My Journey - Chronicle 7 - A second visit to Tuscany

This year I continued to paint full time as the energy and flow enveloped me. I also had a great urge to go back to Tuscany. I pay attention to my urges ! Not being in a position to fund another trip to the residency, I put my wish out to the universe and asked that it be taken care of. Soon after I came across the “Workaway” website that allows a person to have free room and board in any country they wish, in exchange for approximately 5 hours of work per day. Sounded pretty good to me!

I perused the site and was offered several choices and I finally decided on a place called Pontassieve in Tuscany. So in June 2017 I hopped on a plane with my art supplies and headed off to a new two month adventure.

The secluded 600 year old large farmhouse was set high in the mountains overlooking the incredible countryside. The only sounds were of birds and horses, leaves rustling in the trees, and I swear I could hear the sun ! There was a pet family of 1 dog and 8 cats who fell under my care. Other than that, there were roaming wild boar and deer and the semi-friendly badger who was blind in one eye and came scurrying out in search for food . The days were peaceful, a time to look within myself. I spent time in the large meditation room and outside in the beautiful nature surrounding me.

It was a time to regroup and rebalance and allow the energy of nature to nourish and replenish my soul. I do believe that my host and I had in fact met in a previous life and it was a time to forgive and come to a peaceful understanding. Perhaps I inspired him, as he picked up a paintbrush for the first time and started to release energies from his soul that had pent up for too long. There is so much therapy in creation, for oneself and for those around us.

I had plenty of time to paint in a studio with wonderful natural light. I made frequent trips to Florence, which was only 30 minutes by train. Being back in the city was again a feeling of coming home. I soaked up the energy and culture with every footstep. I walked the streets, ate in cafes, explored museums and found music almost everywhere I went. I also spent a day back at the Artist Residency at La Macina di san Cresci where Mimma and Duccio prepared a lovey meal which we ate in the beautiful garden that overlooks Montefioralle, and they had thoughtfully invited some of their friends which I had befriended when I was there in 2016. It was so nice to spend time with them again. And this time, no spirits lurked in the 1000 year old structure. They had all been set free.

It was a spiritual and enlightening adventure, and sitting in the airplane on my way back home, I knew for certain that I had been called to go there.