Italy Pic of the Day | Under the Tuscan Sunset & Raoul Bova
Long before moving to Italy I (like many other romantic women) fell in love with Under the Tuscan Sun. I wanted to experience what Frances did and move to Italy. Minus the part about the cheating husband of course. Shall we take a quick look back before I explain what this all has to do with today’s Italy Pic of the Day?
There are moments in my life now living in Italy where I flash back to Under the Tuscan Sun all the time. During last night’s sunset walk when I look up and remembered the line “creepy Italian trees.” When the elder neighbor we nicknamed Mr. Magoo passes by our balcony like clockwork, completely unaware of our presence. When Paolo said “I could swim in your eyes.” A phrase similar to what Marcello said to Frances.
Dropping my phone this week when Raoul Bova (aka Marcello in Under the Tuscan Sun) started following me on Instagram. I kid you not! Check his following list on Insta and you’ll find me ALOR_Italy!
Sorry got distracted finding his most recent post for you to gaze at, can you blame me? Now, where were we? Oh yes, right the Italy Pic of the Day! A romanic sunset Paolo captured during our stay at Villa Medicea di Lilliano just outside Florence in Tuscany.
Italy Pic of the Day | Tuscan Sunset Outside Florence
Paolo and I had a secret we toasted under this very sunset. We hadn’t told anyone else yet, but we were house hunting in Tuscany. As the sun slipped below the horizon, we clinked glasses fully believing we would soon be watching a Tuscan sunset from our own balcony. I sat back thinking, wow Frances isn’t the only one who knows how to make her dreams come true. Little did I know COVID would throw a wrench right into the middle of our plans!
I decided to turn back to our last trip to Tuscany for the next Italy Pic of the Day series today while cleaning out my inbox. There goes all the romance out of this post! I promise there’s a sweet ending just around the corner.
In my inbox was an email from Paolo dated Tuesday March 10th, 2020 that simply said:
Stay 1: Castagneto Carducci, Marina di Castagneto Carducci, Cecina, Bolgheri,
Stay 2: Marina di Grosseto, Castiglione della Pescaia, Follonica
Stay 3: Talamone, Orbetello, Argentario (Porto Santo Stefano, Porto Ercole) Capalbio
Stay 4: San Casciano in Val di Pesa
He had emailed me the list of Tuscan cities we were booked to stay in after our move to Italy. This is where we both thought we would live. I never saw life in Bardonecchia coming. Which brings me to my favorite line from Under the Tuscan Sun.
“Any arbitrary turning along the way and I would be elsewhere; I would be different.”
― Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun
2020 has been a year of turns no one saw coming. Many of us different because of them. I’m diving into photos from Tuscany for my upcoming Italy Pic of the Days because Florence, the capital of Tuscany is the birthplace of the Renaissance. A period of cultural, artistic, political and economic rebirth. Sounds sort of refreshing right about now, doesn’t it?
We might not see every turn coming, but so long as there’s a sunset we can find magic in another day and a renewed hope for tomorrow.
Raul could have been the pic of the day!!😊😊
I mean… maybe I should ask if we can photograph him for it 😉
I couldn’t agree more! I’m sure if you did a poll, it will be all in favour of that!
I still cannot believe he follows me in Instagram. I seriously dropped my phone!
So lucky!! 🤩