The Wonders of Napoli

Today was a beautiful warm day. It was wonderful to wake up and have no responsibility after one month of working on the farms. The hotel even delivered breakfast in bed. I have to enjoy this before I arrive at the next farm.

I won't bore you with the sights of Napoli, which you can read in any book. I will just say that it is one of the most dynamic cities in Italy. I enjoyed a wonderful pizza for lunch (yes the whole pizza) and a decadent pastry with ricotta cheese inside for a snack. I am surprised that the travel books do not do Napoli justice.

Tomorrow is Pompeii. Ciao for now

Napoli

It was a sad farewell to leave my family in Carife. Ester lost her other tooth. She set up a tea party for me with pizza. It was also difficult to leave the dog, since it was still in pain. Hopefully they will make sure that she is ok.

Carife is a very traditional Italian village. Nonna and Nonno reminded me of my grandmother. It is very different from Roma or Firenza. I found that Campagna as a whole is much poorer than many of the other regions, but the landscape is beautiful. One aspect that was not so beautiful was the amount of trash. Apparently the government does not pick up litter and there is alot of it. I have not seen that in other parts of Italy.

Eleanora picked me up around 2pm to go to Avellino, where I would catch a bus. As we were leaving Carife, a police car stopped us because we had all the food and a large table for the Roma market in the back of the car. We had to take the large table all the way back to Carife (the police followed us althe way back), because it was blocking her view. Is there ever a dull moment???

I arrived in Naples and, once I left the Stazione Centrale, I fell in love with the whole atmosphere. It reminds me of Philly on steroids. My hotel is fantastic. I guess I had not realized after one month how nice it is to be totally on my own without responsibility at a farm. I hope to have a relaxing week, since I am not due at my next farm until the 5th of March.

Ciao for now

Good day at Farm 2

Today is my last day at farm 2. I learned some wonderful things (I know after yesterday’s downer that may seem ironic).

1. I love Napoli pizza (can’t believe I have never had it before now). We had some leftover pizza that their grandfather, who was originally from Napoli, had made. Now I wasn’t going to try it because it had a very thick crust. Thank goodness I did. The crust melted in your mouth and it was by far the best pizza I have ever had. Coming from someone who grew up in an Italian community with lots of pizza, this is a very profound statement.

2. I love having a fireplace in the kitchen. It makes everything so warm and cozy. Everyone gathers in the kitchen anyway, so why not have a fireplace. I am going to see how I can make this happen in Montana.

3. Being high on the hill, the views are even more spectacular than Tuscany and that is saying a lot.

4. I learned a new card game from a 7 year old. I still do not know what I was doing and I am not really sure she did either. They do not play fish, crazy eights, war, etc…

5. I have been sleeping 8 hours to 9 hours a night. After learning how to keep warm, the coldness in the night really makes you sleep- no hot flashes, covers off and on, etc…

Today is a beautiful day. That has advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that I will not be cold and the views are beautiful. The disadvantage is that we are going back to Campagna forest and cut and gather and bundle wood.

I spent the morning with the kids. We were teaching each other our languages. They are studying English. We were using their work book from school. It was a good session, but they are definitely smarter than me and pick it up faster.

Afterwards we walked to the forest and I spent four hours gathering, cutting, and binding wood with a short break for lunch. We had great bread and Mortedella lunch meat and of course wine. At least I walked back to wear off the lunch and wine.

Ester, the 7 year old, lost her tooth so I took them to the Pasticceria for wonderful sweets. I had a cream puff with real cream. It was excellent. I will miss the kids. I miss my grandchildren and having them around has been wonderful.

We took a walk to Nonna and Nonno’s house this evening to get more pizza (hurray). We ended up staying at the house for 45 minutes talking. They are the sweetest people. The Nonna showed me her house; she was so proud of it. She made me eat (ok I was really excited) a dessert that melted in your mouth. She reminded me of my grandmother. In the house she was wearing a jacket and a scarf on her head; the house was cold. I think keeping the house cold is just the way it is done. Everyone is so open and friendly.

Everytime we take a walk the dog goes with us. The dog has no fear of cars and walks right in front of them. The kids laugh at me because I am a nervous wreck over the dog. Wouldn’t you know that the dog gets hit by a car; was it my fear or did it just happen?? They will have to take the dog to the vet tomorrow. It was a major event.

I am glad I decided to stay for awhile at farm 2. It was definitely an experience I will remember.

Ciao for now

Pasta, Pasta, and more Pasta

I realized last night that every lunch and dinner consist of Pasta... no salad, no vegetable, no etc..... The pasta is delicious, but a diet of nothing but pasta cannot be good for you; definitely not good for the waist line. Apparently this is what you eat in Campagna. 

