Paradise of exiles
Somebody - I forgot who - once said: 'I don't need a therapist, just a good travel agent.' They must have been thinking about Italy.
Beautiful landscapes, amazing culinary delicacies, fashion, arts and history, culture, La Dolce Vita … Italy — the enchanting country — has it all.
This website is about my little corner. It's about 100 km to Florence; a little over three hours by train to Rome. Siena is 115 km away.
But to be honest, why even travel that far?
Arezzo, less than 40 kms away.
Arresting arezzo
The ancient Tuscan city of Arezzo, with its Roman ruins, medieval walls, Renaissance architecture and incomparable Piero della Francesca murals, has always been a magnet for art lovers.
But on the first Sunday of every month, and the Saturday before, its Piazza Grande is filled with a fascinating collection of old furniture, musty paintings and stained silverware, tarnished candlesticks and kitchen cabinets, chipped china and violins, Roman coins and a harmonium, old-fashioned telephones and grandfather clocks.
The monthly Antiques Market with its 500 exhibitors and about 100 little shops open all year round, is, since 1968, an added incentive to visit this art-laden city.
The fair takes advantage of the extraordinary scenery of Piazza San Francesco, Piazza Grande and the Logge del Vasari.
But the stalls spread over the side alleys and squares across the historic centre transform the character of the city for the two days of the Antique Market.
For 40 years the appointment on the first Sunday of each month and the Saturday before is a must for fans and curious: it has been estimated that each edition is visited by an average of 20,000 people.
It's always a memorable day - and i've begun visiting the antique fair to pick up wonderful things for my house.
STUNNING SANSEPULCRO
The entire old town is still surrounded by its ancient fortified walls, so when you arrive you park just outside these walls then enter the historic centre through one of the original stone entrances.
Wherever you start, all roads quickly lead to the main square in Sansepolcro, the Piazza Torre di Berta: so called because it includes the 'Torre di Berta', a 13th century tower.
Additionally, the centre of town is also the location of The Happy Bar, a place I have spent many hours and always left very happy.
Sansepulcro, birthplace of renaissance painter Piero della Francesco and where I buy my vegetables (from the local co-op).
Cry me a river? Not here.
take me to the river
in the final stages of buying my house, real estate agent Bruno said: 'Buy the way, you own the land across the road.'
I walked down an embankment - and found this: a lovely bubbling river.
I often sit on the bank on spring evenings, watching the water and listening to the sound of gurgling and bird song.