Living with monks...Chapter Two

We have a new routine which is sometimes annoying but works. I guess I need to put it out there in the universe...Betsy and I have discussed this point...when we planned the trip, the baby was much more docile than  he is now. He is more mobile, sociable and noisier. Therefore, there are aspects of the trip that are just more difficult than when he was 4 months old. I would say this is harder with an older baby and probably would suggest not doing such a trip unless the baby was quite small or a bit older. However, I also want to say, he is very adaptable and hangs in there pretty well especially as we cart him pillar to post, constantly adjust nap time and bedtime and generally play havoc with his schedule. He just requires one on one attention every waking hour! Thank goodness, he's so darn cute.

One view on our walk

We had to adjust our breakfast schedule, there are no chairs in the kitchen nor adjoining dining room so trying to feed Rider was almost impossible and lighting the gas burner was beyond me so we have been packing up a "breakfast bag" and going to Capitignano to prepare breakfast and feed Rider in a high chair. Betsy then goes off to class. I stroll Rider either there or at the monastery and he goes down for a nap. At  12:30 we meet at the estate for lunch. Again playtime or walks with a nap to follow.

Down the road at Capitignano

Naps can last an hour or up to two if the gods are benevolent. After he awakes there are many hours to fill before dinner ( we do feed him around 6:00) for adults at 7:30, 8:00 or, last night, 8:30. Dinner time is dependent on the afternoon activities.

Yesterday we hit the jackpot! We went to Castello Del Trebbio in the hills near Florence. Both wine and olive oil are produced there and it is steeped in history. We enjoyed a tour of the castle  and cellars , had a wine tasting and shopped.  The castle dates to the 12th century and once belonged to the Medici family. There is even a coat of arms (of the original owners) displayed by Donatello and a Raphael ( a replica of another of his paintings but drawn and partially painted by the artist himself but completed by other artists in his studio) hanging in the family's quarters which we got to visit. The vineyard produces Chianti, a white wine, vin santo and excellent olive oil. We learned that for olive oil to truly be extra virgin, the olives must be pressed within hours of picking. However, there is a way for producers to label oil extra virgin if they mix a certain percentage of the quickly pressed oil with oil that is pressed after the allotted period.

Castello Trebbio

After tasting oil that was pressed on the estate within 5 hours of picking, I can attest to being able to tell the difference. Frankly, Betsy and I both have so enjoyed eating and cooking with olive oil that I think we'll be using it extensively in our kitchens at home. Both lunch and dinner at Capitignano, a salad of butter leaf lettuce and radichio is served to be dressed with balsamic and olive oil. It always seems perfect and is also healthy!

Old bottles of chianti..not in raffia anymore

Grapes are even grown on the buildings
                                                                                             I want to relate the making of vin santo as I am likely to forget the details if I don't write them down. Vin Santo is known as "holy wine" and is a thickish, sweet dessert wine usually served with a hard biscuit ( Americans would say it is a cookie ) I learned why it is so expensive...the process for making it is more laborious than for regular wine. The grapes are actually hung to dry out to a certain state before they are juiced to make the wine. Castello Trebbio has a particular room with just the right natural humidity and light to dry the grapes. Obviously there is more sugar that stays in the grapes and not as much juice so it makes more grapes to make the wine. Then it's aged a certain time ( can' t remember how long ) before it is drunk. When one buys it, it is in smaller bottles as you drink it as a aperitif in an appropriate glass. 

The monk keeps trying to converse with me and today we almost understood one another in French! Last evening, he left when we were going to dinner and he had on a Philadelphia Eagles tee shirt. I smiled and said, "Go, Philadelphia Eagles" to which he pumped his fist and said, "Score". Maybe he knows more English than we thought? His cell phone ring is the "call to post" at the Kentucky Derby...

Today Betsy did our first wash here. She used Rider's bathtub and did a soaking kind of wash and I hung things outside to dry on the clothesline. I do wonder how often these fellows have women's bras and panties on their line.
After a big storm in the early morning, the day is clear but windy and a bit cold. We did have a need for a sweater...just when we thought we wouldn't.

PS. Strangely enough, I had read about Castello Del Trebbio in the wine book from Total Wine. While we were there, I kept thinking this name sounds familiar and I had brought the pages about the Tuscan wines with me and found the reference when we got back. The Castello Del Trebbio Chianti purchased at the vineyard is only about $3.00 a bottle cheaper than in the US.