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



129, Boating in Baratti 130, The Mille Miglia

Saturday at the monastery, Sunday at the beach - my weekend is kind of in reverse, as the weather is slightly better today. Good enough for a spot of sunbathing, a dip in the ocean and some sailing...




I have been invited to the small seaside resort of Baratti by some of my private students, Nadia and Alberto. I arrive nice and early and drive up to Populonia, an ancient Etruscan stronghold overlooking the bay of Baratti.



                                         The tower at Populonia


I meet Nadia and Alberto on the beach. They are part of a local sailing club and there are lots of small boats  in a pine woods which leads onto a pretty, sandy beach. We spend a very enjoyable day and they even introduce me to some of their friends.





In the evening they invite me up for supper to their holiday house which is in the nearby town of Campiglia Marritima. We came here last year. It's an old mining village that has now been restored with many holiday homes.



                                          The view from Campiglia Marritima


 Before I head back home I pop into San Vincenzo, it's already packed with people even though it's only the beginning of May!




130. The Mille Miglia


Another Annette-less weekend as she is still studying...





After a Saturday morning at work I stay in town and check out this year's 'Mille miglia' the classic car race as it crosses the Arno on the Ponte Santa Trinita and goes towards Piazza Signoria.






Many of the cars stop on the bridge to take photos of themselves with the Ponte Vecchio behind!



An added extra as the cars are stopped to allow the president of China and his cavalcade to stop - I see him waving from his limousine! I wonder who we'll see next year?





                                                             (Original journal entry 2/5/04)
Posted by at
Labels: ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)