Tuscan Patio Part I

Five years ago my husband, our two boys and I headed off on a European vacation.  We toured around London and Paris, and spent a week in Tuscany.  Sounds wonderful, right?  Well, it was… except for our accommodation.  We stayed in a so-called Tuscan Farmhouse but really it was more like a barn and there were a few too many bugs for my liking.  Aside from that, however, we had a great time exploring the area.  The scenery is beautiful and yes, the sunflowers really do turn their heads to the sun.

One of my favourite places in Tuscany was San Gimignano, a small, medieval walled city in the province of Siena, Italy:

(Source:  Traveljapanblog.com)

(Source:  Pinterest.com)

As you walk along the streets of these small towns, it’s hard not to be impressed by the history.  After all, San Gimignano was founded by the Etruscans in the 3rd Century BC!  While we were there, I fell in love with the hand painted pottery — dishes, vases and especially the ceramic table tops — but at nearly $3,000.00 for just the the table top (not including the base or shipping) sadly I had to leave that souvenir in Italy.

(Source: www.leoncini-italy.com)

I sure enjoyed window shopping though and brought home a few small ceramics as a reminder of this beautiful place.

(Source:  www.flickr.com)

One thing I decided, even though I wasn’t able to bring home a table top, was that I wanted to bring a taste of the Italian countryside to my backyard patio in North Vancouver, and with a few simple touches, that is what I did.  Stay tuned (in my next post) for a look at how I brought Tuscany home.