Yes, it’s been one busy month. For Mike and me, we’ve hit some big milestones. One really fun episode involves buying a car. Mike grumbles that he hasn’t been able
to pick out a car since we’ve been married. But I point out to him that all of the cars have been really good choices.
And we are quite pleased with this last one – a VW T-Cross. It’s two years old, but looks new and had only 17,000 K on it. We’ve put another 3,000K on it this month and can honestly say that it will
be a good car to drive around Italy. We’ve nicknamed her “Jazz” because she looks spunky and she sprints up the hills in 3rd gear without hesitation. Here's a photo of her packed and ready for a road trip to Bari.
Another milestone that occurred is that I have received an Italian Passport. This is something I’ve wanted for years, and it’s hard for me to believe that now I actually have it. So here I am, an official Italian citizen – passport, residency, health card all in hand. I am in awe of it all. Of course, I do have one more hurdle to jump – getting an Italian driver’s license. I intend to start studying. Soon.
The month of September was all about harvesting grapes, although we didn’t have much to do with the vineyards around us. However, October is olive harvest month, and we were able to help just a little with the harvest of our olives. There are about 100 olive trees on our property.
Our neighbors Giuseppe and Angela, their grown children, and Angela’s mother did most of the work. It was really interesting watch. Mike tried to use a “rastrello” (rake) but said it was a bit tricky. It’s actually multiple rakes tied together and vibrate and shake the olives from the tree limbs as you pull the rake through the limbs. I took a video that shows how it works.
Our friends Joan and Anne, visiting from the States, had a chance to help a little, too.
Our daughter Maureen and husband Todd vacationed in Venice and Padua and took the train to Vasto, arriving on 7th October. We took them to see the palace in Vasto and have dinner at a favorite restaurant overlooking the Adriatic, the Osteria Muro della Lame. They were able to accommodate Maureen’s vegan requirement, and Todd enjoyed pasta with clams. The clams here are tiny, but very flavorful, so it was a treat.
We had only two short days here in Casalanguida with them, so the next day we drove up the mountain to Roccascalenga to climb to the top of the castle. This day the weather cooperated and was just perfect.
We then headed to Civico20 for lunch. The owner of the restaurant, Valentina, had prepared a special “Vegan Menu” just for Maureen. It did not disappoint. On the way home, we stopped at Tornareccio for a quick look at the mosaics.
Then we were off on a road trip. First, to Trani, a charming seaside town with a lovely walk around the port. We enjoyed pizza and retired early. Then the rains came. And come they did. It poured. The next few days are a blur for me. We visited churches, castles, saw the trulli limestone houses in Alberobello, ate sushi, laughed, and ate way too much. From Bari, Maureen and Todd took the train to Rome, where they stayed for a day before returning to the States. You'll find photos here
Mike and I returned home on the 15th to spend some time with Julia and Varlerij, the owners of the lovely house we are renting, who were there on vacation. It was so nice to be able to spend time with them. We all enjoyed cracking walnuts. They are very interesting people, with strong ties to Israel, and we hope one day to travel there with them. They left us to visit Sulmona and return to their home in Berlin. We will see them again next Spring.
After a few days’ rest and lots of laundry, we headed north for another excursion. Our destination was Assisi, so we stopped about half way at a resort area called San Benedetto. We stayed in a very nice hotel on the beach, had a great dinner, and relaxed in the hot tub. From there, the drive to Assisi was just two hours through many tunnels.
We met up with our friend Joan Suchomel, from Chicago, and her sister Anne Miller, who lives near Minneapolis, at their Air B&B around mid-day. Anne had done a great job finding a B&B that worked well for all of us. While in Assisi, we did the usual tourist things: visit churches and eat. The next day we drove to Bevagna and to Deruta, two little nearby towns with lots of charm and history.
Our last day there, we drove to visit the Hermitage of St. Francis. For me, this was more interesting than the cathedrals. It’s where people lived, prayed, and worked, all in a beautiful, natural setting.
Then we headed back home to Casalanguida with our guests. Another a trip up the mountain to Roccascalenga with lunch at Civico20, a stop at Tornareccio to see the mosaics, and of course an elegant meal at the trabocco. We enjoyed our guests, who got to help harvest olives, and we taught to play Skippo and Farkel.
You'll find photos here. (Please don't overlook the photos. Many of them aren't captioned, but I think you will still find them interesting.)
Yes, October was a very busy month. We are looking forward to a little downtime, then another road trip in mid-November.
Commentaires