A walk to the winery to see the view with the snow from higher up.

11 Feb 2012
I have my own private snowplow called Bacco and he "mostly" led me up to the winery to show you the views from a bit higher.

My snowplow on the way to the winery from the B&B at full speed.

My road, guess I will be here a while; look at the car below

The weight of the snow snapped this large branch on one of my neighbor's trees.  I pruned early, so mine seem ok.

Previous road work done by Bacco

Looking back, you get an idea the amount I received.

Mush

Looking into the vineyard

This is one of my new transplanted olive trees, smushed by the weight of the snow.

Starting his first snow fort

View SW from the tasting room

View WNW from the tasting room

The view to the SE from the big window overlooking the whole vineyard

South to the B&B

Zoomed down to the Pecorino vines and the oak tree

Incredible view from here

From the kitchen window looking east

Same window, SE

From the terrace looking W

SW

Bacco's first snow fort

Snowplow heading back

Merlot vines and Frantoio olive trees in the distance

And that last snow??... was just a warm-up for this one. Views from the rooms of Nascondiglio di Bacco

11 Feb, 2012
Here are views from the rooms of Nascondiglio di Bacco to give you an idea of the beautiful scenery I experience each day (with 20" of new snow)

View from the breakfast room

From the office

Room 3 looking east

The back door upstairs, this part of the structure was built about the time Columbus discovered america.

From the back door looking down with the pool, a depression covered with snow

Also from the back door but looking west

From room 9 looking east

looking out on the patio for room 8

View west from the patio of room 8

View south from room 8

View of the cantina, north from room 7 (the view west is the same as room 8)

Bacco's snow bed from room 7

the willow from room 7

View east from room 6

Also from room 6 and the views from room 5 would be the same

Bacco from the breakfast room.  Why do people ask me why I take him to the sea in January when it is so cold?

Nascondiglio in the worst snow in 50+ years

9 Feb. 2012
For those of my blog followers who don't get to see my Facebook pictures which I post frequently, here is the situation in the southern Marche.  Offida has received a bunch of snow, enough to keep me shut in the place for a week.  Yesterday was shut-in day 6 and I put chains on the car and was able to get to the little market 3 km up the road and stock up for the next round of snow forecast for this weekend.  I have been here since spring 2007 and have never seen the temperatures this low.  We rarely get below freezing, but this year a "mediterranean cyclone" arrived with freezing weather and precipitation from somewhere around the Arctic.  I have no central heat, as the tubes for the radiators have frozen, and the water pressure is almost nil as of last night.  The water lines to the winery burst, spewing water all over the road and I must say,  I don't have it nearly as bad as those in the northern Marche, where roofs are collapsing under the weight of their snow and friends in Tuscany, some of whom have been without water for days.  I am surviving with little portable electric heater fans which follow me to whatever room I camp in.  Enjoy the photos!
Good news for me, the heater guys just came and I now have central heat for the first time this winter!  They also fixed 2 broken water lines outside the winery.  This country is just not made for cold weather.