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



105. Big Night

We've been wanting to have some friends round for a while, but it's taken a long time to get the house in some kind of state where this is possible. I've finished decorating (and re-decorating) the bedroom,kitchen, leaving Miriam's parrot of course! And the upstairs bedroom. The plumber has finally fixed the bathroom sink and so this Sunday we've invited Gemma and Tiziano, who we had round at Olmastrino and new friends, Francesco and Ilaria, who are from Puglia. Annette and I both taught Francesco on a short summer course in July and we've been out together for drinks, pizza and to their flat in the centre a couple of weeks ago to sample Ilaria's 'panzerroti'.

Today we've done the big clean and shop, bought a couple of new lampshades and cooked up a traditional 'English' style roast dinner. Everything goes well and the Italians are intrigued by the delights of Apple crumble...



It's a pleasant, if cold afternoon, so afterward dinner we go for a walk in the countryside around Montefiridolfi. Tiziano displays his forraging skills and collects a big bag of wild mushrooms. Edible I hope!  We have a great time and our two sets of friends seem to have got on well...

(Original journal entry 22/11/03)
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