All important ideas must include the trees, the mountains, and the rivers.
—Mary Oliver

River Fiora at Vulci park.

Like a piece of ice on a hot stove the poem must ride on its own melting.
—Robert Frost

“I have used up all my motives to smile, but then you arrived. Ti amo.” Imagine reading this from your window first thing in the morning. In Roma they know how to love.

There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
—W. Somerset Maugham (quote reblogged from The Sarcastic Muse)

In Roma they know how to live: if you strike those keys, it goes more easily. All photos: MM

Thursday Doors, September 10

The travelling uncleberry was here again. That’s right, the door-pointing one. I can’t believe it’s that time again. But today it’s not only the doors, and there is only one building in question.

This time we didn’t explore much due to my flu but we did return to the ancient Etruscan metropola of Vulci between Montalto di Castro and Canino which I discovered once by chance with the help of sheep above the emerald Fiora, and tried to return by taking a too bumpy and river-crossed country road.

We have learnt that the beautiful Badia Castle, with two doors, hosts a museum which is free every first Sunday of the month. We missed that by one day. Mondays they are closed, therefore we shall return.

The castle of the Etruscan metropola Vulci.

He looks like a landlord overseeing his property.

Lovely Badia Castle which hosts an Etruscan museum.

Peeping duo

History is rich in this one.

Another door!

Opening times info: Not today.

Fiora river

My travelling companions

Photo: MM

For Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors challenge.

WPC: River on the way

On the way home from Orvieto I took a new road, on purpose. Not an adventurous move? The last time I did this, we had to return because a rather deep river was blocking the road.

I didn’t take a photo of it then but this time I glanced over a bridge I was passing and I saw her again: the Fiora river that reminds me of home.

There was a nice parking and a nice path down.

It’s time our bestia learns what we do with dogs in Slovenia. And how good it feels.

It was a beautiful day and to be on the way was to be there already.

And closer to home I spotted our next on-the-way destination. Unless it is private property which in Italy happens a lot.

Photo: MM

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “On the Way.”

Animal post

One of these days is the birthday of a great animal lover and a good friend who faces a change of pace and life. That’s why I’m sending little and not so little helpers to your aid. I hope you return one day to observe them in their natural habitat.

The first one is a mystery that will be disclosed in the end:

To stick with mammals, we’ve got a peculiarity, the Tuscan Tree Cat:

And here is something in between, a nutria, and the orange teeth are the real deal:

Here are a couple of couples, a mom and a daughter and my mom with a friend:

And here we can see who the model was for this Orvieto shop owner:

Here are the flamingos for which Orbetello lagoon is famous but we have not yet seen them closer than this:

Here is an encounter with a duck:

And here are some more flyers resting:

To conclude: your favourites.

And for the very end, your friend, happy to discover this beautiful river. (And yes, it is his tail higher up in the grass!)

Photo: MM