This is a little bit of paradise to me. We have been coming to 2004 and it is just a place that warms my heart. We arrived about 4pm after going to the Coop and picking up some groceries. Manuala blew threw quickly and said she would be back at 6:30 and would bring Prosecco and apperativo's. She blew through shortly after 6:30 and left the goods and said she would be right back. We knew that was about 30 minutes. When she arrived we sat at the table outside and enjoyed the drink, plate of sandwiches, and the Prosecco that she brought for us. It did not cross my mind to take a picture of the event because is was so great just being with her shining face and all Italian spirit with the hands waving and full of passion no matter the subject and just being glad for us to be back, as we were glad to be here with her. She told me that they might be harvesting the olives this year instead of the outside guy though because the bad year with a freeze in the spring and no rain and over 100 degree temperatures in August there may be no harvest. If they do there is a really good chance I will be here to help!
September 11
The morning began as always here. Coffee on the patio at dawn. Absorbing the view of the town walls and tower that are lite up during the night. Then the sun comes up over my shoulder and the sunlight begins to creep up the wall and the scene transitions from being lite by electricity to being lite by the natural light of the sun.
Next I begin to my walk. Up the mountain first till I run out of steam or time and head back down. First, I walk through the olive orchard. Manuala said they would probably not pick olives this year as there are no olives. She was right. There are no olives in her groves or the other groves up the hill, or if they are, they are so small they are not worth harvesting. All the trees on the mountain seem to have been severely pruned and I am curious as why. Also a lot of underbrush on the side of the road has been cut. The orchards of course are neat as a pin as they are all mowed this time of year in anticipation of the harvest.
Wine grapes just about ready to harvest
I had mastered the washing machine before I left and thrown a load in. Now I am back, for the life of me I can not get the door open. I punch buttons, I bang, I unplug all to no avail. As a last resort, I start another spin cycle (can't hurt I figure) and wait for Vicki to get up and come put the magic touch on the door and it will just pop open. Later, Manula comes and pushes the yello "sportello" button and the door pops open. In all fairness, Vicki and I had hit the damn yello "sportello" many times with no response. It must be an Italian thing.
Back to my outside chair. Quite quickly one of the new cats, none the we have met before, jumps in my lap and starts rubbing on me including my face. Just taking a picture is a challenge it is rubbing so much. And I have not even feed it. Another reason I love it here. Those ungrateful feline's at home want even do that to Vicki, much less me and I saved their damn lives.
Normally would walk to town but Vicki hurt her knee mysteriously last week and we are letting it rest. We loaded into Clio and headed for town. The destination was the little coffee shop in the small plaza in the town. I had been thinking of researching sagra's this morning. Sagra's are festivals celebrating usually a local crop or food. I was happy to see as we drove into Monte San Savino that this was the Sagra Della Porchetta one of my favorite dishes. Porchetta is a savory, fatty and moist boneless pork roast. Officially it would not start until 4 today, Saturday, and all day Sunday. Parking was not a challenge yet even though the police and ambulances had all the primer spots. We walked through old walled gate into the old town. Several signs on barriers that were not in place yet, said a green card for covid was required but no one checked today. At our little corner coffee spot we found a table and sat in the sun. The couple at the other tabel was having a Spritz and we decided that was a better idea than coffee in the 80 degree temperatures. A huge tent took up the middle of the square next to the fountain and the rest of the square was covered with picnic type tables. After finishing the spritz I went over and bought way too much porchetta as they threw a extra handful after it had been weighed. Walking back to the car we left the plaza via a small very narrow street. On it was a great butcher shop that I know had three generations working in it. I was saddened to see that it was closed and had been sold.
A very large salami
An even bigger head cheese
And the guy who sacrificed his life for the event
Cooling with a spritz
The reward
I dropped Vicki at the apartment and headed to the Coop. We really needed some lettuce in our diet. Carbs has been the dominant staple for the last week. The chef had served us salad but who is going to pass up all the great dishes of pasta and savory meats prepared by a great chef. I skipped the breads, except the Scarpaccia we made ourselves. But I was still way overloaded on carbs. There were very few people at the Coop so shopping was easy. The only downside is they all had loaded carts and there is no ten item or less line. Still it moved quickly when the made an announcement that lane 3 was about to open. The couple in front of me and about number four in line made a mad dash to get in on lane 3 and started unloading their cart. By the time I had loaded my bag to leave they were just being served.
