Sant’ Antimo Abbey

Posted on February 1, 2017 by kathy

Leaving Asciano, we weaved our way through the beautiful Tuscan countryside to Sant’ Antimo Abbey, not far from Montalcino.

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The Benedictine monastery dates back to the Middle Ages and the abbey was completed in 1260.

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I love the solitary cypress next to the bell tower.

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The landscape of olive trees, vineyards, fields and cypress was an artist’s dream

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and the town of Castelnuovo Dell’ Abate stood guard over the abbey.

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We wandered around the grounds of the monastery

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before entering the abbey to observe the prayers and chanting of the monks.

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We were awed by the light streaming in, accentuating the 13^th century wooden crucifix behind the altar.

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The interior was stunning, the alabaster walls reflected the light

and there was so much detail wherever we looked.

The capitals had intricate carvings,

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the most impressive depicted Daniel in the Lions’ Den.

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The abbey was known for its Gregorian chanting and the monks started at exactly the scheduled time of 12.45pm. Words can’t describe our ethereal experience, surrounded by those exquisite voices with the Tuscan countryside offering a tranquil portrait in the window frame.

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Returning to reality, we spent some time admiring the architecture of the exterior

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and found more intricate carvings of animals and humans.

One last look at the spectacular surroundings

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and we headed for our next destination, Montalcino.

Stirling Castle

Posted on January 24, 2017 by kathy

Soon after arriving in Scotland I discovered my trusty old hiking boots were no longer waterproof. There was nothing else for it but to seek out a new pair so we ventured to Stirling for the big event. Newly booted, we paid a visit to Stirling Castle.

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Dating from the early 12^th century, the present buildings were mostly built between 1490 and 1600.

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Unfortunately, the Royal Palace was undergoing a £12 million refurbishment so there wasn’t a lot for us to see.

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Judging by the weather, the walkway between the Palace and the Great Hall was a necessity.

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Just outside the castle walls lies Ballengeich Cemetery and gorgeous views across the River Forth and countryside beyond.

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The inclement weather put a dampener on the National Wallace Memorial, standing on the summit of Abbey Craig.

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The 13^th century Scottish hero, Sir William Wallace, is commemorated by this 67 metre high sandstone tower, built in 1869.

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We didn’t explore the monument as we were short of time. We had a dinner date back in Greenock with some of Michael’s long lost relatives.

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Next time, we will visit the monument and climb the 246 steps to the top, hopefully on a clear day.

end of the line

Posted on January 20, 2017 by kathy

We awoke on the last day of our transcontinental rail journey to blue skies and a verdant landscape.

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The Nullarbor Plain was behind us and our destination, Perth, was merely hours away. While enjoying our breakfast in the Queen Adelaide restaurant car, the vista suddenly changed. We were passing what appeared to be massive salt lakes

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and the heavily clouded sky emitted an eerie glow.

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The lakes seemed to stretch for miles, yet, despite lengthy searching, I can find no reference to them.

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By lunch time, the scenery had changed again

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and before long we were passing through the wheat belt,

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the outer suburbs of Perth and finally, East Perth Railway Station.

Asciano

Posted on January 17, 2017 by kathy

On a perfect spring morning, we set off for a day of exploring the Tuscan countryside and some of the towns along the way. Our first stop was Asciano, an Etruscan hill town in the province of Sienna. We parked our trusty Fiat

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and wandered through the quiet streets.

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From a high point in the town, the 13^th century campanile of the Church of Saint Agatha complemented the surrounding verdancy.

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We indulged in coffee and chocolate croissants

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before meandering back to the car. An Australian cycling team were taking a break, they were probably in the area for the Giro d’Italia.

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The clocktower was topped with a beautiful decorative feature.

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The 11^th century Basilica of Saint Agatha looked quite different from this angle.

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I couldn’t write an Italian post without including at least a couple of doors.

As the cyclists left town,

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it was time to continue on our way, too. We didn’t get far before stopping to admire the breathtaking panorama.

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I think I found my dream home.

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Emu Valley

Posted on January 10, 2017 by kathy

I am ashamed to say, I have lived near Burnie for nearly eight years and knew of the existence of the Emu Valley Rhododendron Garden but only recently had the pleasure of spending a peaceful afternoon there. The 11ha site is a natural amphitheatre, sloping down to a large basin fed by natural springs that form a series of lakes.

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The scrub and blackberry infested hillside has been transformed over the past 35 years, mostly by volunteers, and is now classified as a plant museum. There are over 22,000 plants to admire