L'estate

Summer (l'estate) has officially begun here in Tuscany. This can usually be denoted by the heat and lack of breeze, but for us it has been the luck of dinner invitations. As I mentioned here, the Tuscans love to get together for large meals at long family style tables...if you can dine outside, even better...and this past weekend we were very fortunate to have our dance cards full.

On Friday night we received an invitation to a friend's house for "Latino in Giardino". We fueled ourselves with a spectacular buffet of antipasti, cold pastas, and arista to have the energy for the salsa dancing galore that followed in the garden.

Saturday night was in honor of the Gemini as we celebrated another set of birthdays with friends...it seems everyone here is a Gemini. In a picturesque setting of fields in the valley we roasted fresh fish in a brick wood-fed oven and had a delicious linguine con le cozze (mussels)...and as with most Italian parties, this one spontaneously erupted into dance late into the night.

As if we had not enjoyed ourselves enough, we were invited to the home of two Americans on Sunday night to visit with vacationing friends. Surrounded by fields and yet another serene view of our town in the distance, we sipped wine, dined on gourmet hamburgers (a nice change), and much to my delight...spoke in English all night.

Needless to say, we are fat, happy, feel blessed to be so full of friendship...and are now in need of a very long nap under an umbrella...happy Monday!