MEET CHIARA

This is Chiara, straight from the camera. The sadness and softness you see in her face is because we'd been discussing her mother, and a dear neighbour, who is in hospital with kidney failure. Chiara has been out daily to look after both her mother and her father and is now making visits to the hospital. She also has a demanding job.

She is a very high ranking police officer. The power she has is mind boggling. She once saved me from a long queue of sweating immigrati in the hot August sun, all of us waiting for our permissions to live in Italy. I was allowed inside the police station and I had my permission, zot, just like that. There is always a revolver tucked about her person.

She is married to a high ranking Carabinieri officer. Their 11-year-old son is the junior fencing champion of Italy. His bedroom is bristling with trophies. It doesn't do to mess with any of them.

This time, I was outside of the car and she was inside hers, a change from yesterday when I was skulking inside a car and Luigi, yesterday's picture, was outside.

An even bigger change is that the sun was shining. Hearts were lifted, people were busy in the olive groves. I was at the crossroads doing a portrait of Connie, a lovely little collie, when Chiara stopped to chat. The pictures of Connie are smashing but, another day.

It was good to be out in the hills again. My camera is packed with beautiful photographs. Water is still running along the roads, glistening from the tree leaves and plants, there were huge, white puffy clouds over the mountains and it is good to be alive, but there is sorrow, too. Also, I raved about the sun too soon. It is raining again and the server is still as slow as treacle/molasses in January.