The Petraia House

Okay, are you ready for outstanding beauty? Petraia's acres are one thing but the house is unbelievable.

This picture is off the little courtyard, the glass door to the right is the entrance to the restaurant:

And here is the door up closer, beautiful, hey?
And this is the kitchen door. Notice there are chimmney's for a wood burning stove and oven, ah, every chef's dream!

Those are all the pictures I have of it right now but I think it gives you a pretty good idea of what it looks like. The inside is if not equally or more beautiful than the outside. But, sadly I have no pictures!
I hope everyone is having a great day!

It's been on my mind...

Occasionally (as in more then once a day) weird things just get stuck in my mind. And this one has been on my mind for at least the past week and a half and so I have to share it.

Okay, so you know the expression "I feel like the third wheel"? Well, I'm guessing they don't say that in here because of these things:

But my mind doesn't stop there, because if you can't be the third wheel then what would you be called? Not, the fourth 'cause we have cars. So, I guess it will have to be the fifth. So, next time you find yourself feeling 'like the third wheel' you can either think positively and remember that 3 wheels can work great together or you can just call yourself the fifth wheel.

Wow, I can't believe I'm posting this, although most of you know how my strange mind works it's another thing to see it infront of you. It was just my excuse to show you this car really...okay not really, I have actually been pondering this a while.

Don't worry a 'real' post will come soon!

Happy Easter Monday!

I have one last Easter treat for you. I found these on Friday and was thrilled. I'm fairly certain that quail eggs are the most precious, beautiful eggs I have ever seen. Don't you think?

And they're even cuter went set beside a hen's eggs!

I love it!

Ah! It's Sunday!

Oh, how I've missed our Sunday talk! And what a good Sunday it is today, an Easter Sunday! I hope you have spent at least part of the weekend enjoying some kind of Easter festivites!
In the past I've had Easter brunches, Easter in Spain, and a Tapas easter at home...but this year was completely new it was my first (and probably only) Easter at Petraia! The weekend started with Champagne and Columbo with my co-workers. Columbo is a traditional Tuscan sweet bread shaped like a Dove. It is delicious, with almonds, candied orange zest, and confectioner's sugar.
Then on Saturday my Easter excitment was the market...

They have these HUGE chocolate easter eggs. I saw ones with Winnie the Pooh and Tiger, but also ones with flowers and Buena Pasqua! written on them. I really wished that Roberta Rabbit had left one of the really, really big ones for me just to see how long it would take me to eat.

We also did some driving around and visited this old town with a mill that an old, old man ground wheat in. It was powered by the stream that went right by it and I found it completely enchanting. I didn't see the man but I took a picture anyway.

And today, on this Easter Sunday, I spent the better part of the day lying in the sun at Petraia reading my book and occasionally throwing Olive's one-legged rubber chicken for her to fetch.

Tobey and Micheal cooked me and Micheal's parents a wondeful Easter lunch/supper of venison with roasted vegetables, aparagus and artichokes, and a wild greens salad. We ate outside in the sun and my, my was it ever satisfactory.

(Now, the moment you've all been waiting for, you finally get to meet Tobey and Micheal whom I have been spending most of my time with!)

Starting at the bottom left is Micheal's Mom (his dad is taking the picture) they don't live here, they're just visiting for 2 weeks from Canada.

Then there's me! I was going to wear my Easter dress but I'm not the best at being lady-like while wearing a dress (just ask Tracy...there was an incident) and I figured if I was lying around and sitting on the grass I'd better have pants on.

Then there's Micheal and then Tobey. This wasn't the best picture of Tobey...I think we caught her off guard!

And I finished off this sunday with a glass of cold, fresh milk and a Tobey Treat, as I've come to call all the little snacks Tobey gives me, of chocolate cake!

So, while this was unlike any Easter I've ever had I enjoyed it immensly! But my favorite part of my Easter weekend has been the fact that my brother wished me Happy Easter. I know it seems like nothing, but its not. And it meant alot to me. So, thanks brother for your Easter greetings. Right back atcha'! And to you all!

But just remember Easter is not over yet...we still have Easter Monday to celebrate!

Here is the apartment!

Petraia's Pets

So you have met the animals of Petraia now for the pets. Although both Olive and Hawkley were featured in a "Good Morning From Italy" video here they are again. They are so gorgeous they deserve a second debut.

That's Olive in the front and Hawkley in the back. They are the sweetest dogs in the world!
And this is Lyle.

Oh, Lyle. Ever since I started working in the rose bushes Lyle always comes around and if I pet him just once he won't leave me alone for a good hour.

He'll just keep coming back and crawling all over me.

But he's so soft that I can't resist that first pet!
That's it! So, when I'm not talking to crazy Italian's I'm talking to these guys...they're very good company!

It's a tough choice.

I love checking on the aspargus in the garden each day and counting how many there are and if new shoots have poked up. I think they are just amazing.

Here is one just starting:

And here's another:

And here is a little aparagus family:

Now, the choice is aparagus or brussels sprouts. I think by this point everyone knows about my love of brussels sprouts....but when I tasted my first spring asaparagus I remembered how much I LOVED it too! This had my mind churning for a few hours...which did I love better? If I had to live without one which would it be? I actually never came to a decision...luckily for me the two are from completly different seasons and never see each other. Phew, 'cause how can you argue with this:

Can any of you choose?