Assisi

Tuesday, June 23:An easy start to today. A slow breakfast, while trying to communicate with Antoinetta (not easy). The breakfast room is so petty with little flowers decorating the table (today it was pansies). It is also interesting to figure out the kind of homemade marmalade we are choosing.Claudio told us about his organic farm, olives and his use of huge solar panels to power this farm. Peppe says sometimes Claudio fights with mama and his son and wants to "sell it all". I can only imagine.Before Peppe left us yesterday, he mapped out “the path less travelled” for the hill town of Assisi. We strolled for about 3 hours, ending up at St. Francis Bascillica. We just enjoyed the town without a book, a guide or audio tour. Our brains were full and we all just needed a leisurely day. Our plan was to stop at a supermarcato, buy lunch makings and eat them by the pool back at Malvarina. We are not thinking like Italians yet…there were no stores open in the afternoon (and the weather is chilly, so just not meant to be), but the Bad Café was open, s we went in got a bite. It was not so bad, but not so good either.Before dinner, Jen invited a father and son (Gan and Frederick) from Holland to share a bottle of wine with us. I love to hear how other countries handle, healthcare, alcohol, drugs etc. Jan is reading Obama’s “Audacity Of Hope” and said they followed the campaign closely, even from the primaries They have such a knowledge and grasp of our country in Europe. It always amazes me. After the wine was finished, the conversation was not, so we all shared a table at dinner. Our last Malvarina dinner for this trip:Wine and water free flowingBruschetta with tomato and liverPasta figoleGreen cooked veggie…chard ? with anchoviesTagliatelle with pomodoro and penne with oil, cheese and mushroomsSpinach, potatoesGrilled pork and sausage (over the wood coals again)Chocolate torta with cream on it that had pieces of apricot in itsaladYour choice of “firewater”
Dinner goes from about 8:30-11pm. Then we march up the gravel path to our room. An expression we learned from Gan was “Who’s the Bop (designated driver)?” Good thing we were walking !