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



173. Fiesole and Salsa

A bright, sunny Sunday afternoon forces us out of the flat and up to Fiesole. It's been a while since we've visited this beautiful part of Florence and so we drive up to Mt Ceceri and have a ramble in the woods and enjoy the Autumn colours.

After our party, we're invited to Jane's party for a lesson on how it's supposed to be done! We finally buy a D.V.D. player and can now enjoy watching some films in English, but don'rt worry we won't spend every evening in front ogf the gogglebox as we've also enrolled in Salsa lessons at the very cool, happening Jaraguar near Costa San Giorgio! We've paid in advance for four lessons, let's see how long we can keep it going for!


(Original journal entry 21/11/04)
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