A NEW DAWN, A NEW DAY, A NEW YEAR

This was taken at around 7:30 this morning, just before dawn. It was +1 C. There is not much colour in the sky because Tuscan dawns don't run to it. I was awakened by gunfire half an hour earlier. The song bird hunters were starting the New Year right by polishing off as many little birds as they could.

The lights in the distance are the city of Lucca. The sticks in the foreground are new growth on the persimmon tree. When in leaf it blots out the view entirely.


For the record: Neighbourhood fireworks last night were very subdued. Too expensive. It is +7 C at noon, clouding over, but have seen the sun and a few stars last night. Today, plastic bags become illegal in Italy. Retailers will have to use paper or biodegradable ones. I understand 400 bags are used per person, per year. Many of them are certainly re-used for rubbish, for lunches, collecting mushrooms, chestnuts and edible weeds, but more of them end up in the countryside.

RIP Iain, 25-12-2010 and Adam, 31-12-2010.