The View from Il Loggino

On Monday I went with friends to the invitation on...

2007-02-27T10:51:00.000+01:00

On Monday I went with friends to the invitation only Brunello tasting at the Montalcino fortezza. I have some nice pictures of the actual building but blogger isn't posting them right now. Maybe later. (Actually, it's been four days now and blogger isn't posting pictures. Bummer.)

The place was mobbed with dealers, private buyers, journalists and restauranteurs from all over the world.Including us and our favorite vintner whose wine is exceptional and who's not bad himself.

We wandered down into town and found a great little restaurant for lunch somewhere in the back of beyond.

From the looks of this, I guess we had a great time!

Yay! Blair is pulling some troops out. There's som...

2007-02-21T17:58:00.000+01:00

Yay! Blair is pulling some troops out. There's some speculation that the looming threat of the U.S. gearing up to attack Iran would put British troops in a pincer. Go know.

I have a new addiction. Now someone's bound to say it's bad for me, but I'm drinking a lot of it. Non-alcoholic, no less.

For some reason, February has been a tough month h...

2007-02-18T11:15:00.000+01:00

For some reason, February has been a tough month here for me which is pretty ridiculous considering it hasn't looked at all like winter. I guess I'm worried that the bulbs will all have bloomed and the blossoms will have blown off the trees before April even shows up. I think I'll spend more time traveling around Europe next winter.

Did have a kind of short-lived flu which I'm over today. Got up and vacuumed the house and waxed the cotto floors. Yesterday the vet came on a house call. She's wonderful with the wild girls, at least with Maggie since Molly managed to disappear even though I was sure I'd shut them both in the bathroom. So I'll take Molly down for her shots tomorrow.

The downstairs mini-kitchen is finished but these guys have to be kidding if they think they can leave the fireplace the way they have. It continues to be a mess and when my friend Daniele came to measure it for the stone work he will be doing around it, he told me all the things that should be done first. He also brought a friend who's going to do the garden wall for which we will need a permit to close off half of the state road during the weeks of work. Semaphores to regulate the traffic.

The best day was Wednesday, Valentine's Day. Carmela and Eugenio came to Arezzo with me and we explored the town which is very medieval in the center and looks almost Parisian in parts.

The shopping there is incredible, the best of any small city I've seen in Tuscany. Even better than Lucca. There are so many beautiful shops with antiques and Oriental rugs and original arts and crafts. It's also a big theater town. Too bad such a nice little city is in the rather ugly industrialized Val di Chiana.

We had a lovely day and did some serious shopping and found a local restaurant that looked like nothing from the outside, but was packed full of locals. The food was great and the prices were better. It was a wonderful outing. Let's see if I can survive the rest of the cool season through my trip to Barcelona and back. I can't wait for April!!!

Oh, and I've been reading banned books. The Buru Quartet by Pramoedya Ananta Toer is banned in Indonesia and I thought the author was still in jail or under house arrest, but I've just seen something by Tariq Ali who said that he died recently. He never received a well deserved Nobel prize. Its four volumes are about colonialism and still relevant today. Cities of Salt by Abdelrahman Munif is banned in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East. It's about the arrival of American oil companies in the Middle East from the point of view of the Arab population.

This is Dottoressa Francesca Dottore, I kid you no...

2007-02-19T18:38:00.000+01:00

This is Dottoressa Francesca Dottore, I kid you not, with Molly who had to be carted down to the office in San Quirico to get her shots since she had a case of the vapours during Francesca's housecall on Saturday and wasn't seeing anyone. Maggie didn't have to be shlepped so she missed a glorious sunset. We think Molly may be deaf, but we are not yet positive. If that's the case, she won't be able to go out- won't be able to hear the cars coming. I really hope it's not the case. Francesca is a love.

Guest fatigue. I had wonderful times with my siste...

2006-09-29T14:12:00.000+02:00

Guest fatigue. I had wonderful times with my sister and her friends, my goddaughter and her friend, my high-school friend and her husband. We did great things: a concert starring a friend from Sicily, a photography exhibit by a friend here in the valley, dinners out and dinners in and dinners at friends. I gained five pounds and have to quit eating for a month. Have to learn to space visits out better. Anyone else have this issue? You want them to come, love having them, but just can't keep up with them after awhile.

That said, I'm easing back into village life, cleaning the house, doing chores and errands and continuing to read and garden and be on line.

Next month, Rome for a few days and back to Egypt.

