Scenes From Our Corner of the Village

Here is a picture of our newly re-varnished door. It is now bright and shiny and very welcoming.

This is what our corner of the courtyard looks like when you approach the front door. All the greenery is thanks to our neighbor Maria Rosa. She has quite the "green thumb" and manages to grow quite a selection of plants in various size pots on the patio.

Here is what we see when we look out our front door. This morning it was overcast and we even had a light sprinkle of rain. It cooled things off a little bit but it is still hot and muggy.

This is one of the pots I have on our window sills. I love the combination of blue lobelia and yellow-orange marigolds.

Lots of our neighbors have pots full of flowers surrounding their front doors. Note the white cat by the drain pipe waiting for the lunch time leftovers to be put outside.

I love the succulents that grow wild in the old stone walls. As we walk past this particular wall the yellow flowers are just peeping over the top. However, when I leaned over to take this picture I found a much larger plant tucked into the crevice.

This gate is a particular favorite of mine. Beyond it is five or six foot drop-off. When we first were coming here, part of the old wooden steps were still there. The cats often use the derelict barn on the left to have their kittens. The tiny fur balls would scamper up and down the remains of the steps. Now the steps are gone and we have not seen any kittens this spring.

Things are getting all tidied up around here in preparation for Sunday's marcia podistica (organized walk) that is put on by and passes through the village. Last weekend they repainted the white arrows and other markings that designate the routes. The walk passes right along this path but the participants will probably never see this view as they will be heading away from the church.

I am also fond of this gate and rosemary bush. The rosemary used to hang over the wall and I often brushed against it or ran my hand through it as I was walking down from the car. There is something special about the smell of fresh herbs.

Walking down from the parking area towards our place this house is the first one you see. Climbing up the side of it is a huge jasmine plant, one of many in the village. Between the blooming jasmine and the blooming mulberry trees the air this time of year is heavily scented. When I lay in bed at night the perfume reminds me of the trip I made here five years ago with my girlfriends. It was the first time I was here so late in the month of June. Happy "anniversary" to all my TALDI buddies!!