Bramasole, Frances Mayes' house

I hadn't been to Italy for a few years when I went with my sister in 2001. One of the first places we went to was Bramasole, in Cortona. I'm a big Frances fan. Her friend Antonio who is in all her books showed me around her garden while she was out. I had the time of my life.

I went back to gaze at her house during two of my other Italy trips.
It's something VERY special!



Bramasole ancora - Bramasole again. It's such a beautiful villa.
I was saying to Antonio that there used to be two palm trees in front of the house. You see, the frost got one.

This is Frances Mayes' villa in Cortona, Italy. Seven years ago, I was standing at the gate looking in at the garden when Antonio walked out of the front door (he is one of her friends) and then he asked me if I wanted to speak with Frances. No! I didn't want to intrude - I was just admiring her roses!

We had a long talk in Italian, and he was so impressed that I had come all the way from Australia to look at her garden, that he gave me a quick tour of the front part of it.It was an experience I will never forget.

Next time we went to Cortona, after looking up from the road at the villa and garden again, we went to say hi to Antonio at his shop in the town. When we walked in, he said, " Ahh! Australia!" He remembered us!

PhotoHunt: Beautiful, Villa Rufolo in Ravello, Italy

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.

The Amalfi Coast - Villa Cimbrone, Ravello

One can never...

...have too many handbags from San Gimignano.



Photo of me taken by my sister on one of our many trips together.

PhotoHunt: Wrinkled - Venice, San Marco Square

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.





I don't take an iron to Italy so... I actually don't care if our travel clothes get a bit wrinkled, not when there's Piazza San Marco to stroll through.

And just for fun - here is my oldest son Giancarlo:

Spending time in Modena

Rodeo Drive at The Emirates Mall in Dubai

Where would I like to go this morning? How about The Mall. Make that - The Emirates Mall. And I think I'll go upstairs to the Rodeo Drive section and window shop.

It's like being at the back of Piazza San Marco, or like being on the Isle of Capri. The brand name, hig fashion shops are incredible. Alessandro was so cheesed off with me last October for not going into any, but just window shopping from outside.

PhotoHunt: Colorful - Frances Mayes' garden

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.

I've been to Cortona three times - and always make the drive around to Bramasole, the beautiful house with its colorful garden belonging to Frances Mayes.

Tribute to Leslie from Paul, John, George and Ringo

"You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too, yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you"



Leslie, born to Marcelle and Jim, on the 14th of August, 19**

A - Z of cat breeds game!

Come help my students play the game on Pyewacket's Party - daily doings of an IT classroom.

PhotoHunt: Dark - It was a dark and stormy night

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.



I haven’t been able to use the hail pictures before, because the hail storm was very frightening and it caused damage to my house. It took a lot of time and a team of workers – roofers, carpenters, plasterers, painters and electricians to put it all back to normal. And a lot of stress – for me.

The evening it happened, the sky had a weird green color, and everything seemed strangely lit with a warm glow.

Cappuccino time?

Beautiful Burano

Alessandro and I had some special time wandering about Burano last September.

On the cover

PhotoHunt: Clouds

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.



San Gimignano dawn, early morning clouds and mist - September 2006, photo taken by my sister on one of our trips together. I took Alessandro there last October.

The photo was taken from the balcony of Hotel La Cisterna that they filmed a scene from the movie Tea With Mussolini on. It's in San Gimignano, just south of Florence.