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



123. Settignano and the villa Gamberaia

Book 6


'What a beautiful country!
There are so many things
that leave you fascinated.
You have to know,
that in this blessed earth
they tie up sausages
together with geeses and goslings
and there are mountains of grated parmesan.
The people there have nothing better to do
than make pasta and ravioli
and then cook them in a chicken broth.
When they want to eat some, they grab it.
And if they don't have enough then they grab more!
And from the press that runs with the best wine,
they drink without even having a drop of water!'







One week to go until Easter and it’s a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon...


A trip up to the very picturesque hills of Settignano is the plan and in particular the Villa Gamberaia.



We spend a couple of hours in this spectacular gardens, it’s a little too early for the roses and azaleas they have here, but the Limonaia is bursting with fruit. The 15th century villa is in a magical setting high on the cusp of a hill overlooking Florence, with stunning views.






Afterwards we take a stroll up the hill and Annette picks some wild flowers. We indulge in a wicked aperitivo in Fiesole.

On our way home we agree we’re far too lazy to cook dinner! So we try this pizzeria near Porto Romana, with over 130 different pizzas to choose from... decisions, decisions!



Anyhow it turns out to be a real find, huge tasty pizzas, buzzy atmosphere and a cool way to start my journal number  6...


(Original journal entry 4/4/04)
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