A different view

Yes - it's the Duomo, in Florence, and it's raining.

I took this photo as I made my way to the station to catch my train to Pisa Airport at the end of my dream break. But it cleared up soon afterwards and was a glorious day.

How was Maxim Vengerov in last night's concert, opening the Tuscan Sun Festival? He was magnificent. He was everything I thought he would be, after dreaming of seeing him for so many years. His violin mastery has not faltered even after his time away from solo performance. His Mozart 4th Violin Concerto was stunning.

And he was a terrific conductor - so precise, so clear, with such understanding of the music and such a terrific relationship with the orchestra.

So - my trip to realise the dream was worth it.