A CHANGE IN DYNAMICS
Some how the Dutch and American/English were able to pull it together after a long night and a short sleep before packing their suitcases and then their cars in time to hit the road leaving us and Armena behind.
By ten o'clock the hugs had made the rounds and promises of return trips were heard from trembling lips.
The bromance between and Adam and Eric would have to resume remotely. I think it might have caused Adam to have even shed a tear.
Those of us staying waved our towels in the air in the tradition of all departures from Armena as a way of saying good-bye but come back soon.
Alessandro also wept and the dogs got in the act by staging a growling match between Maggie and Aliscia
as the cars made their final journey through the gates. Hands could be seen waving back through open windows as the cars disappeared into the dust cloud that accompanied every departure and arrival.
A new quiet settled over the farm. Even the horses were mute. The activity of the farm would now change as the cleaning crew came in to change our linens, sweep out the floors and cart away our enormous stack of empty bottles.
We were required to leave during the cleaning process. Since Saturday is market day in Buonconvento it seemed like a good time to stock up on provisions for the next week.
Here you can buy everything from baby artichokes
to brassieres.
There were baskets of Amalfi lemons still clinging to their stems
and a street long parade of vendors for every home need.
Before looking for lunch we stopped in at Giulia's flower shop to pick up some flowers for the remainder of the week. We settled on a little white orchid. We always feel it's important to have something living in a home even if your stay is only going to be temporary.
We slipped back in to the old town to find a table for an early lunch. It's so easy in Italy to find your eyes much bigger than your stomach.
With perfect weather it was a difficult choice deciding whether to eat indoors or out at La Porta di Sotto. We decided on an outdoor table at La Porta di Sotto covered by a large white umbrella to protect us from the sun but allowing us to still enjoy the mid-May breeze.
Even though we weren't really all that hungry we couldn't pass up trying a couple of the appetizers. The deep-fried artichokes were the first thing we all agreed on.
Then our very animated waiter persuaded us through an animated pantomime to try the crostone con la nana, a crostone cut so thin it was impossible to eat by hand. My first mouthful ended up in my lap but what's Italy without a little stain of remembrance on a favorite shirt.
We didn't stop there, we went right into a pair of pasta dishes, both were incredible. Pici is now our pasta of choice whenever we can get it. It's a softer, meatier noodle that allows any sauce a better surface to cling to.
The second pasta was a dish made of stracci and hearts of artichoke and a very light cream sauce.
When we returned to the farm we decided it was finally time to christen the pool before we all feel in for a nap. The pool had been going through the cleaning process that occurs every spring but a full cleaning hadn't happened for two years due to Covid. We were pushing the time frame but a dip in the pool out weighed the fact that there was still a bit of algae to be scrubbed from the bottom of the pool.
That night we were all so full from lunch that we decided on cutting into one of the chickens we had bought at the market for chicken and tomato sandwiches. I can not end a meal without a sweet and we hadn't yet made it to our favorite gelatoria in Montalcino ,"Why Not". For the first time ever when I arrived it was closed. This has all very worried.
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