Italy part two: The Autumn trip
6th October 2007
The second trip for me is going to be linked with the tradition of Italian carvers dating back to origins of classical sculpture. It is the opposite pole to the first study trip and I am full of nerves as I will be totally throwing myself in at the deep end.
I leave the house late Friday evening to begin my journey, I have that uneasy feeling of having left something important behind, then just as I’m getting onto the M5 heading east (to the ferry at Dover) I realise that I have actually forgotten the most important thing. I take the next turning and double back to collect my master! This is the plaster of which I am hoping to be able to carve in marble and without which I would be lost.
This makes me a bit more stressed and a little late regards to my timing. On the way to Dover I struggle to stay awake and finally arrive at the ferry with 25 minutes to spare. We leave on time at 2 am and set sail for Calais in the full light of the moon.
The ship arrives in the early hours and daylight is nowhere to be seen: I’d had a little sleep on the ferry so decided to drive for a few hours and then stop for a good rest. I stop just north of Reims and fall asleep in the back of the van, which was very comfortable due to some small improvements made after the last trip.
I wake at about 11am French time and make a breakfast; as I was having my coffee a beautiful red dragonfly came and sat beside me on the table, just to my right. It stayed around the whole time to remind me to focus on my own transformation and connect me to my lover for whom this creature also holds much significance. A small thing really but it made me smile.