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



204. San Giovanni

I've managed to wangle some lessons off work today so Annette and I can go and check out this year's San Giovanni celebrations in Florence. We haven't seen the costumed parade since we came here on holiday in 2000, so we're quite excited.




We start in Santa Maria Novella, where we see the huge, white, Chiannina bulls and carry on to Via Tournabuoni where we watch the four 'Calcio Storico' teams go past, together with the flag wavers, musicians and other costumed people, carrying various antique weapons.



We stop off at the Lion's fountain pub to catch game 7 of the NBA basketball finals as San Antonio pip Detroit for the title.

We then pick up the car and drive to our favourite spot at San Niccolò to see the fireworks and finish the day with some late night drinks at the cool Fuori Porta bar in Costa San Giorgio.




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