Day 15 – From above
Sawn off trunk of an Australian native grass tree.
Day 16 – Family
(xxx)
Day 17 – Centred
Brass door knocker on the centre of a door in Venice, taken on holidays 3 years ago.
Day 18 – Street
(Mine)
Day 19 – Currently reading
This is the sweetest, must touching story. I recommend it!
Day 20 – Cute
Young Chester looks so cute hanging over the front stone wall waiting for passers by to stop and give him a pat.
Day 21 – Lunchtime
Lunch on the run.
Continuing the stories behind some of my favourite quilts before I pack them up for the move.
In the lead up to our trip to Italy in 2007 I had a light bulb moment.
I decided to bring back what would be, to me, the ultimate souvenir: a quilt. I’d make it myself, and it would hold all our precious memories and reminders of our adventures.
This is how I went about it.
First of all I designed the layout on graph paper. It would consist of 12 inch blocks arranged in a seemingly random pattern on a 4 x 4 grid. I raided my stash for fabrics in variations of red, green and gold choosing patterns that reminded me of Baroque music or rich, Italianate architectural styles. Gold stamping was perfect for creating that Renaissance feel too.
I was particularly excited to find this green acanthus leaf fabric in the photo below, looking just like flowery decorative moldings. Here and there I designed pairs of ‘tiles’, squares on point, to suggest, in a simplified way, the mosaic floor tiles I knew I’d find in Italian churches.
Each block included one piece of plain cream homespun among the fancy fabrics, and my plan was to embroider these with small sketches of sights that took my fancy as we travelled around.
Once I had the layout arranged to my satisfaction (see below) I took a photo for future reference.
Finally I gathered together the pieces for each block and popped them into 16 plastic ziplock bags which I labelled by row and column (1A, 1B, 1C etc).
Sixteen small plastic bags of fabric pieces weighed very little, and with a bunch of DMC embroidery threads in a varied palette of greens and khaki shades and my sketchbook tucked into my bag I was ready to capture the essence of Italy and turn it into a quilt!
This pretty little finial was in the grounds of the Vatican.
I just love this little guy carrying an Egyptian obelisk on his back! Created by the sculptor Bernini in 1667, this baby elephant’s a little gem hidden away in the peaceful Piazza Minerva just minutes from the tourist crowds milling at the Pantheon. The day I went looking for him I found myself quite alone in the piazza, delighted to be able to take my time sketching and appreciating the beautifully balanced lines of one of the sweetest little monuments I’ve seen.
By contrast, right beside the Spanish Steps where, it seems, the youth of the world joyously meet, I was taken by this shell shape, carved above the front door of the Keats Shelley Memorial House where John Keats breathed his last.
On to Sicily where we visited the town of Monreale and its magnificent Cathedral where marble columns in the cloisters are decorated with foliage, animals and Biblical scenes.
In Palermo the charming combination of Norman and Arabic architecture caught my eye.
Just a short bus ride from Palermo, in the seaside resort of Mondello, this mermaid fountain dominates the town square. I knew she needed to go in my souvenir quilt, as a reminder of my day at the seaside.
The cathedral in Cefalu boasts this magnificent golden mosaic.
If it’s colour you want you can always count on glorious Tuscany! I’d been trying to get to San Gimignano for twenty years and once there you might say I ate it up 
. Italian ceramics are so exuberant and vibrant, but the only way this huge pitcher was coming home with me was on my quilt.
Assisi was another of those places I’d had on my “bucket list” for ages. Here’s the Church of St Francis.
This is our friend Angela’s Tuscan villa, perched high on a hillside near Manciano surrounded by groves of olive trees. It was our base for a week where we relaxed in the sunshine, read, drank Italian wine, and I caught up with my little embroideries for the quilt. Ah, the serenity……
We also enjoyed some mighty fine meals. One of our favourite gastronimic experiences was wild boar (cinghiale) which we ate casseroled, roasted, skewered, cured, and minced on crostini. This fellow above was stuffed and mounted on a board.
By the time I walked in the front door back home I had most of my embroideries completed and just needed to sew the squares together.
I loved the creative process for this quilt which was, quite literally, a fantastic journey. I’ve had it hanging in our sitting room for the past six years where I see it every day, but writing this post and looking back on all my blog entries for that holiday has brought me even more pleasure than I imagined.
