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



206. Jazz in the Castle - Pop in the Piazza

Jazz in the Castle

Tuesday and I'm working all day, so Rory heads to the Parco della Cascine, where there's a trendy outdoor pool, called Pavoniere. He enjoys himself among the beautiful people and tells us about all the hot girls he has met! Also he manages not to get himself sunburnt.

This evening there is a free jazz concert on in Prato at the very suggestive Castello del Imperatore. So at around six o'clock we make the short drive over to Prato and enjoy a wicked aperitivo in the pretty Piazza Datini, chilling out and people watching. The concert is really cool, it's the first of 6 summer concerts that we have planned and afterwards we finish the evening in the delightful Piazza Mercatale for a pizza.

Pop in the Piazza

Wednesday morning we meet up with Rory for a farewell lunch at the cool, Colle Bereto in Piazza Strozzi. He's packed a lot in his four days with us and we have some good memories. We walk with him to the station and he's off into the sunset... although it will only be a few weeks until we see him again in the UK.

This evening it's free concert number 2 in Piazza Signoria, as some of Italy's hottest young pop acts are recording a show for French TV. It's a bizarre evening as the Italian acts are joined by some French acts that we've never heard of. There are some good performances by Biaggio Antonacci, Nek, Giorgia and Laura Pausini and a surprise performance by summer sensation, Angun from Indonesia. It's a bit chaotic with the directors getting the crowd to clap and cheer, but we have a bit of fun.

(Original journal entry 29/6/05)


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