The newly extended and renovated swimming pool at The Petruso in Sicily has now been extended for some serious swimming. The play areas have been retained with jacuzzi and little tables for resting your cocktail. Not that the pool wasn’t fabulous before, surrounded by palm trees and the backdrop of deep blue sea and pink
Terracotta pots, pink stucco rendering and a pan-tiled roof; unmistakably Italian. Having lived in Italy for 20 years, our eyes are so used to these beautiful features of Italian architecture that it is good to be reminded how lovely they are when looking at an image like this one. Our guests at Art Toscana Art
The view from our little cabin on the ferry travelling from Livorno to Palermo for the start of our Art Toscana Art Holidays in Italy. Always so exciting even though we have been doing this every year since 2012!!
Driving up the lane this week I have been admiring the autumn crocuses again. There are lots of them this year. I have always called them autumn crocuses, but a guest on one of our painting holidays in Italy recently informed me that their proper name is Sternbergia lutea. They look like large crocuses and
Now that autumn is here at our Tuscan farmhouse, it is the season of beautiful sunsets and colour-filled skies. This is a view from one of the bedroom windows at Art Toscana. Many of our guests say that evenings like this are what make our painting retreats in Italy so special, that mountain range is
Up in the hills around Art Toscana there is a beautiful Renaissance hotel called The Ciocco, and in their foyer sits a perfect still life, a reminder of Giorgio Morandi and his quiet still life art works of vases. Chris sometimes sets up a still life for guests on our art course holidays in Italy,
What a beautiful bird which Chris and I spotted on our walk in Loppia, a little town not far from Art Toscana Art Retreats in Italy. At first we thought it was a large heron, but it was too big, and then we thought maybe a stork. No you don’t get storks in this part
Here he is again giving one of our guests a head massage at Art Toscana painting Holidays in Italy. Our guests at Art Toscana Painting Holidays in Italy love him. Who couldn’t. He is everyones friend!
This photo could have been taken more than 50 years ago, maybe even 100 years ago but the t shirt gives it away. Yes, the photo was taken a few days ago; Giovane loading up the donkeys, not far from Art Toscana painting Holidays in Italy. The donkeys seemed happy enough carry theose heavy loads.
This is beautiful Padua again where I had a most spectacular lunch after people watching, shopping, and sight seeing. The sight seeing should come first, I know, but it’s a great place for shopping!! When I met up with our guests at Art Toscana Painting holidays in Italy, loaded down with bags, it was pretty