Our Time in Italy (4): Up in the Mountains

 

A day or two after we arrived in Italy we decided to drive up into the mountains.  In Winter there's a ski resort in the area and in the Summer it's a place to enjoy picnics by cool streams and walk in the woods.  For the adventurous there are pony trekking facilities, mountain ridge climbing and a great expanse of grassland on a plateau called Prato di Campoli which is a favourite picnic spot.  I have happy memories of August holidays with our children and grandchildren camping there.  

We visited Trisulti Monastery - which I've shared before.  It's surrounded by woods and we had to drive around the mountains to get to it.  The above photos are taken from across a deep gorge.

We stopped for a mozzarella sandwich lunch at a restaurant not far from the monastery that we wanted to visit and then took a walk by the streams flowing along under the bridges.

Trisulti Monastery Entrance Door

the old pharmacy

There are fountains everywhere inside and outside the monastery. The water is continually flowing because it comes from natural springs in the mountains.  We had brought large glass jars and filled them with the pure mineral water for drinking just as the locals do.  Of course, we had already bought bottles of mineral water from the local village supermarket as well.  

the monastery refectory

the cloister garden

interior of the church

carving of a dolphin on one of the monk's seats

a mural in the old pharmacy reception waiting room

Time to head back home after a good day out.

April in Italy

We have just returned from a time in Italy and once I get back into my UK routine I'll write about what we did whilst we were there.  Most of our time was spent around the house and garden, not only because there was plenty to do on the upkeep of the place, but because we were not well. We had just got over a 'flu-type illness before we travelled and after a good first week of working in and around the house and a few drives out to local towns we caught coughs and colds from family members who had not been well either. My husband developed bronchitis and I had tonsillitis and a respiratory infection.  We went to the local GP and were given a course of antibiotics.  After that we stayed at home resting until we felt a lot better and didn't go out on any trips except up into the higher mountains and woods for a change of scene.  As usual I kept a photo journal and over time I'll share these. The weather was mixed; sunshine, showers, frost which burnt some tender new shoots on the vines.  Now we are getting used to the cooler temperatures here in Yorkshire; sleety rain showers and cold winds. It has been easy enough to slip back into our usual routine. My husband is busy nurturing his plants whilst I get back into downloading my photos and enjoying the internet facilities again after our time without!  Hopefully we shall get 100% well again and settle back to life in the UK.

I'm looking forward to catching up with all your news very soon and in the meantime I wish you a good day.