Mothering Sunday Gift

Looking for a great gift for Mothers Day. Why not adopt an olive tree? Choose from a Young & Virile, a Full Flush or an Elder Statesman. Find out more at www.casa- margherita.com

Pruning has begun

The hillsides of Umbria are pretty busy at the moment as pruning is in full swing.

Give us our daily bread

Bread is an every day purchase in Italy from one of the numerous bakeries that flourish or from a shop or supermarket where there is a wide choice available.

Umbrian bread is traditionally made without salt which results from the Umbrian's refusing to be impoverished by a Papal salt tax. The tax no longer applies but the bread is still made without salt.

The bread is in general firm and after a day can be used as a basic building material. Hence the need to buy bread daily. It is perfect for bruschetta however.

Being English we here at Casa Margherita preferred a softer sandwich type bread. The type that when you press down on your freshly made sandwich you leave your finger indents in the bread. Finally after nearly eight years we have found a loaf that could pass as made in England. Pazienza!

Le pecore

In days gone by olive grove owners allowed the local shepherds/esses to graze their flocks though the groves. There were two great benefits to the grove owners of this. The sheep kept the grass down and they fertilized the trees.

When we moved here, we, as wet behind the ears Londoners, were happy to have added to the contract for the house and land the fact that the local shepherd could not graze his sheep on our land. Doh!

He has recently asked us if he can return to grazing his sheep on our land as it makes his passage over the hill easier. We are very happy for him to return. However, Winnie and Ugo will not be so happy as they will need to put up with some very aggressive looking sheep dogs.

Doing the market...

As another month speeds by it was yet again time for the monthly farmer's market in Trevi. As normal, I was present with my wonderful olive oil but this month had decided to do a double header and also do the antique, collectable, any old rubbish market that takes place in the adjacent Piazza.

Having done a bit of life laundry I had a number of CD's that required a new owner(s).

So Rachel was charged with olive oil sales and I with convincing the probably skeptical Trevi public of the merit of 80's/90's music from an English/American perspective.

Total sales. €25.50 for Rachel and a measly €4.00 for me. I was glad to have avoided the charge of €4.50 to have a stall.

Sounds poor, and it is, but this a night out at our local pizza emporium with wine……………

Onward and upwards.

Perugia oggi

Trip to Perugia today. L'Artista to take in an exhibition and take seemingly random but wonderful images such as said above.

I, instead was on an olive oil selling mission which went very well indeed. So a good day for everyone at Casa Margherita.

On a separate note, don't forget to raise a glass to Bagpuss who turns 40 today.

What's going on?

Well, don't want to say too much at the moment but a big change is coming for Casa Margherita and for the artista. Watch this space.