A BIT MORE TUSCANY

TOO DEAR TO MISS - ROSES ALONG POOL FENCE

BUSHES WHOSE TOP LEAVES TURNED RED EDGING YARD

MILES AND VISTAS AND MILES AND VISTAS OF VINEYARDS
VILLA IS ON SMALL HILL SURROUNDED BY VINEYARDS AND OLIVE TREES
IMPRUNETA IS 12-15 MINUTES AWAY BY CAR
IMPRUNETA IS 30-40 MINUTES BY BUS FROM FLORENCE

THE VILLA - DONATELLA AND ANDREA LIVE THROUGH OPEN DOOR WITH AWNING
ANGIE AND DOUG RENTED UPSTAIRS FOR 6 MONTHS - REACHED BY STEPS YOU SEE
MALE PERMANENTLY RENTS DOWNSTAIRS ON RIGHT
UPSTAIRS ON LEFT IS OTHER APARTMENT FOR SHORT OR LONG TERM
A TRUE DELIGHT - SECLUDED BUT EASY ACCESS

UNDER THE TUSCANY SUN

CIAO!
JUST SPENT THE DAY IN THE ITALIAN COUNTRYSIDE WITH LISA VISITING DONATELLA AND HER HUSBAND ANDREA 






DONATELLA is the best ITALIAN COOK EVER - ate the LARGEST and BEST ITALIAN MEAL ever












as we begin we have whole porcino mushrooms marinated in olive oil and black olives

and yummy tomatoes and green or black olives and peppers on great bread

as well as crostini with white creamy cheese with chives on some

and another crostini with all kinds of minced vegetables and mayo and olive oil with a spicy flavor - oh dear
 

 followed by a delectable
ARTICHOKE LASAGNA


i could have eaten my weight in that dish









 





 even the BREAD was exceptional as some of it had salt - traditionally TUSCAN BREAD is unsalted as its main use is to sop up what is left on the plate or bowl

the bottom dish is pecorino cheese topped with mushrooms marinated in olive oil with specks of hot pepper - very very tasty
i had found it at the wine/cheese/meat shop in my neighborhood



lisa is a vegetarian so donatella had fixed her green beans with wonderful tomato-y sauce it was cooked in - so flavorful
and someone told donatella i loved turkey so i have delicious turkey with rosemary and sage - i could have eaten both of those dishes all day













followed by a choice of four of their CHEESES, TOMATOES that were as sweet as any fruit, and BEANS inside a long green pod that looked identical to a pea pod but was larger

the beans inside are best eaten with cheese - a yummy yummy combination

LAST BUT NOT LEAST 

we had delicious CHEESECAKE that lisa had brought and a heaping bowl of sugared STRAWBERRIES for DESSERT
cannot believe i did not take a picture - it was so good i must have dug right in - even after all the other!!!!



then we went outside for a walk to enjoy the scenery and the absolutely perfect spring day 

and the view from their hill - ahhhh

the small walkway down to the olive orchard

donatella's ROSEMARY plants

AND her SAGE with another type of ROSEMARY

OLIVE TREES, MEDITERRANEAN CYPRESS, the GREEN OF SPRING, HILLS dotted with VILLAS - AHH SPRING - AHHHHH ITALY

more olive, more green, more country

donatella and andrea own an orchard with 90 OLIVE TREES

LISA AND I both went back to florence with a bottle of olive oil from the latest harvest - how lucky we are

the little yellow flowers are almost closed up but earlier looked just like our dandelions - andrea said the name they give them in italy means PEE IN THE BED - fun

amen to a grand day

CONFETTI TO SPAGHETTI

ciao!!


a little of this and that:

this is picture of teens in town weekend before CARNIVAL - 

INFANTS on up dress in costume all weekend long the two weekends before CARNIVAL - just like halloween - they love it - even the ones in baby buggies



_____________________________________


cute story - i go to nearby plaza on sunday late afternoons to read as sit on edge of big planters as the sun goes down - just nice way to end the week

many people meet there or stop for a time to let children run and run and run 

(have not mentioned that florence LOVES CONFETTI - sold in many types of stores - ESPECIALLY around carnival time 
but see on streets every day for birthdays, weddings, whatever 
Florence LOVES CONFETTI)

suddenly, when his parents have their back turned, a 4-year-old boy tosses
TWO-HANDSFUL OF CONFETTI at me
my head, coat, down my coat, sweater and shirt, three pockets of purse, and my bag of grapes IS COVERED IN CONFETTI

i just laugh out loud - but parents are appalled at what son has done in his innocent, gleeful way - and make him come with bowed head to say sorry



SO when i was in PLAZA REPUBBLICA the next day and saw a girl with a fresh bag of confetti i asked her mom if i could take her picture to share with you

the little girl then became shy and would only drop it from the hand held at her side onto the stone pavement

SO, a mother after my own heart, she decides to demonstrate for her first-grade-daughter INDIA how to do it - too funny

of course, India is saying to herself, I know what to do, I am just not doing it . . .

