Festa della castagna

Manciano is the name of the small village where Casa Margherita is located and this weekend has seen the second year of it's Festa della Castagna or chestnut festival.

We wandered up yesterday evening to have a glass of red and have a chat today with friends and neighbors.

Today back to picking in between the showers.

Stagionato - I don't think so

Back to Assisi today to check out the festa they are having called Unto. There were numerous stalls with many offering tastings of this years new olive oil - olio nuovo. I am biased here but I thought most were rather lacking in taste as so rather disappointing. There was only one that had the big full flavor and deep green colour that is associated with new olive from this area.

I also noticed one stall holder offering olio stagionato which means seasoned or aged. It is normally used in the context of cheese, wine and meat. The oil on offer was last years olive oil and frankly was just old.

The sky at night

The sky last night in fact.

Today we have been picking olives and are now getting ready to go to the launch party of the
Novello d'Autore of Di Filippo for which Rachel has created six paintings to form the labels for the wine. These can be seen at www.rkwilliams.com.

Up we go

Weather permitting we are going to start picking tomorrow. May need a bit of luck this year as there is rain forecast for 9 of the next 10 days. Proviamola.

St Francis of Assisi

I was in Assisi today doing some leaflet drops. Assisi is tourist central of Umbria housing as tit does the amazing Basilica of St. Francesco celebrating the life of the great Italian saint St. Francis. The town is highly commercialized and is full of shops selling various tourist tat for the hoards who travel there.

This lead me to think was there a way Casa Margherita could help ensure the spirit of St Francis lives on. I think I may have something.

A t-shirt range - Frannie says

Frannie says step on

Frannie says brown's cool

Frannie says go travel

Frannie says poor is good

Frannie says one peace at a time


The range could be endless.

What price olives?

Rumours are swirling that 100 kilos of these will cost over €100 this year. This is a considerable increase on last year when the price was around €75. True, this year there is a notably less fruit but that is quite some increase. Great if your selling but are there any sellers. I spoke to someone today who was searching for fruit to buy and he had been unable to find any.

All will out as they say.

You wish they were all like this

Full of deep red/purple hued fruit with the branches of the tree hanging down with the weight of the olives. Alas nature is not always thus and so this is the exception rather than the norm. Maybe next year...