Time-Traveler

Dax, this one’s for you 😘

Gary wishes he had his accordion 😉

Our AirB&B

Hanging out our window. Yellow building on right.

I braved black ( squid, but they don’t tell you that) ink noodles with cuttle fish , distinctive to Venezia, delicious ! Noodles match my scarf that I just found in local Vintageria.

Out window of our AirB&B. An ambulance just went by but too quickly to get pic. Kind of scary when you think about it. But, I have realized, perhaps a character flaw, I seldom think of those things, the “ what ifs.”

Limoncello, local melon wrapped in prosciutto and pecorino .

We are not Italians yet. We have learned to make espresso in the Bialetti but still have to add water to make it an Americano, and drinkable.

Little bird who lives permanently in stone wall of our house, keeps us company.

A snake tried to drop in but got his head stuck in veranda ceiling, just inches above Gary’s head. We thought it a harmless green snake. Not so sure when the gardener apologized for cutting all the wildflowers, explaining that he was protecting us from poisonous snakes.

Enjoyed this creature when outside. Not so much on our bedroom wall. Two of them actually chatting with one another. Who knew?

Stopped at this local Bar for morning coffee and were entertained by customers buying their lottery tickets. This cute couple bought tickets then went to adjacent room, scratched, dug in their purse and pockets for more change and bought more tickets.

Going back for more.

Same Bar. I was actually trying to capture unique light fixture but more unique was the bar owner meticulously and proudly cleaning.

A local, probably describing to his wife, the odd Americans across from him.

Cyclists everywhere ! How do they manage these steep hills and narrow roads?

Not pictured is the woman who I knew was Italian when I noticed her very high heeled shoes as she sped away on her motor scooter, with such speed I could not get a picture.

We pass this studio in one of the many hairpin curves on our road up and down the mountain to our home. I have watched a block of marble turning into a remarkable sculpture. Gary has to zoom in to see, as his eyes must always be on the road and there is no stopping in this curve! She, the sculptor, is way behind the bear.

First, find parking anywhere and any way you can. Guido (Gary) does a great job with our, by comparison to many, fairly large Fiat.

We are very happy to return to nearby La Pieve for our last dinner out in Tuscany. We had reservations at a fancier place, highly recommended, but their earliest seating ever is 8:30 and then, the long drive up the mountain in the dark. The evening could not have been more perfect. I could watch the “kitchen” which is a fire place, and watch our server, who,while speaking no English, performed his duties with grace and pride, like right out of an Italian movie. Our first course was a shared pasta with wild boar sauce. Wild boar was printed on the menu in English but our server thought it necessary to explain that it was “pig.”

Our second course was the famous Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The t-boned cut is from the Ciianina cow, bred only in Tuscany. It was even more delicious than the filet we had tried on our first visit. We, of course, shared that chunk of meat, grilled over a pile of hot coals pulled from the pizza oven, and will have leftover with eggs for an American breakfast. Guido is very happy with the traditional Italian breakfast of coffee and pastry. I, Giulia, get caffein jitters and feel the need for something more substantial, though rarely steak.

That’s Marilyn behind Guido and our tattooed chef behind the bar.

Our chef and our server.

This young woman waved to us as she and her children came into the restaurant. It was a sweet moment to be recognized by a villager. Earlier in the day, we had shared a corner in a coffee bar, with her, her man and her huge German shepherd.

A First: Five wines before noon. Another first, an Italian winery, and, this one, the youngest in Tuscany. Adamo, the winery’s young, adventurous owner, chose to open just above a very old winery owned by a legendary wine maker but one who really does not like people, so has never considered tours or tastings.

Giulia , our genuinely exuberant sommelier, knows and loves wines and shared her knowledge , in quite good English, with the Danes, Brazilians and Americans in our group.

Zoom on green air lock on top of barrel, one of many inventions by Leonardo da Vinci. The lock allows CO2 out while keeping air from the wine.

Since first seeing The David in a high school art class, I have dreamed of seeing it in person. Sculpted from one “ scrap” piece of marble, David, from David and Goliath, stands 17 feet tall and has remarkable strength, energy and life. I was enthralled, even to tears.

Lunch spot in Florence

View of Arno River Bridge

Favorite gelato so far. Black Cherry crème and Gary’s all time fav, vanilla. Gelato sculpted in thin slabs to create a flower .

Kelcy, I took this with you in mind as you introduced me to Aperol. I realized that a favorite statue is in the background, the Abduction of Sabine Woman. It carries quite an interesting story.

“Back home” in Camaiore with gin and tonic, no crowds, just interesting locals, we were able to reflect on our spectacular day in Florence, including a wild ride Gary described as “ like driving in a Chinese fire drill.” Almost as unforgettable The David.

First train ride: Trains, supposedly so easy. At one point, I wanted to scream, “ Does anyone here, who knows what they are doing, speak English?” Within minutes, we figured it out and were on our way. Whew. Since we had only a short day here, and crowded, we trained between cities more than we hiked.

We found another beach

Gary, we are even!😘