Fagno

Sam has a place in Fagno, this little village up in the mountains.

We ate such nice Italian food. Three courses-you must expect.

An uncle used to be a collector of antique cameras and through him I inherited a few great pieces for mine, so that was the topic of broken Italian for the day. 

I naturally took off by myself through the little stone streets to explore the rest of the village. I came across some juicy apple trees alongside an old shed with some ferrel cats in hiding. And of course an amazing view from above.

Pistoria

I stayed with a friend, Sam, just 20 minutes outside of Florence in a little town called Pistoria. It was a small community where everyone knows each-other and not a place you would visit as a tourist. Sam and I went for drinks in the central piazza a few times, and I was even lured into a dark corner by a smooth-talking Italian boy one night. 

I loved being immersed in the language, speaking to his family in Italian over delicious 3 course meals each evening. We celebrated Sam's mothers birthday one evening with a beautiful torte topped with a variety of glazed fruit- Tanti Auguri!

FIRENZE

Day-to-day Florence is crowded with Tourists. Every street is polluted with people pushing and trying to make their way to the next land-mark or nearest cafe'.

However, the city is so beautiful after midnight.

The Cathedral of S. Maria del Fiore, The Baptistery standing alone with its large bronzed doors- engraved with scenes from the Bible, and the Belltower- towering over both monuments- note: tower, are illuminated in the Piazza del Duomo at night, without a sound or sign of civilization. 

It was then that I took in the beauty of the buildings for the first time without the distraction of hoards of people.

We crossed the gold-ridden Ponte Vecchio, the first bridge built in Florence across the Arno river, and visited the Piazza della Signoria. Not far from was The Uffizi Museum- which after less than a third way through the largely Renaissance gallery each painting of The Virgin Mary started to resemble the last. 

I was however fortunate enough to see Botticelli's Birth of Venus and his Primavera, traces of gold revealed along every drapery, two of his many delicate and graceful paintings.

Pistoria Cemetery

It was in Pistoria that I discovered, just down the road from his house on a late afternoon stroll- my first European cemetery. It is the most beautiful I've seen, now in comparison, to the ones I came across on the rest of my trip. 

All the locals from the town are buried here.

This one in particular had something dark and delicate about it, from the burnt glass cross to the dead flowers lying across each grave.

Comfort Cooking

I went for a late lunch at this homely restaurant, similar to a little Italian kitchen, in the centre of Pietrasanta one day in July. They served small portions of Primi, Secondi and Digestivi along with a carafe of red wine- the many courses traditional of Italian culture.

For starters, as shown in the picture above (taken with digital G12), we were served Melanzane alla griglia, torta e bruschetta con salsa di pomodoro e picolo polpette. And many wonderful things to follow. 

Village Green

Riding through Forte Dei Marmi and into Pietrasanta, occasionally I would wander through shaded side streets, past crumbling-stone mansions and under tall bristling trees, along open wheat fields and past soundless glassy rivers. The cool breeze and endless roads were a relief from the hot sun and long hours of working and I would try get out often.

My Gran had a loaded apricot tree in her back garden where her neighbours hung their washing, all preen and pegged, and I thought the image was so characteristic of Tuscan society.

I collected a few apricots, washed them and put them in a bowl on the kitchen table where they glowed in the sun. 

The Girls

There are a few glass candy jars placed around the house- the kids always used to stick their little fingers in there and pull out a lollipop (chubachuba- Italian for lollipop), coloured gummy bear or pink sugar-coated marshmallow before giving a little persuasive grin.

The girls were constantly having to be kept entertained, most days we went to the beach -Bagno Annetta, one of the most revered beach clubs in Italy-  and played in the sand and swam. They had a large wicker basket full of toys- buckets, spades, plastic boats and multicoloured animal moulds.

MONTEBELLO

Montebello is a little village settled in the mountains, just off Pietrasanta, with a winding stone road leading to the centre- through tall arches and past little churches.

I went for lunch with my Gran and her friends to Maria Gamundi, a woman living with her elderly mother in this charming house, an artists house. Maria is a widow of a very talented artist who passed away many years ago and she has kept his studio untouched, paint brushes, paint tubes and canvas's veiled in dust from the passing years. 

We drank prosecco in the company of italian appetizers such as fresh ciabatta, olives and cheese, caprese salad, melon & parma ham, and other italian salads followed by a homemade spinach tart.

We watched the sun set over the valley and ate Maria's homemade apple tart for dessert before viewing talented family's works within the old, three story house.

Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi is a very wealthy part of Lucca in Tuscany.

Most families own houses here that they come to just for the summer, as did the family I worked for.

In the centre are many intimate restaurants and designer interior and fashion stores, and not far from are the privately owned beaches- hundreds that run along for miles. 

Carlotta and Nicoletta

I love this photo it's so telling. 

These are the beautiful children I taught English to in Italy, and was unknowingly appointed nanny to. 

I think it's the first time I've seen them sit still together. 

Every morning we used to sit on this very couch and pull out the same old books- they would always ask for the one in which a lion eats a boy, and every time we read through it they were surprised by this development.

Nicoletta was my favourite, she stole my heart (right).

Pietrasanta

I lived and worked in Forte dei Marmi while I was in Italy, but not far from it, Pietrasanta, was my

 favourite little community. 

It was not until I travelled further across Europe, into other Italian cities and South of France, that similarities started to show between each city and the things I found charming about the town, and the historical buildings and sites that had been so well preserved, were prominent in so many other places. 

Forte dei Marmi market

LIFE DRAWING

I joined a nude life drawing class the first week I arrived in Pietrasanta but was unable to keep it up religiously once I started working even though I enjoyed it so much. 

The model changes positions every 15 minutes so you have to sketch quickly, and as you do the body becomes an artistic frame with which you follow the lines and curves. I experimented with charcoal and pencil but the drawings below- from my second class, I used only charcoal.

Pietrasanta Piazza

In Summer the sun goes down after 9 in Pietrasanta.

It's lovely to sit and socialize in the Piazza and have an aperitivo. They serve little bowls of olives and woven baskets filled with crisps to accompany your drinks as you sit under white umbrellas looking into the square- watching people on their bikes and walking their dogs. 

Pietrasanta is such a well-preserved little community- still bearing it's antique charm without looking as though it's going to fall apart. 

BURGER KING

In transit to Milan I spent most of a day in the Dubai International Airport- in which, despite the size, I could not find a single trolley for my back-breaking 'hand' luggage. 

You would also think that I would find a more conventional place to have breakfast but Burger King was fast and greasy- fitting for a post-sleepless night of traveling.