hallo. i’m home again. i have so much to share, i can’t hold it in, and it’s just brimming! i’m still on italy time, not only with my internal clock, but also in my heart i still feel surrounded by cypress trees, the sweet smell of summer jasmine and roses, the rolling tuscan countryside. yesterday i must have drifted back on a cloud, sleepwalking. the entire experience was an absolute dream. every moment, every village we explored, the timing, the planning it’s impossible to want change a single moment.
the art, the food, history, the hospitality, the setting! but the part that succeeded even the beauty that italy had to share was the company of my mom. immediately we fell into the perfect rhythm of laughter and friendship that i will always cherish. it will always be our magical trip. (i love you mom!) gush gush gush. we flew back together from fiumicino airport (rome) to chicago yesterday morning and had to part ways right there at customs since we live on opposite coasts and had to catch our connecting flights. the first thing that entered my mind as the madness of rushing to my gate subsided and seatbelt clicked shut on the last plane home was a very clear and loud voice: i miss her already. i couldn’t stay awake any longer but later awoke just in time to see the most magnificent display in the heavens. god’s own fireworks at 32,000 feet, i’ve never seen anything like it. the dimensions of the clouds were lit up from all sides out of the darkness as not even a second of multiple lightning bolts glowed all around us. the sublime landscape was literally just dwarfing the man made fireworks on the shore below as we descended into virginia. the perfect ending to the most magical time of my life, it was like nature was saying happily ever after and welcome home.
i feel like i have one step here at home, but the other is still back at le casacce, at the farmhouse just outside of seggiano that was our home for the majority of our stay. rewind to our first day as we arrived just in time to settle in our rooms before cena/dinner, immediately opening the dark wooden shutters to have our breath taken away by the magnificent view of tuscany and her perfection. i was surprised at the cool breeze in the early evening and the scent of jasmine by the doorway! i want to bottle that. i love that we have a jasmine vine by our porch that will always transport me back there. the farmhouse is owned by enrico casini, a marvelous chef who sports the most stylish red specs i’ve ever seen. rated one of the best culinary masters in italy, we were soon about to see for ourselves because we were served a five course dinner of wild boar and delicious pecorino cheese and greens, local country soup, maltagliati with meat and tomatoes sauce, chicken and sweet peppers. and every night dessert was made by sweet lucy, a beautiful romanian who’s brother was also on staff. all slow and steady by candlelight, italian style. we had a chance to meet the other painters and our workshop artists cindy and theresa, and after we had our fill, my roomie (mom!) and i went upstairs for much needed sleep for the first painting destination in the morning.
tomorrow i will share more of the journey, the next day was a visit to castello banfi, a winery set on a hill in montalcino. i think i will have to take it day by day since we truly lived in the moment there, every day was just so sweet. i will try to persuade the rest of those in the group to download their photos and paintings from the trip on flickr, and in the meantime you can see mine match each day in my flickr account to my journaling here. cheek kisses and ciao ciao till then my lovelies! mwah, mwah.
Sounds wonderful, I can’t wait to hear more!!
oh jenny how beautifully you convey the feeling of it, yes wonderful!!
Hey girlfriend ~ It was a fantastico dreamy trip ! I had a blast spending 3 weeks with you..
I will treasure it always.
Hey isn’t it time to go find some More gelato????
ciao
oh it sounds just lovely!!!!!! welcome home.
Welcome back Jenny! Can’t wait to see more ;)
Welcome back! ‘Can’t wait do do some “office chair traveling” as you share about your italian adventures! I started reading your blog after visiting your etsy shop; looking forward to hearing about your trip!
oh it sounds divine! i can’t wait to hear more about it. welcome home, dear!!
welcome home! it sounds like you had a glorious time – can’t wait to hear about the rest of your trip!
You know, i was just thinking about you yesterday and wondering when you’d be back. Spooky! I’m so glad to hear you had a wonderful time, and i look forward to hearing all about it.
yay-welcome home:)
Glad to hear your trip was amazing-am so excited for your stories and photos!
it all sounds magical, jenny!!! and the chance to share such an experience with your mom – i can see why you would treasure that forever.
it sounds like you had a perfect trip. how wonderful! i can’t wait to read more about it. and see the pictures. glad to get to visit your blog again regularly!
Oh Jenny! I can’t wait for more details! You have piqued my interest. . . I’ll wait (impatiently) to read more about your magical journey! :)
Welcome back! I can’t wait to see the work.
Geez. It’s about time you came home. =)
Welcome back my dearie! I gave a wee little gasp when I saw Miss True Nature back in action in my flickr contacts photostream thingy. Yay!
ah… welcome home… looking forward to all the tales!!
to look at your beautiful pictures again, to read your wonderful words agaain… I’m so happy that you’re back and I can’t wait to read and see more about your trip.
Welcome back! You look sooo lovely in this photo, so elegant. I can’t wait to read more!
Welcome back from me too… and you definitely ought to bottle the heady smell of jasmine… transporting you back to your wonderful trip at the drop of a hat, though I have a sneaking suspicion that it is all so perfectly vivid right now. Enjoy that beautiful post holiday feeling, when everything seems possible and your mind is swimming with ideas & inspiration.
take care, grache
Dear Jenny! Welcome home! Glad you are back safe and sound. I get the impression that your journey was beyond words – and Tuscany had the same effect on me – it is simply an endless submersion in beauty in all its manners and forms. Looking anxiously forward to reading and seeing everything.
Have a superb day,
Petrikke
Welcome home. That picture of you is just so darling. You fit. Italy is one of my favorite countries too. I stayed there for a year to travel around and miss it dearly. Lucky for me that I’m so close. Looking forward to your next posts and photos :)
Welcome back! Looking forward to hearing your stories!
oh it sounds dreamy….welcome home jenny! I can’t wait to re-live your trip with you here xx
Jenny!!
So glad you are back – I have missed reading your posts. I am so excited to hear more about Tuscany; it sounds like a dream come true.
You went for a painting workshop, is that right? Can’t wait to hear what you learned there!
Hi Jenny!
Welcome back! As usual so great and inspiring to read all of your sharings. I’m waiting and watching at etsy for a painting I’m going to purchase. I just feel that there is one coming….
Keep sharing! love it,
Kathy from AZ
Welcome back, Jenny! Already, it all sounds enchanting.
Jenny! You’re home! I am sure it was bittersweet indeed.
You’ve totally inspired me to take a trip with my mum!
welcome home jenny. i’m really looking forward to hearing all about your trip and seeing your photos. hooray! i’m sure you’re bringing back tons of inspiration. xo! shari