Three years ago we were enjoying the beauty of the Tuscan landscape. How different our landscape is here in British Columbia but the beauty of both uplifts us all during these difficult times.
Here are a few images from our visit to Certaldo a beautiful hilltop town 35 kilometres southwest of Florence, which I posted about three years ago today on the fourth day of our memorable Italian holiday, a holiday that began on day one with an unforgettable moment in Rome:
Val d’Orcia – 23.9.18
A visit to Tuscany in the studio this afternoon.
Ascending the over four hundred steps of the Torre del Mangia of the Palazzo Publico in Siena.
Visit Italy Day Five to enjoy the spectacular view from the top of the tower.
Whether in glorious colour or monochrome Tuscany takes your breath away.
The Three Graces cheekily contemplate two magnificent frescoes in the Libreria Piccolomini of Siena Cathedral. On the left Enea Silvio, bishop of Siena, presents Eleonora d’Aragona to Emperor Federico III and on the right Enea receives the cardinal’s hat
Tuscan Sketch 15.6.15, matted and framed
After a week exploring the beauty that is Tuscany day nine of our Italian holiday was a wonderful cooking class with Serena in her lovely home in Gambassi Terme. I had been looking forward to this all week, particularly as we were enjoying Tiramisu desserts everywhere we went. Now we were going to learn how to make it together with so many other delicious dishes. If anything justifies the term transformation it’s converting mascarpone cheese, eggs, biscotti, sugar and vinsanto wine into a dessert to die for.
The class was a great success as you can see and lunch with the products of our hard labour! was simply delicious. Grazie molto to Serena of Serena Tuscan Holidays who made it all possible, both for the cooking class and for arranging the lovely country home where we stayed with our dear friends who shared the adventure with us. A special thank you to them also for such happy memories.
Our day exploring Chianti was all about the landscape as we visited Panzano, Greve in Chianti and Badia A Passignano and everywhere in between.
Sending Happy Thanksgiving wishes to family and friends across the border.
Our last visit to Montalcino and Sant’Antimo was in April 2000. At that time we took the bus from Siena to Montalcino and then walked the final 10 kilometers to the Abbey. We returned again this year the day after our visit to Volterra and San Gimignano, and seventeen years later the journey and destination were as memorable as ever.
thechangingpalette 