TUSCANY, UMBRIA, Italy— Great for a sleeping late start to the Sunday morning. Now officially over jetlag and on Italian central time. Last night someone in the restaurant said they thought they had heard a pope had been selected but it was not being announced yet. Have not checked the papers yet so do not quote me on papal elections. Had a long talk with my barber about the former pope and his many excellent qualities.
Dinner was fine the second time at Masolino‘s. Always is. But now because we are boring and do not want to be out in the rain and it is next door to our house we have been there two nights in a row. Dear me, they can cook. Teenage daughter Grayson and friend Clair pronounced the grilled lambchops the best meat they had ever eaten. Again, praise from teenagers is strangely high praise indeed.
Saw so many people we knew there last night. Such fun. Small town can be aces like that for connecting with friends. We met potential new clients there as well. Friends of Katia, Giancarlo’s new assistant who has found six houses this week. Busy girl. She had ducked in out of the rain to visit for awhile in the early evening. Her family has a business on this same street where we live. Never know who or when will be ringing at the door but it is always interesting to find out.
Today we decided to get coffee and find out what was going on around town. It was the overall opinion that the Tulip Festival was rained out so sad for the second weekend in a row. So we set off in the rain (buckets running deep in the streets kind of rain) to Montepulciano. We had pizza in a great place just outside of town. It can and sometimes does hold busloads of diners. Big but very casual place with huge walk in size wood burning ovens. It was such a Sunday family dinner experience. Why we felt positively Italian for most of the time.
Quick note as to why people like to come to Italy. First time at the cafe Bar Gallo this trip the girls were delighted to be getting large Gallo (rooster) shaped chocolates. Today they admired the big soaps by the cash register at the restaurant. Soaps of floral scent carved in shapes of open roses. No sooner had they admired them than the grandmotherly lady behind the counter passed them each one. Generous to a fault, they bowl us over.
Now we are back to find woven baskets of wood neatly delivered to the house. By Bruno. We had seen him this morning working and told him how very much we loved his installation of the woodstove. He asked how the wood supply was going and we said We would love it if we could get maybe bigger pieces sometime so they would burn longer. He rolled his eyes and said – &ldquo’Just like my mother in law”.