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



269. World Cup Semi-final

The football World Cup heats up this evening as Italy play the hosts, Germany for a place in the final.


After work I make my way to Piazza Santo Spirito, where they have a large screen installed. It's an incredible match, dominated by Italy, but finishes 0-0 after full-time. I have to listen to some German tourists shouting down my neck for 90 minutes. We go to extra time. In the 119th minute Palermo's, Fabio Grosso scores and does a Tardelli impersonation with his celebration and my man, Alex Del Piero finishes off the game in the 121st minute to seal the victory... We're in the final!!!
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