Sculpture Park 9th February 2013

We visited an exhibition in a sculpture park near Salisbury today.  The sculptures are placed in a large garden which surrounds an early 19th century country house.  The cloud was almost at ground level and the rain turned to light snow - magical weather for a sculpture park!

Anthony Caro's "Fossil Flats" with the house in the background:

There is another Caro, "Millbank Steps", in a field that is usually full of cattle, but not today!

There are two Barry Flanagan hare sculptures - "30ft acrobats" - it really is 30 feet tall!  You can just see it in the bottom left of the photo - I was just as fascinated by the snow shadows under the trees:

And "Large Monument":

Here's a close-up of the hare "thinker" sitting at the base of the Monument:

I love the sculptures of Richard Long, here "Tame Buzzard Line":

There are two Anthony Gormley figures, "Another Time XII", both staring out over the fields (Nigel Hall's "Stretched Diagonals" in the field beyond):

Also out in one of the fields is Christopher Le Brun's "Union Horse with two Discs":

And a smaller horse "Belvedere":

A Barbara Hepworth on the terrace, "Summer Dance":

A great cat by Laura Ford, "Day of Judgement Cat II":

And her "Bird":

Michael Craig-Martin's "Umbrella (Orange)" wasn't doing much good:

Chianti 3rd February 2013

This is a view of the cluster of buildings around the monastery church, looking south down the Arno valley towards Cortona

The view from the front of the monastery church is across the valley.  The hamlet in the middle distance is called San Pancrazio, and is a collection of farmhouses around a church.  Behind it you can see the industrial development that follows the route of the A1 motorway down the Arno valley from Florence towards Rome  The Appenines beyond have a slight dusting of snow.

Siena 2nd February 2013

There is a big depression sweeping down Italy today and it's raining hard in Chianti, so we decided to go into Siena,  The town hall, the Palazzo Publico, looks good against an iron grey sky across the Campo, where the Palio horse race is run in the summer.

We sheltered for a few minutes in the courtyard, where you can look up at the Torre del Mangia (it is closed when it rains)

And out through the gateway across the Campo to the marble fountain, the Fonte Gaia

Everywhere you walk around Siena you get glimpses of the Torre del Mangia - here down the main street

and here down a narrow alleyway

It's great fun to window shop in Siena - here is some leather

And here is some art

It's unusual to see the cathedral, the Duomo, with so few people around

I took this photo of the campanile as the Angelus was ringing at noon - I wish you could hear the bells!

The rain was bouncing off the base of the cathedral

And running down the steps to the Baptistery

Time for a coffee and dolce in Nannini!

Chianti 1st February 2013

We went for a lovely long walk today around the village of Gaiole-in-Chianti

The hills are quite bare compared with how lush they are in the spring.

Here's a different angle on San Donato.

Near the centre of the village is the Castello di Spaltenna.  This is a fortified medieval church which is now a lovely hotel.

There are several modern sculptures down the main street, but my favourite is this one by Matthew Spender, carved in travertine.  Matthew is the son of the poet Stephen Spender, and has lived outside Gaiole for very many years.

I love the faded "Trattoria Empoli" sign on this old hostelry.

We had a welcome coffee in the village square - this is a self-portrait of you look closely.

And finally lunch in the sunshine!



Chianti 31st January 2013

The sun started to burn through the mist soon after breakfast, and the rolling hills appreared below us

The market stall where I bought my fruit and vegetables is in the hilltop town of Radda-in-Chianti, seen here from another hilltop

On route I drove past a big wine estate, San Donato in Perano, of which more tomorrow, surrounded by its Chianti Classico vineyards