PhotoHunt: Road - Bramasole, the villa of Frances Mayes

One of my favorite stretches of road, is the one that runs past beautiful Bramasole. Standing there, looking up at the apricot colored villa, then looking across the blackberry thickets to the grey mists of olive groves and the distant Umbrian hills, is a poetic moment.

Do you know your Robert Frost?





I first went to see Bramasole in 2001, then again in 2005 - and these pictures are from my 2006 trip.

This is my latest PhotoHunt entry.

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: 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.

The Shrine at Bramasole

On my last four trips to Italy, I've been to visit Bramasole three times. On my first visit I was taken with the shrine at the front of her house, and I now have the same terracotta plaque in my home in Australia.

It's fascinating to look at any of the shrines throughout Italy, but I'll always feel that this one is, well, something particularly special for me.

Bramasole in Cortona

This is the villa belonging to the author Frances Mayes.