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



86. Monte San Michele

We’re well into our summer courses, only working mornings and having Saturdays off



After our mammoth trip last weekend, this weekend we’re staying ‘local’. One of my students has told me about this park up Mont San Michele, which is the highest mountain in Chianti, at 2,700 feet. So this afternoon we decide to explore...

We take a ‘strada bianca’ (off-road) track from Greve and drive up, up, up! Stopping halfway to go for a stroll. We stumble across an old tower with some spectacular views, then drive on up to the top. Wow! It’s like being on top of the world...





There is a bar where we enjoy some drinks and an ice cream and then we stretch out on the rug for some relaxation. The park is great and there are lots of nice walks that you can take and all less than half an hour from home.
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