Gardening Gone Wild Photo Contest Entry

Italian Rooftop Garden

Florence, Italy

We were in Italy for a 2 week stay the summer of 2006. Italy completely captivated me, my imagination and creativity, opened my heart and brought great joy to my spirit. Our first day there we traveled by train from Rome to Florence. To say Florence, Italy is beautiful would be like saying the sun is hot. Florence must be experienced first-hand for there are no words and no photos that convey how it really is. However, this missive is not to tell everyone about Italy, though no doubt I could fill my blog with tales and photos the rest of the summer. This missive is for my first ever entry into Gardening Gone Wild's Photo Contest. Thought I would give it a go this time ... just for grins.

But to set up the scene you must know that we walked from the train station straight to the Cathedral of Florence, beside which stands Giotto's Campanile. Giotto's Campanile is a free-standing tower residing alongside the Cathedral of Florence along with a host of other buildings. There are 414 steps up a narrow, winding passage. Trust me ... I counted every last one. Thankfully, windows come often, allowing any breezes. Landings allow one to catch one's breath. We climbed up, up, up, pausing at the main landings along the way to peek out to the city below us.

Giotto's Campanile;
Florence, Italy

Taken from the top of Giotto's Campanile;
The red rooftops of Florence, Italy

Once we reached the top we walked around the rooftop, astonished at the sights before us. The red tile rooftops of Florence spread all around us like a tapestry. Gentle green hillsides surrounding the city were dotted with villas and olive gardens while distant landscapes were shaded in blue haze. We enjoyed the scenery and especially enjoyed seeing how people landscaped their rooftops with gardens, one of which is my entry.

What a special memory. This makes me all warm on the inside and smiley on the outside. I hope you enjoyed my little tale of Florence and enjoyed the photos.