In the evening I went with Manuala to check some people into a large villa out in the country. Beautiful grounds and very very private location. I did not go into the villa but she says it is not all that great. Though it is large it only has three bedrooms but also three living rooms and lots of stuff.
Back at home we finished the evening with an aperitive and prosecco.
September 12 Sunday
This monastery has been always locked up tighter than a jailhouse so I was surprised to find it open today. Then I remembered to day is Sunday and they where having service.
Frank, "your" grapes are lush as that black house in the sky is irrigation.
"My" grapes have really suffered from the heat and drought with no water
Quite lunch of lettuce
Here comes the Covid lynch mob! Nope, just a walking rally associated with the pork fest.
Those sticks are new olive trees
The main gate to Monte San Savino
Under the Tuscan sun
Hear that? You are right. Nothing!
September 13 and 14
One day we loaded up and headed to Abbazia di Monte Oiveto Maggori about an hour away. This was an iconic Tuscan ride. Through a small village or two and then up along a ridge on a narrow tree lined road. In either direction where rolling hills with all cleared farm land. The only trees where on the long driveways leading to farms or villas. Just like you see in the movies or paintings. I kept thinking what a beautiful ride this would be on a scooter.
Not the best picture but all I got.
When we arrived at the monastery we were a little concerned as there were cars parked on the road, though not massive amounts and there was a tour bus coming down the drive. Our policy for parking is follow the parking signs to the last one and so we did. Up the drive, the first parking area had no cars but did have a toll gate. At the top of the hill at the entrance was another small parking lot with maybe room for 20 cars. We took a ticket and found a empty spot.
From there we began the trek down the long official drive, now a walkway, to the monastery. It was a long walk down. The monastery is very large but the public only gets a look at a very small section. The chapel and the courtyard with frescos and the wine cellar are all that is open. You are allowed into the chapel but only around the altar. If you wish to see the other part of the chapel you are not allowed to but you can put money in a box and the lights will come on for a brief time.
They advertise wine tasting but like a lot of religious things it is a hallucination. Funny thing about these places, they always hire someone else to do the dirty work. Like the janitor we met in the chapel and the money collector in the wine cellar. The whole place shuts down at high noon and it was almost there so there were not many people and the money taker had time to chat. He told me he has a new hobby, hot shaving. You know, lather up, hit the strap a couple of times with razor and then cut your throat. He has yet to buy the high end razor yet as he wants to perfect his technic first. He told us that surprisingly this monastery has a growing population of monks. They were down to as little as twenty but are now back up to fifty. Twenty of those new monks are from Italy where on average most are from third world countries. Don't know if there is a new light dawning for the pope or that is a indication of how hard things are in Italy.
Back up the drive we go. We find the "money changer" box, but our 2 dollars in (in euro's) to pay for parking and off we go looking for lunch.
I bought a bottle of grappa. I think of it as holy water as opposed that stuff you can get from the preacher boys on TV.
Vicki decided it needed to be blessed.
Ever hear my 2 finger story? I think this guy started it.
We continued down the road making our way of the ridge line with lots of hairpin turns, but there was no traffic so I could go as slow as I wanted or as fast as Vicki wanted. Both about the same speed.
We are headed for the town of Bounconvento at the bottom of the hill. You will be surprised to hear that it is a walled city. Finding a parking place was not a problem as this is not a center of attention. We walk around the old part of the city with very few people and only a couple of people that can be identified as tourist.
Walking the main street of the old town I heard great piano music and at first I thought it was coming out of the small church but I found it coming out of a window on the second floor across the street. When the piece ended Vicki and I started clapping and two heads popped out the window and said thankyou. Vicki wandered on but I stayed to listen to the next piece. I started videoing it to capture the sound when I noticed the door was open. Will, you know me. In I went and climbed the stairs. The door to where the music was open so I made my way in.
Joe and Andria saw me and invited me in. Joe, the piano player and professor, offered to play anything but we settled on jazz. What a great concert I got when Andria, voice coach, joined in.
I present to you the uncut version of the video. Joe comes in about 3:30 in.
Drink and lunch of chips after the concert
Future bisstica florenten
Our first pizza at Guglia in Monte San Savion, our favorite.
