Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods

San Miniato, one of "a million" mountain villages in Tuscany

@brittarnhild

After a couple of days with our friends in Pastina, we headed east in Tuscany. Santa Maria a Ferrano, where I have spent Easter the last two years, was our goal. But on the way we needed lunch, and why not stop and explore one of the million mountain villages in Tuscany? Our choice fell on San Miniato. I don´t know why, may be just because I was the map reader, and I loved its name.

As it still was too early for lunch, we hiked up to the top of the town, past the cathedral, up to the tower of the fortress.

Almost too hot to hike under the burning Tuscan sun, but we made it, and was rewarded with an amazing view. Vineyards, hills filled with olive trees, another mountain town here, another mountain town there. A hundred shades of green and smiles full of love in the selfie we took.

San Miniato, situated between Pisa and Florence, is a Slow City, known for its truffles.
Of course we had truffle risotto for lunch. A glass of local white wine for me, sparkling water for the driver.

 

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I am not only back here in The House in the Woods, I am also slowly back to updating my other blogs:

Britt Arnhilds naturdagbok, my nature journal

A month without knitting - in maskerade, my knitting blog

 

 

An alabaster workshop

@brittarnhild

Our first days under the Tuscan sun were spent with good friends in their home away from home in a tiny little village just south of Pisa. We arrived on the 28th of June, our 38th anniversary, and celebrated with a lovely Italian dinner out in their garden.

The next day we were ready to explore the area, filled two cars and drove over to Volterra, the hometown of alabaster. On the way we had a stop in Teatro del Silenzeo, outside Lajatico, the hometown of Andrea Bocelli. Bocelli helds a concert in this amphi theatre once every July, the rest of the year the theatre remains silent. The picture of me and Terje was taken outside the theatre.

Volterra is known worldwide because of its alabaster, and the amazing alabaster art.

After lunch on the main piazza in Volterra, Terje and I did a walk, and almost by chance we found an alabaster workshop. Free entrance, and a great possibility to watch this amazing craft.

Our bank would come after us to Tuscany if we tried buying one of the main alabaster pieces of art, I am sure. But luckily, they also sold more simple stuff, still very beautiful, for people like us, and suddenly Terje found his wife with a new nativity and a new Easter egg. With the bank remaining silent.

We left the workshop,

found other treasures,

and had gelato and coffee before heading back to our friends.

The one standing out

@brittarnhild

We came back home last night, after three full weeks in Italy. Three wonderful weeks in Italy. Today is a day of unpacking, doing laundry, grocery shopping, lunch with my parents, but most of all a day of gardening. Our lovely neighbours, mother and daughter, have taken care of the garden while we have been away, so everything is now lush and green. Also the weeds :-)

But before starting my list of to do things, I sat down to look through my pictures, gathering ideas for blog posts, may be a photo book.

There are so many favourite in my summer in Italy 2018 folder.
The one above is one of them.

Do I need to add words to it?

 

Never too late

@brittarnhild

We are still in Italy, now together with our two next generations. Before we drove west in Tuscany to meet up for our week together, Terje and I were invited inside Frances Mayes garden. The picture Terje  took of Frances and me will always be a reminder that it is never to late to follow my (writing) dreams.

Pen and paper (read computer), here I come!

Inspiration from a kitchen in Toscana

text and images britt-arnhild

Two years ago I spent a week on an old farm in Tuscany, Santa Maria. There I found silence, beauty, hills for hiking, mist, a church for prayers, new friends......and a kitchen where food were made. Old traditional farmer´s meals.

A few of the days I was allowed to prepare the food, and one day I said to Thomas, the master of the farm; "Listen Thomas, if you ever need a cook for one of your Santa Maria retreats, why not ask me?"
Thomas looked at me, seriously, and replied:"Why should I ask you? On these hills there are more Tuscan housewives that I can count. I can ask any one of them!"

 

Sure!
Why ask me?

The day I left, a retreat with stone mason artists from Belgium was about to start. Right after breakfast a woman came up from Sicilia. She would be the cook for the artists. I was not to leave until the afternoon, and for hours I followed the Sicilian´s every step. Licking up every drop of cooking inspiration I could find.

Asking her a million questions. 

Her patience was like a Tuscan garden. Fertile, bountiful, without borders.
Unfortunately I was too busy following her around, asking question, there was no time to write her answers down.
Still, my heart will remember.
Always.

 

In the soup she started in the morning, and left on the stove to simmer for hours, she put handfulls of nettels. Picking them all without gloves.
Me: "How do you manage? Doesn´t it burn your fingers?"
She: "It burns, but it is healing for arthritis"

 

Now I have tried it myself.
And I´ve found that she is right.

It burns.

It is healing for arthritis.

::::::::::::::::::::::

The first nettles are up in The Blue Garden.
We are expecting friends for dinner tonight.
As a starter I plan to make them nettle soup.