Some reflections and further thoughts on our European trip October 2017

There is no doubt about it Lapland was a wonderful revelation. It is a very beautiful area which has remained fairly pristine for now and hopefully will continue to do so within the economic bounds permitted. Of course, there has to be tourism but sensible development will make the area better not worse. Sadly, the hotel being built at the top of the fell Kaunispaa near Sariselka is probably not a good example of sensible tourist development but it is to be hoped that this is only an aberration because the area is too beautiful and serene to be marred by ugly developments. We saw the area in the early fall and it would be amazing to see it in deep mid-winter covered in snow.

One wonders what will become of the Sami people who occupy this region both on the Finnish and Norwegian sides. Will they be able to sustain reindeer farming? Already the routines of old have changed and herding is done with snowmobiles and the grazing areas have changed. Sami are no longer really nomadic herders and life for them is rather easier than of old but that is good for them even if it sees some traditions dying out.

it is always so interesting to compare the daily life in other countries and the stark differences between Europe and the USA. Public transport, social and cultural facilities are considered to be prerequisites in Europe. The swimming pool where we aqua-jogged was reasonably priced and a beautiful facility open to all. The library was a cultural center in itself. The public transport was clean, comfortable, affordable and efficient. Of course, this has to be paid for and taxes are higher but the dividend is so real. In Germany, it was similar, things ran on time, the price was reasonable and the access easy. I am always amazed at how tourists, confronted with the 1, 2 & 3 trains or the A, C or E trains make head or tail of anything in New York City.

Berlin was also quite a surprising place with some really wonderful old buildings and even the new buildings fit in well with the old ones a lesson yet to be learned by New York whose architecture goes from bad to awful in one block. There is no doubt that the Berlin authorities have shown real care in how their city was rebuilt after the devastation of WWll. When one considers that the Berlin Wall fell and the two parts of Germany were reunited only 28 years ago, even the eastern side of the city is looking quite spry.

Our German Greeter, Michael, spoke a lot about the Prussians and the fact that they really did not come from anywhere that was designated as Prussia and that 'Prussian' was as much a state of mind as anything. It embodied some sort of 'following the rules and doing the right thing' mentality and of service to ones' fellow men. Obviously, this can be and has been misused but when properly applied you can see the results in Germany. As MAC pointed out, everyone waits for the little 'green man' to show at an intersection before entering the crosswalk, (except her of course!!). When we arrived shortly after, in Italy, we saw the opposite. Whether living in Germany if not born a German would be enjoyable, who can say.

A model of the little green Ampelmann man who gives leave to cross the street

Then, there was wonderful, chaotic, beautiful, irregular Italy. Nothing is ever what it seems and Italy should just be considered an irregular verb unconjugatable or definable. The countryside seems to just envelope one in its undulating landscape and mellow stone work. Yes, everything looks like it needs to be repaired right now but somehow it still stands and looks amazing in its dilapidation. What seems to be nonviable, isn't and what seems to be viable isn't either. I just love the way that Italy confuses the GPS!! How Italians and Germans occupy the same continent is a constant puzzle and when I worked for a company which contained German, French and Italian shipping companies somehow the dichotomies gelled in unexpected ways.

What better way to describe 'Trash'

This was a great trip and covered terrific ground with lovely and interesting contrasts and stimulating company. 

One never to be forgotten.

Otto Weidt - The Blind Workers' Museum in Berlin - more information

The story of Otto Weidt is so moving, remarkable and heart-warming that it requires a bit more space and I have extracted this from Wikipedia which is a thumbnail sketch of his life. More information can be found at the website of the museum dedicated to him 

at https://www.museum-blindenwerkstatt.de/en

Otto Weidt (2 May 1883 - 22 December 1947) was the owner of a workshop in Berlin for blind and deaf. During the Holocaust, he fought to protect his Jewish workers against deportation and he has been recognised for his work as one of the Righteous Men of the World's Nations. The Museum of Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind remains on the original site of the factory and is dedicated to his life.

Berlin, 39 Rosenthaler Straße

Otto Weidt was born on 2 May 1883 to Max Weidt and Auguste Weidt, née Grell, in Rostock. He grew up in modest circumstances, attended elementary and high school and like his father, became a paperhanger. Soon after the Weidt family moved to Berlin he became involved in anarchist and pacifist circles of the German working-class movement.

