The Arno at Poppi

Piero della Francesca wrote his famous poem here:

If there were to be a bridge across the Arno
Here at the clatter they call Poppi
It were better it were built now than not;
For the latter would be sloppy.

After this went on to try his hand at painting.

He had to wait some time but did eventually ascend the steep mount to the village and the castle of the Conti Guidi.

Later under the tutelage of the Doge of Venice he recalled the incident in his famous egg tempera on board painting: ‘Christ ascending the Conti Guidi bell tower steps at Poppi preceded by Terry’.

History has it that Piero was deafened by the bell tower bells - you have to time your ascent and withdrawal accordingly - and retired to San Sepulcro where he produced the most beautiful painting of Christ Arisen.

More prosaically I bought a new pressure cooker and picked up insurance documents.

Later I finished clearing the steep bank in the dying light. A cold evening followed. Tawny owls were calling.

I’m watching a Norwegian series about a fictional invasion by Russia with EU collusion. Quite good with echoes of the long Nazi Occupation - remember Quisling? - and fears of a Cold War invasion. It is maybe ironic the Nato bunkers on the Lyngen line were being dismantled.

Piero DF might have penned an amusing ditty about that. Probably better overall he stuck to painting, gawd bless ‘im.