Another Pleasant Valley Sunday or The Lost Milk

30 July
Well, Sunday unfolded thusly: I awakened at 0700 to make breakfast for our early risers, then 2 more breakfasts finally ending at 10:00. Thereafter, stripped the dirty linens from #8 and then painted all the wood beams with the toxic petroleum compound 8-14 feet up so the B & B won't fall down before you gentle readers arrive. We have voracious wood eating insects inside. Then cleaned 8, fired a salvo at a new wasp nest with a queen the size of my little finger and 100 loyal followers. We have some DDT product or something which will kill wasps, small birds and naughty children, I think, but as much as I love life, we can't have a wasp colony above the breakfast area. Then napped for 1.5 hours, cooked for Aki and Raffaele before taking Aki to the train in San Benedetto. Back to Nascondiglio di Bacco for a relaxing afternoon and then took in the fireworks display at San Benedetto del Tronto which was quite nice, but it didn't start until today (00:15) and I got back home in the z4 at 0200. The car, I must say is a real blast to drive on roads where the longest straightaway is 100 meters! I took a pic in front of the b and b, but i am not sure you can see the KS plates, unfortunately.
Started again today at 0700 which is where the missing milk storyline enters. I made a typical Dwight breakfast for the early rising couple and heated the milk in the microwave for their coffee and after they had left, I found the milk still in the microwave. I am just too tired! Not as bad as leaving a lap tape in someone's belly, but embarrassing nonetheless! Today we are hoping for rain and that would be a wonderful welcome change! Ciao. dwight the pic is the almost full moon last night and right now i am having trouble loading the car pic, stay tuned later. it is naptime!

Sabato

28 Luglio Pictures are of my little countryside and then Fabio, Aki, and Ola at the San Benedetto del Tronto beach.
I was asked today when is the best time to visit Italy and of course with school schedules, sometimes there isn't much choice, but I would tend to advise June, September-November or Spring as best for temperatures unless you are heading to the beach. This summer is probably a bit strange, but we are still hot and dry here, in the midst of a drought.
I first visited Italy in late October many years ago and was thrilled to find fresh pressed olive oil available in Tuscany. This year I expect the olive and grape harvest will be much earlier than usual because of the heat.
Today, finally we had breakfast requests for 9AM and after, so I could sleep a bit longer. 2 couples remain with a 3rd coming tonight and having dinner with us which will consist of antipasti like prosciutto and melon, bruschetta and maybe Judy's crostata which went over very well with my friends earlier this week and agnellotti which is a type of stuffed pasta with ricotta inside and a side dish and maybe one of my signature sorbets for dessert.
After dinner I think we will head to Notte Bianca at San Benedetto which is an all night festival practically with concerts in many of the piazze in town.
Every day there are festivals in the little towns around here; eg. at Offida now is a convention of political cartoonists, one of whom is staying with us, and an antique fair. At Grottomare is a festival of the local wines of the Marche, etc.
As always at Nascondiglio di Bacco there is an abundance of peace and quiet!
Ci sentiamo dopo. Dwight

pardon my absence

27 Luglio
Sorry about the lull in writing, but I have been occupied with my special guests, Fabio Diu and Ola from London and Aki from Japan. Fabio and Aki were classmates in my master’s program and are doing the grand tour of Italy, though separately. They were my excuse to get away from Nascondiglio for at least a few hours each night and we explored San Benedetto one night and Ascoli Piceno the next. Last night we topped it off with a bbq with sausage and fresh fish on the grill and Fabio and I watched the moon set at 0230, which is the 1st time I remember ever doing that. It is good practice for the Perseid meteor shower, which hits its peak on August 12.
What I haven’t mentioned is we have had 6 guests, 2 of whom wanted breakfast at 0700 each day. I have relearned the fine art of napping of late. Yesterday I slept in the full sun at the seaside while the other three constructed a fine fortress in the sand and today after taking Fabio and Ola to the train, I slept from 10-2.
My day then consisted of cleaning their room in preparation for our next guests and then treating the wood ceiling beams in room 6 for omnivorous insects similar to termites. I had already done room 6, so 2 down and 6 to go. I use a petroleum- based chemical which is not skin friendly and I really hope it works because this will be the last time I do this job! There are pesky little problems with 500 year old houses.
We are nearing a beautiful full moon tonight, which is visible again after the smoke from nearby dangerous forest fires has dissipated. Just like the western part of America it is very dry here and evidently this was started by an arsonist.
The z4 has been neglected as it is a car unsuited for 3 or 4, but tomorrow, but maybe Aki and I can explore the countryside a bit with the top down, tomorrow. It is really fun to drive on the curvy country roads around here! Beats the Doblo!
We stay ½ to full all of august and I am looking forward to my 50th birthday in a couple of weeks. Giorgio and Michele will be here and of course Raffaele and also Gio’s fidanzata Gaia and her cousin with his girlfriend. There is a festival of reggae at Ripatransone that night as well.
Finally, they called me from the port of Naples today to ask what I was bringing into Italy in my container so I will provide a general list. Too bad I am not a resident yet as I would have to pay only 310 euros for everything; instead I need to pay customs about a third of the value of the contents in taxes. I think everything together is worth about 5000 dollars! Ciao dalle Marche. After the last 4 days and nights, I am sure i am forgetting something, but more later! dwight

