25/04/2024
I wanted to create a post to introduce myself and the reason for me starting up this little FB page. I'm an engineer by trade, and currently still work in engineering for the day job, however a trip to Italy in 2006 ignited a passion that has been with me ever since.
That first trip was to Naples where I spent 2 weeks with my then fiance, now wife. During that two weeks I discovered a love for real Italian food and wine, for the vibrant and welcoming people and for the abundant history and art around every corner. Naples was and still is a city of contrasts. Among the streets of crumbling old apartments where poverty and cholera were once rife, there are baroque churches filled with artistic treasures gleaming in gilt frames and palaces where the elite entertained equally wealthy visitors. The people remain the most animated and vibrant that I've encountered anywhere, displaying that live for the moment mentality via sudden outbursts of opera or by taking their pet bird for a walk (I'm not joking)!
We saw world renowned treasures at Pompeii and Herculaneum, climbed up to castles and monasteries, and spent a full day in the archaeological museum - probably getting over the shock of the gabinetto segreto! By the end of the two weeks, we knew every street of bella Napoli. My overriding memory though? Standing in front of Caravaggio's Seven Works of Mercy in the Pio Monte di Misericordia, completely hypnotized by the dark, brooding scene before me.
My newfound love for art eventually led me to Tuscany, home of the Renaissance. Me and my family have been visiting every year for 13 years now, and there is still so much to discover. Over the years we have gotten to know the region very well. We love the Tuscan food above all other 'Italian' cuisine, we love the little villages off the tourist trail where traditions live on and the rare tourist is welcomed with open arms. We love the fact that you can open any church door and find some artistic treasures, often taken for granted by the locals who see them every day. The views, oh the views - even the most mundane, industrial town gives way to views of rolling hills, olive groves and vineyards!
Each season presents a different experience too. The first warmth of springtime brings out beautiful floral displays of wisteria and poppies; the summer sun parches the landscape creating the golden wheat fields that dance under it's glow; autumn is harvest time and the countryside comes alive with farmers gathering there crops. Porcini, truffles and game meats fill menus, this is the time for the best food! Winter sees the land go to sleep for a while. The scent of wood from the fireplaces fills the air, often mixed with the aroma of a slow cooked stew.
We have visited many other places in Italy too, the Aosta Valley, Umbria, Liguria, Emilia Romagna, Lazio, Sicily, Lombardy, the Veneto. All of them have a huge amount to offer, with an incredible array of cultural highlights and a healthy larder to tempt even the fussiest of eaters. But it's Tuscany the has endeared itself to us, and one day we will make it home.
The passion for art history that was ignited by my trips to Italy and my good friend and collaborator in Tuscany led me to complete a BA and an MA in Art History. As a working class bloke from northern England, I hope that by sharing my passions with you, you'll see that art and culture aren't just a pursuit of the elite - they are for everyone. I'm also passionate about sustainable tourism, so you'll rarely see posts recommending visits to famous places. In Italy there are millions of unknown spots worthy of your attention, yet they get overlooked in favour of crowded Instagram hotspots. Let's change that, let's spread the love so that everyone can benefit from kinder tourism.
