Sunday July 11 to Thursday July 15

We arrived at the Borgo di Vagli compound about 5pm. Oh my goodness! This place is up up up up up a hill … after passing a castle … we made a right onto a small DIRT road …. For 3 miles. YUP 3 miles … up and down, left and right curves … you know the type of hill … mirrors positioned just so on the side of the road … beeping at every turn … hoping upon hope you don’t meet another car on the one lane dirt road with cliffs on the edge.

Then, of course, you do. Smile

Reminds me of learning to kayak … and saying oh boy I don’t want to tip in this thing because it would be scarey … so someone tips you … so you can get over the anxiety that you might do so in the future … get it over with lol ….

We bareeeeeeeeely passed each other without tipping … fun!

We ate the first night in the restaurant here … it is in a cave and called Ichee chi chi … Tuscan slang for “whatever is in the kitchen” … the chef makes what she desires … there are only 20 cottages in town and then there are only 16 seats in the restaurant. … and one seating at 8pm … meaning it is musical chairs to try to get a table … we won lol

I kept thinking to myself … please don’t let it be wild boar … please don’t let it be wild boar … yup … that was the menu … I did try a bit … (mom … get up off the floor lol) it tasted like bad stew beef … they had mint in it to cut the flavor. Ahhh thank goodness for the pasta … I cant imagine being on a low carb diet here LOL

I should mention it is hot hot hot in Tuscany at this time of year … of course, I have heard about a heat wave on the east coast of the USA … so I shouldn’t complain. But they told me the rooms were air conditioned. Then they handed me a fan. LOL
Well, we have 5 fans going 24 hours a day and its quite tough.
I think the place is amazing architecturally … just what you would expect with stone houses in a village setting. Basically, a famous architect bought this remote hilltop village and turned it into the resort …. Mega millions. The clientele are millionaires … and us ! ha ha
They show up in clothes for an olive oil tasting that would be what I would show up for captains dinner on a cruise. And us … in our sundresses and shorts. Smile

But I think this is a wonderful opportunity to learn about oneself. I just walked up and said Hi there and spoke with everyone … and darn if they didn’t accept me right away … smile

Synopsis of the last few days:

The houses are terraced on mini hills. The pool is at the top. I made the trek up there each day.
I was rewarded yesterday by a mommy wild boar and her piglets … cute … who came up to the pool to get a drink of water … there is me in the pool and my camera on the lounge chair … behind them. I couldn’t go get it …
I don’t know who was more fascinated … me looking at them and trying not to move … or them looking at me thinking … wow … why is this lady wearing a hat in the pool and doesn’t it look yummy.

Good news … I found out they don’t hunt the wild boar in this valley because of pesky tourists complaining about gunshots going past their head … so my new friends are safe.
I wonder if they play Skipbo.

My companions are having a tough time with the hills and heat. C had surgery on her foot before the trip … and her doctor gave her the okay to travel. I think he was wrong … it is all swollen. Her daughter is a teenager … need I say more? Giggles
I did practice my best Italian by getting a pharmacist to give C a prescription lasic (water pill) for her leg without a prescription … whistling at sky LOL
It is helping

Monday and Tuesday we lounged around and enjoyed the facility.
Shopped at the local grocery store – fun to see Friskies in different languages
The cottage we have is amazing – I will try to post some pictures – it has a spiral staircase, fireplace, kitchen, indoor and outdoor dining rooms.
We made dinner of pasta and more and ate outside under the grape arbor
Then played Skipbo and Uno games under the stars.

Wednesday we took an all day cooking course in an agritourismo
That means a farm that is also a bed and breakfast and often has a small restaurant
I learned to make pasta and lots of amazing tips for fun items that I cant wait to try at home. Hey Tim, I can make pumpkin ravioli! It is actually a famous dish in these parts.

Thursday we drove to Assisi to see the Basilica of St. Francis. (note for those not in the know, a chapel is a small church with usually about 50 seats, a church is what we are used to in the USA, a cathedral is a larger church with impressive architecture and often a bishop or such in attendance, basilica tends to be important as a worship center because it houses a body part of someone famous – often a saint. This one has his body in a tomb downstairs. St. Francis is well known for being the patron saint of animals (among many things). Smile Gotta love the guy

Friday we are planning on visiting a local town/city called Cortona. It was featured in a movie called Under the Tuscan Sun. It is supposed to hit 100 degrees so I think I will be visiting my wild boar friends up at the pool again for a swim.