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



68. David Gray in Florence

After 1 year and 2 months we're going to our first 'pop' concert in Italy! Not many international artists come to Italy and those that do go to Milan, so Florence tends to lose out on the big artists. As Milan is 3 hours away we generally don't get to hear who is coming and a 6 hour round trip seems like one odyssey too far!



Not tonight though! As Mr Babylon himself, singer songwriter David Gray has decided to buck the trend, learn some Italian and has brought his wild band to the Renaissance town... The Saschall theatre to be precise. It turns out to be quite a nice venue, somewhat reminiscent of Brighton's old 'Top Rank Suite', very intimate with pretty good acoustics.

Babylon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QPb1BsNsY8

He plays for about 2 hours and includes some of his 'White Ladder' hits, Babylon Sail Away etc. and showcases his new album, 'A new day at midnight' with the haunting, 'Other side' a great show! Hopefully we will see more artists coming to Florence...

Other side
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxeWW3m2--E

(Original journal entry 10/3/03)
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