Moving into our villa!

 I woke feeling quite refreshed and ready for the big day – moving into Villa Antiche Pietre. I showered quickly and went downstairs for breakfast. It was a typical colazione – coffee, for me cappuccino, cornetto, yogurt, fruit. I needed an ATM and the map suggested that I would find one at

The breakfast buffet

the big shopping center across the street from the hotel. The nice woman who runs the place confirmed that. So, I took a walk, dodging the traffic. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and warm. I found the ATM easily and it was functioning. I decided to see what was in the shopping center. It was mostly clothes, but there was a bookstore open, so I picked up a guide to Tuscany. Walking back to the hotel, I was pondering what to do about a major problem – I couldn’t figure out how to get the car into reverse! When I got back, I explained my dilemma to my friend at the desk. She offered to come out and see if she could help. I was sure there was a simple and easy solution, and, sure enough, there was. She took one look at the shifter and said” You have to lift that up to put it in reverse.” I had tried pushing down, but not pulling up. I now would be able to leave the parking lot! I grabbed my bag, paid my bill and was on my way.

Since I was scheduled to meet the owner at 2:30, I had a lot of time. I drove back into Chiusi half-hoping to find a barber who could take me. I parked and started looking. I found one, but he only works by appointment. In the end, I did not succeed. I walked around some more and finally decided to head towards the villa. I wanted to stop at a supermarket and buy provisions before heading to the house. A consult of Google informed me that there were at least three supermarkets on the outskirts of Castiglione del Lago, the largest town near the villa. How to choose though? All the reviews were similar, but, in the end, I opted for Famiglia, family. The primary photo on their webpage was a very well stocked produce counter. This appealed to the gardener in me. So that’s where I headed.

I was surprised how easy it was to drive from Chiusi to Castiglione. My anxious nature had painted a much worse picture in my head. As I approached the grocery store, I saw a small farmer’s market set up in a parking lot. Always eager to support local agriculture, I bought some fruit and vegetables from one of the sellers. I had a few ideas for our first meals at the villa and I had even gone so far as to make a list. I was determined to avoid impulse buying! My first challenge was getting a grocery cart. Here you have to put a 1-euro coin in a slot to get a cart. I had a lot of change, but no 1 euro

Ready to load the Hobbit Car

coins. Fortunately, a woman arrived who was able to help. The supermarket was much like an American supermarket with some notable exceptions. The first thing I learned was that you have to wear disposable plastic gloves when buying your produce. The second was that all produce comes with a code and you weigh your produce and print the label at the scale. I spent a considerable amount of time in this department. Then it was on to meat and dairy, bread, coffee, juice, water and wine! Lots of wine. Thus fortified, I loaded the Hobbit car and headed for the hills – literally.

The directions to Villa Antiche Pietre were clearly translated from the Italian and were a bit puzzling. Not wanting to be late (not sure why, since this is Italy), I decided to do a test run. When I got to the turn off from the main road, my heart sank. The road was unpaved gravel and seemed to go uphill at a 90º angle. Easing the car into first gear, I started up. Very shortly, there was a sharp right turn that continued upwards. At a certain point in its ascent, the road turned into grooved cement to help with traction. There was a considerable drop off on the right hand side. As I continued climbing, I had this thought. “There is no way in hell that I am coming up this road after dark.” That turned out to be prophetic. There were more houses and entrances on the mountain than I had imagined, but none was the one I was looking for. Finally, when the road went no further and there was no other option, I turned left. There before me were the open gates to Villa Antiche Pietre. I had arrived.

I parked the car and got out. I did not see another car and presumed the owner had left the gate open for me. I took one look at the view and it took my breath away. The photos on the website simply

The view and the first of many sunsets

could not do justice to this beauty. The sun was hot, so I pulled a chair into the shade and sat down to wait. It was not very long before I heard a car coming up the hill. I stood up to greet my “landlord”. He rolled own the window and said “Paul?” “Yes”, I said, “sono io”. He seemed very happy to learn that I spoke Italian. His wife was with him, too. Before long, we were yakking it up as they showed me their place. It clearly is their pride and joy and the attention to detail shows it. It was simply everything I could have hoped for. The wife offered to make coffee and soon we were at the table chatting. At a certain point, he stood up and said. “OK. Now we are leaving it for you.” And off they went.

I wandered from room to room, taking pictures and sending them to my sisters. We established who would sleep where. I unpacked the car and stocked the kitchen. I went through drawers and cabinets trying to figure out what was where. The kitchen was better equipped than I had expected. I was

Chicken with Peppers

eager to get cooking, because I wanted my family to have their first meal in Italy be a memorable one. I had decided that the hot dish would be chicken with peppers in the Roman style, some baked eggplant, zucchini salad with tuna and capers, an antipasto of cheese and salami and of course green salad. The villa has a great outdoor kitchen and before long, I was settled in, working away. I don’t really recall how late it was when I finished, but it was after 10:00 p.m. Satisfied that almost everything was ready. I hit the hay.