I’m blessed to have such happy memories in my quilt.
There were squeals of delight (and quiet groans from someone who I’ll not name) when we discovered a fabric shop this morning, just up the road from our B & B.
So I’ve finally been able to find a small piece of Italian-produced fabric to take home. I’m pleased I found this particular piece because there have been fragrant lavender bags for sale in so many of the places we’ve visited. Australian Customs won’t object to me bringing in this lavender :-))
Here’s the friendly gentleman who helped me to choose my fabric.
Ravenna has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage area because of its early Christian and Byzantine buildings containing the most exquisite mosaics. You can buy a combined ticket to visit them, and after a couple of days here we’ve almost covered them all.
It’s hard to know where to look first. Up to ceilings of pure gold mosaics like this…
Or down to intricately tiled mosaic floors where thousands have trodden through the ages.
Soft, warm rain. The first we’ve had since the afternoon we arrived in Rome almost 3 weeks ago. We don’t care a bit because it’s given us an excuse to just sit for a while and recharge our batteries.
Breakfast on the ship on Tuesday morning was a rather subdued affair. We’d mostly said our goodbyes the night before, so we could catch an early vaporetto to the station. Unfortunately they wouldn’t let me take Manuel, who looked after us so wonderfully.
Five hours, two trains and a taxi ride later were were at A Casa di Paola in Ravenna. Paola herself is warm and welcoming and her B & B is beautiful. It’s on the second floor of a sensitively renovated historic building, furnished with hand-painted antique furniture, soft chairs for the weary traveller and framed old prints.
Just look at the size of those beams. 
There’s even a trompe l’oeuil on the stairs. 
And this painting on the ceiling.
And did I tell you Paola has free wi-fi internet – Yes!!!!
Only the crew had access to it, but so many times during our cruise I’ve wished I could have stood up there at the pointy end of the ship – OK, so I’m not a sailor – and spread my arms like Leo di Caprio in ‘Titanic’. Last Monday morning was one of these, as we sailed slowly and majestically into Venice.
You could have just looked the other way and pretended you didn’t know me :-)
I was up at 5.30am to get the best vantage point, and undeterred by the chilly wind I stood my ground, taking in every delicious minute.
Thinking I might have seen enough Greek and Roman temples by now. Surprisingly though, just when I’ve felt a little jaded, each new archaeological site has brought unexpected delights. 
Admiring the tenacity of some of our disabled and elderly passengers. There’s so much walking, often involving hills and cobblestones, as well as climbing steps, but yet they somehow manage to keep up.
Visiting wonderful old Sicilian towns, most with histories dating from the 6th century BC. Wow!
Regretting not wearing a hat yesterday just to avoid ‘hat (aka “flat”) hair’. Waking up with a heat headache the next morning is not fun. Goodbye vanity – hello hat!
Feeling so much better after an al fresco breakfast of fruit salad and muesli, orange juice, scrambled eggs and bacon eaten on deck.
Enjoying the cool sensation of the wind in my hair on deck (on my way to the Captain’s Cocktail Party).
Missing everyone at home … just a bit :-))
Searching for a wireless hot-spot every time we go ashore. The ship is not equipped with wi-fi and it’s impossible to upload photos via the computers provided for passengers to check emails. Help! I’m suffering ‘blog withdrawal’! (Though if you’re reading this you’ll know I’ve had my ‘fix’.)
Stitching whenever I can find the opportunity to work on my applique border for the Whirligig quilt.
Discovering a few quilters on board, most of whom have identified me as a fellow patchworker by my selvedge bag.
Eating often! Gelato (by the tonne), freshly-caught fish, pasta, pizza, and all kinds of salads.
Walking great distances (hopefully burning off those calories!) and feeling fitter with each day.
Reading Mary McCarthy’s "’Venice Observed’ as we cruise ever closer to ‘La Serenissima’, our splendid destination.
Listening to ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ on my iPod, usually while I stitch away at my applique.
Appreciating engaging lectures by entertaining academic Dr Richard Wilson (Oxford) on the history of the Mediterranean and passionate food writer Clarissa Hyman (author of ‘Cucina Siciliana’) on the various regional cuisines.
Looking out on Dubrovnik shining in the early morning sun and waiting to be called to go ashore by tender for another walking tour.
Loving the whole experience and thanking God for the opportunity to be here.
