Sunshine, strawberries and good times

This month has been pretty full on with more lovely CL guests plus we had some friends (and their five year old daughter) staying with us for a few days.  We had such a lovely time with them, it's great showing kids around, they are always in awe of the medieval towns, not to mention Italian ice cream and pizza! Ha ha.  She also enjoyed the Battle of Anghiari story and loved going into the churches.  Five year olds are so inquisitive!  

Leigh and I had a day trip to Rome which was a tad emotional!  We decided to take the slow train which we have never done before - we usually get the fast train which leaves from Arezzo at 7am and takes an hour.  The slow train takes over two hours but there was some maintenance on the line so we had to get a bus for the latter part of the journey from Orte and then a taxi to the Vatican. It felt like it took days to arrive!

​Because we usually get to the Vatican at around 8.30am there are never any crowds but obviously having taken the slow train the place was absolutely packed (with tourists would you believe! Ha ha). 

As we were in Rome to watch the Giro di Italia (a cycling event) we decided to forget the Vatican and walk to the Colosseum where the main event was taking place - we usually take this walk really slowly and relaxed, visiting coffee shops and ice cream parlours on the way,  taking in the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and Panthean etc. Hmmm.  But we were now running late then I needed a loo break.  It was one of those days that we spent wandering around quite a lot (18000 steps!) with me whinging quite a lot!  Ha ha,  I think everyone must have those days, where you feel like you're swimming against the tide. And if you're reading this and you know me, you would know that I definitely had, what Leigh calls, my grumpy face on!  It was hot and I just wanted to sit down and have a glass of wine to be honest and forget the blimin' bike event!

It was a lovely day eventually.  I got my glass of wine and a pizza and we saw the cyclists come through. And to make it even more special an English guy won (Mark Cavendish) so all was well in the world.  

Having said that we almost missed the train home - we had to run 800m as it was just about to leave and our platform was at the other end of the station and at the end of a very long platform!  I think that would have broken us... Ha ha

The CL guests have been taking yoga sessions down by the pool and wine tastings at the local vineyard. This week there are more yoga sessions booked, a couple of massages and plans are afoot to play golf at a beautiful course (Antognolla) just outside Corciano - about a 40 minute drive from CL. 

We took another trip to Passignano sul Trasimeno with our friends, I never tire of that place.  It was half term in the UK and we were the only ones in the swimming pool overlooking the lake and the beach was relatively empty too.  Such a great day with our friends and their little girl. 

Strawberries in the CL veggie patch have arrived - they are delicious.  Guests have been helping themselves and there have been plenty for us too!  Yum.  

Oh my goodness... I almost forgot - I've been on my bike this month, FINALLY! 100km over three rides. Well done me. Also I took a couple of trips out on my moped which I love because it's red and it's just the prettiest thing although I do get a bit nervous for the first few rides - the Vespa is my first ever motorized two wheeled vehicle so it takes a bit of getting used to every year (I should be more proficient to be honest as we bought it over five years ago now!). 

​Ooh and I found a lovely book that one our guests must've left in the library - it's called Still Life by Sarah Winman.  It's about expats in Italy after the Second World War.  It's such a beautiful story, I would thoroughly recommend or if you plan visit CL you should be able to find it in the library.  

I think that's it.  Mowing and strimming continues this time of year and I think we're planning on trimming the hedges soon - that pesky Mother Nature always finds something for us to do!  

Have a great week.

D I A N A   xxx