Back Home At The Nut

  I can't keep up with all the posts I want to do! How can I be so busy here? It's not like back in California, where I work a solid five days a week, with tons of chores on my days off...

  I have very few real commitments here, other than a daily (and non-negotiable) sweeping of the house...there are morning walks, trips to the market, a little puttering in the garden. But where on earth do the hours go?

  Could it be all that time sitting sipping a glass or two of wine here and there? Hmmm...maybe...

  Anyway, it's clouds and rain this Sunday morning, so I'm staying in bed later than usual to write this post. Luxury!

  We got back from Venice Tuesday evening, and our landlord gave us this impressive bowl of delights, so we popped up to the local market for some black olives and feta to make a Greek style salad. 

  It wasn't bad...but I forgot the important cucumber component! Damn!

Those peppers will be roasted today.

  We've had a mellow week of morning and evening walks, lots of home meals, and some time with pals. The weather has been stellar, until the much needed rain we are getting now. Big lightning and thunder last night, too!

Morning walk earlier this week.

A couple of our next door neighbors...

I love the grasses around here.
Spotted this on a walk.

Beautiful in the morning light.

Traffic on our walk up the hill to The Nut.
This would be our landlord. 

  

  I've always loved clematis, a climbing vine, and I really enjoy seeing the massive wild ones here along side the road. I never see them bloom, though I know these are a variety which have clusters of small white flowers. I'm just entranced by the seed heads in the fall!

Wowza!

  We've been taking long walks alongside the canals down in the nearby fields. The views are lovely, and it's easier on our aging knees, etc.

  The landscape changes everyday, as fields get turned over and new crops are planted. 

There are still some little batches of sunflowers here and there,
Though most of the big ones are done.

 

 This time of year, there are a few roadside stands selling fruit and veg straight from the fields. They are all different, some have lots of this, and others have loads of that...we try to stop at them all.
  These stands aren't open when we are here in the springtime, so this is a treat we look forward to.

The potatoes are especially sweet and tasty.
Those peppers...gonna getcha today!

  With all the tomatoes we've been gifted and have bought, lunches are very tomato forward!

Caprese style salad with grilled bread.

I added some beans and topped with seeds.
I like the textures.

 I roasted up all the marzano tomatoes Carlo had given us. We've made a couple of meals out of them this week.

Slow roast with olive oil, salt and fresh thyme.
You will know when they are done.

Wonderful on grilled bread, smothered in olive oil and parmesan...

  Friday, we walked to the neighboring village to buy some bread from the 'forno' that we like there, and were delighted to see this charming 'installation' of colorful umbrellas.

  I'd seen some photos of this on social media posted by local pals, but assumed it would be gone by now.

  Really so much better in person!

What joy!

One of the half loaves of bread we bought on Friday.
Uh...yum.

  There were some roasted tomatoes left, so of course they became lunch with the above bread. I grilled it, rubbed it well with a clove of garlic, drizzled olive oil, a pinch of flakey salt....

Always best with an arugula salad on the side.
I always like to dress mine with lemon juice, a touch of oil,
salt and lots of parmesan.

I love our lunches here...

Some odds and ends have become our table decor.
Those are tiny solar lights that we brought over in the spring.
They are perfect for the terrace.

  What's next? Well, Johnny has started painting in his studio here, so I'll have more time to myself to cook, write, read, garden and do more language study!
  (And I'll sneak in some Netflix, too, ok?) (...and a glass of wine, ok?)