In case anyone is sitting around wondering how our days unfold, here’s how in a nutshell:
Once we awaken, we look out our window...
and may go for a cool swim or just have an espresso at our table on the patio. There we contemplate morning light, listen to the roosters crowing and the sheep bells jangling and consider making The Plan.
The Plan generally revolves around a half-day activity and can get off to a slow start by merely going up into the village and having a cappuccino at Smiling Davide’s little bar. Our sis Nicky sometimes meets us there underneath the hundred year old wisteria that covers the patio.
From there we go on an excursion. We sometimes take our little rented Fiat
or Nicky’s black Porche.
(OK OK I lied... we set that photo up)
We then head out to see:
the ruins left behind by the Etruscans and Romans all over the hillsides here. There are whole village outlines, stone walls and mosaic-ed baths, tombs and old stone roadways OR...
the pretty fortressed villages of the area with names like Roccastrada and Montemassie that are charmingly picturesque, very tidy and devoid of people because the smart locals don’t do stupid things like walk around outside in 39 degrees.
Some days we take in a market in a neighbouring town like Castaglioni where you can buy...
beautiful salamis flavoured with fennel...
cheeses of all kinds, many of which you eat with a bit of honey on the side...
all sorts of salty dead fishies in tins...
as well as just about anything else.
We have also accompanied Nicky on her rounds as she works to look after the properties of owners who may be away. This includes their homes, pools, livestock, gardens, dogs, horses—and entire olive groves. Nicky can prune 40 olive trees in a morning and wears hard-toed boots to keep the vipers away. She is small and mighty and never ceases to amaze. She needs an epi-pen badly.