With decreasing eyesight he learned the business of brush making and broom binding. He avoided the draft for World War I due to an ear infection.

In 1936 Weidt established a workshop to manufacture brooms and brushes in the cellar apartment of Großbeerenstraße 92 in Berlin-Kreuzberg, which was in close proximity to his apartment at Hallesches Ufer 58. In 1940 he moved to the backyard of 39 Rosenthaler Straße in Berlin-Mitte. As one of his customers was the Wehrmacht, Weidt managed to have his business classified as vital to the war effort. Up to 30 blind and deaf Jews were employed at his shop between the years of 1941 and 1943. 

When the Gestapo began to arrest and deport his Jewish employees, he fought to secure their safety by falsifying documents, bribing officers and hiding them in the back of his shop. Though Weidt, forewarned, kept his shop closed on the day of the Fabrikaktion in February 1943, many of his employees were deported. Among those he was able to save were Inge Deutschkron and Alice Licht, both non-blind young women in their twenties, and Hans Israelowicz. 

Nevertheless, Alice Licht travelled to Theresienstadt to join her deported parents, where Weidt could support them with food parcels. All of 150 parcels arrived. Eventually Alice was deported to KZ Birkenau herself. She managed to send a postcard to Weidt who promptly traveled to Auschwitz in attempt to help her. Weidt found out that as Auschwitz was emptied, Alice was moved to the labor camp/ammunition plant Christianstadt. He hid clothes and money for her in a nearby pension to aid her return, and traveled back to Berlin. Alice eventually managed to return to Berlin in January 1945, and lived in hiding with the Weidt's until the end of the war. She left when she received a visa to enter the USA.

After the war, Otto Weidt established an orphanage for survivors of the concentration camps. He died of heart failure only 2 years later, in 1947, at 64 years of age. His wife Else Weidt continued his workshop until the Wirtschaftsamt of the East-Berlin Magistrate dissolved it in 1952. She died 8 June 1974.

On September 7, 1971, Israel's Yad Vashem recognized Weidt as a Righteous Man of the World's Nations.

In 1993, Inge Deutschkron affixed a plaque honoring Weidt at the site of the workshop and in 1994, an Ehrengrab in the Zehlendorf cemetery was established. In 1999, a museum at the site of the workshop opened, since 2005 run by the Memorial to the German Resistance foundation.

An 88-minute documentary "Ein blinder Held – die Liebe des Otto Weidt" focusing on the years 1941-45 and Weidt's relationship with Alice Licht followed a book by Heike Brückner von Grumbkow and Jochen von Grumbkow with the same title, and aired January 6, 2014 on German television channel ARD.

Sunday 22nd October - time to go home

We awoke at 5.30 a.m. to prepare for our trip to the airport for our flight home from Rome Fiumincino Airport which was scheduled at 9.40 a.m. only to receive a message from American Airlines which told us that the flight was delayed until 12.20 p.m. So we had a more relaxed rising and were able to have breakfast at the hotel before packing again.

After breakfast we looked across the street with some trepidation to see if our little car was still there. It was. So we loaded up and set off for the airport. The drive did not take too long as it was a Sunday morning. Re-filling the car with fuel was more tricky but we did find a gas station that was open and re-filled it.

We dropped the car off at the rental place and checked in for the flight. Boarding went smoothly but the flight was less than stellar standard with no wi-fi, no individual TV screens and a crew who were less than sympathetic.

But we were reasonably on time on the delayed schedule and the flight was quite smooth. we arrived home around 5 p.m.

It had been a great trip and American Airlines couldn't spoil it.

Saturday 21st October 2017

Today we had to say goodbye to La Torretta which was very sad as this is a most beautiful place. It is very quiet and serene with outstanding views, great atmosphere and, even though we were the only guests for the first night with one family joining us for the second night it is a warm and friendly place. Maureen, Roberto and Jennifer (Maureen's daughter) are very helpful and attentive but not too much. There are plenty of materials to help one enjoy the area and the hotel will even organize weddings. the evidence of how well this goes is in the visitors' book.  Of course, with having lived here so long, the whole family is full of great advice about what to do, where to go, what to eat, etc. So whether you are an Italian neophyte or an experienced traveler, this is a great place to stay off the beaten track.

We had breakfast and took a last longing look at the wonderful view from the terrace on a beautiful morning with blue skies and sunshine on the Sabine hills across the valley.

