Shopping in Castiglione

We had hoped (and booked1) to go to Urbino, by car, this weekend, however, dense fog was affecting the roads of Tuscany on Friday and Saturday, so we reluctantly cancelled.  Not only would it have been an unpleasant driving experience - we would have missed the views of the "real Tuscany", as it appears on the postcards ...  Another time, we hope.

Today we went up the valley to Castiglione where we know a good fruit & veg shop and an excellent grocer, with cafe attached.

Each morning has been marked with dense fog, clearing as the day went on 

A sunny cappuccino in Castiglione - Barbara and white-coated grocer just visible on right

We had a dander afterwards, and were impressed by this crabapple tree - the fruit looking so like cherries!

And even more so, close up ...

Rontano non è lontano ...

... or Rontano isn't very far away.  Yesterday was another sunny day, s we headed up to the villages above Castelnuovo di Garfagnana to reconnoitre the small village of Rontano, which we can just see, tantalisingly, from the house.

Heading off, with not-very-snowy Appenines in the distance

A sun-dog hovers over the Pania, indicating ice crystals in the atmosphere

The church of Rontano just visible against the sun 

An old mill by the stream.  At this time of year, the sun always seems to be up there, out of reach ...

Rontano is a modest little village, but at boasted this incredible villa - it's for sale, if you're interested!

Presepe time again

The 23rd is the day in Barga for the Presepe Vivente.  although a nativity-based celebration, for us the highlights are the many exhibits of crafts from bygone times which are set up as tableaux in hidden nooks of the town which often are inaccessible to the public any other time of year.

People progress around the town enjoying the spectacle, and the refreshments available in the form of roasted chestnuts, chestnut fritters, chestnut polenta (an acquired taste - and texture!) and vin brulé.

The presepe doesn't start until after sunset...

... and a bit closer

On our walk into town, we pass my fauvourite crib scene in the window of a house on the Fornacetta ...

A cobbler in the woodpile ...

This lady is renewing rush-seat chairs

A schoolroom of yore is always a popular attraction ...

Enjoying a chestnut fritter - "frittata"

One of the palazzos boasts this illuminated fountain

Young men enjoy a cup of vin brulé in a piazza with the floodlit duomo as a backdrop

Christmas decorations seen on the way home

Festive fungi ...

Although autumn is the time for the porcini mushrooms that send Italians mad, there are still plenty fungi around - but I wouldn't eat any of them!

We saw these ones on a walk up in the area of Tiglio Alto on a rather gloomy Saturday ...  I don't know their names I'm afraid, so the captions are rther unimaginative!

Fungus no. 1

Fungus no. 2

Fungus no. 3

Fungus no. 4

Fungus no. 5 - no, hang on ...

Treading the boards in Prato ...

On Sunday, we headed off to Prato to "take in a show".  Prato is the last station before Florence, so it's a couple of hours away by train. 

We had an excellent lunch in a busy small restaurant  - which was the best part of Prato, as the show - a pop version of the Barber of Seville - wasn't really to our taste!  We had a 2 hour stopover in Lucca on the way back, and were able to enjoy their Christmas lights - all the more glittery for being in the rain!

This was Saturday - Sunday was less photogenic - foggy drizzle!

Prato's Christmas lights

The show was "in verticale" - the scenes were changed by raising and lowering scenery panels

The enigmatic cube which celebrates the season in Lucca's Piazza San Michele

Gentle ramble ...

A cold crisp winter day took us out of our hibernation and up the hill behind us to the path to Renaio.  No Christmas roses visible yet, but they'll be here soon for sure ...

Cold, but dry ...

Lucca ...

After a lazy week, we went in to Lucca yesterday to have a cycle around in the sun ...

Tranquility up on the walls - 4 km of traffic-free cycling with great views

Cardboard with pathos - a cardboard sculpture from last year's "Paper Art" festival in Lucca

A metaphor for our times?  A flock of ostriches have their heads in the sand in this gallery under one of the bastions of the massive city wall ...

A beautiful sunny day, but cold down in the deep canyons of the medieval streets

Enigmatic graffito in the entrance to the amphitheatre - presumably it means something!

Lucca has three concentric walls - Renaissance (great for cycling), medieval (as in the gate here) and Roman (only vestiges left now)

It's still about the chestnuts ... Succulent marron glacèes seen in a sweet shop window

Winter days ...

At La Serra, we rise above the morning mists ...

As food becomes scarce, the Leiothrixes (the Pekin Robin) start to take a lot of interest in the kaki tree ...

... but leave plenty of the succulent fruit for us!

Sunset, at 4.40pm today ...

Castelnuovo, Carregine and Salamanders ...

We didn't allow the rainy overcast conditions to dampen our spirits as we took Jean on some of our haunts on the couple of days she had here.

Excitingly, up at Carregine, we saw a salamander, which we had all avoided walking on before it was spotted.  And that is a curious thing about it - it wasn't spotted!  Very dark on its back, but a yellow-orange belly.  European salamanders should have lots of yellow spots on the back too ...  Maybe a young one?

At the market (we were a bit late!) in Castelnuovo

Up among the chestnuts

A close shave - see boot at top of pic!

You can just see the fiery belly in this photo ...

Jean, Bologna and Firenze ...

After Ravenna, we headed to Bologna.  We like Bologna, but it's always very cold - of course, we are always there in the winter!  We picked up Jean at the airport at 10pm and managed to get a couple of beers before bed-time ...

Next day we headed to Florence for the afternoon.  I have few pictures of this because my camera malfunctioned, but it was pretty overcast and not a great day for photos.  We headed back to Barga just as it got dark.

The two towers of Bologna were just round the corner from our B&B

They call Bologna "La Grassa" (The fat One) for good reason ...

At the foot of the towers, heading for the train to Florence

Keeping warm on the banks of the Arno in Florence

Ravenna 2

Some more pictures from our trip to Ravenna, before we headed to Bologna to rendezvous with Jean.

Basilica di San Vitale - "one of the most important surviving examples of Byzantine art and architecture in Europe" - Wikipedia

The Byzantine octagonal plan gives an exotic eastern feel to the interior which is ornamented by wonderful mosaics ...

... The arresting mosaic of Teodora, queen of Emperor Justinian I, sometimes called "the last Roman"

Fabulous mosaics in the nearby mausoleum of Galla Placidia (417 AD) who was Roman Empress for fourteen years.

An inspired array of pot plants outside the duomo brightened up a day when the sun struggled to emerge from behind the clouds

The oldest building in Ravenna, the octagonal Baptistry of Bishop Neone

Not mosaics, but frescos, adorn the vaulted ceilings of the restaurant Ca' de Ven
where we ate later.  The ancient palazzo which houses it was used by Dante when he was banished from Florence for political reasons in 1318.