Wandered to Ameugny, the next village along the ridge. After cold, wet weather these last days, the sunshine was wonderful.
We stopped to listen to birdsong we didn’t recognise and to enjoy the wildflowers in the fields and along the hedgerows. The trees are coming into leaf and blossom gloriously.
We took a short walk through the fields and vineyards surrounding the place where we are staying in Commugny, just north of the City of Geneva. The landscape reminded us for all the world of East Lothian (apart from the vineyards!)
Wandering the shore of Lake Geneva both yesterday and today, we noticed the shifts in light and mood of sky and water. A beautiful and gentle place.
Walking close to where we are staying I caught sight of these beautiful wildflowers growing alongside the road in a bit of rough ground.
On days when we are most aware of the fragility of all life it is good to recollect the journey these fragile flowers have made through the hard earth to where they can find new sustenance.
We are resting just now in Arenzano in the Gulf of Genoa which is a part of the Ligurian Sea, itself an arm of the Mediterranean Sea located north of the island of Corsica.
The colour of the water seems to change hourly with the clouds that pass by. This morning it shines white and grey. Yesterday in the harbour it was a deep turquoise.
Dusk yesterday and the mist hung low across the Apennines. All was caught up in a stillness.
And we are still.
The Italian Riviera or Ligurian coast curves between France’s Côte d’Azur and Tuscany. We arrived in the small seaside town of Arenzano yesterday afternoon after stopping for our picnic lunch in Santa Margherita Ligure.
It was lovely to soak our feet in the cold Mediterranean of Arenzano beach, listening to the roar of the waves. Much else in this small town is quiet. Too early for the summer visitors, the piazzas are filled mainly with small boys playing football and people of all ages doing their shopping after the stillness of siesta time.
Last day in Lucca. Bikes and towers everywhere. We wound our way through the streets finding places we had not yet been. A very relaxed and attractive city especially with spring flowers springing up in the warmth of the sunshine.
We decided that if we lived here we would need a very tiny car or a three wheeler bike.
Yesterday was our day for visiting Florence. We wandered through the piazzas and streets enjoying the buildings and sculptures we passed by.
It was delightful to revisit San Marco, the 15th century Dominican monastery where Fra’ Angelico painted his beautiful, moving frescoes in the cloisters and cells. The Annunciation at the top of the first floor stairs is breathtaking in its perspective and simplicity of form.
We took the bus up to Fiesole, a hill village north of Florence, where we ate our picnic in the Piazza Mino da Fiesole, then walked the 8 km back into Florence passing huge villas, olive groves and citrus trees.
Our day ended with a walk along the banks of the Arno in the hazy evening light.
We took the path out of Porta Cappuccini and began our walk up the slope of Mount Subasio towards the caves above Assisi that St Francis and his brothers used as a hermitage.
It was a lovely day for our journey and as we arrived at Eremo Delle Carceri, now a small friary, we felt greeted by the loud bird song in the oak trees all around us.
We finished the day inside the huge Basilica di Santa Maria Angeli, 4 km from Assisi, where we spent some time in the Porziuncola, the nucleus of the first Franciscan monastery, and the Cappella del Transito where St Francis died in 1226. The frescoes by Lo Spagna were movingly beautiful.
Late morning we set out on a walk and by chance found ourselves on the St Francis Way. It was a lovely spring day and as we continued along the path we saw Assisi spreading across the lower slopes of Mount Subasio.
We walked on and up through the medieval streets to the imposing castle of Rocca Maggiore with its splendid views over the town and Spoleto valley below.
We left as the fiery red disc of the sun began to set.
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