fickle weather

That's what it is. After a beautiful thursday 26th (national holiday in Italy, as it is the celebration of the liberation), today is overcast again and preludes to another rainy week-end. So it is quite fitting that I should post rainy pictures from the previous week-end. Or maybe I am just trying to avert a repeat? But since I will be travelling to Lugano again this week-end, it is almost certain to rain....

Mantova (Veneto)

Apart from the first one, taken in Mantova, the others are from Lombardy, North of Italy in the mountains and around Lake of Iseo. A beautiful region. Around the lakes, the villages look like what you expect of italian villages, colourful, pretty. Up higher in the mountains, it is the mountain village look that is seen. No different form the swiss look, which by the way may only be 1 km away....
Although it is spring, there is still a lot of snow at fairly low altitude I thought (above 1500 m) and the contrast between the snowy tops and the green vegetation and colourful houses was a little bit surprising to me. It reminded of the amazement I had felt in Nepal at seeing Bougainvillé in bloom and lush tropical vegetation against the snowy majesty of the Himalayan range. The Alps are certainly smaller, but beautiful too.

Above Sondrio, the road to the San Marco Pass (closed)

Lovere, on Lake Iseo

Clusone, Monastery

View from the Basilica at Clusone

On another note, I had finished the Armorique shawl by Anntte Petavy / Eclat du soleil. I am very happy with it. The colour is beautiful, it was done in Madelinetosh Prairie, micas colourway, 1 skein crocheted with a 3.5 mm hook. It squishes in a small ball and can be draped around and give the warmth you want from a shawl. I followed Barjolaine in using a larger hook for an open lace look. I had been waiting for a sunny day to take a few pictures. Since I cannot block and like new things washed, I have just extracted the excess water in a towel as I had read on the web and hung it to finish drying, hoping that it would open the design. It does, although doesn't have the crispness of those who do a proper blocking.

Où donner de la tête?

It's difficult to keep up with the weather changes these days.
The trip to London early in April, graced by sunshine and a feeling of spring coming, has been followed by cold rain in Verona, very hot weather for someone who has spent 5 years in London, and heavy rain again.
So, in chronological order, here is a few snapshots of a couple of a recent week-end.
Since Verona is only 1h30 away from Venice by local train (7,5 euros single only!), I hopped on a train for the day when the weather was ideal and spent the day shooting. Of course my battery ran out 50 m from the Piazza San Marco and I could only find a shop selling batteries after the Rialto bridge. Such is the price to pay for having delayed buying a second battery. But that did not diminish the fun for very long.

 

One of the two is a reflection on the canal....

Spring

Finally time to start again, after all the changes.
The PhD being finished, I left London, with regrets, and moved back to Paris. From there to Verona, Italy for a few months of work.
I have tried to fit some training in this new organization, in Paris and in Verona. The remparts surrounding the old town of Verona are set like a park, with trees, a small lane and grass. It is a lovely place to be when the sun is out, something all too rare this winter and spring.

For Christmas, we (design by the girls, execution by yours truly) made carzy patchwork balls. More precisely they could be described as Frankenstein Christmas balls. But it was fun! I even made myself one... To go with it I had made little garlands of crocheted snowflakes and simple granny squares in coloured linen yarn from Namolio.

I have also managed to crochet a little bit. in January I managed to start and finish (thanks to the trip to BHM) a scarf in Malabrigo yarn (Bobby blue, superb colour). Hook 1.25, just assembling squares on the go (square N°39 from Annie's attic 101 granny squares) with a border to finish nicely. It was given unblocked, so looks a bit rumpled. Next one finished will be the Armorique shawl...