A Year of Change

After 25 hours of travel, we finally pulled into Vail at 9:55pm. Just about everything that could go wrong, went wrong. As I said yesterday, our outbound flight was a cluster and then when we arrived in Newark, we barely made our connecting flight. They gave our seats away as we were late, we sat on the tarmac and were delayed 2 more hours after running through the airport like in a tv commercial, and then they lost our big bag. By the time we drove to Vail, we were all really tired. In fact, I pulled over on top of Vail Pass and let Lori drive the last 20 minutes. Anyhow, it’s good to be home.

I woke up about 4:15 this morning and Ty was already up. He says he woke up 15 minutes before me which I understand as it’s noon in Italy. It’ll take us all a few days to readjust to the time change.

I’ve started the laundry and begun unpacking by cleaning out the 2 smaller bags and a few carry ons. It’s kind of good our big bag won’t be here until later today as I have plenty to do. I can’t even begin to think of all the things we need to do around here. I’ll have to make a list which for me, means it’ll be long as I usually do everything from memory. First up, Lori has to work, (clinic day, uggh), we have to get Mojo, buy groceries, go to the bank, pay some bills and then sit down and make the list of all the work things I need to do. Throw in all the laundry, a trip to Costco and a thorough house cleaning and we’re busy.

Apparently not much has changed here in the Country. Politics are still stupid, Hillary is still lying, Trump is still putting his foot in his mouth and black people are still shooting cops. We don’t miss any of that but do miss our little bit of heaven in the bubble that we call home here in Minturn.

The kids have to get ready for school as it starts 3 weeks from today. Ty has to start working on his part in the school theater program (Ferris Buller’s Day Off), as they take it quite seriously up here even though the performances are next May. Jag has been reading a few books he needs to get through before school and we haven’t even thought about school shopping. Oh yea, Ty needs a new computer for school, that’s $1000 we need to come up with!

So, overall it was a great trip with many memorable experiences for all of us but I think we’ll stick to the good ol U.S.A. for our next vacation. We loved the island of Elba and swimming off the boat. Lori kept saying how great it’d be to have a place when we retire to hang out in over there. She’s a beach girl at heart though so any water will make her happy. We are in Hawaii this December and that’ll be here before you know it. Time to get to work on my second cup of coffee and the house. Lori and Jagger are still sleeping and we’ll let Lori sleep until 6am or so. I’m sure we’ll talk to you all soon, take care, stay safe and God Bless.

We had a good nights sleep and were in the Alitalia VIP lounge 2 hours before our flight. I was upgraded to First Class and that’s where the good part ends. Our flight was ok with the Flight Attendants giving me stuff to take back a few rows to Lori and the boys. It was a long flight, something like 9 hours and now comes the good, err, bad part.

When we landed, we had no gate! We had a tight connection as it was so we started to run. We knew we were going to miss our flight but ran anyway. Turns out our flight had no pilots so it too was delayed. But by the time we arrived, they had gave away our seats! After Lori getting upset a bit and me calming her down, we made it on. I’m sitting with Ty in a window and middle seat, Jag is two rows back in an aisle seat and Lori is one row up in a middle seat. I can’t believe they gave away our First Class seats. The flight attendants are upset too, with all kinds of things with Ground Operations. Anyhow, we’re on the plane in and in the air and should land in Denver by 6:30 tonight. Time to go as Ty needs my computer to watch a movie, GB.

We left Podere Ciona a bit after 10am for Poggibonsi. We made it to our hotel only to be really bummed out. It was not at all what we expected! In fact, our two rooms smelled really bad from the air conditioners. We all laughed and said it was only one night but Antonio is no longer allowed to make us hotel reservations, ha ha. We then jumped in the car and headed to Volterra to kill some time before the show. It is a beautiful city that is walled and very very old. It has the oldest etruscan ruins in Italy. We had lunch and hung out a few hours before heading back to our hotel. When we made it back, our rooms still smelled so I went down and had them move us. Our new rooms were much nicer.

We left for the show in two Mercedes Vans at 6 and arrived an hour later. Our driver, Simona, got us as close as she could but we, and everyone else numbering in the thousands, had to walk a good mile or more to get in. The show started at 9:30pm instead of 8:15. The theme was obviously the circus but it was an Italian opera. Circus performers ran through the crowd to begin the show and then they had everything from horses to elephants on stage in the middle of the Tuscan hills, late at night. The lights and effects were amazing in the Italian night. Andrea rode in one of his majestic horses as it was one of the ones Ty was petting at his house the other day. Lori and I and the boys, along with Allan and Ally from Las Vegas, left a little before it was done to avoid the crowds when the show would end. We made it back by midnight but the rest of our group arrived at 3am!  It was really smart of me to leave early I’d say!

