Well November is here and it is the rainy season and it really has lived up to its billing in that sense, rivers and streams full to brimming with thunderous blue rain. However though we are now lighting fires in our large cantina boiler to fire up the heating and beginning to use our winter supply of wood, there have still been a few lovely bright sunny days as well. Those kind of days that you would never get in England, so for us that is very reassuring. We do miss the sort autumn colours of England, especially the gold and orange divestments of the Beech tree, still there are many colours in the hills here too. Also at this time many people have begun to harvest their olives which as you can see are full of either green or black olives, depending on which variety you have on your plot. We hope to harvest our small number of 6 trees in December.
We went yesterday to San Miniato (see post of June 14th), where they celebrated the annual white truffle festival. Peidmonte in the North West of Italy is the most well known region in Italy for the production of this delicacy, however the area around San Miniato produces one quarter of Italy’s white truffle production. In the town there are many stalls selling this expensive product, either by the gram (about 16 Euros for each) or in many other forms such truffle flavoured oil and spreads. There are many other stalls selling all sorts of meats, cheeses, breads and sweet goods, including some very delicious looking chocolate products. You can stroll up and down San Miniato’s long main street, tasting and nibbling the free samples that are eagerly offered to you as you pass by.
Just as an update on Alfie our cat. He was very ill last month and we feared the worst for his survival but here is fit and well.
Damian say Hello to Alfie!