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



114. Tijuana

Our good friends Francesco and Ilaria are back from their travels. While we were in grey old England, they were jetting off round the world, literally! Their destination was Hawai, to visit Francesco's sister, but they missed a connection in Munich. So it meant they had to travel via Rome-Munich-Tokyo-Hawai and back via LA - so literally round the world!




This evening we are meeting up for a meal at a very trendy Mexican restaurant, Tijuana, in Via Ghibelline. So jalapenos, fajitas, burritos and tequila! We have a great time, the restaurant is buzzy and food a nice change from the usual Italian fare.


Afterwards we go back to their flat and catch up on news. Francesco has brought us some more wines from Puglia... what a guy!

Unfortunately they are moving to Australia and even have their moving date, March 15th. So we only have them for a few more months, so a bittesweet evening.



http://www.tijuanaristorante.it/


(Original journal enrty 17/1/04)
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