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



121. Santo Spirito

Wow! Today feels like the first real day of spring. The temperature has reached 20°C and everybody has come out of winter hibernation...


We’re checking out the Santo Spirito antique market. Over the river Arno in the very ‘artsy’ Santo Spirito district of Florence. We stroll along the river and have a nice browse. Round the market. We don’t find the mugs we are after, but do buy dome daffodils. There are some very interesting looking restaurants in the square and everyone is lunching ‘al-fresco’ – the temptation is too much and before long we are munching away on risotto with scammorza cheese and zucchini and gnocchi al mediterraneo! Is this what Sundays were made for?




Now we feel like we’re really living in the city!


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