Then we decided to take a last walk up the hill to the top of the village where the church is located and then to come down past the 'town square' where 'town hall' is located. The sun on the soft-colored stone just radiates warmth and although it is easy to wax poetical about the place, it just stimulates such thoughts. As it was Saturday morning, it was quiet except for some exuberant boys who were running up and down the steep, narrow streets.

Views of Casperia's upper levels

We returned to La Torretta to collect our bags and then embarked on the tortuous journey down the steps and streets to the car which was parked at the foot of the hill and outside the walls of the town. MAC took a diversion to the Post Office which is legendary for the waiting time, even for the simplest task!! But, she managed to hit it just at the right time and was able to mail some postcards to a school in France who asked for postcards from different destinations. The postcards had German stamps on them and we had forgotten to mail them in Germany. This fact bemused the postmistress who couldn't work out how to affix the Italian stamps over the German stamps. I went to the local supermarket and purchased some cat food for out cats at home.

Then it was in the car and off towards Rome.

The first part of the trip was through the winding roads of the countryside until we met the autostrada and took off in earnest. Driving on the autostrada needs care. That car in the outside lane which seems to be a long way back is probably doing 'warp speed' and it will fill your mirror in less time than you can imagine. Patience may not be an Italian motorist's great suit.

We arrived at a toll booth and took a ticket but when we got to the next toll booth, we tried to insert the ticket and wit would not go into the machine. Dreading the cacophony of hooting which would follow the hold-up we contacted the disembodied voice who, of course, only spoke Italian. After what seemed an age, we managed to discern that he wanted to know where we entered the autsostrada, we told him this and he asked for us to put cash in the slot which we did and then the barrier went up and much-relieved, we drove on.

We entered the outskirts of Rome and were startled to see, standing beside the road at midday on a Saturday, what were obviously hookers. They seemed to parade openly and were obviously not just 'waiting for a bus'!! This seemed rather incongruous both in time and location.

We made good progress through the suburbs and then had some trouble actually finding the Hotel Aurelius but, eventually we parked in a lot reserved for the Municipal employees and walked back to the hotel. We checked in and were advised to move the car soon. So we asked for advice on where to park. Option 1 was a secure lot with 24 hour guards some distance away but we found out this did not open until later in the morning and our flight was early so this was not an option. Option two was just across the street but this was not guarded beyond late afternoon. On asking if this was safe to park a rental car there, the receptionist at the hotel said in classic Italian style "They don't usually take your whole car"!!!! The implication being that anything inside might be plundered!! or, maybe the wheels might not be there in the morning!! This being the only option, we decided to risk it and make sure that the car was cleared of anything inside.

The Hotel Aurelius is actually called 'The Art Gallery Hotel Aurelius' and it is full of copies of Roman statues and busts. Our room was very nice indeed and had the novelty of a 'his and hers shower' the shower stall had side-by-side shower heads so it was possible to shower with your partner if you so desired. 

Hotel Art Gallery Aurelius

Bed at the Hotel Aurelius......with occupants!!

'Her' side of the shower stall

'His' side of the shower stall!!

We decided that we should spend the short time in Rome exploring and so after walking to a local pizza place for a quick lunch we set off on the subway and managed, with the help of two nuns, to find the train going in the right direction towards the station La Panto. As our Berlin guide Michael had challenged us to find some lion statues at the Villa Medici which had been copied and placed at the Glienicke Palace near Potsdam. So we set out to see if we could find the lions at Villa Medici and photographs them for Michael. After stumbling around at the entrance to the Borgese Gardens for a while we were directed to the Villa Medici which stands a short distance from the top of the Spanish Steps.

Sadly, we found the Villa covered in a huge tarpaulin which was part art project by an American artist Elizabeth Payne from Connecticut and part a disguise for the reconstruction and renovation which is taking place. So, we were not able to see the lions in question although there was an interior tour of the house in a couple of hours.

Elizabeth Payne's tarpaulin art

The exterior of the Villa Medici

So we walked up a slope and sat on a terrace overlooking the city watching the world go by. Brides and grooms passed to have pictures taken, Segway tours and also pedalos with families.

We waited in this place until the sun set over St Peters' dome and the sky turned a golden red.

