The endless amusement of seeing actual lizards
La Verna Monastery and the Fireflies of Tuscany, Italy - 14th June 2013
We spend a very relaxing day up in the mountains of the Tuscan Appenines at La Verna, an important centre for the Franciscan order as it is said to be where Saint Francis of Assisi received the stigmata. Even the packed restaurant proves to be a hit: at first glance it looks too formal for a spot of lunch with two small boys, and for a while we wonder where the menus are and what we've let ourselves in for. But after a while, bowls of food appear and it becomes apparent that we just choose whether or not we want to eat whatever it is - the bill being totted up on an honesty basis at the end. So lunch proves to be some nice tuna and tomato pasta, bread, olive oil, a few chips for Fred and an ice-cream to finish. Later, after another Limoncello session, Nosher gets the mini tripod out and spends an hour in the garden trying to capture the wonder of night-time fireflies, having never seen them before. Finally, on the way back to the airport, we stop off at Livorno, just on the coast near to Pisa, to see if we can find a beach to hang out on for a while.
next album: Thrandeston Pig Roast and Tractors, Thrandeston Little Green, Suffolk - 23rd June 2013
previous album: Italian Weddings, Saracens and Swimming Pools, Arezzo, Tuscany - 12th June 2013
Fred with one of his random Korean tee-shirts
A tree's roots dangle in the air
The pantile roofs of La Verna
Fred stumps around
Fred and Isobel walk up a steep path
A view from the monastery
Fred does some drawing
The monastery of La Verna
A wooden cross on the hill
Harry tucks in to some pasta in the restaurant
The death of Christ, in lead-glazed teracotta
We walk through some sort of gallery
Isobel and Harry plunge down in to the grotto
Fred in a cave
Some sort of shrine in the grotto
It doesn't look nearly as high up as it is
Isobel pauses
Old mediaeval wall paintings
Fred runs along the gallery
A chapel with candles
Another lizard scurries about
Fred draws the bell tower
Isobel walks back from the bogs
A small church
Isobel, Harry, Fred and a large wooden cross
Inside the basilica of the Sanctuary of La Verna
There's a cool old Lancia in a lay-by
Isobel prepares some lunch
Fred scoots about the kitchen
Fred eats his favourite of the moment: salami
Harry reaches over
Lunch is eaten
Gabes has just a little bit of yoghurt on his face
A cat gives the hairy eyeball
The giant pots of Il Palazzo
The Tenuta il Palazzo site
Sunset over the car park
A discarded Tweety-Pie soft toy looks folorn
Sunset over Tuscany
Good thing we kept the hire car clean
The path up to our apartment
Garden benches
By the evening lights
Each green dot or streak is a firefly
Fire flies dance around
Fireflies and star trails
More poppies of Tuscany
A services on the Autostrada
A restaurant on the clifftop
We park after about 30 minutes of searching
A view of the Mediterranean
Isobel and Fred by an Italian flag
Fred looks out to sea
The waterfront at Livorno
Isobel and Fred
A nice round cove at Livorno
Fred and Isobel on the cliffs at Livorno
At the Hertz depot at Pisa airport
Fred and Harry scoff gelato at Pisa airport
There's a pigeon in the actual café
Harry chomps on a a gelato-on-a-stick
A pigeon waits at Gate 9 for something to happen
Harry walks around with a magazine
Harry and Fred trundle off to explore the airport
Slightly unusual and cool clouds over the UK
A partial rainbow over Essex
Stansted airport
A Ruinair 737-800 retracts its front steps
A car park for stretch limos only
Harry looks a bit tired
The next day, Nosher takes Harry for a spin
Harry and Fred on the lawnmower
Fred tries to put Harry's ear defenders on
Daisies in the lawn
Harry eats something
Harry with a yorkshire pudding
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The endless amusement of seeing actual lizards
The endless amusement of seeing actual lizards
Fred with one of his random Korean tee-shirts
A tree's roots dangle in the air
The pantile roofs of La Verna
Fred stumps around
Fred and Isobel walk up a steep path
A view from the monastery
Fred does some drawing
The monastery of La Verna
A wooden cross on the hill
Harry tucks in to some pasta in the restaurant
The death of Christ, in lead-glazed teracotta
We walk through some sort of gallery
Isobel and Harry plunge down in to the grotto
Fred in a cave
Some sort of shrine in the grotto
It doesn't look nearly as high up as it is
Isobel pauses
Old mediaeval wall paintings
Fred runs along the gallery
A chapel with candles
Another lizard scurries about
Fred draws the bell tower
Isobel walks back from the bogs
A small church
Isobel, Harry, Fred and a large wooden cross
Inside the basilica of the Sanctuary of La Verna
There's a cool old Lancia in a lay-by
Isobel prepares some lunch
Fred scoots about the kitchen
Fred eats his favourite of the moment: salami
Harry reaches over
Lunch is eaten
Gabes has just a little bit of yoghurt on his face
A cat gives the hairy eyeball
The giant pots of Il Palazzo
The Tenuta il Palazzo site
Sunset over the car park
A discarded Tweety-Pie soft toy looks folorn
Sunset over Tuscany
Good thing we kept the hire car clean
The path up to our apartment
Garden benches
By the evening lights
Each green dot or streak is a firefly
Fire flies dance around
Fireflies and star trails
More poppies of Tuscany
A services on the Autostrada
A restaurant on the clifftop
We park after about 30 minutes of searching
A view of the Mediterranean
Isobel and Fred by an Italian flag
Fred looks out to sea
The waterfront at Livorno
Isobel and Fred
A nice round cove at Livorno
Fred and Isobel on the cliffs at Livorno
At the Hertz depot at Pisa airport
Fred and Harry scoff gelato at Pisa airport
There's a pigeon in the actual café
Harry chomps on a a gelato-on-a-stick
A pigeon waits at Gate 9 for something to happen
Harry walks around with a magazine
Harry and Fred trundle off to explore the airport
Slightly unusual and cool clouds over the UK
A partial rainbow over Essex
Stansted airport
A Ruinair 737-800 retracts its front steps
A car park for stretch limos only
Harry looks a bit tired
The next day, Nosher takes Harry for a spin
Harry and Fred on the lawnmower
Fred tries to put Harry's ear defenders on
Daisies in the lawn
Harry eats something
Harry with a yorkshire pudding