This week I continued the theme I started a week or so ago with Tricia in  front of Mount Saint Michael. In 2017 we went to Florence in Tuscany. The Piatti estate and gardens are on a hill overlooking the town, with the Duomo in the distance. It is still the highest building in Florence so it is visible from most everyplace.

On that same trip we visited San Gimignano, just over a one hour drive southwest on the A1 tollway. It is famous for its towers, some of which are like todays multistoried townhouses, with kitchen on one level, salons on another level and bedrooms on yet another level. The only tower currently open to the public is the Torre Grossa, with 218 steps and of course no elevator. Thankfully there are landings along the way with horizon-stretching views that make the rest worthwhile.

Fresh flowers on the coffee table always make for a morning sketch with un café. This week for my Nature Obscura sketch I did one of Magnusun Park and of the dragonflies that live there.

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Another place that we have enjoyed is a lot closer to home, Joshua Tree National Park. These delicate trees need our protection as they are endangered. What is it about climbing? Towers, rocks, hills, trees we never seem to outgrow the desire to get higher, so of course Tricia climbed on one rock after another. Check out her blog on Joshua Tree, and San Gimignano.

I finished off the week with a sketch of a Wine Window, buchette del vino, from Florence. According the Wine Window Association these were first built during the plague in 1532 as a way of dispensing wine without coming in contact with people. There is currently a resurgence in there use, some good ideas just come back around.

I get my second shot this Sunday, I hope you have had or are on the list soon for yours. It gives me hope that more getting out will come as the weather gets better for outdoor sketching. So keep on traveling, even if only around the neighborhood, and of course keep on sketching.