In the small village of Paterno, we meet Cristina, Luca and Babo Antonio. Cristina has prepared a feast for us: antipasti consisting of three kinds of tapenade, two kinds of Polenta, beans with homemade cinghiale sausages, mixed vegetables and a sunny desert. When we arrive at Anna’s Bed and Breakfast, Casa Thiele we are amazed […]
Sunday, September 17 Welcome, Mike and Carolyn and Johanne from California, Louise from Montreal and Judy and Bruce from Virginia. After a welcoming wine and cheese tasting with our host Giovanni, we toured the property, Il Colle, and settled into our rooms. Monday, Sept 18, We strolled through Greve in Chianti, then visited Podere Le […]
Welcome, Joe and Kris, Mark and Jerome and Bob and Sue! ( and a surprise guest visit from Mr. Daniel Abbott) The First Eight Days It’s amazing that all three flights from different European airports all arrived on time in Florence. First came Jerome and Mark, then Bob and Sue and finally Chris and Joe. […]
My crazy Italian life continues… The Reluctant Teacher Willie, originally from Peru, sits on my left. He has been in Italy for ten years and wants to learn English. Samba, a refugee from Mali, sits on my right. He speaks a kind of French dialect and he’s here to learn Italian. I volunteer twice a […]
Last night, on what turned out to be American Thanksgiving, the African refugees cooked dinner in the Poggio Alla Croce community centre kitchen. Italians know very little of African food but after long discussions with the students, a shopping list was created. Two kilos of beef, okra, onions, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, peanut butter and rice […]