finally, the sunset i promised

arrived in one piece

21 luglio
I have arrived safely, but where do i begin with my story?
My plane arrived late for the 2nd successive time and I missed my connecting flight thanks to my Delta buddies. Unfortunatley, this was a little more costly as they wouldn't put me up for the night in Rome or pay for a new ticket with Transavia since i made those reservations separately. Anyway, I had a nice walk around Rome and caught up on jetlag and ate dinner in Trestevare before flying to Rotterdam yesterday. I arrived on time and then spent 100 euros for cab fares from the shipper to the insurance man to customs and then to the bank as the shipper wanted cash for unloading the car. I finished all the paperwork and I now can drive my car for 4 months insured. I had a wonderful time on the autobahn driving 120 mph, but was slowed down a bit when i came across a freshly wrecked A6 that must have rolled a dozen times at high speed, squashed itself and then burned. I am doubtful the driver survived.
I drove practically nonstop through Holland, Germany, Switzerland and on to the Marche. I took one 2 hour nap and another for 30 minutes to arrive in 20 hours. Subtracting the 2.5 for sleeping and it was still 1.5 hours longer than mapquest said it would be Why??? Because at 3 in the morning there was a 1 hour line waiting to go thru the tunnel above Lugano in Switzerland! The whole of Germany and Switzerland are coming to Italy for vacation and all last night! If we can tap this crowd, we will be full all of August! There was then a 2 hour line at Bologna, the worst I have experienced. Dai!!! and I was getting tired and thirsty by then.
Anyway, I arrived tired but little worse for wear, just hungry and hot. Unfortunately, the Marche hasn't received any rain since I left. Better a drought this year than next after we have planted our new vines!
Also, I found out we have termites which we will have to treat and a few other goodies to do, but I am ready for some work aound here. My grapes look to have bitten the dust in my little 1/2 hectare, but there may be some hope if it rains soon.
We actually have one week where we have all the rooms rented and that is exciting, but I need all my friends from America to come visit as there is lots of free space in the reservation book.
When I returned, Raffaele told me one of my precious bottles from 1964 was leaking and when he removed the wax seal, there had never been a cork! A great way to prevent corked wine, I guess. Anyway, it will make some really great salad dressing and maybe even a reduction sauce.
And lastly, I actually passed a small village policeman without getting pulled over with my Kansas plates... maybe he thought I was a diplomat, which is not a bad idea; I can say I am a diplomat and not an illegal alien! Another sunset pic from nascondiglio di bacco if i can get it downloaded, and the previous 2 are of our own wild West up in WY. dds

curses

still sitting in atlanta with a plane problem at 7 pm and we were supposed to leave at 440. i will now miss my connection to rotterdam and have to spend the night in rome and fly out the next day. AIIII!!! more later. d

dwight's list e' utile

17 july
last day in america, i sit in the club lounge for delta in atlanta. this is the only good reason to have an amex platinum card, so i can while away the hours in peace with free vittles and bebite. Thanks to all who made me feel welcome at home and who literally took me in as did Steve and Cindy (and one more time Happy 50th Cindy, tell me what it is like to be 50!). Had my "last supper" at jasper's last night with Judy and a host of people i know, like the Flynn's and now Mariann.
I played golf yesterday and now i am sore in places unused to such exercise, but it was fun to recall the sport and i did have one stretch of 5 holes where i was even par. the rest we won't talk about.Thanks to the two Larrys for being such good sports at Lionsgate.
I am waiting for the flight to rome to part and i forgot my leather coat on the kc leg, so hopefully someday that will arrive in ancona and i can pick it up. we are an hour late which will make it very difficult to make my leg to rotterdam but i have my fingers crossed.
Everyone come visit in the Marche! I should be rback there and relaxed in about 3 days!
ciao d