It is a relief to be back in Italy. I’m talking of the weather in its broadest possible terms. The summer in London was disappointing when compared to last year’s amazingly sunny spread and the mixed messages regarding the pandemic given by an undecided government were not reassuring.

In our part of the Italian world autumn has only just begun to be felt and the foliage still remains largely green with, however, some glorious tinges of golds and reds. Days can be warm with temperatures reaching  twenty degrees centigrade but the early mornings and evenings are increasingly nippy with temperatures as low as four degrees centigrade.

We are glad to have returned to our little house in Longoio. London was fun in its kaleidoscopic variety of places to visit but is increasingly expensive to live. We are, however, lucky to be life members of the Arts Fund and are able to gain much reduced admission to many of its famous sights. In the case of Kensington Palace we were even given free entry on production of our membership card.

There is of course plenty to do here in and around Bagni di Lucca but many activities are constrained by pandemic regulations. The wearing of masks and the presentation of the Green Pass, showing that one has received both vaccination doses, is mandatory in most enclosed spaces.  Concerts and events have all to be pre-booked: there’s no point in just turning up. Lucca Comics and Games, which this year has a limited series of events, is sold out and the traditional autumn chestnut festivals are fewer. We are, however, lucky in that our area has its best features free of charge, without mask-wearing and Green Pass. I am, of course, referring to the wonderful natural landscape around us and the great chestnut forests which abound.