Solstice
21 December 2025
Ben Pentreath
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I was almost back to Rousay… but not quite. I had a weekend in Florence where I was looking at a rather amazing urban development site for some rather amazing people. We were being invited to dream out loud and we arrived into a dream-like Tuscan winter landscape.
We were staying for two nights at this beautiful hotel on the edge of the Torrigiani garden.
I loved these antique terracotta armorials at the gates to the street – incredible.
We had a long day on site that first day, in basking sunshine, lunch sitting outside. The air was cold but the sun was hot. Just time to visit my favourite view in the whole of Florence, as dusk settled – the astonishing scale of Brunelleschi’s great Dome seen from the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata. 
His serene facade for the Foundling Hospital to our left, perhaps my favourite early Renaissance building of them all, delicately making the leap from Gothic to classic.
In the garden of the Palazzo della Gherardesca (a.k.a. drinks at the Four Seasons Hotel).
The next morning was beautiful and crisp, frost on the ground.
We had a spare morning and headed to the Palazzo Pitti, to visit the Giardino di Boboli – always one of the highlights of a Florence visit, however short.
We were there early and no-one was really around, but the gates to the garden had opened about half an hour earlier.
I love the side elevation of the Palazzo with its tiny windows dotted completely at random (I’m sure I’ve taken this photo several times before).
And I actually really love this neoclassical Palazzina to the west. My kind of building!
The monkey fountain up at the highest part of the garden – dreamy mist on the hills.
Walking down the great avenue.
The limonaia, filled with lemon trees for the winter.
The Grotto.
Then we were on our way. I loved this tiny door to the side of a blocked up portal – carved out of wood to match the stucco next door.
Glorious light on the Arno.
Inside the Palazzo Corsini.
Back to the Duomo.
As the afternoon settled, there was not a breath of wind. Perfect reflections.
The garden of the Villa Corsini at sunset.
And then I was home. Back to London, to the last two or three days of the year in the studio, and then – at last, really I couldn’t wait – home to Rousay. Charlie and I spent a nice morning in Kirkwall before catching the 2.45pm ferry home. Here’s the road to the ferry in the soft afternoon light.
The light these last few days has been wonderful. I’m writing on the solstice, the shortest day of the year; sunrise was at 9.06 this morning, sunset at 3.15pm. The morning light almost feels like a sunset at this time of the year.
We’ve had wind and rain and the clearest skies.
An incredible sense of stillness about the place now.
Charlie’s veg garden is amazing and still grows despite the short daylight hours.
And soon the snowdrops will be here.
Golden light at sunset.
And this was this evening, the shortest day.
Light like a painting – the colours of Florence and Rousay are curiously connected at the moment.
Have a very peaceful Christmas. Just for a minute, the earth stands still.