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They don't call it Italy's Green Heart for nothing! |
So you’ve seen Assisi, and Spoleto and Montefalco, eaten at
some amazing restaurants, and drunk some spectacular wines; but have you met
the people that raise the food and drink you have been consuming?
When I tell people about the treasure of
Italy, it is not the food, art, history or wine, it’s the Italians.
Yesterday our friend
Anne took us to meet farm families that
are her neighbors and friends.
What a
treat to meet people who have farmed the land for their entire lives.
Warm welcomes awaited us, as well as sips of
local new wines, and dark green extra virgin olive oils.
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Meet Peppa, Anne's friend who has farmed since she was a child. This is her bread oven, no longer in use, but when it was she would awaken at 2 a.m. to get the bread into the oven so that her father and then her husband would have bread for the day |
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Anne and Peppa |
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Cutting lavender |
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My pal Megan making friends with Peppa---no language barrier here--just smiles |
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Beautiful scenery on the way to meet Peppe and Gentile at their farm |
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Gentile another farm woman |
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Her husband Peppe |
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dog days |
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cattle |
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Easy bake oven |
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Sheep and ducks coming home |
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Peppe and the Vet taking a bow after artificially inseminating the cows |
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What's left after the wine is pressed |
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Still functioning wine press |
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Meet Emma |
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Sharing a laugh with Anne |
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Pressed grape must |
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Hugo pressing the rest of the grapes to get the mosto | |
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Hugo feeding the animals |
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A visit to Marino to taste his olive oil |
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Drying grapes |
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Garlic |
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Onions/shallots |
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Last of the grapes--just for snacking |
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A visit with Giovanino |
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Cooking Torta al Testo |
Our evening ended at Anne's house for dinner, but the entire afternoon was an amazing look into the lives of some very special people.
Grazie a Peppa, Gentile, Peppe, Emma e Hugo. Wishing you a
buon giorno from Umbria.
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