RESTORATION

This house has been derelict for years but is being done up now by Irio, an antiquario (antiques dealer) in Lucca. He was delighted to have photographs taken, his wife is a photographer and had an exhibit recently. It was she who saved the glorious flowering tree to the right. It was encased in ivy so he wanted to cut it down. His wife said he should cut the ivy, instead. It's interesting, that. Most men want to cut and most women want to save.

We were given a tour. I am always envious of people doing up houses because it is such a rewarding, if prohibitively expensive, thing to do. Irio is doing most of the work, himself, with the help of two lads from town. The white patch on his head is a bandage, one of the hazards of DIY.

It's a bright, sunny day with a cold wind. The Mediterranean tree heather is in bloom and the air is sweetly scented. It is warmer in the UK today than it is here. I have too many pictures but if you want to see the original fireplace in the house, this is it. Fireplace.

And if you want to see Irio, here he is: Irio.

For the record: +9 C. Sunny, windy.