Todi, legend claims built by Hercules

 

This town had great linen shops, nice people, and a wonderful view.  I found this church unusual since it seems to sit slightly askew coming up the major walkway.  As most churches, photos not allowed, but there was a wall piece I so want to draw!  I must find the image.

 

 

This tree, center stage is the oldest cedar of it's kind, keep in mind that the base of the tree is well below the surface here, on the side of the hill.

 

 

 

While every little city we visit has great views, this one was outstanding, for distance and variety.

 



Work at LaRomita

Our days begin early, with the freedom to explore the grounds or set up our studio space for the day, before breakfast. 

Breakfast, like all our meals is a full array, and it is important (to me) to try something different each meal, if not a little of everything. I am not worried over the food as it is organic, delicious, and there are enough stairs and steps around here, that I am sure I have dropped a pound or two.  I have stairs to my second floor room, steps into the church, stairs down to lower level to develop my printing plates, and then more steps down to the press.  While that is not many steps in all, it is when carrying supplies and the multiple trips for the supplies I keep forgetting. 

This is a run from my second plate created, the first I struggled with and may revisit later.  I have 4 plates in this series, and have created a couple of other plates with an entirely different feel.  Of course I collected a couple of photos today for another idea.  There is not much time left, and I switch to the drawing group.  While I will still be allowed to pursue the press, it will be on my own time, most likely late at night.

Gardens of LaRomita

 As I went searching for plants, there were numerous, yet to be identified.

 

The gardens are the most beautiful here.  Wild and planted, natural and tended.  The gardener's wife is the head chef, so much of our foods are from the local garden, if not here, then still local in this part of Italy.

 

Window boxes, planters, and wild growings straight from the stone flourish.  The vegetable gardens are tucked away and can be seen off and on in small patches as you look down the hill, on various terraces and homes.

 

 

Oleanders are everywhere, overlooking the town.



Stroncone

Visiting Stoncone is interesting as we ourselves were the unsusual, as tourist will rarely be seen in this little city tucked inside the walls.  Our goal was to visit a small museum of Illuminated musical manuscripts. 

 

 

 

 

To my regret, my camera went dead early on, so I was limited to only a few photos, and not nearly enough pictures were taken.  Today I missed my those in my family who might have been able to read some of this.  Some manuscripts I could make out a few words along with the picture, but most were beyond me in that aspect, but you still have to admire the work, the art, and the colors!

 

 

 

 

From this same museum, this is a voting box.  Each person was given a "marble" and from the back (on the left in the photo) would insert their hand inside and drop the marble to the left or right depending on their vote.  Then after everyone had voted, the drawers would be opened to determine the outcome.

 

 

 

 

We had a lot of time to explore this small city, but the rain came and went from time to time.  While walking in it most of the time was no issue, occassionally it became heavy, leaving each of us to fend for ourselves under the eaves of doorways, only to discover it was a residence, in which you could hear the sounds of the home and it felt invasive.  So we were constantly on the move, seek any place for refuge, but everything, including all the churches were closed.  This town rarely saw tourist and so one little coffee shop accomodated us when we needed rest and a drink.

 

 

From my window overlooking Terni. Terni was severly destroyed, WWII by the allies, because of it's large industries. The industry of their greatest value is the steel mill producing stainless steel. While this a large mass of industrial buildings, it does not win the eye overlooking the city of cascading homes with their common red tiled roofs. Each layer of small mountains or hills (depending on where you are from) fades lighter and lighter into the distant clouds.

 

 

 

 

This is from the top floor entry, overlooking the main courtyard from where dining and the church studio is accessible.

 

Our second floor entry is from the outside stairs, this small area just below

Standing below my upper window, the view is no less magnificent. Olive groves surround the hill sides in most every direction, with flowers in bloom at every perspective. The birds are flit around, owning the morning sounds, yet I can still hear a morning rooster at home just below us.

A Visit to Terni

Our first day, a moments rest from the airport and lunch, then off to Terni for a short visit.  It was a great time to relax and stretch the legs after airline cramping. 

 

 

Narrow "streets" lead off to places we will never know.  They often seem private or deadends.  If you do venture through these side keyholes, they are usually surprising by opening up to other areas of the city spotted with restaurants, small shops, and the sounds of home spilling from the windows above.

 

 

 

Of course I cannot resist a quick photo of art nouveau, even though it is not a common element here, it is still my favorite of styles.

 



La Romita Italy

Bon journo, from La Romita, Italy.  Yes, this is my second time to Italy, and I have still not logged in all my photos from the first time.  But I am determined to keep up with this trip on a daily basis.
I arrived with my flight landing early!  That was a good sign.  At least the airport was familiar.  Familiarity breeds calmness.  Being our first/evening,  we spent the time introducing, getting familiar, and a quick visit into town.  La Romita is an artist retreat with various teachers and instructors leading intensive workshops.  This place inspires me to revisit all my lists of things to do.  There are so many creative ideas I will be borrowing...

 



 This is a view of our living area from the garden.

 

 

 

 



 This is inside the sanctuary, now a lab.  Beautiful artwork is still in place and much of everything is original from the days of the monks.

 

 

This is a small place in the floor, with the letter S which once was a opening to the the crypt of bones...

 

I will come back with more of the history.