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



126. Mugello and scopo del carro (nearly)

Easter Sunday and again it's a beautiful day. As we're now loiving in the city, we decide to check out the traditional explosion of the cart in Piazza Duomo. Our guide book it happens at midday, so at 11.30 we mosey on down to the centre... in Piazza Repubblica we see the cart being wheeled away??? This year apparently they decided to explode it at 11.00am! Doh! Maybe next year then...

So we go back home, pick up the car and head out to the countryside... the Mugello to be exact. An area of outstanding natural beauty to the north of Florence.



We stop at the very pretty Borgo San Lorenzo and carry on to Ruffina. Then we continue on to Contea and stop by the river Sieve for some relaxation on our trusty rug. Then it's back home to munch on some Easter eggs!   


(Original journal entry 10/4/04)
Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)