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.