Saturday, November 1, 2008

Tuscany - last day!!! :(

Today we got up to more rain clouds, but there was this fog that filled the valley. It was so pretty!!! After breakfast, Pat took us to a outdoor market. Most of it was a like a swap meet but it did have an isle with all sorts of meats and cheeses. It was very interesting. It rained a bit on us but not bad. After the market, Pat took us to a grocery store so that mom could get some of this great cheese that we had. One of the lunches Pat served us, was a salad with pinenuts and cashews on it and then on top was this round of cheese that had been heated. It had a thin skin around it and just oozed out when you cut it. Oh my word, it was so good. She said that we probably couldn’t get this in the US. So mom got some to take back in her cool pack that was full of insulin but now has room. I get one of them!!!

We came back to the farm for a wonderful lunch, as usual and then had the afternoon free. I got my packing done so that I wouldn’t have to do it tonight. We talked with everyone and laughed a lot!!! This was a very lively group!!! Mom and I finally got to walk down to the little church at the end of the road. It was so quaint. We met the monk that lived there but he didn’t speak any English. But his smile was so nice. There were some sheep in the back of the church with 4 babies. I got some great pictures with the Tuscan hills in the background.

By the time we got back to the farm, it was time for our last cooking class. When I saw the menu, I was a bit worried! Marinated muscles, a seafood and fish soup (with octopus and squid) and then a dessert. I do not like muscles and the raw octopus was so gross!!! But I was determined to try it even if I never fixed it again. Oh my word……it was DELICIOUS. The muscles were so tender and flavorful. I have to admit that I was not a big fan of the octopus but I did like the squid. I was surprised how much I liked this dinner and think I will actually try it when I get home.

We laughed so much at dinner that my sides ached. We exchanged email addresses with everyone and now we’re all getting ready to leave. We will be driving to Florence in the morning at 9:30. I am actually really looking forward to Florence and time alone with my mom. I am so glad we planned to have a couple of days by ourselves before coming home. This has been such an amazing trip!





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2 comments:

SmilingSally said...

What an amazing trip you've had. And now you have a record of it through your Blog.

April's adventures said...

sounds like you are having a great time!! Relax well with your mom and enjoy your time together. Praying for you.