If Wishes Were Horses …

… And beggars were kings …

Then I would close my eyes and wish myself in Italy. I do not believe in reincarnation but every time I visit that country I get an uncanny sense of deja-vu. A feeling that I have been there before; that my feet have walked those cobbled streets in some other time. It is so hard to describe, that sense of familiarity coupled with a sense of mystery that there is something new to discover round the next corner.

But perhaps my imagination is too active and it is the fact that there is much in common between some parts of Italy and this small isle that  makes me feel that way. Like the smell of freshly-brewed espresso escaping from some hole-in-the-wall cafeteria. Or the weather-worn facades of buildings. Or maybe it’s the sound of the church bells drowning out the high-pitched haggling of women at the market … In truth I cannot quite put my finger on what it is and it really doesn’t matter.

Few visit Italy and remain unmoved. Whether it is the architecture, the history, the food, the fashion, the art or any of the hundreds of other things this magnificent country has to offer, I believe that everyone comes away with a piece of Italy forever embedded in their soul.

So, since I am dreaming of Italy, I will leave you with a few photos from our trip to Tuscany  last October. These photos are especially for Agnes because she expressed a wish to see the faces behind the blogs she reads :)

     

So I have included a photo from  each of the places we visited. I agree with Agnes that it is nice to see who is writing and, although I think that the scenery is more interesting than I am, it makes a blog that much more personal when we share a little bit of our life with our readers. For after all, it is the readers that make the blog and I want to thank all those of you that have been visiting me for a while or who are new to this blog. I always look forward to hearing from each and every one of you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read my little scribblings. It means a lot to me.