Sunset over Rome

A bride and groom pose for their wedding picture in an idyllic spot

The best lions we could find in the vicinity of Villa Medici

Plaza del Populo - busy on a Saturday evening

We had decided to have dinner at a recommended restaurant called Settembrini which was on the street of the same name. We walked through the Plaza del Pupulo and across the Tiber River and found the restaurant at about 7 p.m. but food service did not start until 7.30 p.m. so we relaxed and had a drink at a table which was on the sidewalk. The restaurant was busy with drinkers who left when food service started but the place is obviously popular and the dinner we had was very nice indeed.

After dinner, we walked a fairly short distance to the La Panto subway stop and caught the subway home. Although we exited at the wrong exit and had to walk a ways to find the hotel, we did find it OK and were soon in bed.

Friday 20th October 2017

Up as the sun streamed through the shutters after rising over the hills to our east. There is something magical about the early morning sun as it catches the terracotta roofs of the village. It says ITALY in big letters.

Breakfast on the terrace overlooking this view with the early morning sun is just good for the soul.

Jennifer had suggested that our outing today should be to the small town of Poggio Meterta where there is a Friday market. We drove there fairly easily although the GPS gave us directions which were not always so easy to follow. We found a place to park and took a stroll around the town. The market had mostly inexpensive clothes, some kitchen equipment and a few local crafts. Spotting the post office, we thought this might be a place to buy stamps. However, you had to take a number and the wait looked rather long so we took a number and thought we might return to see if our number had turned up. Service was rather slow to say the least. After walking around the town, we returned to the post office but found that the line had moved very little so gave up on that.

We decided that we would drive on to the Benedictine Abbey at Farfa. This proved to be more difficult than we imagined and at one point the GPS asked us to turn down a lane with an almost vertical slope - MAC was, not surprisingly a bit reluctant but took her courage in her hands and drove down. We then entered a rough track with many potholes and ruts where the car bottomed out. Then we were confronted with a small river which we would have to drive through in a ford. Could this really be the way?? Well we did arrive at the Abbazia Farfa and the little medieval village of Farfa which lies around the abbey and has a population of 42. There we found the paved road we SHOULD have used!!!

The abbey was closed when we got there and would not re-open until 3.30 p.m. so we retreated to a small restaurant close by for a light lunch of gnocchi and salad.

We walked around locally and sat in the sun until the abbey re-opened. At that time a large and noisy group of school children arrived and we had little option but to join them on their tour which was conducted by the guide entirely in Italian!! As I did notunderstand very much of this, I have to rely on Wikipedia for a description of the Abbezia

Wikipedia

"A legend in the 12th-century Chronicon Farfense (Chronicle of Farfa) dates the founding of a monastery at Farfa to the time of the Emperors Julian, or Gratian, and attributes the founding to Laurence of Syria, who had come to Rome with his sister, Susannah, together with other monks, and had been made Bishop of Spoleto. According to the tradition, after being named bishop, he became enamoured of the monastic life, and chose a forested hill near the Farfa stream, a tributary of the Tiber, to build a church and a monastery. Archaeological discoveries in 1888 find strong evidence that the first monastic establishment was built on the ruins of a pagan temple. This first monastery was devastated by the Vandals in the fifth century. Only a handful of sixth-century finds document the early presence of the monastic community.

In the seventh century, a wave of Irish monasticism spread over Italy. The foundation the Abbey of Saint Columbanus in Bobbio. and of Farfa by monks from Gaul, about 681, heralded a revival of the great Benedictine tradition in Italy. The Constructio Monasterii Farfensis, which dates probably from 857, relates at length the story of its principal founder Thomas of Maurienne; he had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and spent three years there. While in prayer before the Holy Sepulchre, the Virgin Mary in a vision warned him to return to Italy, and restore Farfa; and the Duke of Spoleto. Faroald II, who had also had a vision, was commanded to aid in this work. At a very early date we find traces of this legend in connexion with the foundation by three nobles from Benevento of the monastery of St Vincent on the Volturno, over which Farfa claimed jurisdiction. Thomas died in 720; and for more than a century Frankish abbots ruled at Farfa.

The Lombard chiefs, and later the Carolingians, succeeded in withdrawing Farfa from obedience to the Bishops of Rieti, and in securing many immunities and privileges for the monastery. If we may credit the Chronicon Farfense, with the exception of the Abbey of Nonatola, Farfa was at this period the most important monastery in Italy both from the point of view of worldly riches and ecclesiastical dignity. In 898, the abbey was sacked by Saracens who then burned it.

