Holiday stays

Eremo Natura il Giglione, up in the hills east of Arezzo



Villa i Cancelli, Florence

One of the Romanesque churches of Pratovecchio. Not staying very near this church but hope to see it.




Been very focussed on my trip (only five and a half weeks now). I've decided to go to an area called the Casentino, a valley to the east of Florence, up against the western side of the Apennines. This is the very top of the valley of the Arno. Its history is one of monastic establishments, drawn there by the peace and seclusion of the thickly forested hills - Chiusi della Verna was the place where St Francis received the stigmata. The sanctuary church has terracotta works by della Robbia which I hope to see. Nearby Camaldoli was established as a large monastery and hermitage by the Benedictine Camaldolese order, and Pratovecchio has several very old churches. I'm staying at the Monastero Monache Domenicane Santa Maria delle Neve, the monastery of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Mary of the Snows. Villa i Cancelli ( the Villa of the Windows) is another convent, in Florence, above the city on the northern hills. There's a very good website called Monastery Stays that I found these through. And Eremo Natura il Giglione is a BandB that I found on airBnB; it might be a bit hard to get to but I'll get there somehow!
   So now I have to get more stuff sorted; money arrangements,
and what to do with Thomas and the house. Poor Thom, he'll be so lonely here while I'm away. Someone will be coming to feed him, but it's not the same as having his doting Mummy with him.
  I'll have to start a list of things to get done, and some bits and pieces to buy before I go. It's exciting but scary as well; I'm already having "I'm late-for-the-plane!" type nightmares!