Ciao beautiful Pinmapple folks! Here are some snapshots of our trip up to the mountains this weekend, where we lunched and lay down in the wilds.... [//]:# (!pinmapple 41.40579 lat 14.57011 long beautiful camping space d3scr)

The road up past Cusano Mutri and Pietraroja is particularly spectacular, but I took just one wee snapshot, as I only had my silly phone camera and it doesn't do the landscape justice! The area is very steep and rocky, with unique geological outcrops and features... I'll share more of that another day.

I wanted to share a little window into this profound peace and realignment that was provided by the chosen spot where we ate under the trees, and the open area where we lay down to soak up the roasting sunbeams and listen to birdsong...

Arriving, and setting my feet down on the forest floor, looking up into the branches... I felt everything was like jewels... I was marvelling at the blue of the sky and the bright green through to orange of the beech leaves... and the contrast between greenest grass and beech leaves fallen... All was magnificently perfect and shining, and I felt that we were part of that good vibe.

Vittorio had brought some pasta and meat sauce already cooked, and I had a potato salad with capers and herbs from the garden. It was a brilliant meal. Simple and tasty, rich with nutriment and meaning, from local plants and animal. It felt sacred sitting at the wooden picnic bench and eating under the canopy-halo with the sky blessing us.

Quite a few times in my life, I've not found access to the best food, or not been able to forage/ harvest it myself from my own gardens/ the wilds: now that I have my taproot down in a culture and country, it is the easiest thing in the world to have meals filled with glorious ingredients freely given by nature - I will never take this for granted.

Simple food, deeply appreciated, in a natural context... divine.

We went for a short walk immediately after eating, as the picnic bench and car were in a space that is more public: even though we only saw a couple of other cars that day, it was still nicer to rest away from the road - to feel that bit more immersed in nature.

Every aspect of the landscape seemed to be glowing and activated. Our presence seemed to be welcomed and reciprocated: I felt a lot of energy there - a lot of peace and easiness.

I hope that your imagination can spice up these snapshots, and let you feel how awe-inspiring the views and our surroundings were! There are long vistas north from the spot where we lay down, and the mountains seem to echo blue into the distance towards Rome...

The space where we lay down was just near the very interesting rock formation that seems like a stone circle (which are prevalent in my Scottish landscape) - that you see in the top photo of this post - but it is naturally formed. You can see it from the air on the Pinmapple.

The trees, mostly beech, hawthorn, oak and wild apple, were glistening and softly shushing in the sunlight and the wind. It was heavenly.

The flies kept buzzing around our heads, but they also took a siesta! It was so funny: they were quite aggravating, but then they went for a lie down like us. Hahahaha! They were reminding us that nothing is all perfect, and that they too had to work, rest and play :-D

If you are ever in this part of the world, send me a message and I'll recommend other glorious local spots like this. It is a very nice landscape all around us in the Sannio Valley and up into the Matese mountains: pretty much very beautiful and spectacular in every direction! I love getting to know it over more and more years spent here, loving my surroundings.

Many blessings to you, wherever you are travelling and enjoying nature in the world!

LOve!

Clare.