Blogs from Pisa, Tuscany, Italy, Europe

It’s time to swap snow for gelato as this European tour continues! We are leaving the mountain adventures behind and traveling towards stunning Italian vistas. It’s another early morning! Breakfast at 6:30, leaving at 7:30, today is going to be a long travelling day! Another seat rotation - another day! The weather is lovely again, so a bit more vitamin D for everyone! After 3 hours of driving, snoozing and watching a bit of a film on my iPad, we arrive at out first comfort stop. We have just travelled through the tunnel at Gottard Pass. The ‘over’ road would have been a more scenic, but a much longer route, so we took the 20 minute option - the tunnel. Of the 5 Italian lakes, we pass a couple, the first being Lake Lugano. Not long ... read more

No I don't feature in one of Agatha Christie's books as one of the famous murderers who kills victims by poisoning them with Atropa Belladonna, a poisonous plant more commonly known as Deadly Nightshade. Nor have I become the third gardener to accompany the two gardeners / detectives Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme in the British TV series Rosemary & Thyme. I have however become quite the detective when it comes to Medicinal Plants, but through a less scandalous and more simplistic way than by carrying out a murder. I simply visited the Botanical Gardens in Palermo, those of Naples and those of Pisa, instead. I've become fascinated by the medicinal properties of plants, especially those from the Asteracea family.This has inspired me to write four short articles on 4 plants from the Asteracea family, with ... read more

THE ABSENCE OF INSTANT GRATIFICATION IN ITALIAN SOCIETY For me, the way food is served at the McDonald's at Pisa train station represents the society I grew up in and university life. Opportunities seemed readily available as is food on the Mcdonalds menu, we didn't have to wait so long to achieve the things we wanted in life and society imposed few limits on our lives. And when we did achieve, we achieved big things. I think for our generation very little felt outside of our possibilities when we were aged under 25. Here in Italy, the society seems very different to how it is in the UK, in that, it imposes limits and like Italian food, its possibilities are delivered bit by bit, slowly and in small portions like Italian food, which is of course, ... read more

I stayed in a new place called the Train station hostel, which was so pleasant to stay in and conveniently located that I extended my trip in Pisa. I met my ex flatmate who I had lived with in Il Merlo from February to May. His name is Francesco, and it's the first time we've met outside of our accomodation before, mainly because we were not allowed to during the restrictions and everything was closed. We met up at a Pizza place. It was his suggestion, and a great choice. Then we had ice cream in another place and I had a coffee. I cycled from Pisa centre out to the coast at Tirrenia, which is a flat path passing through beautiful fields, allotments, and farmland. I cycle through it every season of the year and ... read more

Vado spesso in questo bellissimo parco centrale, ora chiamato giardino scottò o lo SCOTTO così chiamato dai pisani. E situato a est della città, sulle rive dell'Arno, a due passi da Piazza Guerazzi. È un parco molto pulito, verde e ben tenuto. Ha atmosfera accogliente e rilassante. Mi piace andare al giardino per passeggiare, e per fare jogging. E pieno di aiuole e fiori di ogni tipo. Ci sono grossi platani, le palme e labirinti fatti di siepi. Ci sono molte panchine e tavolini al sole e all'ombra, dove mi piace studiare all'aperto. Sopra i tavoli ci sono gazebi in legno e adoro leggere alla loro ombra. A settembre ho letto lì la rivista Psychologies. Ho passato molte ore lì in totale relax Adoro questo parco e per questo scrivo la descrizione in due lingue : ... read more