From the Beach to the Mountains...

First I would like to wish all our friends and family a Very Happy and Safe 4th of July!Unfortunately, the Italians do not have this celebration but we did have a holiday this week. It was Saints Peter & Paul Day this past Wednesday - Tom had off and it was a beautiful day!

Beautifully warm water...

Lots of people...

The water was even
warm enough for Tom

We took a drive down to the beach at Fregene (by the airport).
We stopped at a beach side resort called Tirreno Village.
The weather was breezy and very sunny, the sand was dark and hot, the water was wonderfully warm, and lunch was amazing...
I think all the Italians were there that day.
As I said we had a wonderful lunch of fresh seafood, pasta, and a tasty white wine! Who could ask for more... After lunch we took a brief walk at the shoreline and just enjoyed each other and the day!



It was a relaxing and fabulous day spent with my honey and the beach - not bad!
The rest of the week Tom continued on the big presentation he has been working on. I continued to roam around and tend the garden. I will only give you two pictures of the garden this week. We are starting to harvest the crop. Just last night Tom picked about a dozen ripe cherry tomatoes which we enjoyed with some fresh cheese and some of our homegrown basil.

Peppers getting ready...

More tomatoes ripening...

Ok, off the garden and the remainder of the week - it's now the weekend and we are off to the mountains!

 Tom thought it would be fun to take a drive to Montepulciano - I definitely agreed.
Montepulciano is a medieval and Renaissance hill town and in the province of Siena in southern Tuscany about a 2 hour drive from the house. Montepulciano has an elevation of 605 m and sits on a high limestone ridge. Montepulciano is a major producer of food and drink. Montepulciano is known world-wide for its fabulous wine. Wine connoisseurs consider its Vino Nobile among Italy's best (and we agree). However, the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano should not be confused with the varietal wine (Montepulciano grape) of the same name. Montepulciano is also known for its pork, cheese, "pici" pasta (a thick, rough, chewy variant on spaghetti), lentils, honey, and handmade cooper goods.
If you are a mountain goat it is a wonderful place - you definitely need to like walking up (and down) 45 degree angles.
We had a wonderful lunch overlooking the view above and then wondered around the town. It was overcast and a little drizzly but still beautiful. Uo at the elevation we were at it was about 20 degrees cooler than in Rome. As luck may have it there are two other things that Montepulciano is known for.
-  One is absolutely amazing handmade copper cookware and kitchen goods. We met the man who makes the items and then, of course, went to the shop where they sell the items and met his wife.
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Shop-owner, Tom, &
our new Wine Cooler

& my new wine pitcher & risotto pot...

The Cathedral St. Maria Assunta

- The second item is just a simple exploitation of the beauty of the town. If this square looks fimiliar then you have watched the Twilight movie - New Moon. This is where the 'Volterra' met - they were the Supreme Court of the Vampires. 

The City Hall

Well, I am having a little trouble uploading pictures and I think I will go for lunch so I am going to end this installment of the blog.
Again, I wish everyone a very happy and safe 4th of July! Wish we were there to celebrate with you! Enjoy...
Lastly, I told Tom I was going to say this - I hope everybody gets it...
Last week I was walking around Rome and in my head I realized the following... 'There are a lot of Italians in Rome'. It may sound silly but it finally struck me! Guess I am just slow!

Ok - to everybody - we send our love and best to all!
Till next week!
Ron & Tom