Twilight at Art Toscana
This is one of the many moods portrayed by the mountain viewed from the bedroom windows at Art Toscana, art holidays in Italy. It’s twilight when the falling sun illuminates the red sky leaving the mountain in darkness.
No Snow This Year
This is the first year I can remember without any snow at Art Toscana painting vacations in Italy. However, we haven’t been deprived of rain and this week there is some snow on the Apuane Alps which you can see from Art Toscana, painting holidays in Italy. The little babbling brook, where in the summer,
JANUARY 1st 2024 IN LUCCA
I took this photo on New Years Day in the square of Saint Michael in Lucca (La Piazza di San Michele), a blue projection of stars and giant snowflakes falling on the Church of San Michele. On the free day of our Art Toscana painting holidays in Italy, most of our guests go to Lucca
THE DEAD SAINTS
On the Apennine side of the Garfagnana and Mid-Serchio Valley, at an altitude of 1,525 metres, lies the village of San Pellegrino Alpe, the highest village in the Aapennine mountains, once a stronghold for the territories defence system. It’s there, in Il Santaurio di San Pellegrino, a sanctuary for pilgrims who came to pay homage
TEDDY HAS A WASH AND BRUSH-UP
Our dog Teddy had his first wash and brush up. Well, it took three hours for Manuela to comb through every part of him, shower, shampoo and condition him, and then dry him with the hair dryer before a final comb through. Teddy can look forward to another grooming in May before our guests at
ON THE BRIDGE
I often stand on the little bridge at the end of our lane mesmerised by the Corsonna river. In summer, it is nothing more than a rivulet, where the sunlight peeping between the branches of the overhanging trees, sends silver darts into the water dancing among the rocks. Our guests at Art Toscana, painting holidays
The Mill Down The Road
This derelict mill is a wonderful example of the many early twentieth century flour mills which lined the banks of the Corsonna river. They were used for grinding sweet chestnuts to make flour, the chestnuts having been smoked for weeks and then shaken rigorously to remove the shells. In September when we run the last
The Persimmon Tree
This spectacular persimmon tree is so Christmassy; the leafless branches with orange fruits like baubles on a Christmas tree. At Art Toscana painting vacations our guests would love to paint this scene but when they are here in summer the tree is verdant green with no baubles.
A Pile of Fennel
Back to food again. I think one could say, from this picture, that a lot of fennel is eaten in Sicily because the next day, it had all gone. On the subject of fennel, they do a great starter at the Sicilian fish restaurant in Balestrate where we take out guests at Art Toscana painting