Capodanno

Our neighbors down the road on our small Poggia invited us to New Year's Eve dinner. There were ten of us and it was festive and fun and we got to know our neighbors quite well. They are all really kind and lovely people. The men are all on pensione (retired) which is why they are all working -- making wine, olive oil, raising sheep, chickens and cows, and in general working hard. That is reason enough to enjoy the fruits of their labor on New Year's Eve and so abbiamo mangati molto bene (we all ate well). Here's a meal to fortify you: 1st course - an assortment of appetizers, 2nd - pasta, 3rd - roasted chicken, beef, and green salad, 4th - ribolita, a traditional Tuscan soup, 5th - lentils and a type of sausage, both traditional foods to eat on New Year's Eve and symbolic in bringing the eater tanti soldi, lots of money, in the new year, 6th - a huge plate of fruit and small, very sweet pineapples, 7th - a beautiful nocciola and chocolate torte, 8th - tart cheeries in a sweet syrup, 9th and finally green table grapes, for good measure and also symbolic for good fortune in the new year. All of it capped off with champagne, then finally espresso. And if you were a really hardy soul, grappa or limoncello. I wasn't that hardy and neither way Tom.

Capodanno to all of you.