This was taken of the garden from my bedroom wind...

2007-01-31T08:05:00.000+01:00

This was taken of the garden from my bedroom window. It is the only five hours of winter I've seen so far and it was last Friday. Today it's close to sixty degrees F again and tomorrow will be February 1. Very strange.

OK. I'm moving my blog to a new address: www.expat...

2006-05-30T08:04:00.000+02:00

OK. I'm moving my blog to a new address: www.expatsinitaly.com/blogs/joanna
See you there!

La Maggiolata was celebrated here on the morning o...

2006-05-03T13:58:00.000+02:00

La Maggiolata was celebrated here on the morning of May 1, starting at the Rocca shortly after midnight and stopping by under my window about 3:30 a.m. All the men singing their welcome to the month of May is not a tourist thing but something that's been done in this village since medieval times.

I can't believe how busy I've been and I hope I'm not in error in thinking that I have up to two months to renew my permesso di soggiorno I'll try to get up to the Siena questura next week. The workers are here doing the cantina now.

After a week of rain at the end of April, we now have spectacular weather. Witness the garden.

All the predictions are that winter is really com...

2007-01-22T21:08:00.000+01:00

All the predictions are that winter is really coming by the end of the week. I've had it too easy and probably wasted alot of time just enjoying the nice weather instead of doing all the chores and errands I should have been doing. Well, I'll pay. This has been the view from my bed lately. Probably won't be able to see anything once the rain, snow, whatever comes.

A new friend, Santo, sent this picture from our New Year's Eve party. Seems much longer than three weeks ago.
And Molly and Maggie are growing up- into everything, destroying any plant or dried flower arrangement they can get to, and becoming much more affectionate.

Where is winter? Today it was again close to sixty...

2007-01-13T17:49:00.000+01:00

Where is winter? Today it was again close to sixty degrees. Just like yesterday when Carmela, Eugenio and I took a long drive in the country, through the secret valleys in the mountains, the south side of Monte Amiata. We went to a furniture outlet to browse and then had lunch in Castell'azzara in Grossetto province, the high country of the Maremma. La Tana dell'Orso (Cave of the Bear) is a tiny trattoria with wonderful food- the pasta, bread, etc. all made on premises, run by a young couple. The three course meal with wine and coffee came to under fifteen euro per person. The town has a wonderful ancient center with tiny alleys, arches and bridges over streets and a view of the southern end of the Val d'Orcia including the south side of Radicofani.

We continued back through Vivo d'Orcia where we turned left instead of right and went to the Amiatafunghi factory where we loaded up on all kinds of mushroom, vegetable and fruit preserves and sauces. Arriving home by sunset, cursing myself for not having brought my camera, I was still saying, "Where's winter?"

One of those spring days last year, when Gary work...

2004-01-30T02:58:00.000+01:00

One of those spring days last year, when Gary worked in my garden and I was assigned garbage detail, the hairdresser down the street stepped out for a smoke and a look at that view (and perhaps at us?). Looking for any excuse for a little break from chores, I fell into conversing with her. Then a sad, young woman passed by and the hairdresser had a brief, private exchange with her. Turning back to me, she said that the woman's mother had died last night and went on to tell me how. Afterward, Gary said, "Either my Italian is really bad or she just told you that her friend's mother fell out the window last night!" True. Hanging laundry on the line. Mmmm.

There's a lot of shy curiosity in the village about me. There's a lot of 'who gives a sh**?', too. I like both attitudes. This isn't a tourist town except for a few long distance bicyclists or the stray hiker. The very oldest citizens seem to have had memories of youth triggered by my reanimation of this once prestigious residence that has been shuttered and empty for thirty odd years. Those who overheard every word of my Q & A at the bank when I opened an account might be arguing about my marital status since they know they heard I am single and yet they've seen me working around the house with an Aussie, a Finn, an Italian, and a Brit pitching right in- all men. Which one's the husband? Mmmm. (They each live anywhere from ten minutes to an hour away.) Most of my women friends live much further away. One came all the way from New York to slave away during the initial cleanup. I plan to fill the house with friends often- for dinner, weekends, afternoons in the garden. Everyone will have views.

JOYOUS WINTER SOLSTICE These are for Delina...

2006-12-21T19:35:00.000+01:00

JOYOUS WINTER SOLSTICE

These are for Delina! (And for me.) Rock on!

Actually did some holiday shopping today. Spending the 24th and 25th across the street at my friends' place. Having people here from the comune near Siena on the 26th. People from Rome coming for a couple of days over the New Year. My first winter here is shaping up nicely.

