The first message we received this morning was – ‘Reason overcome by bigotry’.
Responded – ‘What have we become?’
Reply – ‘Isolated and small.’
In our small bit of life we will try to remain open and welcoming to the whole earth community. That is our personal challenge and that is where we may discover hope again.
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.
Lucca and Florence were such a draw that we didn’t get round to exploring Montecatini Terme until yesterday. A fascinating place to stay, the town’s hot springs spawned a number of thermal establishments, some wonderful Art Nouveau or Liberty architecture and a funicular which pulls its way up to the airy Montecatini Alto on the hillside above the town.
We took the slow run of the funicular and checked out the two churches and their neighbouring towers which sit on two hills spanning Montecatini Alto. It was a hot day and the butterflies were focused on nectar, the birds on singing and humans on shelter and a drink.
After lunch in the lively main square we headed back down the hill to the lower Montecatini. Finding yet another random table tennis table (and enjoying a game, naturally) we made our way home through the buzzing crowds out for an evening stroll.
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 loved the peaceful city with its massive, tunnelled, red defensive walls and flat roads full of bicycles. We walked the 4km wall then wandered through the city until we reached the Anfiteatro, a piazza built on the ruins of the 2nd century Roman amphitheatre.
The piazza retains the elliptical shape and four original entrances to the Roman site. It was a lovely, sheltered spot to enjoy a glass of wine and a pizza as the evening drew on.
We ended our day at a concert of Puccini and Verdi arias. It felt particularly good to hear Puccini’s music in the town where he was born in 1858.
We are staying in the Lucchese plain between Lucca and Florence. Yesterday we set off to explore the first of these. The focus of the trip was to encounter the Duomo of San Martino with its late 12th century labyrinth carved into the right pier of the porch.
We arrived to discover the porch covered in scaffolding and white plastic netting. Someone had created a hole in the netting through which the labyrinth could be viewed at a distance. Disappointing, but still hoping for closer access next visit.
N.B. A cut has been made in the stone of the labyrinth making it difficult to negotiate the outer circuit. Otherwise it is a perfect 11 circuit medieval labyrinth.
canddaway's Blog 