I made it through another night. This time I got real smart and wore two pairs of socks and gloves. They keep the house so cold they leave the cheese out because it is colder than in the refrigerator (no kidding).

I spent the morning cutting and putting labels on bottles. It is definitely a no brainer task. It allowed me to spend a lot of time thinking... just why am I doing this? Perhaps too much time to think is not so good. Now I know what it must be like to work in a factory doing repetitive tasks. I had a lot of crooked labels. It isn't easy to cut them perfectly... or not for me anyway.

After a lunch of pasta and wine (I forgot to mention that there is always lots of wine with the pasta), we went to the forest and I helped gather the wood. I was so bad I was laughing out loud at myself. My initial job was to throw pieces of wood down the hill. Now some of these are pretty heavy and needless to say they did not go very far. I really started laughing to myself when a couple pieces of wood actually went up the hill. Saje kept on pointing to where the wood was suppose to go. There was no way in H... that my wood was going that far. Finally Saje caught on that this was not my thing and sent me down the hill to cut and bind the branches.

I finally got brave (or somewhat brave) and called Eleanora and told her I would be leaving on Friday. She asked if everything was ok and I lied and said yes. She is going to tell Michele (I said I was only somewhat brave). So Friday I will be off to Naples for a few days. I definitely need a shower; just washing with a cloth and towel is not the same. I do feel bad, but I do not know what else to do.

One good thing- for those that are wondering about my grey hair issue, I dyed my hair with non permanent just before I left Le Lapole. It lasts through 12 washings. Since I refuse to take a shower here, at this rate it will grow out before I reach six washings. You can see the grey but it doesn't look as stark as if I just let it go grey. Now I am assuming this because I have not had one place where they have a good mirror. I could be just in denial.

Where was my faithful friend the hot water bottle last night? I slept with a shirt/wool sweater/fleece jacket/jacket/2 scarves on plus I had 4 blankets on the bed. If someone wants a cure for hot flashes, just sleep in a freezing room. I was curled up all night and verrrrry cold. The only heat was the fireplace in the kitchen.

I woke and walked around to see if yesterday was a bad dream… nothing had changed. I forgot to mention the Marilyn Monroe pictures taped on the bathroom walls.

I met Michele this morning as well as his kids. Ester is 7 years old and the other girl (forgot her name) is 11 and the brother is 13. They are the sweetest things. Apparently I am in the 11 year olds and her brother’s room. I am not sure where they are sleeping.

Michele does not speak any English, so we are talking with gestures mostly. He seems very nice. His wife resides in Rome and is French and English. The children speak Italian and French and a very little English.

First thing I did this morning was search for an Albergo (hotel) in Carife, but there was none. I am looking to stay probably through the week and go to Sicily early. I feel very guilty that I find it difficult to live in their house when everyone is so nice. It is definitely a bachelor pad and could use three days of scrubbing and some major updates. I guess I am not cut out for the Peace Corps!!

Work this morning consisted of putting on labels and cleaning jars, pretty easy. I was told by Saje (not sure of the spelling; he is a Japanese gentleman who works for Michele) that I needed to pay more attention to how I cut the labels. I am failing at label cutting; I am sure there will be more failures.

Carife is a beautiful hill town with breathtaking vistas. It is definitely off the tourist track. I am constantly being stared at from all the guys standing outside their houses… not sure why they are just standing. I found a bar and had some breakfast. I was starving after no dinner last night or breakfast this morning.

At lunch I had another glass of wine, perhaps two. I think I will drink my way through the week. It may be my only choice, since there is no transportation out of Carife. I am really enjoying the kids. They are extremely friendly and like to talk. They are working on their computer with U tube and Pandora and searching in Google. Nothing changes around the world.

Lunch was delicious. It was a large Penne Pasta (looked more like a Rigatoni but they said it was not). The sauce was very good; it had capers in it. Back to work after two glasses of wine. The rest of the day was moving wood (manual labor). I definitely wore off the wine.

A long journey to farm 2

I started my long day with a final farewell to the chickens. When I went to let them out of the chicken coup, I found one chicken in a tree. Apparently I missed her the night before and she ended up out all night. Who would of thought of looking in a tree for a chicken! Another lesson learned. Thank goodness she was all right.

It was a day long journey by bus/train/bus from Tuscany to Campagna. Although I am always stressed with traveling and making sure I am on the right bus or train, everything went very well until I arrived at farm 2.

Before I get into the housing, I do need to mention the town. It is a very small town on the top of the hill overlooking the olive trees. Apparently it is an ideal place for olive trees and for cheese. I arrived in the evening, so I did not really get a chance to see everything, but I am looking forward to exploring tomorrow. I think I may be looking for a Pensione (B&B Italian Style).

