TUESDAY TUNES:I AM WOMAN HEAR ME ROAR

 TUESDAY TUNES:Helen Reddy said it best that we know too much to sit back and pretend...Ladies make sure everybody you know votes today. It's the least we can do for our. daughters and grandchildren. The world is awaiting with bated breath...

I AM WOMAN

MONDAY MUSINGS: CHOOSING ONE'S LIFE STYLE -PODERE IL CASALE

Those of you who have followed Life in the End of the Rainbow Valley since its inception know that this suburbanite ended up living off the land in a valley after meeting Natureman, a back-to-the-lander, whose favorite book was 5 Acres of Independence. He actually had 42 acres but this once city dweller had to figure out how to live off the land with a big learning curve. I benefitted from his knowledge and his dream. This is probably why the story of how Podere Il Casale came to exist touched a special place in my heart.

Picture a young couple immersed in the world of punk rock in Switzerland with dreams of living in a place of healthy food moving in 1991 to the small town of Pienza in Tuscany. Sandra and Ulisse found a farm for sale atop a hill with an expansive view of rolling hills and mountain range including the inactive volcano Amiata.  

What a view to wake up to for 30 years!

       Val D'Orcia became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

The couple was fortunate the previous owner stayed on a year to share his knowledge re: farming, animal husbandry and cheese production. 

Fast forward to today, 5 grown sons later they are a shining example of Agriturismo.  

Podere Il Casale now has a campsite, organic restaurant, cooking classes, farm visits. as well as being a site for weddings and special events. 

Our guide Ervin gave us an informative tour including the farm's history, cheese production and its farm animals. 

We saw goats, sheep, mules, pigs, peacocks, cats and dogs in their stables.

There is a small farmhouse shop to purchase their own flour, pasta, honey,  wine, and cold-pressed olive oil in addition to cheeses.

 

One can also enjoy a cheese platter of different aged sheep's milk cheese (pecorino)  and goat milk cheeses in addition to mixed goat and sheep cheese in their farm to table organic restaurant. 

We enjoyed local wine* and a salad from their garden with our cheese sampler platter. The drunken cheese  (middle right) aged with the bran of grape skins was my favorite. 

There also were honey and jam sauces to put atop the cheeses.

*Nearby are also vineyards with some of the most famous wines in the world : Brunello di Montalcino, Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico. 

 From a land preserved, nurtured, and inherited by the work of sharecroppers now we as agritourists can also benefit from this one couple's dream...

FOTO FRIDAY: WHO KNEW?

 

FOTO FRIDAY: Who knew? Not me. 

Bellísima, ¿no?

When my paella recipe calls for saffron, now I understand why it is so costly.  The vivid crimson 'thread' is the saffron. The flower is appropriately named crocus salivus,  the saffron crocus, whose season to bloom is October here in Italy.

TBT: PUMPKINS , HARVEST AND SEASONAL TREATS

TBT: In 2011 Natureman and I were attending a wonderful October wedding weekend next to the Mississippi River in La Crosse, WI. 

There were pumpkins and the weather was cool.

I sure do miss my date.

Natureman knew how to appreciate all the seasons and their bounty. I am sure he would have lit the first fire in our fireplace by now to get rid of the chill.  We would have opened one of our home canned apple cider and  have heated it on the wood stove top serving it with a cinnamon stick. Fall days. 

He also would have bought a bag of his favorite trick-or-treat candy even though we never had any Trick or Treaters come to our house.  Guess who got to eat it all?  Yep, Mr. Healthy Eater did have his vices.

My Back-to-the-Lander Renaissance Man would also have loved being in Italy with truffle hunting, eating the local fare, admiring the architecture, history and Agriturismo. 

These hills and vineyards could have been in our 'hood.

Cherish your time with your family and friends. We just never know what tomorrow will bring... You don't have to wait for a holiday.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: THE HILLS ARE ALIVE...

MIDWEEK MUSINGS :  Art does imitate life  Who doesn't remember the lyrical line  " the hills are alive with the sound of music"?  Yes, Tuscany's mountains are like those in the movie in that you can hear music but symphonic music.

Tuesday was just one of those days when one could get gobsmacked and the hills are truly alive with music and a lot of history. Remember Tuscan comes from the word Etruscan.

Our day included a visit to the enchanted Renaissance town of Pienza. Pope Pius wanted to impress his countrymen and he certainly did by creating an architectural masterpiece that continues to impress us even today with views to die for. Once a sleepy destination, tourism is now thriving and fortunately for us, we beat the busloads of tourists timewise, not just seasonally but also with the time of the day as we were there before the shops opened.  

I can see possibilities of paintings that could challenge me for a lifetime.

Unfortunately, Wi Fi hasn't been my friend for downloading photos but time will be on my side upon my return to share each day's  sights and experiences.

Judicious elimination will be necessary to get a good blend of the landscape and architecture but also to include cultural, historic, and even agriturismo.

The music will continue... and be about a couple who had a dream and heard the music some 30 years ago...

Stay tuned.

TUESDAY TUNES:

 ITALIAN, of course. for this TUESDAY TUNE... It's by Baby K

BABY K

MONDAY MUSINGS: NEGRONI

 MONDAY MUSINGS: One cultural thing Florence has is a very long cocktail hour. In fact it's more than an hour, it's all afternoon into the evening dinner time AND to encourage your visit, snacks are provided.

As those who know me, know I am not a big drinker to say the least but a Gin & Tonic is my 'go to' whether it's summer /not. I happened to be in a city this past week that loves its gins and its signature cocktail Negroni.

So when trying to capture a sunset on a rooftop bar in the Continentale we ordered our own preferences of gins. Two drinks were being made in front of us and as the smoke was added to the one, my travelling companion quipped someone ordered the real fancy one which turned out to be theirs.

Shocked I almost missed capturing any of its presentation.

Almost captured were our snacks too. Beside the potato chips, blue corn chips, rolled chips, on the far right were a saffron-infused crispy accompanied by an octopus ink one. 

It wouldn't be very nice of me to not share the Negroni recipe. 

Molto bene!   ENJOY.

Negroni

Description

The negroni is a cocktail, made of equal parts gin, vermouth rosso, and Campari, generally served on the rocks, and commonly garnished with an orange slice or orange peel. It is considered an apéritif. Wikipedia

Main alcohol: Vermouth, Campari, Gin

Ingredients: 1 oz (1 part) Campari, 1 oz (1 part) Gin, 1 oz (1 part) Sweet red Vermouth

Preparation: Stir into glass over ice, garnish and serve.

Served: On the rocks

Standard garnish: Orange peel

Drinkware: Old Fashioned glass

IBA specified ingredients†: 30 mL gin; 30 mL sweet red vermouth; 30 mL Campari