Time at the villa

TJohn and Patti Keir arrived at our meeting place on Saturday with more than a little respect for the need for a GPS.  Driving in Italy is for the brave.  Ristorante Clara is a find from the July trip with awesome food and a charming patio full of wicker furniture and flowered pillows.  Flowers fill the windowsills and pots of herbs help in the kitchen as well as perfume the air.

After that, the trip to the grocery and on to the villa. As usual there were a few missed turns even with the GPS and more than once,"where in heavens name are we going!"  Especially on the one lane track with a deep ravine on one side and a steep hill on the other when it was hard to maneuver around the horses and riders.  When Maria Chiara blew by, waving us on, and the massive villa gates opened there was a collective sigh of relief.  No matter how good technology is it always gets a bit hairy in the country. Then the fun of the happy exclamation " oh this is sooooo cool."  I always wonder if these places were easy to find if they would seem so wonderful.

There are three avid cooks in the group (not me) who are in total heaven.

The villa is set in about 25 acres of chestnut forest so there is total peace and quiet. We are on a hill and from the valley drifts the regular pealing of church bells, a rooster, the sounds drummers practing with  what maybe a flag throwing group, a few dogs.  The evening light is pure gold and as it fades to scarlet the lights twinkle on on the next hilltop.  In the candlelight all we can feel is total gratitude to have this moment in this place