Today was cloudy all day, but yesterday was glori...

2006-12-16T12:47:00.000+01:00

Today was cloudy all day, but yesterday was glorious. Drove up the Cassia looking for a driving school where I might buy the book for the Italian license, but they were all closed. Seems they're only open a couple of evenings a week for classes. It was so warm that it's hard to believe that winter starts in less than a week.

My friends in Tasmania are battling to save their house which has been threatened by surrounding bush fires all week. It's been pretty harrowing for them, and for me trying to stay abreast of what's happening to them. So far, they seem exhausted, but O.K.

Oh, the wild girls are still absolutely nuts. No petting this week.

I had a wonderful lunch in Montepulciano at Osteria Acquacheta: fresh tagliolini with fresh white truffles, a wonderful osso buco and mashed potatoes also generously sprinkled with white truffle shavings, half a liter of their good red house wine, a bottle of water and a double coffee. All for thirty-one euro! It would have been half that if I were not so greedy for all the truffles, but who can resist when they're in season!?!?

On the 25th, Carmela made deep fried artichoke ...

2006-12-26T13:53:00.000+01:00

On the 25th, Carmela made deep fried artichoke patties, wild herbs and ricotta stuffed ravioli with lamb ragu, crispy maialino (baby pork roast) with salad and roasted peppers, and deep fried honey balls. The wines were wonderful. All of us then took a long walk in the countryside.

And tonight, I'm having friends over for dinner!

Both December 24 and 25 dawned cold and absolute...

2006-12-25T10:39:00.000+01:00

Both December 24 and 25 dawned cold and absolutely clear, and with much less wind. The weather veritably sparkles and blackbirds sail the currents above the castle walls and out over the valley as church bells sound their cacophony at irregular intervals. There was a bonfire in the piazza under Carmela and Eugenio’s balcony where we drank champagne and prosecco and watched as local carolers and Babbo Natale did their thing.

Dinner on the 24th was a festival of fish: smoked salmon antipasti and octopus and potato primi and cozze and squid in sepia and sweet shrimp in brandy all on the secondi piatti, followed by a flaky cream filled pastry dusted with powdered sugar. The woman can cook!!!

Barbara and Marco were there and their sister Muriel called from Switzerland during the feast so we all talked on the speaker phone about missing her and about recipes and how her pregnancy is going. Fun gifts and music and film. This is my family here and I’m so lucky they’ve made me a part of their lives with such care and generosity.

Well, tonight they're in my bed and purring away. ...

2006-12-07T21:24:00.000+01:00

Well, tonight they're in my bed and purring away. They even let me pet them a little, tentatively. Earlier they were on the couch with me while I was reading. Progress.

I've been doing fall cleaning- can't believe how m...

2006-09-06T22:34:00.000+02:00

I've been doing fall cleaning- can't believe how much dust and dirt comes in from the harvesting and plowing going on in the surrounds. Nevermind the spiders (of whom I'm rather fond for their bug eating propensities, but the cobwebs get unsightly) and the occasional thunderstorm which always comes right after I've washed the windows, washed my car, or thoroughly soaked the garden (so unreliable when you're desperate, like NYC buses which only came when you lit a cigarette). The garden gets a bit ratty looking this time of year, but when Gaz gets back from Oz I'm sure we'll start serious work that will spruce it up and result in a glorious spring and summer '07.

My goddaughter Bahia is arriving tomorrow from London and I'm so looking forward to hugging her. Maybe we'll get tickets to my friend Ester's concert in Montepulciano for Saturday night. She's down visiting Paolo in Monticchiello (or up - she's from Sicily and has an amazing voice).
The Paolo next door to me makes great wine and sells it to me for three euro a bottle, actually twelve bottles for thirty euro. And the Paolo down in Monticchiello came for lunch and pronounced it a wonderful red. So who needs Brunello or Nobile riservas?

I've been ordering too many books, DVD's, and CD's from Amazon.UK, but when I listen to Democracy Now I always hear about something else I want to buy. I've been more politically active here than I ever had time for in NYC.

Late autumn: the fat white geese are in their ya...

2006-12-05T08:19:00.000+01:00

Late autumn: the fat white geese are in their yard and the leaves blow across the road in drifts. The sky is every shade of grey and silver and the fields are emerald and lime and umber. There are glimpses of old farmhouses never seen before through the branches. Everything is rust with splashes of dusty rose, cream, oat, yellow and gold in between the grey-green olive trees and the green-black cypress and pine trees.

