The Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta on the road from Pienza to San Quirico d'Orcia

In 2001 I came to live in Italy. I had some fun, wrote a journal and this is the blog of my story...

"Tuscany is a state of grace. The countryside is so lovingly designed that the eye sweeps the mountains and valleys without stumbling over a single stone. The lilt of the rolling green hills, the upsurging cypresses, the terraces sculptured by generations that have handled the rocks with skillful tenderness, the fields geometrically juxtaposed as though drawn by a draughtsman for beauty as well as productivity; the battlements of castles on the hills, their tall towers standing grey-blue and golden tan among the forest of trees, the air of such clarity that every sod of earth stands out in such dazzling detail. The fields ripening with barley and oats, beans and beets. The grape-heavy vines espaliered between the horizontal branches of silver-green olive trees, composing orchards of webbed design, rich in intimation of wine, olive oil and lacy-leaf poetry. Tuscany untied the knots in a man's intestines, wiped out the ills of the world. Italy is the garden of Europe, Tuscany is the garden of Italy, Florence is the flower of Tuscany." Irving Stone from my favourite book " The Agony and the Ecstacy" A fictional biography of Michelangelo



5. Toscana Slow




My first ever wine festival!!!

It doesn't take me long to stumble upon my first wine festival in Italy! On a crisp, but bright Thursday morning in November as I am between job interviews in the centre of Florence, I spot some people crowded around makeshift booths here in Piazza Repubblica and go to investigate...

It turns out to be a 'Vino Novello' (new wine), food and 'old' wine festival. I thought that French Beaujolais nouveau was the only 'new wine' variety. Mistake number one! So I follow everybody else and pick up a free glass and pouch and get started...

Although I like wine, I don't really know much about it and the Vino Novello is a bit rough and ready for my palate. The festival continues on round in Piazza Uffizi, by the famous art gallery. There are stands with lots of different cheeses, salamis and cakes. Everybody is in very high spirits, I'm not sure whether they knew about the event, or like me they have stumbled upon it by chance, I even bump into the guy we are staying with.

As you can imagine the reality of free food and wine makes for a very jovial atmosphere!

The 'non' Vino Novello wines are very interesting, especially one new to me, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. It's so good that I decide to save some in my glass to take home to my wife Annette, which I keep in the pouch!

Afterwards I have to go to another job interview and so walk in singing and swaying with my glass half full of wine!!!

Not surprisingly I don't get the job...

Street artists in Piazza Repubblica


(Original journal entry 29/11/01)
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