Looking back at 2019...
Six months ago we moved to Italy. Time went by so fast. Our first season is already over. We have received many guests, until the end of October it was even nice and busy. And we enjoyed our guests so much. Super to notice that people appreciate this beautiful place and enjoy it so much.
After the summer there was plenty to do, autumn is a real harvest season here. Grapes, olives and chestnuts. It didn't stop. Quite an experience, harvesting and processing. The first Vin Santo, sweet dessert wine, we made together with Marino, our homeboy. Nice and educational. Now 3 years of patience...
Harvesting the olives was a party, very labour intensive, but it gave a lot of satisfaction. Days of picking, actually combing, and then to the oil press. A very old dated room, where big noisy machines process the olives into your own oil... But what a proud feeling when the fresh oil flows into your keg 3 hours later.
Now in the winter we are busy with chores and renovations. We have renovated a barn, the bathrooms are being replaced and the centuries-old terrace walls have been restored by true craftsmen. Vasco, the construction leader of 70 years, is our great friend. Every day he brings fresh eggs from his own chickens, in an old paper bag or loose on the back seat. That's the way it can be. We are so happy with him. And proud of his work. Furthermore, we are pruning, felling trees and painting. Nathan, the youngest son, has been here 3 weeks now, he was sawing for days. What a job, we're very happy with it! Enough wood to fire up the pizza oven again next year. But now in the winter we do that too, to stew vegetables and grill the famous 'Valdichiana' steak. That goes perfectly at high temperatures.
Slowly we are preparing the plans for 2020, and there are many of them! Very soon they will follow in a new blog.
We wish you all a good turn of the year, and with a grateful heart for all the blessings we received from our God last year, we continue to wait wonderfully on our hill in Tuscany for the New Year!
