Saturday, March 9, 2024

First Days In Umbria



Well, we've settled back in here at The Nut...for the most part.

The big question is....HOW MUCH LONGER CAN WE GO UP THESE STAIRS!?!
Especially with fire wood and groceries!






Thing is, when we get to the top, we feel like we're home.


Hi, Nut!!


We long for our "Long View" when we are in California. It really can be breathtaking. Watching the skies change and weather systems go through...it's just wonderful.



First evening back , we were blessed with this...



Looking the other way from the small terrace...

 

    

Heading down the garden path to hop in the car and go grocery shopping.
It's a must to get the basics for the first day or two.



The olive grove in early evening light.
We also park our car here.




View of the village from the olive grove.



We are so lucky to have a pal that gets the fire going to warm the place up before we arrive. We are having cold nights, so this is a pleasure. We try to keep the place warm 24/7 during these early days here.





The first visit to the piazza is always a blast. We love it here when there is no one around. It's so quiet and we can just enjoy the feeling of being in this historical place.

Add in a glass or two of local wine, some chatting with our local pals...it's heavenly.


A whole lotta nothin' going on.
Sweet!

On our first nigh back home, I made a quick and simple pasta. It was nothing really special, we just needed something in our bellies to conk us out and help us get a good night's sleep. Jet lag is always a problem for a few days.

On night number two, I turned the leftovers into a pasta frittata...A little butter and evoo, garlic and onion sautéed, then add the leftover pasta.






A few cherry tomatoes cut in quarters adds some freshness and color.



I used four fresh eggs and let it harden up, then some parmesan on top.





Tuck it all under the broiler for a few minutes and you're good to go!



We enjoyed this with a simple green salad and of course, some vino .

It's just a yummy meal.

Next morning (after a very good night of sleep!), we woke up early to a foggy view over the valley...

It was actually stunning, so I took a bunch of pictures.

















Time for our first Morning Walk! We try to walk every day, sometimes twice. It helps with the eating and drinking we indulge in for the next several weeks.



A very familiar view...this time of year the leaves are all gone.



A frosty morning, indeed!




Farm House dreamscape, with the fog.



Looking towards home, over the fields.



It's always good to be back. Thank you, Powers That Be.

Friday, March 8, 2024

First Night Back in Italy: Rome!



Traveling is getting harder every year, I must say. 
I am no fan of flying, but this last voyage over the pond went pretty darn well. No delays, no serious turbulence (like on the last trip...yikes!), the flight attendants were all fun, even. No crying babies!!!

And, we saw views like this one as we scooted through the skies above the mid west:



An amazing snowscape....



After a nice layover in Munich, we landed in Rome and enjoyed an evening in our favorite neighborhood.



Chilly, but still lots of kids out with their parents in the piazza...



A friendly recycle bin!




Gorgeous window display on a side street.


As is our many years tradition, we had pizza at Pizzeria Remo. It's a must on our a first night in Italy!


Mmmmmmm!



I can't believe we split a sweet treat, too.
We didn't eat much on the flights, so we were ready.


The next morning, before catching the train to our neck of the woods, we took a morning stroll.


Interesting to get a sneak peek into an apartment being renovated in the building
that our little hotel is located. What will it be?



The beauty of winter is still happening.




The wearing down of a very old detail on a bridge.





Blue skies and clouds.
We had a downpour of hail soon after this shot was taken!


Next stop: Umbria!

Here we come!

 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Time to Head Back To Umbria

 Just a check in to let you Dear Readers know that I will be posting soon again from Umbria.

As always, we are so blessed to have our house sitters, James and Anna...sitting and enjoying our house while we are away...

Can't wait to get there, though the the thought of flying again freaks me out. What can say...I'm an anxious flyer.

With climate change and all, it's a bit stressful. But what can we say. It's pretty much the only way to get back to our home away from home in Umbria.


All packed and ready to go... But I'll miss the garden here in California...




A fave place for a glass of wine after working in  the garden!





The garden is filled with succulents gone wonkers this year!










Moments of beauty over the last month in the garden...













And our daily morning walks here on the coast...We will miss them so much....












We are lucky to have the woods to walk in, as well...














 



Being by the ocean is a blessing...




A last fire in the garden before we head across the big pond...




We head out tomorrow. So thankful to our super sweet neighbors for taking us to the airport shuttle in the morning at the crack of dawn! L&C..We love you!!!!

See you on the other side in a couple days! Umbria...here we come!