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Published: April 15th 2011
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Day 31
It’s Sunday!!! And I have taken the day off to soothe my burns and generally re-coop some energy.
A nice lie in with breakfast laid out for me by Jaime, some trashy TV and then out to sit under the patio umbrella, enjoy the peace and catch up on my diary.
Our first visitors stumbled onto the terrace within half an hour of me sitting there though.
They were looking to purchase some of the famous vine that is grown next door to us, but as the vineyard was closed, ventured onto the farmhouse grounds instead.
A lovely couple who thank you fully spoke perfect English (as I wasn’t getting anywhere with my pigeon Italian). I offered to take their details and pass them along to the vineyard when it was open again, but they were only travelling through and said they would contact them via the website.
Whilst I’m taking it easy by the way, Jaime’s got pool fever! He’s working away getting all the chemicals balanced and the pool cleaned up – he makes a fab Pool Boy!
Time to make dinner. Its going to be a treat tonight, am baking garlic bread, making roast
veggie and feta cheese cannelloni and for dessert apple tart.
I love days off where you can really take your time over the cooking……
Day 32
Monday, Monday
Early start today. Jaime starts with painting the parts of the vine terraces I can’t reach, whilst I go and dig over the veggie patch again. Its time to plant my seedlings!
Fingers crossed they do well.
I make up some supports for the beans and tomatoes and then plant away.
Then Jaime carries on with cleaning the pool whilst I paint an outdoor metal table and then sweep up some leaves.
I head indoors to make some lunch and am greeted by another lost little lizard in the bathtub….they just love our bathroom for some strange reason.
Day 33
Today I head out to Montevarchi on my own to buy some Geraniums for the pots on the pool terrace. I need 57 plants in all and they are to be in lilacs and purples.
They are very friendly at the nursery and although I have to compromise by adding some white and fuchsia to my purchases I tell myself that nothing clashes in nature and head home happy.
Geraniums
safely stored in the pool house (we have been warned that there may be a frost heading our way over night so not planting them out just yet) I ready myself to give the white metal table another coat and then drag out the wooden pool furniture in order to oil it down.
After all the paintings done I head in doors to do some ironing and then make blood orange and lemon marmalade. There’s something very therapeutic about making your own food from scratch. My mom has sent me an ingredient called 2:1 which reduces the need for sugar in jams significantly and it also allows me to make the marmalade taste quite sharp which I love.
Jaime’s been busy cleaning the pool and working on the irrigation again all day.
It’s a huge job that is taking days.
Day 34
The day starts of cloudy, cool and grey so we decide to do the food shop a day early, but swap the usual Montevarchi for Siena.
We find the supermarket (which actual turns out to be smaller than in Montevarchi) and stock up on the usual provisions. We find a little shopping outlet where we have a
quick sandwich for lunch and a look around the shops.
Then we decide to head into Siena centre. Its market day so it takes us forever to find a parking space, we eventually head to the other side of side of the city to avoid the crowds and find a reasonable parkhouse next to the Domo (Cathedral).
It has turned out to be a nice day to take in some of Siena’s sites and we find ourselves warming to it much more that Florence. Although the main Piazza is crowded and unfortunately the tourists have decided to leave a lot of litter behind.
It’s a bit of shock as what we have seen so far is pristinely clean.
It must drive the Sienese crazy to see their beautiful city treated with such disrespect…..rant rant….
Anyway, we enjoy the obligatory ice cream and continue wandering around the sites.
Near the Domo we stumble across some artisan market stalls where I treated myself to a beautiful silk bed throw. I have been very frugal with my spending so far but Jaime convinced me that we had been working very hard for our pennies and that if it’s something I really liked
Porcupine Quill
Jaime finds this on our terrace....proof...they are out there! and had not seen anywhere else I should buy it for myself, so enough justification, I bought it!
We headed home around 5.30 and suddenly remembered that frost had been forecasted for that night. My new Veggies! I frantically ran around collecting bubble wrap, plastic bottles and plant pots to cover the seedlings with.
Jaime helped and then went off to ensure the Geraniums where watered in the pool house. He turned on the main water supply which unfortunately made the tap explode off in the vegetable patch.
A huge fountain of water blocked my path to tell Jaime to shut of the water so I tried my best to shout for him. The neighbours must have thought I was going crazy, but try as might, Jaime could not hear me. I was just debating between risking breaking an ankle by climbing down the rock wall or enduring a cold soaking when Jaime returned and thank fully switched off the water. Some walky talkies sound like a good idea right now.
And amongst all this I came across a wasp nest, an ant nest and some scorpions whilst trying to find covers for veggies……the excitement never ends.
Day 35
My Mummy’s coming! Yeay, she’s booked the flights and is coming out to see us on the 30th April for 5 days. I can’t wait to drag her around Siena shopping and make apple pie whilst listening to her favourite county and western music.
I spent the rest of the day planting the Geraniums and some more veg seedlings whilst Jaime cleaned the pool and then cleaned the flow control valve for the water softener (for you in then know out there).
In the evening we went to the local doctor’s surgery (don’t panic, all is well just a routine thing for Jaime).
The doctor is only available once a week on a Thursday evening. There seems to be no real appointment system, you just sit in the waiting room until it’s your turn. The locals are very friendly though. Everyone who comes through the door wishes a good evening and asks everyone in turn which place they have in the cue.
Far from my doctors at home where everyone sits stony faced with their eyes down cast in the waiting room so as not to invade anyone’s privacy.
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