October 2010 (From Western Telegraph)

In with a Bang!

12:50pm Monday 1st November 2010

• Print
• Email

OK what happened to the last 2 months? It seems we turned around and before you know it autumn is knocking on the door. We say knocking as the season cannot seem to make up its mind if its actually here or not.

The opening to October started with a sudden drop in temperature, morning mists and heavy dews at around 6 degrees, rising to 15-20 by mid-day in the first week and we though “this is it”. Then the second week is heralded by the loudest storm of the decade. Starting at 3.30am on a Tuesday morn, giving us a light show continuously of sheet and forked lightening in every colour and hue of the rainbow for 2 hours with roars, rumbles and crashes varying between muted to “oh heck that was the tree behind the house exploding” level. In the face of such raw primal power we sat watching the show from our bed, devouring tea and toast. Why is it the lights go out and you suddenly crave a cup of tea? Later that morning, when we felt ready to face the destruction of the previous hours, we ventured out at 9am. Both cats greeted us with gleefully, one worry dealt with, and having fed and fussed the felines we checked our property t discover ……nothing was out of place. The pergola was still there and not blow to Cetona, the tiles were on the roof and the trees hadn’t brought the grotto to collapse despite the noise. Mike though the crane on the site next-door might have attracted any bolts heading in our direction and saved us from potential damage.

Others were not so lucky. Most electronic gates in the area failed, the engineers were hard at work replacing the electronics for a month, but we’re manual i.e. I bail out and open them with a key rain or shine. Someone on the edge of town lost every electronic device plugged in, TV’s telephones, computers fridge, freezer, bedside clock radio, the lot. In the north 3 people drowned in an underpass in their car and parts of Genoa were evacuated. This was a serious storm.

Despite the weather supposedly being bad for the rest of the 2nd week, the storm seemed to have used all the cloud and rain up, so the temperatures rose again to the mid to high 20’s once more. People, who had changed over their summer to winter wardrobes were seen in jeans, jumpers and even heavy coats in with was in effect summer weather. We had booked our car in for a service and rather than sit around for a few hours waiting for it in a café we decided to walk to the station, 15 mins from the garage, and hop on a train to somewhere we’d never been to before. We chose Camucia as we’d heard there was a market on a Thursday and it was also a short bus ride to Cortona, if we wanted to explore further.

A very nice town, very “up-market” reminding us of Narberth but with a station, diverse shops, very nice eateries. First we explored the market. Smaller than our local one at Chuisi but this had different stall holders and the prices were much better. At around lunch time we asked for an aperitif (prosecco) at an extremely classy place that reminded us of an Austrian coffee/patisserie ( the cakes, oh the cakes !!) We were told, in very good English that if we stood at the counter it would be 2.50 a glass but to sit would add a table charge of another euro, we sat having walked our feet off. A tray with 2 glasses arrived along with 2 stuffed finger rolls, 2 pastries with baked cheese and tomatoes, each cut into 3rd’s, a large bowl of pitted olives and a bowl of pistachio nuts. We said we hadn’t ordered the nibbles but were told this was normal when an apperativo was ordered. We ate and appreciated before catching the train home and collecting the car. At the station we met some confused American’s and Canadian’s. One group going to Florence the other to Rome. Firstly they didn’t understand the arrival and departure timetables, they do take some getting used to but then they are simple, secondly they had lost a platform and thirdly they didn’t know which way Rome or Florence were. Having a timetable to hand and, looking at the tv screen suspended above our heads, we were able to tell them there was no platform 2, Rome was south and all trains going south left on platform 1 and it was going to be 5 minutes late and the Florence train going North left on platform 3.

“Gee” said the leader of the group “How did you tell all that from the platform clock over there on the wall?” We pointed to the screen above his head and said the information was displayed both there and on the paper information sheets in the hallway of the station. In addition the announcer spoke in English as well as Italian giving details of the train arrival and platform but tuning you ear was the key, they were chatting so loudly they hadn't even realised there was an announcement. We wished them well and hoped they managed to fathom the workings of the rail system as we got on our train, south bound on track 1, before they missed their various appointments.

We related all this to friends who asked if we’d never tried the apperitivo’s at Casglione del lago? No…so the following Friday we were escorted to GMB’s as it lurks on an industrial estate behind cement works. Even with directions we doubt we’d have found the place. They have beautiful waiter service (immaculate, manicured, coiffured and very male) while we waited for the drinks to arrive a plate with 3 dishes arrived huge sweet black olives (2 each) artichoke hearts in spiced oil, and strips cucumber with oil and black pepper. The drinks arrived in huge glasses, each different so we could try them, straws and loads of ice, along with a plate of canapés, small squares of brown bread topped with cream cheese and fruit 1 each, enormous strawberries (2 each), slices of cheese and a vast spoon of strawberry conserve, blackberries the size of teaspoons, and chips of Parmesan with crushed pistachios. Soon afterwards a hot plate of onion rings, fried pots, battered and fried artichoke hearts was delivered. Then another hot plate arrive with 4 cheese and tomato puffs, 4 saffron risotto cubes with a thin pastry crust top and bottom and another 4 with mushroom & spinach risotto. Then the last plate had slices of Stromboli or calazone pizza, toms and pesto in layers. Guess how much each? 7 euro’s and it was enough for a lunch each. There were lots of business people there. A table nearby had 6 elegant men dining who'd ordered a bottle of red persecco/champagne? And had the full works too. Apparently the bakery specialises in corporate/wedding do’s and the like and the eatery is a shop window for what they do and is offered at about cost. What a function would cost…..we didn't dare ask but a small plate of mixed canapés cost about 30 euros.. Many bars offer this type of incentive to stay and eat a proper meal, their prices and what is available differs widely from a drink with a selection of small bites on a plate to a help-yourself- buffet of snacks.

The grape harvest was also in full swing and with the mixed weather, a mixed blessing as all the washing etc could be done but it also encourages the grass and weeds to grow. The smaller concerns pick by hand using hand cutter but the huge vineyards use specially designed machines that cut the rows and dump the contents into a huge hopper to be taken to an on site plant for processing. Not having vines, Mike went mowing and the cats and I went thistle hunting. We seemed to have the brambles under some control now but the biggest green with white spotted leafed thistles have tried to take their place instead. Hoeing and hand pulling is the only way, so we walk the walk and do the necessary once a month in the autumn and spring to try to eradicate the pests. The cats are no use is spotting the plants but had huge fun chasing the last of the summer butterflies, lizards and grasshoppers, which have red or blue under wings so make a very attractive prey for the cats to chase.

The hunters returned, having made a slow start to the season, much to our dismay as we were delighted to see three doe’s grazing by our pool. The locals are not so keen as they eat grapes and the harvest is over very quickly. Those with organic crops haven't done so well this year as we’ve had a mildew that has affected the vines and many clusters are shriveled and not edible. Naturally the deer fancy the juicy bunches making them very unpopular with the growers.

So another month has sped by bringing us back to the olive harvest season once more.

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here