Michele's olive oil has won many awards and they participate in organic markets in Rome and other smaller towns through Campagna. They also have a large vegetable garden and use the olive oil to can the vegetables to sell at the market.

Now to the interesting stuff; I realize how spoiled I was with Podere Le Lapole (Farm 1). I have not met Michele and his kids yet; they are still on their way back from Rome. I am staying in the house with Michele, his 2 boys, and Sajel (one of his workers). The house is a mess, freezing cold, and I share a bathroom with all these men.

When I say the house is a mess, let me try and be more specific. When you walk in the house you are in a hall with boxes of fruit, vegetables, cheese sitting on a small table, magazines and papers everywhere, definitely not clean. The bathroom does not even have a toilet seat on the toilet. They use newspaper for rugs. You have to turn on the hot water a couple hours in advance in order to get hot water for the shower, forget the sink. No way am I showering in there.

My room has two small twin beds that looks like it might have been the kids room. At least I do have my own room and I do have clean sheets because I put them on the bed. How can I describe the kitchen!! There are no words. One good thing is that it has a fireplace, which means it is a little warmer than my room, which has to be around 50 degrees or less. I am already sneezing

When offered something, I immediately went for the wine. I am going to need it to get through the night. Not sure what I plan on doing in the morning. I know that I am suppose to be roughing it, but perhaps this is a little too much.

I think the best strategy for now is to go to bed for the evening and hopefully tomorrow will bring some light on the situation.

Ciao for now

Firenza Market at Piazza Santo Spirito

What a day. We sold out of everything!! Viola was so excited she had an asthma attack. It was the first time ever that this has happened... am I bringing good luck!! Probably it was due to the fact that it was not raining and the sun was shining. Everyone was so excited they were all outside.

We were able to leave the market at 3pm instead of 8pm, but it was still a long day. I was getting so tired that I could no longer try to tell them how much they owed. I definitely had a few elderly women get upset with me for not understanding that they wanted 100 grams (you definitely know when an elderly Italian woman is disgusted with you).

Poor Viola had to multi-task all day to help me interpret. I really did get the hang of waiting on people. Hopefully I gave everyone the right change!!

Some of the highlights were: the people making crepes out of chestnut flour with ricotta cheese inside, the Parmigianino Cheese, the basket weaver, and of course our Podere Le Lapole Pane Stand.

It was really a great market. The people were much more elegant than the other markets with their Sunday best on. The highlight was when an American came to our stand and it turned out he was from Erie, Pa. In case you do not know, that is my home town. For some reason this happens to me in the most unusual places.

At the end of the day we had a very nice dinner in Pari at one of the two restaurants. They cooked the meat in the fireplace next to our table. It was a wonderful way to spend my last night with Viola and Podere Le Lapole. I just hope my next place is as nice.

Tomorrow is a full day of traveling: bus/train/bus/bus. I am traveling from Tuscany to Campagna. Hopefully I make all my connections and I can write about my adventure at the end of the day. The nice thing is that, if I don't, there is always tomorrow!! How wonderful life is!!

Ciao for now

Sovichilli - A wonderful town

Today was day 2 of the 3 days of markets. Sovichilli was a fascinating town. It is very quaint small town just outside of Siena. It would be the perfect place to live in Italy. The town has breathtaking views of the countryside, friendly people, and a perfect location. The rolling countryside is filled with olive groves, grape vineyards, wheat fields, rice fields, beautiful villas, and a number of surrounding villages.

We arrived at 7:30am to set up. The whole atmosphere was much more relaxed than Siena. Although it was overcast for most of the day, the sun came out in the late afternoon. It was so wonderful to feel warm. The people were so friendly and happy it really made you feel so at home.

I met a number of Americans that were staying at Spannocchia. It is an American run organic agricultural center that raises pigs, lambs, and many types of vegetables. They have a great program where you can go there and learn about farming and the Italian language in exchange for your labor. Not sure I could raise the lambs and pigs and send them to the slaughter house; it would definitely make me a Vegan.

We had a little competition with another bread stand, which sells for much less because it is made from white flour. Being the entrepreneur, I convinced Viola to put up a big sign to let people know that our bread and sweets are made without any dairy. We sold out of most of our products; definitely was not due to the sign. Here bread looks so inviting. Viola was very happy with the day.

There were some unique products at the market (or unique to me). Ceci flour is made from Chick Peas and it makes a wonderful frittata. Agretti is a vegetable that is very different. It looks like grass with a long root. It tastes between spinach and pasta (I know that sounds weird). You eat it just as you would eat pasta by twirling it on your fork. Definitely want to find some seeds to grow at home. Where in the states can you watch someone cutting Salami or Prosciutto right off the bone? The ricotta cheese is right off the farm.

