Unlike my last time in Italy, which was unfortunately marred by the slow unravelling of my relationship with my then girlfriend (which culminated in my creating the lumbering behemoth that was the Bloody Stupid Musical Partnerships thread after we split up), this one was a joy from start to finish. As usual I shall write in handy, easily-digestible bullet point form...

● Strangely, considering my passion for art, I hadn't previously been to see many of Italy's great treasures. I was determined that this time things would be different. I stood in awe in front of Luca Signorelli's fresco cycle The Last Judgement at the Duomo in Orvieto, marvelled at the delicacy of Fra Angelico's works in the Museo di San Marco in Florence, stood gobsmacked in the basilicas of San Francesco in Assisi and San Vitale in Ravenna and was profoundly moved by Giotto's imagery in the Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua.

● I was fortunate enough to be able to visit 20 different places during my five weeks away. Genova thrilled me with its rough-edged energy and slightly menacing atmosphere, Lucca soothed me with its peaceful charm and Florence felt cosily familiar after my 5 months living there two years ago. Other places I saw and loved included the almost comically-beautiful Vernazza in the Cinque Terre, the medieval town of Gubbio and the charming fishing village of Boccadasse.

● One of the major highlights for me was having some long and very interesting conversations with the locals in the places I visited. My Italian had improved since I was last there and it was fantastic to be able to really connect with the people I met outside bars, on trains and in shops. Many of these chats were centred around people's shame and disgust at the nation's twisted buffoon of a Prime Minister. But a particularly memorable one was with a bloke with a glass eye outside a pizzeria in Sabaudia who claimed to have been a superstar DJ in the 1980s. I was somewhat suspicious of the veracity of this statement, even more so when he then went on to say that he was a professor of foreign languages. Sadly I didn't know the Italian for "You're yanking my chain".

● Perhaps best of all was the time I spent with my dear friends Paola, Ross and nine-year-old daughter Shani with whom I'd been to Cornwall at the start of the year. I love Shani so much and we had a great time playing a game similar to Snap at which I was thrashed every single time. The one I lost 12-0 produced a fit of giggles from her that lasted for quite some time. She's a very creative child and had produced a magnificent cardboard airplane which she had filled with assorted cut-outs of dinosaurs and the entire family of Peppa Pig. I contributed a Triceratops which was a bit rubbish really as I copied it from the cover of one of her books. Towards the end of my time with them I went to a bar for a quiet espresso or three and Ross told me that I was like an uncle to Shani. I am not ashamed to say that I was welling up when he said that. It's about the nicest thing I could possibly have heard.

● I immersed myself in the Italian lifestyle as much as possible. I sipped the extraordinary coffee that seems to be ubiquitous there and ate some food that seemed to have been handed down from the kitchen of the gods. One meal in particular, trenette with Genovese pesto, beans and potato, was quite possibly the most fabulous food I have ever placed in my gob. Words cannot begin to do justice to its utter deliciousness.

● Not having an iPod with me meant that I was short on music to listen to during my time away. So I found myself really appreciating the numerous street musicians I came across in the various places I visited. I've decided that I now prefer listening to music in this way than going to concerts. I love the fact that I am so close to whoever is playing and I can look right in his or her eyes and form a real, personal connection. There are so many immensely talented people out there who may never set foot on a stage in an auditorium but are no lesser musicians for that.

● One of the major reasons for my trip was to continue my photographic work which will hopefully result in an exhibition in Oxford within the next few months. It's much too soon for my to be able to judge the photographs I've taken, but I did a series of portraits of the aforementioned musicians I encountered and I thought I'd post a few of them.

Well, I hope you'll excuse me for writing so much about a very personal experience, but I really did have a wonderful time that I wanted to share it with you.

Love the photos. Glad you had a great time!
And that's REALLY sweet about Shani.
xxx

Pleased you had a much more enjoyable time than the last.

Though if you could have a crap one next time and get another monumentally silly thread going please. Not a big ask is it?

Not really.

Nice post Patrick. Sounds to me like you would like to live there. You have seen a side to Italy that I sadly haven't but no matter.
Did you meet any pretty Italian girls while you were there?
By the way one of your musicians looks like Mr Bean!

Glad you had a nice time, nice to have you back, and those photos are marvellous. Is that Phil Coulter playing the violin in Photo number 3?

Patrick it is good to have you back . For so many reasons I love it when you write about your feelings for Shani . This world has got so hung up on the evil and corrupt, that it has forgotten that a man can care about a child he has not fathered and play a role in their lives to the enrichment of all concerned . No child is anything but richer by having someone love them and the more great examples of this in their live , the better chance they pass this to the next generation .

Though the massive was never weakened by your sojourn ( as we knew you would be back ) it is still strengthened by your return .

A beautiful post and those pics are ace. Well done.
I hope you will report on the exhibition too, that would be brilliant.

So happy that you had such an enriching trip,the photographs are fabulous and being the Uncle and Great Uncle to a tribe of wonderful humans of various ages myself I fully understand your joy. Good to have you back amongst us Patrick. Welcome home.

Thanks for sharing that with us.

and more than a little envious, especially seeing all those art treasures. Good luck getting the exhibition together.

you had a marvellous time....sounds like a perfect way to spend a few weeks.

Oh, by the way, a good job you didn't mention Hepworth's review of his album to John Martyn (pic 1) or he'd have been on the next Ryanair to North London.

I have been worried sick about you.
Welcome back to the fold and I am very interested in your holiday tales as I am thinking of an Italian jaunt for me the FPO.

It sounds like a wonderful trip on so many levels. I am very jealous. Our holiday by the sea in Tuscany looks very unambitious by comparison. Now all you need to do is catch up here!

-reading your post has really cheered me up. My hat is most definitely on the side of my head, Patrick. Sounds like a wonderful trip.

I love the post - and I'm intrigued by the snaps...If you do exhibit in Oxford, I daresay there may be a Massive Mingle in Oxford especially to see them. I'd certainly be up for it..

Glad you had a lovely time and thanks for telling us all about it; it sounds wonderful.

Thanks for a very detailed account of your holiday and some wonderful pictures Patrick. The accordian, alongside the pedal steel is an instrument which I just love the sound of and seem to appreciate more as I enter my twilight years. As mentioned before, Italy is a place I would love to visit one day, I guess I would start with Florence. I really do have the travel itch at the moment, it would nice to be able to take a few months off work and hit the road before I reach the big 40!
I expect the Italian food and women were both things of beauty.

Glad you had a great time and good to have you back safe and sound. More photos please,those were great.

Welcome back Patrick..great pics man!

(or what's left of it), it sounds like a cracking trip.

I'd be interested to hear what sort of an impression you picked up from the people you bumped into regarding the general political situation in Italy; does everyone think Silvio's just a crafty old bugger who gets away with stuff, or do they realise he's a nasty piece of work, a thug and a crook, but not give a stuff anyway?

We never seem to find out from the UK media the sort of thing one picks up by osmosis when larking around in a country for a decently long visit. If I could read Italian I'd buy the Italian press to look for this sort of impression, but then again...

The economic crisis is hitting many people hard.

I've very much enjoyed reading your post. I remember clearly the description you wrote after your trip to Cornwall, and I am glad you and Shani enjoyed spending time together again. Your photos are stunning, thank you for sharing them.

a lovely time Patrick and it appears Italy is where your heart is, if I can be that presumptuous. Just remember there's no Premier League darts over there, The Power is on fire, it's the last round this week before the finals and Lewis or Wade could still make the top 4. Now that's culture!

Boccadasse

Camogli

Genova

Firenze

Lucca

Orvieto