Before And After

  

  Arriving here in Panicale on February 28th, the season was still winter. Late winter, for sure...we missed any snow that may have fallen in town, and it was a sunny, crisp and clear day. But it was still winter. 

  Of course, out comes the camera for some early shots of the visit. So glad I did this. As I was looking at photos I've taken this year, I saw that I had several shots of great "Before & After" scenes, showing what a dramatic change I've witnessed over the past two months. 

  I knew it was happening slowly all around us, every day....it's just such high drama to see the results side by side.

  Or in this case, above and below....

  Spring has most definitely sprung, and I'm so glad to have been an appreciative observer.

Just out side the walls of Panicale, the cobbled road that begins a great hike.
Notice the winter-dead vine on the curved wall...

Big change!

  Seemingly overnight, the landscape has gone from the soft brown/green of late Winter, to the velvety, luxurious greens of Spring. 

  I have loved coming out every day to see this view from the walls, to watch the changes in the hills and fields. 

  Even Lago Trasimeno goes through a myriad of color changes, which never ceases to amaze me....One day celadon green, the next turquoise blue....depending on the color of the sky, I know. 

  

  Because of all the foul weather here in March, it took awhile for the fields to dry out and come back to life. A few days of sunshine in the last couple of weeks, and everything pops.

Early March.

End of April.

  A favorite spot for everyone to take photos, "Stew & Midge's House" goes through a very beautiful metamorphosis in the Spring. A fantastic garden, one of very few inside the walls of Panicale, the wisteria here becomes a total show stopper.

  Today, our second to last in Panicale, I want to go see how the Banksia Roses are coming along. There is a huge display, just running along a pergola along the wall under the wisteria. I'll get a shot for later....

Pretty here.....

Show (and tourist) Stopping here!

  Our own little garden on the stairs to our apartment even went through a big Spring change. I couldn't help myself from having some herbs and flowers....

Upon arrival, with a few herbs I bought for cooking...

After a trip to the local nursery. I hope the next guests enjoy these.

  Last year, we stayed in this "little casa rossa", just outside of town. I loved having the big garden to play in, and we still enjoy checking it out as we walk along the outside walls. It's a real cutie...

  As it is tucked into the hills, we watched the surrounding landscape come to life in the past few weeks. The upper terrace kiwi vine pops out, and the plum and apple trees bloom...and everything goes green, green, green.

  Even the farmhouse behind gets all greened up.

"Villa Adriana", early March.

"Villa Adriana" late April.

  I promise, there will soon be a post just on wisteria I've photographed this year, all around the area. They have been magic. But here are a couple of peeks at what happened on the walls in Panicale....

I was so excited when I finally saw buds in early April. I didn't think we would
get to see the wisteria bloom this year, with all the cold and wet.

Ta-Da!

Early March.

           Cue the angels singing.....AND.....

Aaaaaahhhhhhh.....

  Just looking out the windows of our own apartment it's been happening. The little town park has really come into it's own. This blows my mind, it came so fast, the trees leafing out in just days, like they were all waiting for a little warm weather...which is true, of course.

  We hear that in Summer, they open a little bar (the small building in the back), set out chairs, and have live jazz here sometimes. Now that would be another change I'd like to see sometime!

I wanted a picture of our car... Early March.

Not our car, but still....wow.
Just this week.

  We've been seriously walking several mornings a week this year (ummm...so why have I still put on, like, 10 pounds???) (oh, that's right...the pasta....the cheese....the bread.... the wine......), and even though we comment on all the subtle changes along the way, and the different shades of greens that have appeared, when I see these next photos together, I can't believe it all just flipped in the last couple of weeks....

10 pounds ago.

Now. Jeez.

  Anyway, it's been a glorious Spring to watch unfold, and as we are now packing for home, we are sorry to already be missing it all.
  I am very excited, though, to see what Spring has done to my very own garden back home..Really can't wait to see it!