At the end of the market they have a restaurant that serves meals for all the market. We had a great time with some of the people from Spannocchia (I finally could participate in the conversations with other Americans). The food was very traditional; my lasagna was so good I wanted to ask for seconds (not done in Italy). The wine at lunch was local wine, Sanglovese. It was hard to stop drinking (any excuse).

When we finally returned and finished repacking the car for Florence, I started packing for my next adventure. I am really using everything so I consider my packing for the trip a success, other than maybe a few warmer clothes.

Three eggs today... they are happy chickens. I definitely will miss them.

Ciao for now

Day 1 of Markets

It has been a very long day. The Siena market was very slow. It probably was due to the rain and winds and cold. I should have worn my long underwear. We had a better turnout last week when it was snowing.

I did try and find my glasses; wouldn’t you know that they would be having a bus strike and all the offices were closed. Doubt they were there anyway.

After 6 hours of standing in the cold, we returned to the farm and started baking chocolate muffins, cheesy muffins, and bread in preparation for the markets over the weekend. It takes time to have the bread raise and then you have to bake it. Good thing I purchased a bottle of wine to help me get through until dinner!

Of course I did not forget my chickens. Again no eggs, what is with these chickens?

I am preparing for my trip on Monday and did all the wash, which is hanging on the radiator to dry… it is still raining.

Although I long and busy day, I am warm and cozy in my room with my hot water bottle. Tomorrow’s market is going to be interesting. It is in a very small town. I hope to trade my books that I read for new books (hopefully in English). I will give you an update tomorrow.

Ciao for now.

A Very Busy Day

As I mentioned, today we had to prepare for three markets, which meant baking a lot of bread. It was a sunny day (wouldn't you know given we had to work most of the day).

The day started as usual with making sure my nine chickens were fed and happy. You can see how cute they are in the picture. I am really going to miss them when I leave. Two eggs today... I think we are back on track.

Since we had so much bread to make, Viola started the oven outside. It was fascinating to watch the process of preparing the oven. Years ago this oven was used as the main oven for all the cooking, since there was no gas or electric in the house. Also many nearby farms brought their baking and cooking and used the oven.

Here is how it works: you start a fire in the oven and make sure it gets very hot. Then you remove all the fire and ashes because the bricks retain the heat. Once you have cleaned the bottom of the oven (Viola used branches tied to a stick as the broom to sweep the oven) you can set the bread on the oven floor. Viola uses her intuition to determine when it reaches the right temperature. Being a wise ass, I asked why she didn't just buy a thermometer. Apparently I wasn't the first to ask. The bread comes out bellisimo.

It was a lot of work and no time to get my 10,000 steps in so we decided to make a video to show you that we really did get exercise. Take a moment to play the video in my picasa web album. It is labeled 10000 steps while baking, Sorry for so many pictures; hopefully you will enjoy them. If nothing else, look at the video. I tried to upload it but it is too large. If you can't see it, email me and I will send it to you pmilano09@gmail.com. ( http://picasaweb.google.com/pmilano09/ItalyFarm1#)

It was a long day and we decided that we deserved a trip to the natural hot springs. This will be my last opportunity so I made sure to take the camera. It was crowded as you can see, but we were able to find a nice hot spot. It was a wonderful ending to a very productive day.

I was happy that I had purchased a bottle of wine in Siena on my last trip. It was the perfect ending to a long but wonderful day, especially with the home made pizza.

Tomorrow is Siena and it is suppose to rain. Being naive, I am going to the Siena train station lost and found... do you think my glasses are there??

Ciao for Now

Dissension in the Chicken House

Yesterday was my first full day as the keeper of the chickens and I did not get any eggs this morning. This is unusual; typically Viola gets 2 to 6 eggs. There was a major fight between the young cock and one of the chickens when I let them out. Maybe they sense my insecurity????
I am really hoping for eggs tomorrow!!

It started out as a beautiful day. I spent as much time as possible looking at the panoramic view of Tuscany until the rains late in the afternoon. We have been baking in preparation for three markets. It will be a busy weekend and off I go to the next farm on Monday.

Actually I am looking forward to the next farm. I had thought that I would be aprehensive to go, but I am ready for a new adventure. I just hope the next farm is as wonderful as Le Lapole. I have been planning my route because I will need to take bus/train/bus/bus to get to Grottaminarda. Again the place I am going is hard to pronounce. It makes traveling much more difficult. At least they will not think I am going to Paris with my pronunciation of Pari.

Not much more to report. Hoping for sunshine over the weekend so we can sell lots of Pane and Dolce.