We woke up a little after 7 and headed for Rome. We’re now in the Rome Hilton Airport relaxing debating whether or not to go int0 the city. The kids want to swim, watch movies and order room service. We might just let them do this as we’ve done a lot in two weeks. We’re kind of burned out and are looking forward to getting home to Mojo and our own beds. Part of the charm of Italy is the simple life but there are definitely things you miss about America. It’s great to visit but I do love the good old U.S.A. We’ll take off at 2am Colorado time and be in New Jersey 9 hours later, and then Denver soon after that. Hope everyone is well, GB.

This morning our group will pack up and all head in different directions until we eventually meet up around noon at our hotel near the venue for the show tonight. Some are going to Pisa for a photo op while others will hit a few small towns. We can check into our hotel around noon and will be picked up around 5pm for the 8pm concert. It ends at 11:30 and by the time we get back to our hotel, it’ll probably be 1am!

Yesterday we all went our separate ways as well and we ended up in Siena. Aleks and Martina accidently broke their key off in the door to their little house so we needed a locksmith. What would a day be without something happening! Maurizio Marchetti drove over from Ancona which is on the Adriatic on the other side of the Country to visit. He brought some special meat and bread along with some of his wine for us all to enjoy.

After Sinea, we then came back and swam as a family in the pool before going to dinner at the Chianti Classico Museum. We were the only ones there except for a small table of 4 near by as they only serve a couple of tables each night. It was quite special and the food was amazing.  The two ladies who run it had the most successful restaurant in Radda until the owner of the building sold it and they lost their lease. So now they cook only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights by reservation at the museum. We sat in a courtyard of the old building so we were outside under the stars. There were 12 of us as 4 went their own way for dinner or were not back from their day in time.

We need to pack and be out by 10:30 or 11 as a new group of 12 arrive this afternoon. So time to run, hope all’s well, we’ll be home in a few days, Arrivederci!

Tonight will be our last night in Ciona before we head to hotel near the concert tomorrow. Last night we had a big dinner here at Ciona as the girls did a mini cooking class with Franca and Mimma.

Aleks and Martina arrived from Slovenia just in time. They rode the motorcycle down, all 500 kilometers which took about 10 hours with stops! No way Lori and I would ride a motorcycle that far if at all, too uncomfortable!

We had a nice plain, simple, tuscan dinner here at the estate. The boys swam a lot yesterday while I took a few from our group back down to the jewelry store. Our friends Mike and John must have spent enough to buy a small car there in the last two days! They even bought me a gold and leather bracelet as a thank you gift which was totally unexpected and overwhelming, but they insisted. Between that and the cashmere goat factory, we joked, they single handedly revitalized the Tuscan economy. The mother and son now run the jewelry store as the father who was very famous, passed away from throat cancer unexpectedly 2 years ago. Their shop used to be in Milan and Franca said they made jewelry for the top clientele in Italy and from around the World. Then they decided to move back to Tuscany and the father passed, and the son, who was trained by his father and in the U.S., kept the family name going. Anyhow, they were really nice.

Today we’ll all split up into small groups and go do things on our own and then start to pack tonight to check out tomorrow. Hope all’s well, GB

Early in the morning, Lori and I headed down the hill for a walk, or hike, through the vineyards. About an hour later we were home. The rest of the day was spent exploring little towns such as Panzano and Greve before returning home for some swimming and then heading back out to Castellina in Chianti. You see everything shuts down from 1 to 4 like clockwork in Italy. All stores and facilities just close up shop. Then at 4pm, they all open until about 7 when they then again shut down. So you have to plan your day accordingly.

This afternoon Franca and Mimma will have the ladies for a cooking class at 4pm. Then us men and the kids will join them around 6:30 and dinner will be a bit after. The girls will all learn a few new dishes and skills from the Masters. Should be fun for them.

Aleks and Martina also arrive from Slovenia today as they’re going to the concert with us.

Time to run as I need to be in Montevarchi by 9am. Hope all’s well, GB

After taking Michael to the hospital and dropping him and Jeannie off, we headed into Montevarchi. Franca who went inside the hospital to translate, soon joined us. She took us to a wonderful shop that’s been in the same family for generations. They had all kinds of great food stuff at local prices rather than the inflated tourista pricing in the tourist towns. We bought 15 year old balsamic vinegar and other food stuff that you can’t find in the States such as truffle salt. Then we headed up the hill towards home for lunch.

After lunch, Jeff and Tina took Allan and Ally to Firenze (Florence) to get a new rental car. We meanwhile, headed to the Farmacia (pharmacy) for Michaels medications. Turns out one of them was shots! Guess you’re supposed to know how to give them to yourself. Then it was off to the goat farm.

