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



133. The Iris garden and Alla Vecchia Bettola

After a busy morning at the office and a nice lunch with colleague Peter and his wife Alessandra at the 'Ristorante Accademia' near San Marco I'm off up Piazzale Michelangelo for a date with some irises!



The Iris garden to be precise. This year I've timed it to perfection as they are just hitting their peak. Irises from all over the world of every colour imaginable... I enjoy a well earned rest amongst these coloured beauties!


As Annette is doing her DELTA lessons this afternoon, while I am sunning myself, I decide a treat is in order...

We check out a restaurant that I've had my eye on for a while. It's in the San Frediano area of Florence and right next door to one of my private student's house and whenever I pass by, scores of locals are packed in and seem to be having a ball!  It's called 'Alla Vecchia Bettola'.



We book a table, which is actually two places at a very long table with other people... The meal is traditional Tuscan and very tasty. We order a pretty impressive bottle of Chianti Classico from Castello di Ama (the same as aone we bought for Annette's brother, Phil) and wonderful it is too!  A future local???
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