Ciao for Now

A Rainy Day

It is raining again!!! I can't believe there could be so much rain. The forecast is rain the rest of the week. I am lucky that I do not work outside at this farm. Not sure what happens when I am at the other farms and doing outside chores. I keep looking at the weather channel hoping it will change. Otherwise I am definitely buying some warmer clothes.

Today was my first day to gather the eggs. Since it was my first time ever, I felt that I should taste the eggs to finally see if there was a difference between store bought and fresh from the hen house. This morning for breakfast I had poached eggs on toast. For those wondering... there is NOT. They tasted the same.

Other than making pralines, it was a very quiet day. I finally did some meditation and really enjoyed it. I am on my third book and sleeping 10 hours a day. I am making up for years of sleep deprivation.

I have hints of life outside of the farm, but have been sheltered from the chaos of life in America. I heard they announced that California is going bankrupt, which I already knew would happen, but it is not from a trusted source. My Son-in-law, the Fox News junkie, told me.

Tomorrow is the start of heavy baking for three markets. Two will be in the rain but it is suppose to be beautiful in Firenza on Sunday.

Ciao for now

A Successful Day

The hens are in the hen house for the night and my fire was perfect. The sun was out all day and the temperature reached the 50's. It was a very successful day.

Most of our day was spent in the lab baking biscuits (we would call them cookies). The crisps are by far my favorite that we have made so far. They are packed with organic sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, sugar, raisens, wine, oil, and a variety of flour. They are delicious. It is amazing how Viola uses everything. She freezes the orange and lemon peels and uses them in the biscuits. Definitely something I will do when I am home.

After baking for four hours, Viola and I went back to the sulfur hot springs and spent over an hour enjoying the therapeutic benefits of the springs. My body felt so much lighter and, with all the food and cookies I have been eating, that is good news. I am sure it won't last. Thank goodness there are no scales around.

This is my last week at Le Lapole so I am trying to learn as much as I can. I asked Viola if she would come to the states and give all of us baking lessons. Anyone interested let me know.

Some interesting things I have learned so far:

1. Many of th 30 - 40 year old generation live together and do not get married. I think that is very interesting. Most of the time it is because the man can not leave his mother.
2. Italian guilt is alive and well.
3. Northern Italians are less trusting of Southern Italians. They believe they are warmer but you really need to be careful.
4. Winter's are colder than I had imagined.
5. Italians do not drink very much.
6. Prices are 2x that of California.
7. There are alot more WWOOFERS from the U.S. than I thought.
8. I am not good at learning new languages (I think I knew this, but didn't comprehend how bad I would be).

I am sure I will have more as my trip progresses.

Ciao for now

Carnivale in Pari

Happy Valentines Day to everyone. Although it was another cold day in Pari today, the sun was shining. I was able to get in my 10000 steps as I strolled (everyone knows my stroll is more like a forced march) through the countryside of Tuscany.

Today was Carnivale in Pari. It is a celebration before Lent. All the children were in costume and it was definitely a party atmosphere. The picture is of Viola, Emma, Alegra, and their friend dressed up for the event.

The whole community, which consists of 185 people, came out to watch the children ride the wagon through the streets of Pari, which was really the extent of the event. The wagon had a boar chasing a farmer on it; I am not sure of the significance.

It was alot of fun meeting the families of Pari. It was interesting that there were people from U.S., Canada, South America, Germany, and etc. that have lived there for years. Pari is very accepting of non-Italians. Since there are only 186 people that live there, everyone knows each other and looks after one another. It gives you the feeling of community.

The people of Pari enjoy simple things in life and enjoy each other. It was a wonderful experience.

Tomorrow starts a week of baking, since we will be going to three markets. I have also been given another daily job, the chickens. It is my job to let them out in the morning, feed them, and put them back at night. This may be more difficult than the fire. Not sure how I get them back in their chicken house. Stay tuned.

Ciao for now!

Teaching Italian Recipes to the Italians

It has been a lazy day after the adventures of yesterday. I am laying in bed with my faithful hot water bottle after a great dinner with the miller (the man who mills all the flour for Viola) and his wife.

A type "A" personality follows you even to Italy. I made Cavatilli for dinner tonight because Viola had never heard of making them with Ricotta cheese. So I taught her!! Wouldn't you know that I would take control of my surroundings?

The feedback I got is that they really could not taste the Ricotta cheese, only the flour. That teaches me to show off!! Viola is going to teach me her recipe for making Gnocchi (with potatoes). She said they are much lighter. I also told her about making biscotti with espresso; she had never heard of that either. It is great sharing recipes.

