Hi Guys,

I am starting out with a general letter to everyone since it has been extremely busy upon my arrival in Valenzatico.

 I awoke on the airplane with a beautiful view below me of the snow covered Alps in Switzerland. As the plane arrived into Tuscany you could see how the landscape changed from mountains to rolling hills of farmland with Italian villas perched at the highest levels. I was out of the airport in 10 minutes luggage and all. Amazingly with no forms asking where I was staying. Francesco had a sign outside reading Vincenzo/Franco-I never met Franco but I looked at him and he immediately said Benvenuto. Franco is my friends father. A  man of 65 who is distinguished looking with his scarf stylishly wrapped as if it were a tie. His moglie Cristina and Franco will be living next door to me. I know that Franco and Cristina do not speak Inglese so I was concerned how the ride home would be. To my amazement the 1500 words I learned using Rosetta Stone helped tremendously. I am not using sentences yet but the phrases helped and we were able to communicate to some degree.

La casa is spotlessly clean and modern yet with that european feel. Granite kitchen counter, tile floors, granite staircase, wooden doors and windows and of course shutters. Two bedrooms, an office, two full baths, kitchen and living room all of modest size. Cristina could not do enough for me to make my stay confortable. She reviewed the kitchen appliances along with a refrigerator stuffed with both frizzante minerale and naturale minerale acqua, prosciutto toscano, parmigiana cheese, dried sausage from calabria ( homemade by a woman in that region), cheese, eggs, lemon, beautiful red tomatoes, bread along with a beck's beer - go figure? AND of course on the kitchen counter is fruit. Oranges from Sicily, apples from modena, along with bananas and kiwis. All this next to aceto, two types of olive oil for my cooking, coffee, zucchero, sale and pepe. The bathrooms are modern by european standards but once again modest in size. On the 2 nd and 3rd floor there are balconies. The 3rd floor balcony overlooks a nursery with plants as far as you can see and having the mountains as a background.

 Franco and Cristina are beautiful inside and outside. Friendly and always smiling. When we cannot communicate we get on the computer and use google to help us.

Cristina cooked lunch yesterday- I was able to taste the dry sausage from Calabria ( the best ever),  then onto ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta topped by a delicate tomato sauce. Our second course was homemade veal meatballs the size of a quarter along with a tomato and lettuce salad. I might add that the temperature this time of year is moderate. Low of 40 and high of around 55 degrees. Yet they have a fire burning day and night for that Tuscano atmosphere while we are eating.

We then spent the rest of the day trying to hook up my computer but failed. So they called in their son- in - law,  Fabrizzio to help. After many hours we were finally able to get a connection. So - of course Cristiana invited me over for dinner as any Italian mama would do.. I came back to finish unpacking and headed back for la cena around 8pm. This time we had chicken marsala and baby peas made with chunks of salami. Favoloso. Multi Buono. Afterwards a little TV which I could not understand ( no subtitles here). I closed my shutters for the evening at my bedroom window  and then i was out like a light.

 

I woke up much later than I expected  ( 8:30) and took a 75 minute walk to the next town and back for some exercise. I was suppose to meet Franco for prima colazione around 10am but it was to late for breakfast. Therefore Cristina again did what any Italian mother would do and served Francesco and me lunch- she had to leave because her daugther ( Fabrizzio's wife ) was not feeling well. So she went there bringing soup and who knows what other food. So - for pranzo we had orrchiette with brocolli rabe and then onto roast pork with fresh rosemary which grows in their back yard. Brussel sprouts was the veggie. I asked about the transportation services - ie bus, train etc. so I could get a feel for getting around. Obvioulsy I cant walk everywhere like I did this morning. Franco mentioned that he would like to take me to Vinci- yes the home of Leonardo da Vinci. So through the molto bello mountains we went. It took about 30 minutes and the scenery was exquisite. We arrived at the very clean old city of Vinci to the house( built in the year 500 )where he was born and of course with a beautiful view. We then went onto  -il museo di Leonardo. I cannot begin to explain the diverstiy that this man created around 1500 - astronomy, military guns, the first military tank, looms, airplanes - yes over 400 years before the Wright Brothers- pulley machines, automated stamping machines to flatten out leather and it goes on and on. And of course - let us not forget that he painted The Mona Lisa.

 

Well I am back in la mia casa and writing to everyone. After this I am going to study Italian.  I miss you all and hope to keep everyone up to date. And of course all are welcome to visit. Just let me know!!!!  For la cena I am again asked to go over to Cristina and Fancesco for dinner - I cant wait - OH BABY!!!!!

 

Love to All   - Vincent