Tuscany - Day 3

Today started out a beautiful, but slightly cloudy day. We got up around 7:30 to get ready and breakfast was at 8:30. I love sitting on the patio in the morning checking my email (the best time to get internet), drinking coffee and talking to God. It is so peaceful and nice.

Breakfast is usually yogurts, wonderful granolas, toast and fruit.

We left the farm about 9:00 to head to a monk Monastery. It is a realatively unknown monastery and closed to the public. We were not allowed to take any pictures inside the buildings. Which is so sad because there is not written material about this monastery and it was absolutely magnificent!! I did capture a few pictures in side the main sanctuary before they told us no pictures! This monastery has 1500 rooms. There were 15 monks and each monk had 4 brothers to serve him and then 400 workers that lived there. Each monk had a chapel to serve in and their own room (called a cell). Then they had a side that they entertained royalty. There were all Frescos in this monastery. They were unbelievable!!!! The walls all seemed like they were made of carved marble with statues, but they were ALL painted. The depth of each picture was amazing. Many walls were painted to change as you walked by them. It might be a scene of people eating around tables in a U shape but the shape would change as you walked by to the other side!! I can hardly explain it. The floor tiles were marble and were built in the 1600s and again made to look different depending on what side of the room you were on….it was almost dizzying!!

It started to pour rain while we were in there. This is the first rain that we have had. We have been so blessed with the weather! We were supposed to drive over to Pisa to see the leaning tower, but couldn’t because of the rain. I will have one more opportunity see the tower….I hope it works out.

We came back to the farm for lunch. It was the most amazing salad but so simple. Just lettuce with cashews strewn on top and then she had baked this special cheese an placed it on top of the lettuce. I am sure we can’t get this cheese in the US (they have over 4000 cheeses in Italy), but it was similar to a brie in texture…..Wonderful!!! They had green beans on the side. Many things in Italy are served room temperature or cold. I am finding that they are very in to preparing ahead of time and then just warming slightly to serve. That was you get to visit with your guests and not spend all your time in the kitchen, great idea!!!

Since it is raining, we will spend a quiet afternoon around the farm. My book has gotten really good so I am looking forward to some time to just read. They have a fire in the fireplace and it’s a great day to cozy in. Around 5:00 we will have our next cooking class.