It is really fun to be able to sit and listen to everyone talk at dinner and not have to participate. Now I know that some are thinking how difficult it is for me to not talk, but I actually enjoy the sound of the italian language. I still suck at understanding what anyone is saying and people just look at me with deer in the headlight eyes when I attempt to talk in Italian.

Tomorrow is Carnivale in Pari, so I am excited to participate in the event.

Ciao for now.

A Day to Remember

I woke up today to a beautiful winter wonderland. Wow is it cold. I did not expect it to be this cold and definitely was not prepared. How could I have imagined standing in a snow storm selling bread at an open market in Siena!!! But I did.

Apparently this is a very rare cold front and it seldom snows in Siena. We didn't sell much bread.... bet you aren't surprised.

For those concerned about my ability to see, I bought reading glasses for $50, which would of cost $10 in any pharmacy or Cosco in the states. I had no choice and would of paid even more if I had to.

The streets were full of slush from the wet snow, but the roads were full of accidents and it was a disaster. After being in the freezing cold from 8am to 2pm, we spent 4 hours in the car sitting in a full traffic jam. Trucks and cars were stuck in all directions. Again it was only slush!!!

After finally arriving home we went to Carlo's home for dinner. He is a very nice gentleman from Lake Como. He made us a very traditional meal from the Northern Italy region. It was wonderful and really enjoyed the evening, although I was very anxious to get under the covers and get warm.. Did you know that Italians do not heat their farm hourses, because they use a wood burning fireplace and it is very expensive to heat a home?

I am now in bed and as I reflect it was a cold day in heaven!!!

Ciao for Now.

It Snows in Tuscany

We continued baking today in preparation for the Siena market tomorrow. It is snowing in Pari and it is suppose to snow in Siena tomorrow. We are not expecting a good turnout, but I am glad we are going. I can not wait to get new reading glasses. I am reading huddled over a little light, but it is a great book, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and I can't put it down.

The bread today was bello. My fire was just perfect. I really enjoy getting up and making the fire. It reminds me of camping and I love to watch the flames. It is very calming, although I am not sure I could get any calmer at this point.

Not much news today. Hope tomorrow is productive.

Ciao for Now!!

Bread, Bread, and Bread

There is no better way to spend a day than enjoying the aroma of bread. It is so obvious that Viola loves to make bread and she is so creative in the type of breads she makes. She is so proud when she tells you that her bread is organic and dairy free. There are sacks of all types of flours and grains and nuts and sugar on the floor of the lab (she calls her bakery a lab).

While making bread today, Viola was telling me how bread is like a person. A loaf of bread starts from a microorganism of yeast. To grow it must have nourishment (flour and water), it must be treated gently and with loving care, it needs to breath, and needs warmth to grow. Without all this you do not get a beautiful loaf of bread.

For those that were waiting to hear if I was successful starting my fire, I was!! Tomorrow is another day and I hope that I will be able to do it again, since Viola will not be there to help.

It rained most of the day, so thanks to my family I spent the afternoon on skype. It does get rather lonely in the afternoons, when it is raining outside. Many times there are multiple WWOOFers so you have company, but at Le Lapole there is only ME.

Tomorrow is more bread!

Ciao for now!

Working the Farm

I would like to start with an advertisement. Anyone interested in visiting Tuscany and enjoying the country, Pondere Le Lapole is a fantastic Agritourisimo. Viola and Graeme are perfect hosts. Not only is their agritourisimo in a great location to Rome or Florence or Siena, it is surrounded by lush forest, olive orchards, grape vineyards, and natural hot springs. Viola can give you classes on how to make bread and Graeme can lead a biking trip through the countryside. Tell your friends!!

We spent most of the day working around the farm. After cleaning around the olive trees, we went looking for wild asparagus. As we were walking we came across wild pig footprints. Glad I did not see the pigs. There is a fox eyeing the chicken coop, so the poor chickens are stuck in th fence.

I finally took the walk to Pari. The "Remarkable Women" boot camp team would be very proud of me; I felt like I was back at boot camp running up the hill seven times. Not much to Pari!!!!

Tomorrow is back to making bread. I am given the task to start the oven fire in the morning. I am very concerned that I will do it wrong. It seems easy enough, but I am not confident of my ability to keep this fire going. I have explicit instructions... stay tuned tomorrow to see how I do.

Ciao for Now!

Maneuvering in Italy

Today was somewhat of a stressful day. After spending the night in my jail cell (for those that read yesterday's blog), I started out to explore Perugia. It is one of the most spectacular hill towns. Because of the Universities, Perugia is known for music and art. I wasn't there long enough to hear a concert, but there were billboards all over advertising. I visited a few churches and the medieval guardians (see picture in this blog).

