On certain days of the year, when we aren’t dealing with Covid, Santa Maria Novella moves some of the Baroque framed paintings away from the nave walls to reveal, for a day, the quattrocentro frescoes which lie beneath. I was fortunate enough to be there one day last August and here are the amazing things I saw. It was wonderful!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

If the sun is out, I am going out for a walk. You can arrest me, but I don’t think you will. I carry my document with all my particulars.

I learned the hard way in the spring lockdown that it isn’t good for my general well being to stay inside my apartment for days, let alone weeks, on end.

So, here’s yesterday beautiful walk in the hills behind my borgo.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

After walks like these, I always ask myself, how could I ever be happy living in the USA again?

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

…are these ubiquitous tabernacles celebrating Christian scenes. They can be located on side streets in towns and cities, as the one above is, or at intersections in the country, as the one below is. It is especially charming when some anonymous person goes to trouble of keeping the flowers refreshed.

On a recent visit to the Uffizi, I was surprised to see this famous British painting!

The Uffizi is now closed for Covid.

The Catholic Church has a lot of followers in Italy, to state the obvious. It is interesting to note how the church maintains its connection with its parishioners during this difficult time:

The very important church of Santissima Annunziata in Florence has posted these updates on the door.

Besides the information these signs deliver, I love to look at them for the colors and fonts. I imagine they are very much like signs created for the past several hundred years. I love catching Italy at its most traditional.