Castel Sant'Angelo

Yesterday was a day off for the Casa Margherita team and so we went to Rome to meet up with some friends.

We visited the Castel Sant'Angelo which was built as a mausoleum by Emporer Hadrian but was later changed to a fortified bolt hole for the Popes and is connected to the Vatican by an elevated foot bridge.

It features some lovely detailed cherubs and has a fantastic 360∘ view of Rome. Worth a look.

I would show a photo but forgot to take the camera!

Smokin'

Our house looks over a valley and today there was a layer of smoke hanging in the valley as we have been a couple of days without the slightest breeze and with the temperatures quite low everyone has a fire lit burning wood.

Wood is still the principle fuel here and with the cost of other fuels only likely to increase this is a situation that will not change.

Vigneto

A view today of a vineyard below our house. The forms remind us both of a first world war German graveyard we visited in northern France. At first glance it seemed not unusual but on closer inspection each cross represented a grave for four Germans with their names written on the front and back of the horizontal arms of the cross.

Rachel is going to base a painting on this which I will share once it is done.

Allium, my alliums

After the eating and drinking toils of Christmas day it was time to do some work in the veg garden.

Energised by a brilliant winter's morning we finally got around to digging up the last patch of tomatoes that had been an eyesore for some months. And into the ground went garlic. It's a great vegetable. Plant it on the shortest day and harvest it on the longest day and no maintenance required. Easy peasy.

Whilst I did this Rachel planted broad beans which make for a great green manure when they are dug in after. Scrooge like, I have no more to say about them as I don't like eating them!

And lo....

a strange light was cast over Trevi on Christmas day.

Buone Feste

Lessons learned

In winter we heat the house using a wood boiler which can either use wood pettets or logs. We generally use pellets.

In previous years we have ordered early as they are cheaper but this has meant moving 240 bags weighing 15 kilos each in summer when the temperature is in the mid 30's.

This year, due to a lack of organisation we left it later and so today was the day they arrived and we duly moved them in a comfortable (although slightly unseasonal) 21 degrees c.

Also had a very nice Chinese for lunch - wanton soup etc. Luverly.

Horses 2

They were back again this morning grazing and then ended up standing in the drive quite close to the company Fiat Panda. I was slightly concerned as any false move on their part would reduce said vehicle to a pile of junk.

Luckily this did not happen but one of them did look somewhat confused as though a prank had gone a bit too far and now it was time to go back to familiar territory.

We had a quick shoot around the village and found someone who knew the owners and so just after lunch they were reclaimed and walked back home.

Isn't there always a heart warming story at Christmas!