I primi ospiti

Winners of the First-To-Visit award go to:  Frank, Lisa, and Rose Cicero!  

Frank and Lisa

Rose

Yes, we finally had our first guests.  In the run-up to their visit, Carmen asked Lisa to bring a few crucial items to us--baking soda and measuring cups and spoons.  If you have been following our blog, you may remember our claim that there is no baking soda in Italy--a claim that has yet to be disproved.  Lisa very kindly obliged.  First we met up with the Ciceros in Firenze for dinner on Friday night, where the hand-off of the items was accomplished.  Carmen wasted no time and spent Saturday baking the chocolate chip cookies we had promised to our neighbors.  

where is dinner?

Then on Sunday, the Ciceros made the trek to our humble abode for a home-cooked dinner and to spend the night.  Among other firsts, it was the first time we had to explain the idiosyncrasies of our bathroom toilet (don't ask).  It was a night of good food, great conversation, and of course lots of fine Italian wine.  

cozy by the fire

All packed up and ready to go

We had to bid them arrivederci early on Monday morning so they could catch a flight to their next destination, Sicily.