I stay in a lot and work on line. There's a "Take Action" banner on the blog now. You click through and get your government, if you're an American, to pay attention.

I'm getting into hibernating mode. Gaz and Zak are in Oz til April and Paolo in NYC until January something. I do get out to the movies once a week with Carmela and the gang and have had a friend from NY and her daughter over the turkey weekend and a friend from near Siena overnight last night, but mostly I'm just here with my two insane kittens (Maggie and Molly) who are terrified of me still. Winter is slowly, but surely, acomin' in. Knowing my prediliction for becoming a complete slug - bed to couch, couch to bed - you can imagine me going through five books and seven DVDs a week. I'm looking forward to the olive oil festival next weekend and trying to inch forward in my work around the house, but doing very little else. Being able to see my incredible view from bed is great. Every once in awhile I have to bust out and go for a long drive somewhere. It's so beautiful here. Green again.

They'll chase your car in sheep country.

2004-05-29T06:08:00.000+02:00

They'll chase your car in sheep country.

Having given up all hope of recovering my beautifu...

2006-11-20T12:35:00.000+01:00

Having given up all hope of recovering my beautiful four year old cat who made a dash for freedom a couple of weeks after her arrival this past summer, I have been entrusted with two wild young girls by the vice-president of the Tuscan animal protection organisation. I have kept all the doors and windows closed and yet after several hours of seeming to freak out about being here, they seemed to have disappeared. I was planning on telling everyone that they were upstairs asleep for the next fifteen years. My friend Gary was about to embark on a hunt through the pet stores of Siena province looking for their twins.

But about four hours later they resumed their howling, and though I never found out where in the house they'd been hiding, I was very glad to hear the dreadful noise. They finally deigned to eat something and to use the litter box, but they still act like they hate me and it will be awhile before they figure out that I'm their saviour. While I slept they had a proper romp, upsetting a plant and knocking down a picture, but no serious harm done yet.

So without further ado, and though they remain nameless until they tell me who they are, I give you the wild girls:

Yesterday started with an early morning storm- thu...

2006-11-23T11:54:00.000+01:00

Yesterday started with an early morning storm- thunder, lightening, and ice that lay like snow everywhere. Then there was a break before another storm blew through with lots of rain. When it all cleared, I went to the car and found the battery dead. No problem. A truck driver helped me push it toward a dirt road that plunged into the valley below and after some kilometers racing through the woods and farmlands, I finally managed to jump start the baby. Then I roared back up to town in first gear and started my day.

Take out the trash and go for a long drive through the autumn afternoon to do a huge grocery shop over in Sinalunga. The drive home toward the early setting sun was magical. There is no way for the camera to capture the light.

My neighbor came by with a case of his wine and agreed to take the olives I'd harvested from my four trees the day before. Maybe ten or fifteen kilos. I was so glad I'd gotten them picked before the storms.

Then it was off to Conte Matto restaurant in Trequanda for a wonderful meal to mark Gary and Zak's last night in Italy. They're back off to Tasmania until April. I will miss them so much.

But Theresa and her daughter arrive tomorrow for their holiday long weekend. Yay.

You know you're back in Italy when you get a cal...

2006-11-12T18:13:00.000+01:00

You know you're back in Italy when you get a call to come help with the olive harvest. Beautiful day, good harvest, good food and wine.

Much warmer than last year and so we worked all day and just about finished.

Good morning from Castiglion d'Orcia. Got home a...

2006-11-08T10:25:00.000+01:00

Good morning from Castiglion d'Orcia. Got home at midnight and it's wonderful to be back!

The air is crisp and autumnal and carries cries
of "Bentornata!" from friends and neighbors.

AND WE TOOK IT BACK!!! I can again hold my head up a bit about my native country. Now let's see how soon we can repeal the Military Commissions Act and rejoin the civilized world.

Drinks with our friends at the hotel after a mor...

2006-10-31T06:10:00.000+01:00

Drinks with our friends at the hotel after a morning with them at Hatshepsut's temple and the mortuary temple of Seti I where we had the whole place to ourselves.

Our last day in Cairo, shopping at Khan el Kalil...

2006-11-06T21:17:00.000+01:00

Our last day in Cairo, shopping at Khan el Kalili with a stop at the cafe El Fishawy. Tomorrow to Rome and home to Castiglion d'Orcia.