January 24, 2022
A 1st Week Photo Essay
We drove south to lunch in Chianti… where the regional symbol is the Gallo Nero (Black Rooster). Not to be confused with Merlo Nero (Blackbird) our Villa’s name. Click the link in the caption to read the full story of the famous Chianti Cock. Most importantly, DON’T DRINK ANY CHIANTI without the Gallo Nero. Lacking […]
January 24, 2022
Happy Anniversary (1 week 🍰)
One week into our ‘residenza in Italia’ we’re feeling good. The Jet-lag has largely departed and we’re greeted with this view each day walking into town.
January 23, 2022
Caffe Mattutino Nella Nostra Villa
(Title trans. Morning Joe in Our Villa) So… after mastering the arts/sciences of home barista-ing back in the ‘Ville, searching out that ‘perfect’ brew whilst out of town can be difficult and discouraging. Even in a caffe-centric culture such as Italy, convenience breeds a contemptible compromise. Hence, the utter disappointment seeing that in our villa […]
January 20, 2022
Featuring: Ponte Vecchio
Some pics of the Fiume (translated: River) Arno from/with it’s famed crossing. Looking: Upstream, Downstream and Mainstream. Yup – EVERYONE who passes through Firenze takes a pic with the revered Ponte Vecchio as a background. Well, everyone except for the little cold-blooded critter who posed for this pic simply on the GROUND of the Ponte […]
January 19, 2022
Two Views of Il Duomo
Anne asked me how I can concentrate on riding when the views are so beautiful. I reminded her that it’s SAFETY FIRST and CRASHING HURTS! That said, I must have pulled off the road six times to take pics … and this is just the first ride. That dome in the distance … it is […]
January 18, 2022
Buongiorno, Villa Merlonero
With a little help from (enthusiastic product endorsement) Ambien, we slept soundly across the Atlantic… transferred with relative ease through Munich and hopped over the Alps en route to Firenze. Our hostess Ginerva greeted this jet-lagged duo with a warm, N95-masked Italian, “Buongiorno” and a plate of meat, cheese and bread, of course. We chatted […]
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January 27, 2022
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