Ramon's Party

Ramon is the local hair dresser. This guy is amazing. Everyone that comes out of that place looks fantastic. He spent a long time on my hair; cut off all of the dead stuff and layered it perfectly. Joe said I look 10 years younger. I'm thinking I'll have to fly back to Italy every so often just to get my hair done! Ramon invited everyone who has gotten their hair cut up to a party at his horse ranch. It was also his wife's birthday, so it was a big event. To get to his ranch, you drive out to the end of the valley and go all the way up to the top of the ridge. The views from there are spectacular. Ramon had arranged to have some of his Italian friends pick us up and take us out to the ranch.


The bread bowl was a hand carved slab of wood.. beautiful. The feasting started with bread, olive oil and pecorino cheese.


Ramon and his father built this cabin when Ramon was 18. A few years later, Ramon started getting the horses. The cabin is so nice..what a dream.




Shortly after we arrived, they started the fire.


There is great old farm equipment scattered artfully around.

The trees are all starting to turn.


Ramon with his daughter


Ramon and Joe just after the birthday toast


I guess Chris is pretty strong!


Ramon and his beautiful wife, Brit. Brit was a student from Texas at Santa Chiara years ago.




I think this is the cutest baby suit I've ever seen.















When the fire was ready, the BBQ began. This was my first Italian BBQ...they're quite ingenious here. Note that the BBQ grill is an old metal bed frame...it worked great.


These guys are total hams!


Check out the skewer...a fork wired to a stick!



These guys sure know how to eat!


Very happy! They had a keg of wine at the party in addition to all of the food. The Italian tradition is that whoever hosts the party buys all of the stuff, then everyone that attends pitches in money. Pretty nice.


OK, then there were the desserts!!!!! Brit actually made pecan pie!!!!!!


I swear I didn't eat it all by myself!!!!!


Right after sunset it cooled down, and our ride took us back to Castiglion. This was a fantastic day. I really appreciated the opportunity to go to such a wonderful Italian family gathering. We met some great people and had a wonderful time.

Val di Chio Bikeride

After all of the travelling, a group of us decided to just stay 'home' for the weekend and explore our local area, the Val di Chio. Castiglion Fiorentino sits at the mouth of this stunning valley. A week earlier, a few of us came up with a scheme to rent bikes. After a walk one afternoon, I stumbled upon a hardware store on the edge of town that rents bikes. For 5 euro, we each got a bike from Saturday until Monday afternoon! Saturday moring we went down and picked up the bikes and got picnic supplies. Just after noon we headed out for our adventure.


All the bikes in our front entry room.


Eric, Joel and Chris in front of Casa Vescovo. Sarah and I live in the room just behind their heads, which we affectionately call the dungeon...the floor level is much lower than street level.


On one of our walks, we discovered these great new interpretive signs. Here we're showing the maps to some of the others, tuning up brakes, and getting ready for our ride out to the end of the valley.


This is the new trail system. We have discovered in our methodology research that a group of Agritourism owners called Amici di Val di Chio (Friends of the Val di Chio) got together to put in this trail system for tourists, locals, and agricultural access.


Cast of Characters for the day:
Eric (Cal Poly Pomona-CPP), Marissa (Cal Poly SLO), Joe (CPP), Kim (CPP), Joel (CPP), Kari (UC Davis), Chris (CPP) and Dillon (CPP).




Further out in the valley the trail turned grassy. Someone had lined the trail with pumpkins...too beautiful.


The fog just burning off out at the end of the valley.


At this point we're getting pretty hungry...this field looked pretty good for a picnic, but we decided to move on.


We found a trail alongside a creek, then found this concrete check dam where we decided to have lunch.


Here is a picture of me...20 pounds lighter! Just for a fun comparison, below is a picture of me in August a week before I came to Italy wearing the same shirt....Hope Jon recognizes me at the airport!


















Picnic of champions! The local Pecorino chees is fantastic on Pears or with honey.


And did I mention the Chianti? And sun dried tomato pesto?




Good things come in little packages!


I think this is the happiest I've ever seen Joe


And Eric


Now we're all very happy


Chris and Kim sining 'Mercedes Benz' by Janis Joplin


At this point, the party moved out to the adjacent field. It was just too perfect for skipping.



Kari & Marissa


Joel in the flowers


Kari, Marissa and Joel


Joel collapsed out of euphoria...and when he got up he had a 'friend' on his back!


Kim with Joel's friend the Mantis



Chris did a wonderful dance in the field



Here we're doing a group skip up the field


Uh oh...Kim's going down!


Of course after I fell and rolled around on the ground in hysterics, tons of flowers were stuck in my hair by my friend Joel



This was our group hug!



After all of our frolicking, we came back to the creek to do some painting. All of the undergrads have to paint small postcard size paintings of phenomenon they see in the valley, such as light hitting leaves, or shadow, etc.


I thought I'd try capturing light in a stone pine and turning shrubs..not as easy as it sounds.



Marissa's painting


Joel's painting


Scorpion!


Teasel

I think this was the most fantastic day I've had in Italy. Little did I know that the next day would offer up some serious competition for the best day in Italy! Overall, this was definitley the best weekend. This area is so stunning, and the people are so wonderful. It's great to be young and have good friends. We are all so lucky to be able to study here. I am so grateful to my family, and especially to Jon, for sacrificing so I can have this experience.