Between 930 and 936, Farfa was rebuilt by Abbot Ratfredus, who was afterwards poisoned by two wicked monks, Campo and Hildebrand, who divided the wealth of the abbey between them, and ruled over it until Alberic I of Spoleto, Prince of the Romans, called in Odo of Cluny to reform Farfa and other monasteries in the Duchy of Rome. Campo was exiled, and a holy monk with the Merovingian name of Dagibert took his place. At the end of five years, he also died by poison — and the moral condition of Farfa was once more deplorable. The monks robbed the altars of their ornaments, and led lives of unbridled vice.

Abbey's tower.

Owing to the protection of the Emperor Otho, the abbot John III, who had been consecrated circa 967 by the pope, succeeded in re-establishing a semblance of order. But the great reformer of Farfa was Hugues (998-1010). His nomination as abbot was not secured without simony — but the success of his government palliates the vice of his election. At this instance, abbots Odilo of Cluny and William of Dijon, visited Farfa, and re-established there the love of piety and of study.

The abbey's court

The Consuetudines Farfenses drawn up about 1010 under the supervision of Guido, successor to Hugues of Farfa, bear witness to the care with which Hugues organized the monastic life at Farfa. Under the title Destructio Monasterii, Hugues himself wrote a history of the sad period previous to his rule; and again under the title Diminutio Monasterii, and Querimonium, he related the temporal difficulties that encompassed Farfa owing to the ambition of petty Roman lords. These works are very important for the historian of the period.

One of Hugue's successors, Berard I, abbot from 1049 to 1089, made the abbey a great seat of intellectual activity. The monk Gregory of Catino (b. 1060) arranged the archives. To substantiate Farfa's claims and the rights of its monks, he edited the Regesto di Farfa, or Liber Gemniagraphus sive Cleronomialis ecclesiæ Farfensis composed of 1324 documents, all very important for the history of Italian society in the 11th century.

In 1103, Gregory wrote the Largitorium, or Liber Notarius sive emphiteuticus, a lengthy list of all the concessions, or grants, made by the monastery to its tenants. Having collected all this detailed information, he set to work on a history of the monastery, the Chronicon Farfense; and when he was 70 years old, in order to facilitate reference to his earlier works, he compiled a sort of index which he styled "Liber Floriger Chartarum cenobii Farfensis". Gregory was a man of real learning, remarkable in that, as early as the eleventh century, he wrote history with accuracy of view-point, and a great wealth of information.

The monks of Farfa owned 683 churches or convents; two towns, Centumcellæ (Civitavecchia) and Alatri; 132 castles; 16 strongholds; 7 seaports; 8 salt mines; 14 villages; 82 mills; 315 hamlets. All this wealth was a hindrance to the religious life once more. Between 1119 and 1125, Farfa was troubled by the rivalries between Abbot Guido, and the monk Berard who aimed at being abbot. During the Investiture conflict, Farfa was, more or less, on the side of the Ghibellines.The monks issued an Orthodoxa defensio imperialis in support of the Ghibelline party. The collection of canonical texts contained in the Regesto seems to omit purposely any mention of the canonical texts of the reforming popes of the eleventh century.s But when, in 1262, the victory of the popes over the last of the Hohenstaufen put an end to the Germanic rule in Italy, Farfa sought the protection of Urban IV. At the end of the 14th century the Abbey of Farfa became a cardinalatial in commendam, and since 1842 the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina, a suburbicarian bishop, bears also the title of Abbot of Farfa.

The Orsini family stayed to the early 16th century, consecrating the Cathedral in 1494. They were succeeded by the Della Rovere, but the Orsini came back and stayed until 1542; finally the monastery was taken over by the Farnese family. Under the management of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, the monastery joined the Cassinese Congregation (1567). During the next two centuries in spite of some restorations and new constructions Farfa lost all importance. The monastery was suppressed in 1798 followed another in 1861 by the new Kingdom of Italy. Part of the possessions were sold to private citizens. The heirs of the last owner, Count Volpi, donated part of the monastery owned by them and some land around it to the monks. In 1920, a group of monks sent by Alfredo Ildefonso Schuster, then Abbot of the Abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome (attached to the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls), gave new life to Farfa Abbey in establishing a monastic community, Farfa was declared a national monument but only much later were steps taken to reconstruct and repair the buildings.

Photographs were not allowed inside the church but this is from Wikipedia

We found the more conventional road home getting some gas on the way.

