Just a short note..

I know that you are wondering what we are doing since we have been silent for longer than usual.  We tired of the cold weather and took off for warmer climes--to Spain and Portugal, specifically.  At first it was not much warmer, during 3 days in Malaga.  Even the south coast of Portugal was chilly when we first arrived, but then the weather took a turn for warmer and sunnier.  The south coast of Portugal--the Algarve--is really a beautiful place and we stayed in wonderful lodgings with great amenities for a ridiculously low price (that may be due to the fact that it is the off season).  If I had thought to bring the little cable that connects the camera to the computer, we would be posting our usual montage of photos.  But then we would have to take time away from seeing sights, etc., so it is just as well.  Right now we are making a pit stop in Lisbon on our way to Madrid to rediscover all of Carmen's old haunts from her high school days.  Expect a full report (or two, or three), fully documented with photos, in a week or so.

Keeping it warm...and romantic

One aspect to living in a place originally constructed in the 16th century is that it was designed to be heated by wood.  While a gas-fired steam-heat system has been retrofitted, natural gas has always been expensive because Italy has no resources of its own.  Then there was Libya.  Then there was the Ukraine.  So gas is VERY expensive here and as the weather turned cold, we have relied on a wood-burning stove as our primary source of heat.  We were starting to run low, so yesterday we took our second delivery of 20 quintales (2000kg or a metric ton) of cut and split wood. Here is how it all came down:

Gianfranco, our wood supplier, arrives in his hi-tech truck, backs into our driveway, and squeezes through the narrow point that originally accommodated horse-drawn carts. 

Gianfranco lines up the truck to dump the wood on the waiting tarp.

A perfect drop!

Gianfranco, a master of his craft

Now it is time to stack.  Gary helped our neighbor Michael yesterday with his load of wood, so Michael pitches in today.

Half-way done.  The change in the shade shows how long we have been at it.

Only a few logs left...

all done!

small pieces go in the kindling basket

time to get cozy by a warm fire

Castello Gargonza

On Friday after Christmas we drove into the Chianti hills to Castello Gargonza, a 12th century fortified village that has been restored as a luxury hotel.  We had arranged to meet up with our friends Barbara and Steve Haslem and their kids Ethan and Edie for an overnight stay while they were on a three-week tour of Europe.

The Haslems arrive

There are 44 guest rooms and suites spread throughout several buildings, both inside the old fortress walls and just outside of it.  Here are some scenes from the castello:

That night we went to dinner at the hotel ristorante just down the path from the castello.  Before she retired, Carmen worked with Barbara at Cal Western, and she got caught up with all the school gossip during dinner.

Our rooms were both spacious and cozy, with a fireplace in the living room and a supply of wood to burn for the entire night.  The next morning, we had plenty of time to walk around and take pictures.

As you can tell by how we are dressed, it has become quite cold here.  You know what that means:  layers, layers, ...  And it also means there is snow in the local mountains.  And THAT means...well, maybe a future blog will be a ski report!