Month: September 2015

David and Edith were only here for ten days, but we managed to see and do a lot in that time.  In addition to seeing major sights and well-known cities, we took them to the Sagra della Polenta, or Blessing of the Polenta, in Monterchi.  It may not be...

David and Edith wanted to travel through the Chianti country (for good reason – it’s unbelievably beautiful) and go to Assisi.  Being the good hosts and tour guides that we are, we obliged them. These are two of our favorite places and both are a very manageable day trip...

People ask us all the time what we miss about the US.  The only thing we really miss are the people dear to us – our family and friends.  We miss them terribly.  Sometimes so much it hurts.  Our grandchildren are growing up without us.  Our oldest had his...

Our friends David and Edith just got here for a visit.  David is one of Steve’s oldest friends and they grew up together in Rome, Georgia.  So, it’s very fitting that we’re getting to see them in Italy (not Rome, but still).  We have a lot of things planned...

It’s getting to be very fall-like here now and it’s perfect convertible weather.  Makes those 90 degree days a distant memory (well, maybe not so distant).  The BMW with no AC is not quite an antique, but it’s close.  It was quite a car in its day, and it...

Remember the blessing of the truffles?  Well, ever since we went up to that place in the very late afternoon and came back down in the night, we’ve wanted to go back.  It was dark, it was mysterious, it was VERY cool.  We needed to know more.  So we...

I have a few friends who will understand this.  One in particular.  Yesterday was Sunday and that can mean only one thing: porchetta at the Monterchi market.  Since I’ve vowed to have one every week I’m here, I couldn’t miss this.  Here’s the problem:  If you don’t go early...

We live in the Borghetto neighborhood.  According to the locals, this area is pretty much the way it was in the 16th century.  Our little block is a perfectly preserved piece of the Renaissance.  Il Borghetto implies the area had developed into a small hamlet within the town.  It’s...

Today is a beautiful late summer day – nice breeze, not too hot, a little crispness in the air.  We decided to go somewhere fun and different today and settled on driving over to Lake Trasimeno.  It’s about an hour away and it’s an incredible drive.  We took the...

It’s late summer and it’s almost harvest time for grapes and olives.  This will be our future wine and olive oil.  You see massive vineyards in the big wine areas like Chianti, but almost anyone with a spot of soil grows either some grapes or some olive trees.  And...