After a short rest at La Torretta we set off again for the 14 km drive to the 'surprise' restaurant which MAC had been keeping secret for months and which was to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary which was on 29th March 2017.

This turned out to be a remarkable and spectacular place called 'Solo per Due' (Just for Two). We arrived at a low building lit by oil lamps and were escorted into a wonderful dining room, lit by candles and with a table set for just the two of us. This was certainly one of the most incredible dining experiences I have ever had. An enormous bunch of sunflowers was also awaiting us

We sat in armchairs and were fed canapes and Prosecco. Then at the table our meal consisted of pasta, a fillet steak and dessert, fruit and limoncello. Words do not really adequately cover this experience and it was something i will remember for the rest of my life. How I can top this at the next 'milestone' I have no idea.

Pre-dinner drinks

The room at 'Solo per Due'

Dinner is served

Our first and second courses

Our celebration cake

Limoncello to conclude a wonderful evening

I am not sure how we got home but we did and so to bed. This was one for the ages.

Thursday 19th October 2017

We were up early in preparation for our flight to Rome. After completing last-minute packing, we walked over to the nearby Titanic Hotel where MAC called a taxi which magically appeared after only a few minutes and drove us to Tegel Airport. Here there was quite a long line to check in for the Lufthansa flight to Munich but the check in desk and gate were the same which was an interesting arrangement. The flight was delayed by about half an hour due to fog at Berlin. The 55-minute flight to Munich brought us back nearly on time and we had plenty of time for the transfer to the flight to Rome. Boarding was automatic through gates which were activated by scanning the boarding pass. The flight to Rome was smooth and we passed over the snow-covered Alps and landed at Fiumicino pretty much on time. Well-done Lufthansa for getting us out of a jam. 

We picked up our white Fiat Panda which was a diesel and set off for Casperia which is a very small town about 1 ¼ hour’s drive from Rome. After we left the autostrada the route to the village became ‘circuitous’ and we learned the shortcomings of GPS in Italy! Although the 'lady' guide on the GPS gave instructions about turning right or left, there were often more than one option at the junction and it was not obvious which of the 'rights' or 'lefts' was the correct one and we certainly took the wrong one on more than one occasion. We were to find this syndrome again in future days. But we eventually found the village and parked the car. 

At this point we called our AirBnB host, Maureen, to find out how to get to the house which is within the walls of the old village and where cars are not allowed. We soon found out why they are not allowed as this place has steps up the wazoo!!! We met Roberto, Maureen’s husband who told us to leave our big bag by the car and carry on up to the house with the smaller ones. So, carrying our smaller bags, we started up the steps to the house, 72 in all. Huffing and puffing we finally made it. We met Maureen our charming Welsh host who had lived in Italy for 42 years and at this place. La Torretta for over 20 years. 

The view from the terrace

The main lounge

The original 17th century frescoes in our room.

Breakfast on the terrace

The house is wonderful and the original portion of it was built in the 17^th century and contained old original frescoes from the date it was built, although new parts have been added and modern amenities included. We were shown to our room which was lovely with some of the original frescoes from the old house. The room contained a comfortable bed, a nice bathroom and windows which opened out on a view to die for. Soon after Roberto came up with our big bag which made us feel very guilty indeed as he is not young and we should have brought eh bag up ourselves. After a short rest, we drove to the restaurant where Maureen had kindly made a reservation for us. This was in a nearby village called Roccantica This was a really lovely restaurant called Le Cucina del Borgo, but we were the only ones there. Our host Christian gave us a beautiful meal in this old house with brick arched ceilings. I chose a wine but Christian told me that he had a better one which cost the same amount, it was a Brunello di Montecino and his recommendation could not have been better, it was a simply great wine. We were served gnocchi, bacala, lamb and swordfish with a couple of real winners for dessert one a tiramisu (of course) and the other a riff on Irish coffee.

Dinner at Le Cucina del Borgo

We left the restaurant extremely satisfied and started the drive back to Casperia. On the way, in the headlights a whole family of wild boar crossed the road in front of us, giving us quite a shock, we were not quick enough to get pictures, I am afraid so you will have to take our word for it!!. There must have been three or four adults and maybe six young. For a moment we thought that maybe the wine had played tricks with us but the next day, Jennifer, Maureen’s daughter confirmed there are many wild boars in the area. We returned to the village and parked, then it was those steps again up to the house. Tired but very happy, we went to bed.