It's a beautiful day!
We have been so lucky with our weather this winter.....little rain and none of the beastly cold we had come to expect at this time of year.
Frost and swirling mist against bright blue sky and sunlight enhancing this beautiful landscape .
January 11th...it's my BiRtHdAy !
Em and I decided to drive up to Magliano for lunch.
Magliano nestles up on the other side of the mountains........ a beautiful winding journey where Olive Trees line the road and the view is spectacular.
We met Dina,(to the left of the photograph), or Nonna as I affectionately call her, and Gabriella around 9 years ago.
Then there is Angela the other daughter.... Elisa and Christina, grand-daughters, a son-in-law and great grand children!!!
The restaurant is appropriately named "Apuane"......obvious once you have arrived!
A magnificent bright sunny day!
The most wonderful birthday celebration!.......
Always a joy.....always the warmest welcome....I love them to bits!
Oh and they make the very best ravioli!
I remember when Jim and I first stumbled across the place, a very full Sunday lunch time and they were heaving at the seams.
Never the less they welcomed us, clearing the only table being used for deserts especially for us.
We loved it because it was full of Italians....lots of chatter and laughter, everyone enjoying their meal!
If you ever fancy going on a Sunday, make sure you don't eat breakfast.....the meal is set, costs 20 Euros a head, includes as much wine and bottled water as you like, and there are many courses, a mountain of the most delicious home cooked food!
When we returned we sat in the bar, I remember how they encouraged me with my Italian, all sitting in a circle around me waiting patiently for the 2 or 3 words I managed to cobble together "Brava" they all chanted cheered and clapped!
I was probably saying something very boring like "it's a lovely day"............er probably not as many words haha!!!
I will never forget the love kindness and warmth during our most difficult times.
We don't go nearly as often as we should, but when you are living in a place, it's normal living and I try to be careful tying in journeys when I have several things to do at a time, not to be extravagant with petrol.
It's a treat to have lunch out.
Still only January but here are spring flowers to cheer and I can plant them down in the woodland walk afterwards.
Never far from the camera...such a poser!
Mauro bought us a lovely bunch of greens he called Rapa, turned out to be Turnip Tops.
I prepared them just as he suggested, washed and chopped them, placing them in boiling water for a few minutes.
Once drained, I prepared a couple of Antonio's delicious salsicche, removing them from their skin frying small pieces of the sausage meat in a dash of Laura's olive oil.
I added the Rapa cooking for a few more minutes.
You know when you have been accepted when a local brings you his highly recommended home reared and made sausages!
They are actually the best we have ever tasted!
Served with bread heated in the stufa......this made a delicious lunch.......so quick and easy!
The light and colour at this time of year can only be described as awe- inspiring......
I knew the hat would eventually come into it's own when suddenly we felt a drop in temperature.
My second birthday treat came just over a week later when Laura insisted on baking a BOMBA!
This apparently, is a local dish specifically from Lunigiana...my Italian friend Giusi also knew of it!
"Four and Twenty Blackbirds Baked in a Pie" rather sprang to my mind when I discovered that Mauro had supplied a few birds, Laura had thrown in one of her pigeons,(not the kind to be found in Trafalgar Square I may add!), a perfectly clean country bird!!!
A little pork had also gone into the wonderful tomato sauce and local fungi...it was quite something!
The whole thing was encased in rice and cheese which gave it a wonderfully crunchy exterior.
You may think we are always eating at Laura's.....you are probably right! Haha!.... but they do enjoy coming to our house when I deliberately cook good old English dish's such as Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding.....they loved that so much, I also made Toad in the Hole.....try and explain that one!
We all enjoy the company and guess what we talk about whilst we eat....yes, food!!!!
Wondrous light across the garden!
Warmer snuggled together!
Ruby and Teddy
Ruby and Luna.........Luna or the Duchess as we call her looking rather put out hanging on to the to the edge!
Just a tray of pomegranates I have dried and other interesting things cobbled together......
The interior of a beautiful tiny chapel just up the road.....
Laura's rabbit and babies....sooo sweet!
Finally....the snow fell!
How beautiful it looked......
Just look at the Christmas Tree!
You can see how mild it has been...the Geranium still in flower!
Oh we are a bit iced up!
Em and I had the best fun out with the dogs!
Charlie even laughed!
And here is our beautiful new boy...Zeus!
He is an ancient 2000 year old breed, Pastore Apuan we stumbled across at a beautiful little small holding.
Vittorino has created a fine sanctuary with sheep dogs he trains and shows as well as ducks, sheep and donkeys.
He is actually Em's dog but will guard and look after the house.
Narnia!
It didn't take long to fall in love with him!
Funny how the cats enjoy walking out with us!
A day later.....thawing has began and all the slush that goes with it!!!
Smasher!
Miss Marple nicknamed because she is always investigating something!
We laughed and played and so did they!
I fell over in the deep fluffy snow a couple of times, not quite being able to gauge how the land sloped away.....I actually could not stop laughing, but then snow has that affect on me!
Such a good boy!
Not all fun and games, I suffered trauma on the drive trying to get the car up to the house using ash, old sack cloth and even car mats.....to no avail!
Thanks for the suggestions from my Nordic friend Susanne and Vonnie, and Cameron!
Couldn't move far forward...too scared to reverse incase I flipped backwards and down into the ditch!
Eventually Mauro just happened to call checking I was alright.....I knew a man would reverse...damn!
And now I have this lot to sort out!
Keep safe and warm everyone........
and if you have snow outside...go and roll in it!!!!!
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