Lee's Tuscan Odyssey: June 2012

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

119. Gemma & Titz

Our visit to Prato to see friends Gemma and Tiziano finally happens! Postponed because of our move, we are only three weeks late...

However we enjoy a very pleasant day at their home in La Badie. They have a huge flat and garden, complete with orange, lemon and Cedro trees. We have lunch and then head off to nearby Galcetti, which is a conservation park for injured animals. The day is sunny and bright and we see lots of animals, including peacocks, deer and some very noisy wild boar!

We're back at their house for tea and biscuits, bringing the happy day to a conclusion.

118. Winter Warmers

The end of February and beginning of March have seen some of the worst weather (and football) this winter in Italy - cold, damp and miserable. So how to warm things up?

A Valentines meal at home, with chocolate and red wine. Annette finally gets to taste her Brunello, Poggio Banale riserva 1997! We enjoy 2 meals at our local Chinese with work colleagues and a wicked 'sweet' pizza at a snazzy pizzeria called 'Bacco' in Colle val d'Elsa with good friends Francesco and Ilaria.

We catch no less than 5 oscar winning films at the Odeon in piazza Strozzi...

The sun doesn't even come out for the ladies day celebrations on March 8th - but we buy ourselves a new basketball! Roll on spring...