Traveling alone has some hickups. I was approached by two men at different times, neither one was italian. One was from Algeria and one from Morroco. Both had been living in Perugia for over ten years. They were not shy and I got away as fast as I could. If anyone needs a place to stay in Perugia, I know where I can get a free room; this only applies to American Women of course.

I definitely got my walks in through the hilly city. They have escalators throughout because of the hills and one takes you through a very old fortress called Rocca Paolina. You can still see where different families lived. It was so amazing. The weather was still somewhat overcast, so I did not get any good pictures of the panoramic views of the city. The restaurants, cafes, and pastry shops were delicious. I had a chocolate cake that melted in my mouth.

My trip back was a little difficult. First I really can not pronounce Pari (the name of the city where I am staying). People think I am saying Pari (Paris). You can imagine how difficulty that makes things. Also the bus stop is not actually in Pari but a hotel, which I now I realize is not considered Pari. I finally arrived late at night at the deserted stop and an Italian woman was kind enough to wait for me until Viola arrived.

The major result of the stress of the day is that I lost my reading glasses. For those over 60 you know that this is a real crisis. I can not get somemore until Friday in Siena. I will be somewhat handicapped until then.

Ciao for now!

Side trip to Perugia

I woke up this morning to the first sunny day, since I arrived at the farm. The olive trees were glistening and the air was so fresh it was hard to leave for my little side trip to Perugia.

I managed the logistics of the bus system traveling from Tuscany to Umbria and arrived in Perugia in the afternoon. It was a little stressful and hope that it will get easier as time passes. If only I could speak Italian, everything would be easier!!

Perugia was well worth the effort. A hillside city bustling with students and locals, it has the combination of the old Italy with new energy. The panoramic views are the best I have seen in my travels in Italy to date (the picture does not give justice to the views). I visited some museums and churches. Tomorrow I will spend most of the day touring the city and return to the farm in the late afternoon.

Only one hickup on the trip was my pensione. I realized that I am staying at the wrong hotel after about an hour in my room. I now know what it is like to be in a prison cell; that is exactly the size and layout of my room. I circled the wrong hotel on the map and didn't go back and look at the name of the hotel. Oh well, it is one night and I saved a few bucks. It was definitely a Paula thing to do.

Ciao

The Natural Hot Springs of Tuscany

Today Viola and I visited the Natural Sulfur Hot Springs a short distance from the house. There were many locals (no tourists) that visit the springs on weekends. The hot springs are on one of the many rivers flowing through the valley. the scenery is beautiful surrounding the hot springs. It is amazing how peaceful and majestic everything is.

We rotated between the hot springs and the river, which was quite cold. It was almost like having a FREE spa. In fact there are two resorts that charge alot of money to use the same water just above the local hot springs. Everyone knows how frugal I am.

I was able to meet many of the colorful locals. They are all so friendly and talkative. Of course, they were talking to me in Italian and I kept nodding my head; I didn't understand a word.

It was still drizzling, otherwise Viola and I would of sold the remaining bread on the street side. She may try tomorrow, but I decided to venture out and visit Perugia, which is in the Umbria region. Viola believes that it is nicer that Orvieto and more to do.

No pictures today because I forgot my camera. I will definitely be returning.

Ciao for now.

Market Day

Ciao Everyone
Today started out at 7am as we drove to Siena for the Weekly Farmers Market. As predicted, it was raining and we knew that customers would be down from normal. During the drive to Siena, Viola and Cinzia tried to teach me Italian but most of the time they were laughing at my pronunciations. It was a wonderful ride with the mist across the country side and the endless olive groves.As we approached Siena, you could see the magnificent Italian homes; many were hanging precariously over the valleys. Apparently people who live in Siena have traditionaly been wealthy.

The Piaza Mercato was just outside of Il Campo in Siena. Thank goodness it was under a roof. Viola has an artistic eye and the stand look so appealing with olive branchs, artistic signs, and of course beautiful Pane. Since it was a light day, Viola and Cinzia were getting their 10,000 steps in; I have been educating them on the importance of 10,000 steps a day. Take a look at the video link.



Since I was of little use after setting up (could not understand the customers), I wandered through Siena. There were few tourists because of the time of year and weather, so it was wonderful to meander with the locals. I actually thought the rain made it more romantic and I felt that I was part of the city.

We had alot of bread and cookies left, so tomorrow we are going to the hot springs nearby and setting up a stand. Afterwards we will enjoy the warmth of the sulfur hot springs.

View the updated pictures at : http://picasaweb.google.com/pmilano09/ItalyFarm1#

Two important lessons learned today:
1. A hot water bottle in bed is a life saver. Viola told me they use one every night and gave me one. Since heat is a premium with wood burning furnaces, it is very cold in bed. But with a hot water bottle, who cares. I am buying one as soon as I get back to the states. How did I not know about this!!!!
2. I really missed coffee first thing in the morning. How can one survive without the bolt of energy. So I bought a french press in Siena and illy expresso... I will definitely be ready for tomorrow.