The Cashmere Chianti Goat Farm is owned by Nora who came here as an art student 30 years ago from New York. She married an italian, ended up getting divorced but now has 300 goats and 12 italian versions of Great Pyrenees dogs to protect the herd. Her goats are Mongolian and produce the finest cashmere. Both boys fed a 3 week old baby out of a bottle whose name was Jelly Bean. The cashmere was 20% of the cost of what you’d pay in the States. Our group must have spent 3000 euros! Of course this was not us, but rather our friends.

We then went back to the grocery store and went home to make dinner. Allan and Ally scared up 5 wild boars on the road on the way home and apparently there’s lots of wolves around which is why all the dogs to protect the goats.

Today we were going back to the sea to go on Antonio’s boat but he and Andrea were in an accident on the motorcycle last night as a guy pulled out and hit them sending them too to the hospital. No broken bones but lots of road rash and shaken nerves. Hopefully all is ok. Time to run as Lori just brought me coffee. The coffee here is really good! God Bless and prayers to the 84 year old priest who was savagely killed in his own church in France yesterday by Isis. What a World!

Today I thought I’d give you an update on some of the unfortunate happenings around here. We’ve had quite the hodgepodge of things happen.

Yesterday Allan, from Las Vegas, stood up after bending down and cut his head open on a window that had blown open. This is after hurting his heel in his Salvatore Ferragamo shoes earlier in the day as they were so uncomfortable. Turns out he’s having lunch with Salvatore Thursday as they sell his wine, ha ha. Then we discovered his rental car had a flat tire yesterday morning. We finally had the tow truck pick it up last night but now have to find another car. It had no spare. Then Michael came down with a fever and we might have to take him to the doctor today. Jeannie dropped a jar of honey at the Bocelli’s and it broke all over their floor. Oh and on Saturday, Ally from Las Vegas was making some tea and didn’t realize the glass cover on the stove was actually a glass cover and not a stove top. She realized this when it heated up and then blew up shattering the glass all over the place!

I think there’s a few more gaffs but they escape me right now. Hopefully we’re done with the comedy of errors for the trip. Most are self inflicted so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.

Today we’re headed down to Montevarchi for some local shopping with Franca for the cooking class in a few days and we’ll drop Michael at the doctor. It’s sunny this morning which is a change from the past 2 days. I have lots of emails for work with it being the end of the month so time to go. Hope all’s well back home. GB

This morning we were off at 9am for Azienda Bocelli Estate for a visit and lunch. We arrived about 2 hours later and were welcomed by Cinzia and Alberto, Andrea’s brother. We toured the cellar with our group and then drove up to the estate and Andrea’s and Alberto’s childhood home that is now Andrea’s house. Once there we visited and went down to the stables where he keeps his horses. Ty had a blast petting the horses. We have been taking a bunch of pictures we’ll share when we get home. Then it was off to lunch which lasted a few hours. We then wrapped up and headed back to Gaiole.

Last night we all went down to dinner in town and took Franca and Franco with us. It was nice but there were a few mosquitoes out. By the time we left to come home, there was lightening all around us. We made it home before it poured rain which it did most of the night.

A few of the girls are headed to the store to restock our supplies. Coffee, half and half, more meat, arugula, paper towels and sugar I think were the main things on the list. Tonight we’ll stay in and take it easy with a big meal of pasta. That’s about it, hope all’s well, GB

From talking to my Mom, I guess Maybell made it home Saturday morning. On our Saturday morning, we checked out of our resort hotel in Grosseto and loaded up the car for the short 90 minute drive to the Gatteschis’s (Lorenzo’s family’s home) in Gaiole Tuscany. The drive wasn’t bad at all and we arrived a bit after noon. Before we knew it is was after 1 meaning all the stores were shut down until 4:30 or so.

First to arrive around 3:30 were Jeannie, Michael, John and Karen. We soon had them settled and then all headed down to town for some grocery shopping. 200 euros later at the grocery store and another 200 euros at the macherria (butcher) and we were headed back up the hill.

Franca and Franco were stunned at the boys growth. She had a picture of Jagger in his stroller at 4 months old and hadn’t seen the boys in a few years. They were so complimentary in their polite Italian way. A bit later Allan and Ally, from Las Vegas arrived as they just landed in Italy today. We threw some steaks, and I mean steaks, on a little grill while eating fresh meats and cheeses along with olives, eggplant and other fresh food. The steaks were cut to order from a side of beef that was the freshest you’ve ever seen. They were also big, about 8 pounds for 3 of them!

We ate and visited and a few had too much vino (not Lori and I) and finally retired around 10pm. This morning (Sunday) I was awoken by a rototiller or chainsaw in a neighboring vineyard at 6:10am! I guess the guy had to get his work done before church. There’s a nice breeze here this morning but the sun will soon be out. The boys hit the pool a bit yesterday. Time for my third cup of espresso! Arrivederci and God Bless!