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



194. Piemonte in Viareggio

I always say to people here that Viareggio is like the 'Brighton of Tuscany', even though I've never been there! Well today  that changes as we pay the Tuscan riviera our first visit...



A Sunday afternoon bathed in glorious sunshine greets us at the 'Principe di Piemonte' hotel on the 'lungomare' promenade. The wine festival we are indulging in is actually in the congress centre wing of the hotel and we get to take our glasses outside on the beautiful lawn while admiring the inviting swimming  pool, although it's not quite warm enough to swim yet.



Annette sits by the pool taking in some rays, while I ply her with glasses of Barolo and Barbaresco, two of Italy's most famous and prestigious wines from the this Northern region of Italy. The wine is fabulous and I even get to meet and chat with the man himself, legendary Barolo producer, Elio Altare. As well as the Barolos and Barbarescos there are some other interesting wines from the Langhe and Roero areas of Piemonte.



After the festival we take a long 'passegiata' along the enormous promenade and have a walk down on the sandy beach. The sea is a bit rough and not that clean here, so not great for swimming, however we enjoy a relaxing coffee 'shakerato' on the seafront before heading home from Viareggio... Brighton? Well, not quite!

(Original Journal entry 15/5/05)
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