Tuscan Cats

I haven't always loved cats. When I was a child, we didn't have any pets. I believe that was a consequence of living in the countryside, which meant, for most of the population, that having animals was for consumption only.

First we had dogs, when we already lived in the "big city". But one fine day, an experienced street smart black cat gently made her way into our house, along with her kitten and they stayed for a while. After some time she decided to wander the world, and then another cat, gray fur and the world's most expressive eyes, arrived at our house meowing one afternoon and gained our hearts. Nina stayed with us for nearly ten years.

When I got married, I stayed without any pets for some months. But on a given Saturday night, when my husband and I were having wine and watching our favorite series, I said: "You know what's missing? A cat." We adopted a ginger kitten soon after that.

More than love, I nurture admiration for cats. Cats are elegant, athletic, agile, and have an enviable sense of self-respect. That's where all the admiration I have for cats, which makes me want to pat and photograph every cat I see, comes from. Friends traveling with us must find it very weird that we even go out of our itinerary to see cats!

In Tuscany I found that, apparently, Italians love cats. They are everywhere and don't even care about the hundreds of tourists. In some villages, they are more numerous than humans.

Below, you'll see my "photo-tribute" to the cats that make of Tuscany the most charming destination in Italy!

The sequence below happened in a restaurant in Sant'angelo in Colle, in the city of Montalcino, and made me think of the great traveler, writer and chef Anthony Bourdain, who always says that a good restaurant must have a cat or a dog sleeping on the floor or in one of the chairs. In the first picture, we see the cat waiting in the kitchen door, and then, satisfied, sleeping on the floor among the tables.

Mr. Jones

I wish I had the grace of the felines
and those big eyes
that understand everything.
Full peace of mind laying in the sun,
not a height too high,
and no fatal fall.
From resting to fully alert in one second
and total disdain with other's opinions.
However,
with muscles much less agile,
atrophied self-esteem
or with the charm of a porcupine,
we must learn
that learning
is not optional.

Ana Raspini