Buono Notte

The wonderful smell of bread

Ciao Everyone

This day started out a little slow in that I spent the evening throwing up (sorry for the blunt statement). Not sure what happened, but it has been a slow day.

We baked most of the day in preparation for the Siene farmer's market. It is mostly a local's market and Viola has a major bread stand. We baked two kinds of bread, a sweet bagel type cookie that has olive oil and lots of wine, and muffins. The lab ( room where we produce the bread) was filled with wonderful smells. I have a real advantage in that my bedroom is attached. Viola and Cinzia were very patient with me. They even dd not get upset when I slammed the bread down (not good). Most of the breads Viola makes are very crusty. Italians like very HARD bread.

We are very concerned that it may rain tomorrow and we will not sell as much.

Siena is 30 minutes away, so we will be leaving at around 7am. We may stop at the hot springs on the way back.

Buona Notte

First Farm in Italy- Podere Le Lapole

After a 2 hour train ride from Rome with wonderful scenery, I was warmly welcomed at the Grosseto train station by Viola and she drove me to her farm about 2K outside of Pari. The farm is occupied by Viola is in her mid to late 30’s with two 7 year old twins Emma and Alegra (ironic; their birthdays are in September also), and her significant other Graeme. He was very busy trimming the vines.
What a fantastic farm (see the pictures below by clicking on the url). We immediately started baking bread for the Siena farmers market on Friday. Viola and Cinzia, someone who helps Viola, were giving me bread baking classes throughout the day. They mostly spoke in English so I could participate, but I have asked them to speak in Italian as much as possible. I am not getting any better at the language.
Viola is originally from Florence and went to college in England, where she met Graeme, who has a background in agriculture. They decided that they wanted a farm that had a B&B attached (agritourisimo); so they purchased a farm in Italy. It was rough going until Viola found her love for bread. Now she is in full production with two ovens.
I do not think I could have asked for a better first farm. I have my own little bedroom outside of the main house (see pictures below) and attached to the bread making room. As I am sitting here writing my blog, I smell the pungent aroma of yeast , rosemary and olive oil. My room overlooks the rolling hills in Tuscany. Although it is winter, the lushness and the varied colors of winter are amazing. It makes me want to paint again.
The people are so warm-hearted and generous. I am really looking forward to the next two weeks. Tomorrow we start to make bread at 9am until around 3pm. Don’t worry My Walker Friends, I plan on getting up at 7am and walk to Pari for coffee. A Presto!

http://picasaweb.google.com/pmilano09/ItalyFarm1#5434096316422186034

The start of Farming

After walking over 9 miles thru Rome yesterday, I am leaving this morning and will be starting my organic farming career. Even after spending many hours researching to make sure I had the type of farms and people that I could be comfortable living with for two weeks, I am still somewhat apprehensive. I used an organization called World Wide Organization of Organic Farms (Wwoof). Although it has more than 300 farms listed, it does not guarantee the safety or the type of farm. My criteria was that it must have a website so I can view the farm and it must have either a training or agritourism registration with Italian government. Not sure any of that really matters. Whatever!

The first farm is in the Tuscany region and produces olive oil and bread. Viola is picking me up in Grosseto. Grosseto is on the coast a short distance from Siena. I will be giving you an update this evening. Arrivederci!

Day 1 Roma

I arrived in Roma safe and sound and very tired. After a short nap I set out to make sure I got my 10,000 steps as I wandered through Roma; the walking group will be proud of me (you can follow my steps at http://www.walkstyles.com/).

As I was wondering through the Basilica, I had a very spiritual experience. I realized that this was not just Paula's adventure after 60, it was a spiritual awakening in me. I realized that I was searching for who I was and my purpose in life. It was very moving and very unplanned. I am looking forward to spending quality time with myself.

Some minor Aahs!
I suck at Italiano. All my work with Rosetta Stone just went out the door. Okay it is day 1 and I need to give myself a break.
It is Cold in Roma. First thing I did is start shopping for a wool sweater. Any excuse to shop!
I am more relaxed than I even thought I would be. I was a little concerned after everyone kept on asking me if I was stressed or nervous. I even took the dot test, which measures your stress (thanks to the Grove girlfriends). I came out Alert, which is just before calm. For those that know me, Calm is not in my lifetime. It is just not part of my biological makeup.

My next stop is Tuscany at a farm just below the village of Pari (www.lelapole.it). I will be picking olives and making breads to sell at the local markets. Hope you can join me.

Saluti! Paula