A flowery meadow

A couple of days ago, soon after we returned from Ferarra, we went back to the Bagni di Lucca valley, up above Montefegatesi to the hill of Monte Prato Fiorito - the "flowery meadow".  The initial walk up the road showed that a lot of tree debris had had to be cleared after the storm. Not many people live up here - there is no village - but I suppose everyone has to have access ...  The two or three stands of fir trees were strangely carpeted with fallen boughs presumaby broken off in the constant motion of the trees a week ago.

There were primroses, hellebores and crocuses all the way, and only a little snow left at the top of the roadway and the hill itself.  Not as clear a sky as we have been used to, but no rain - and no wind!  Slightly fewer crocuses on the top than last year, but perhaps it is a later spring - and I'm sure a blink of sun would have opened up the flowers which were there.

It is very hard not to take yet another photograph of Montefegatesi ..

Barbara inspects some older fir trees which have been cut to clear the road

Untroubled by events - crocuses all the way up the road

The strange carpet of branches and needles under the fir trees

Prato Fiorito - on the top 

The Apuan alps seen from the top