Roccalbegna Rocks!

Delay for communicado due to lack of internet points in this part of the country! After a sad farewell to our lovely Irish friends (the vino helped) we set forth to the south where we noticed immediately after Sienna the lack of traffic and slow pace of life. The landscape is really hilly, chestnut trees, cypress and fir trees abundant, we spotted a small herd of sheep huddled under a tree (brown and woolly ones!) but great news,..we walked 10km through a natural reserve between Piancastagnaio and Castell'Azzura where we spotted two..yes 2...bambis..deer! The forest has wild boar, owls, badgers and eagles..but we were lucky to spot the deer, we saw none of the other! The bugs were everywhere, we needed jungle hats with nets! We were almost eating them as we strode uphill and down dale, bugs bigtime, ants and mosquittos the size of small wallnuts! it took 2.5 hours! However we were both spoilt on Monday when we trekked 1.5 hours through vineyards olivegroves orchards and to a small village called Pian de Ballo and I commented on a pretty garden and a lovely hot day, and suddenly we were offered chianti (which of course we accepted) and sat down on a stairway when the neighbours were also summoned to meet the kiwis on tour! We then had a glass of grappo each, this is made of grape skins and is very potent, almost like whiskey, Noel made them laugh when he said "no more as it will make me drive crazy like an Italian" they seemed to appreciate that! We had a lovely time there, we discussed a deaf dog, trains, cats, children, jobs, a wonderful experience for us to mix with the locals! We are in a farmhouse down a windy gravel road, but within 15 minutes to a lot of villages. We have met two lovely American women from Maine, Lois and Nancy, and have spent nights drinking and eating and sharing meals under the clear starry Tuscan skies. Weather here is very hot indeed, and is expected to stay this way for another week or so. We shall report back on Friday before we depart for Greece on Saturday. We are still enjoying everything this place is offering, the pastries, salamis, bread and artichokes are so mouthwatering and seem to contain no preservatives, simply all naturally grown and presented. Amore Italian cuisine. ciao for now xx