I probably don’t need to tell you where this photo was taken. We visited Pisa last Wednesday. It’s not far from Lucca and we had our own bus for the day. We met a local guide, Francesca, who gave us an informative tour and then we sketched for an hour or so before lunch. After the usual lengthy and tasty lunch, we had free time for sketching and exploring before our departure.
On our way back to Lucca, our driver Giuseppe detoured to Torre del Lago. Puccini wrote many of his operas in an old watch tower converted into a villa.
Thursday was a painting and sketching day in Lucca and we spent it at Villa Bottini, a peaceful walled park. There was plenty of subject matter inside and outside the wall and it was a very productive day.
It was back to the Hotel Rex for our critique at the end of the day. Most of the work was from Villa Bottini but you may recognize a few images from Pisa, as well.
Yesterday was Friday and our destination was Montecatini Alto, a gorgeous hilltop village not far from Lucca. Our first day of bad weather was looming and it fulfilled it’s nasty promise. After a few hours, our artists sought shelter in cafes as strong winds and heavy rain swept through Tuscany. The restaurant that hosted our group lunch opened it’s doors to us and many sketched from inside the historic old building. We had to cut our day a little bit short when the tempest returned in the afternoon but it was a comfort to hop onto our own bus which waited nearby.
Saturday and Sunday are free days. Most of the group are off on day trips to Siena, Barga and even Bologna. Plans to take the train to Florence have been compromised by a rail strike. In typical Italian fashion, the strike is scheduled to last only twenty four hours or so but the timing is terrible for those who had booked visits to the Uffizi and the Accademia.
Barry Coombs Art Workshops 