre to run, from Latin currere

A corridor is a narrow enclosed hallway, passageway, or gallery

A corridor is a route leading to rooms or apartments

A corridor is a tract of land allowing access for passage

A corridor is a restricted airspace for flightpaths

A corridor is the path a spacecraft must follow when re-entering the atmosphere

A corridor can be an anatomical reference as a meatus, duct, portal, canal, orifice, opening, channel, sinus, fistula, or shunt

A corridor is a densely populated strip of land connecting two or more urban areas

A corridor is a hallway or passage connecting parts of a building or a railway coach

A corridor is either of the parallel lanes at the sides of a tennis court, which widen the inbounds area for doubles play

A corridor is the seat of power and influence (as in corridors of power)

Corridors can be an aisle, gangway, arcade, areaway, gallery, gate, passage, passageway, shaft, tunnel, breezeway, walk-through, path, street, tract, a covered galley

Enjoy some of the corridors from my trip to Italy. Any favorites?

Nature's Corridor for a River

Nature’s Corridor for a River

Stroll through the Botanical Gardens at the University of Pisa

Stroll the Botanical Gardens at the University of Pisa

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Down the Medieval Bridge

A Tight Squeeze for Traffic in Bagni di Lucca

A Tight Squeeze for Traffic in Bagni di Lucca

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Quiet in Florence

Decision TIme in Pescia

Decision Time in Pescia

Unknown Destination in Pescia

Unknown Destination in Pescia

Intrigue in San Gimignano

Intrigue in San Gimignano

Slow Climb in San Gimignano

Climbing Slow in San Gimignano

Solitude in Vernazza

Solitude in Vernazza

56 thoughts on “On Corridors”

  1. Love the small alleys. The river corridor has to be my favorite.
    Have you heard the story of the width of the space shuttle related to those alleys?
    (No idea if it’s true, but it’s a great story.)

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    • Guapo,
      Interestingly, the river corridor was a latest minute addition to this set … and it turns out to be the leading favorite!

      I didn’t know that about the shuttle, but it makes sense. Hey … the shuttle is close to you … so ask if you go over there.

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  3. I like the “flatiron” building at the decision in Pescia. Did the quiet Florence picture get photo-reversed somehow, or are you supposed to approach that hotel, only from the other direction? The E and the L are backwards.

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    • Archon,
      That decision pick in Pescia is one of my favorites! Meanwhile, I considered flipping the Florence pic around, but that is the direction I took it. (I was wondering if anyone would notice … so thanks). … Seems odd, but the “busy” side of Florence would see this view.

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  5. First, love all your definitions!

    Next I am taking the Gardens, the river and the bridge. All are wonderful but alleys, well they bother me. But the garden path, just wonderful and I love Pisa. The river, beautiful! Your shot of the river, stunning.

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    • Val,
      Interesting how the river is the leading favorite. I love travelling up that corridor … after all, the bridge is very close to there.

      Being shown some of Pisa’s less visited spots was a delight! … the the university’s botanical garden is open to the public.

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  7. I love your subjects in your post/writing… And this word, “corridor”… reminded me a wonderful passage to me. But first I should talk about your amazing Italy photographs… Typical streets, narrow… how I love them. You made a nice collection with your photographs… They are also so inspirational for an art
    touches too… And yes, what reminds me this word, probably most of you know this book, from the book, “The Note books of Malte Laurids Brigge” of Rainer Maria Rilke,

    “Besides I now well understand someone carrying with him all these
    years deep in his wallet the description of another’s last hour. It
    wouldn’t even have to be anything specially chosen; they all have
    something that verges on the unusual. Can’t you imagine, for example,
    someone copying out for themselves an account of how Felix Arvers
    died. It was in hospital. He was dying gently and composed, and the
    nun perhaps thought that he was further along his last journey than
    was. In a very loud voice she called out some instruction or other as
    to where they could find this and that. She was a somewhat uneducated
    nun; she had never seen the word ‘corridor’ written but she couldn’t
    avoid using it at that moment; thus it happened that she said
    ‘collidor’, thinking it was the way you said it. Whereupon Arvers
    postponed his dying. It seemed to him necessary that the matter be
    cleared up first. He became completely lucid and set her right: the
    word is ‘corridor’ . Then he died. He was a poet and hated
    approximates; or perhaps to him it had to do with truth; or maybe it
    bothered him to be taking with him as a last impression that of world
    continuing on its way so carelessly. One can no longer say. But one
    shouldn’t mistake it for pedantry. Otherwise the same reproach would
    be levelled at the saintly Jean de Dieu, who as he was dying jumped
    up and still managed to cut down the man who had just hanged himself
    in the garden. In some miraculous way a message of what was about to
    happen had penetrated the hidden tension of the saint’s agony. He too
    was concerned only with the truth. ”

    This was the most impressive part for me… I never forget.

    Thank you dear Frank, have a nice day, love, nia

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    • Nia,
      Wow … a powerful poem indeed … and that line stands out in it – the word is corridor. Many thanks for sharing this poem that is special to you … and glad you enjoyed this post. …. I could have had more, but I wanted to keep it simple with variety.

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  10. Loved all the shots, Frank. The Old World definitely knows how to do corridors. Some of your shots remind of the Gothic quarter in Barcelona. I have a very good sense of direction, but I’m used to the vistas of the U.S. West. When we went to Barcelona a few years ago, I found myself having trouble finding my way through the Gothic quarter as I couldn’t see the sun’s angle and the streets don’t seem to have any rhyme or reason for their direction. But it was fun getting lost!

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  13. I had no idea there were so many different corridors. I always learn something when I visit your blog, Frank. Thanks for that. As for a favorite, it’s hard to choose, but will have to go with the river. Or maybe Decision Time in Pescia. I can’t decide. 🙂

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  14. What a great posting, blending your detailed review of items–like corridor–with great shots from your trip to Italy. What a treat! I do love the river photo like most everyone else, but my favorite is Down the Medieval Bridge.

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    • Patti,
      When I first got the idea, I was thinking about alleys … but then decided to broaden the thought, but also exclude photos that I’ve already used. The bridge is a good choice.

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  15. I like all of them Frank. I imagine that most of the buildings in these intriguing images have been around for centuries. That’s pretty mind blowing. If they could talk it would be fascinating, but since I don’t speak Italian, you’d have to play interpreter.

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    • Lame,
      Many buildings may be old on the outside, but up-to-date inside. Love the oldness. FYI: In the tourist areas, many know English! …. As my friend says, Italy is one long museum.

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  16. The river is a beautiful example. For me, Decision time in Pescia is my favorite. I adore the angles. Corridor is a word I have always liked because it is so versatile.

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  21. Just lovely, Frank. I roared when I saw the picture of “Climbing Slow in San Gimignano.” It seems as if all those old cities are built on steep inclines like that to ward off ancient mauraders and I almost had a heart attack on a couple of them, even though I had trained for the hills. But no amount of treadmill inclines can match that one in San Gimignano. Wonderful pictures!

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  24. Another wonderful post, Frank. I like the river corridor most because of the quiet, early morning, foggy appeal, but your other photos are, as usual, lovely as well. I spent my weekend fighting a cold and finally succumbed to it today. Blech.

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    • Maddie,
      I recall that day as it was overcast the entire day, plus we were worried about snow at higher elevations. Then again, I recall a photographer telling me that overcast is good for the photographer … but, I can’t recall the reasons. Meanwhile, I hope you are feeling better today.

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  25. Pingback: Opinions in the Shorts: Vol. 335 – A Frank Angle

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