INDIA then decides she will cooperate with the lady who wants to take her picture (me) BY THROWING ALL HER CONFETTI ONTO THAT LADY - handful by handful  
















HAPPY CARNIVAL PAST

(it was the day before Ash Wednesday and all schools allowed children to come to school in costume - India included)



________________________________________

(sorry - i made a movie of this and i need to work with it more - movie would  keep running after i transferred it from desktop to here )

HOWEVER, the happening i sat and listened to for over an hour was this girl WHO SANG HEAVENLY OPERA and her accompanist and boyfriend on accordion - 
she never stopped the whole time i listened - 
HER VOICE WAS BEAUTIFUL and soared to the heavens -
plus she was so sweet
they got many many donations - everyone loved them !!!!!!!

________________________________________

Last Saturday was another holiday celebrated more that mothers' day in italy -
IT IS WOMEN'S DAY and bright yellow MIMOSA is the traditional flower given from girl to girl or boy to girl or man to wife, mother, sister, etc.

when we met DONATELLA for lunch
last week she gave Lisa and myself each a spring bouquet with MIMOSA 


DONATELLA and husband are managers of villa where ANGIE AND DOUG, who were here a year from new jersey (although now spending a year in maine and loving that too), lived last spring and summer and fall until november
she misses them a lot so comes into town to be with their good friends, lisa and myself who had visited all of them at the villa many times

DONATELLA IS ON THE RIGHT - GIOVANNI who owns the restaurant where we ate is in the middle  - 
LISA on the left
DONATELLA loves practicing her english - also speaks french and a bit of german - i should feel guilty.....
had a great visit and lunch - SPAGHETTI
_______________________________________________

that's all for now

TI VOGLIO BENE -     

(title of carol faenzi's new book - but my wish to you) 

I WANT YOU WELL!!!

nancy lou

ALL THERE IS ON PORCELLANA 19

CIAO!  HERE IS STUDIO -

FRONT DOOR - and back door and side door - 
all in one - with dear family pics














when walk in door my ULIVIERO ULIVIERI framed in bright blue is on the wall - he is my favorite italian artist - walked into the gallery - which is now only 2 blocks away - last year and he was there for an exhibit at 
12 o'clock on 12-12-12 - 
darling short round balding man with purple v-neck over purple shirt - 
i was SO EXCITED to meet him - had stopped in gallery many times to smile at his whimsical drawings - he is in 70's and had painted in a much more predictable, staid manner until 70's and decided to put all that aside and have some fun
his paintings are now in many many countries around the world - he cannot keep up with his commissions now - great story - and this gallery has always been the only one he sold from - they are happy too

then HUGE dresser with mirror with 4 HUGE DRAWERS - i will never be satisfied with normal one again

on top of it is another gift - this time monks in front of the St. Francis of Assisi cathedral in Assisi, Italy - again all being very playful and silly - met the artist when lisa and i were in assisi last year - when friends went they remembered our talking about him








then great sofa/double bed - as comfy to sleep on sofa as on bed - 
love it for daytime comfort while reading, coloring, journaling, puzzling (in every sense),, or napping


heater beside it is WONDERFUL - i am warm day and night in EVERY ROOM of the place - all two
















THEN MY TWO GLASS WINDOWS WITH GREEN SHUTTERS on the outside - they are wonderful.

and sheer drape with linen one on another rod

my computer table beside the MARVELOUS WARDROBE - BIG DRAWER on bottom and rod high enough my duvet and pillows go into the bottom
































cupboard to the right is covering my refrig and freezer - then my washing machine which i have not used as studio too small to hang the clothes to dry plus not one to air my laundry - even my clean laundry - out side the window as many do

i eat out every lunch and fix a sandwich or have cheese and crackers for
 dinner so have not used stove or oven yet - plenty of storage there

and then my dear BATHROOM - i love the little red container that fits perfectly under sink for all bath stuff - dryer, etc - very efficient - plus my ORANGE TOILET PAPER - which janice had supplied me when i arrived

 pOSTCARDS are of the 
ANDALUSIAN BULLFIGHTERS 

THIS PLACE IS GREAT -
 fills every need I have - SMALL AND COZY AND GREAT LOCATION:

MINIMARTS, LAUNDROMAT, MANY BAKERIES, MANY EATERIES, ENGLISH BOOKSTORE, UIVERIOS ART GALLERY, ARNO RIVER, 8 MINUTES TO MOVIE THEATER, 6 MINUTES T0 BRITISH INSTITUTE, ETC. 

i am a happy camper!!