Umbria

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July 12th 2008

Published: July 17th 2008

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koft

On the way to Umbria

Stopped at a patch of grass & a playground in a village off the autostrada for a leg stretch and a picnic

12th July to 22nd July 2008

Down from the mountains, through the plains of Tuscany and then up to the hills of Umbria. The terracotta roof tiles, the olive trees and the endless sun flower fields were incredibly. The temperature seemed perfect at around 28C, though was mid 30s on the way down. We arrived at what we can only say was the perfect Italian farm house. It's run by an Architect who trained in Venice, his wife is a potter and artist. Their organic farm produces olives and very good wine. The villa was idyllically Italian, just as you would imagine, terracotta tiles, old Italian antiques, cobbled floors, an outside portico to sit and eat under. When you leave the shuttered doors, the view is amazing down the valley. We are spending days in the Farmhouse, lounging by the pool, chomping on fruit, drawing, colouring, doing our scrap book, watering the plants in the garden, throwing water bombs at Daddy, riding bikes, stories, drinking lovely wine, and general bumbling amongst the fruit trees. We sit here in our private garden under fig trees, pomegranate trees, plum trees and olive trees, from which we are picking what is ripe and

Farm "Villa"

So here's our garden for 10 days. Very, very nice and completely ours. BBQ, covered eating area, lawn, etc.

making amazing fruit salads for breakfast every day. On several evenings we have dined with the farmer and some other guests. The four course dinners have started around 9.00pm, with wholesome organic food. Examples have been grilled aubergine and courgette, bruschetta, raw carrot, antipastas, spaghetti or rissoto primi-piatti, whole baby pig that was in the wood fired oven all day, salted duck, or carpaccio secondi piatti, and then tiramisu, gelato, fruit for dolce. The wine coming from the vines on the farm, organic red, which no matter how much we drink never gives you a hangover. A real result. And, as the adults munch through their four courses and drink more of this magical wine, the farmer takes all the kids down the lane to feed the horses for the night, before we all collapse into bed around 11.00.

Oh yes, the farmer's daughter has a rabbit. Asha in particular has fallen in love with it. It's rather cute, in an annoying kind of way. Annoying because Asha and Jay want to go and see and feed the rabbit at every possible opportunity. The thing is fed up of carrots now. It's going to be a hard, hard goodbye

Garden & BBQ

More of the same, from a different angle

on 22nd when we leave. Asha wants her "very own, real rabbit" when she's 6, which is kind of something we've given in to, with one or two minor conditions!

Close your eyes, imagine your dream of life in the Italian countryside, and know that we are here!

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