Category Archives: Gardening

Adventure, Food, Gardening, Travel

Leaving the Tuscan Bolthole for Montepulciano.

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After a week or so of chilling in one spot we decided to venture out and explore. It’s not our first visit to this region so we decided to pick a new medieval and renaissance hill top town. An Italian colleague of Greg’s had recommended Montepulciano, an hour South of where we were staying. Masks at the ready and perhaps with a tad of nervousness, we packed our brood and drove down the long gravel driveway away from our Tuscan bolthole. Off on an adventure. 

I was ready for some awe. I read a quote recently my friend Brydie shared, let me find it. 

One sec I’ll share it here. 

Here it is …

” … studies have shown that awe can make us more patient and less irritable, more humble, more curious and more creative.” Julia Baird. 

Oh there it is. Actually I needed to read that today. Yes, awe. What a fabulous ‘thing’ to wish for. To experience. Hmmm, yes awe, indeed, this is what I strive to accumulate. Moments of awe. In fact I just found my new intentional direction – in pursuit of awe. Oooh yes. I’ll come back to this once I’ve caught you up on Tuscany.

As soon as we arrived at the parking space to the town it was different! No tourists. No buses. No Busy. We zipped into a parking spot and wandered 100 or so metres through the gated entrance to this classic Tuscan Hill Town.

This is ancient, traditional and modern Italy. And this is an exceptional moment in time to experience it. Big deep appreciative breaths (from behind the mask). Everyone is wearing masks here. So different to The Netherlands where the reluctance to wear masks (except where it is mandated on PT) is quite astounding to me. 

First food. As we wandered into the town there was a restaurant directly to the left. The food looked mouth watering. In case you’re there the restaurant is Osteria Porta di Bacco.

‘Greg, look at that food’ I said. 

‘Let’s eat here!’ He replied directly.

Ok then lunch sorted. And of course there was a table available because few tourists. 

Sweet Jesus! The food. We all died and went to heaven. Can I share with you how pleasing it is to have your kids socks rocked by food. Very pleasing indeed. 

‘Best food ever’ they proclaimed in unison (even the fussy ones). 

The pasta is pici and it’s traditional to this area. It is also apparently one of the easy pasta’s to make at home. I will be trying it! Jamie has one that’s made with courgette. Anyone want to try with me? Here’s the recipe. I’ll give it a whirl this weekend – seems like an ‘awe’ inducing kind of thing to try. 

The kids had theirs with wild boar ragu. It’s their favourite meal now, Not sure where to find wild boar but I’m on the look out. It’s also not heavy on the sauce. We get that a bit wrong outside of Italy I think. Mine was a simple one; tomatoes, garlic and olive oil. I also had stuffed zucchini flowers … that melted in my mouth. Greg ate a cow as you can see. The boys assisted. 

 

The afternoon was spent slowly wandering the car-less cobblestone laneways and taking in the beauty that is to be somewhere astounding. Somewhere that is centuries old. Centuries old ingredients, walls and life. We walked (and parkoured) in the footsteps of those who has walked and lived amongst these walls in complete contented awe. There was no need to be nervous about traveling here now in Corona times, I felt the fear ease. 

‘This’ I said to Greg.

‘This wandering amongst life and history (and eating) is a thing I love to do’. 

This day I really felt awe. I felt a deep return to a feeling I love. The joy of wanderlust. 

 

 

 

 

 

Adventure, Gardening, Travel

Mopping Myself Out The Door Towards Tuscany.

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The roof suitcase is on! The boot is packed. The racks are ready for the bikes (mine and his). The car fridge is locked and loaded. Food is prepped and ready for a whole day’s drive. And the floor is freshly mopped. Tell me it’s not just me?! I almost need to audit the house before leaving to go away. Last minute jobs – check. All clothes washed, fridge cleaned and floors mopped. Thankfully we’re heading south because look at that weather would you. Dutch grey skies.

I am a tad excited. And now quite pleased after working through the last of the jobs tonight. Obvs it’s not our first rodeo, but man after having a house full of people since Feb the need to deep clean and declutter is building. You know shoe sorting, hand me down clothes sorting, school work shifting, under the couch cleaning, stains from gross kids wiping, parcels to send, letters to write.  When I get back all refreshed and ready to go I’ll attack that stuff.

Seriously though it’s been a long time since I’ve had the house to myself. Usually after the kids go to school I burn some incense, play some music, daydream a little. I realise I haven’t done my little things in months, months! All fine of course it is what it is and I’ve found new things to keep me grounded. Fingers crossed we are not thrust back into home school after summer.

Back to the house auditing before leaving to go away. Are you a mad scrubber? Do you need to come home to a clean house? It’s my thing. Also we live in a 1930’s house that needs a bit of fixing. It’s a work in progress. And we’ve had problems with house mice before so I don’t want to encourage them AT all. And basically it’s kind a hard to make a really old house with lots of gaps and four kids feel very clean for long. Mostly I’m cool with that but not the night before we go away. I’m a mad-ass scrubber.

As I tidied my garden today (yeah I had to sort that out too) I looked at the apples so ripe and nearly ready, I realised I’ll be excited to get back also. It is a lovely thing to love being home. To build a home. A nest. The apples will need to be preserved and hopefully the tomatoes will also be going gangbusters. Won’t that be a lovely surprise. ‘Tis the night before an adventure and we’re ready.

Did I mention I’m a bit excited? I really am. It is like I am twenty something and putting my backpack on to see something new in the world. Nope, none of us will ever, ever take the freedom to roam for granted again (not that I did just that it’s even more amazing now after the crazy year). Tomorrow night we’ll catch up from the outskirts of Milan, we want to cross all the borders in a day (let’s face it weird times with borders) and arrive under the Italian blue skies.

#writingstreak

#day26/31

#thenightbeforeanadventure

 

 

Gardening, Running, writing

What Do Tomato Plants And Running Shoes Have In Common?

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Back in March I planted a few seeds. There were the vegetable seeds (including these tomatoes) and there was the #runstreak. The streak where I put these runners on each day to run. This weekend I repotted the plants because they had well and truly outgrown their pots. And I hung my shoes up from daily running after 140 days, 20 weeks of streaking. The tomatoes had out grown their pot and I’d outgrown putting my shoes on each day. 

For a long time I knew I needed to keep running. To keep the streak alive. It felt easier to keep going than to stop. And my running was serving a purpose. It was creating a base of fitness and building some fire in my life. It was my quarantine (1.0) saving grace. I ran all the way through quarantine and beyond, coming out the other end with a stronger and more confident mind. I ran myself into a new challenge, the Amsterdam 1/2 marathon. Which, naturally, I’ll run in a school dress for One Girl because that is what I do!

When I look back to my IG post from the time I planted the tomato seeds I read the hint of another seed between the lines. It was the beginning of me starting to consider doing things smaller and in a more focussed way. Of transferring this idea of ‘not having it all’ into all I do. Of doing smaller things well. Not of not dreaming big things but of getting to those dreams in a different way. This is the magic of writing for me. Little thoughts shared aloud with myself. These thoughts sent out into my world for me to notice and work with,

I only hung my shoes for a few days! Today I ran the first run of my 12 week training schedule. I googled one and found one on runners world. I’ve never actually followed a running plan but a schedule seems to be working for me right now. Three runs a week it will take. I have no doubt the Amsterdam 1/2 marathon will be cancelled due to corona. I’ll still run it though. There is a 25km hike through the woods around our village. I’ll run that! In a school dress and I’ll rope the family in to ride along and cheer, document for me and share as I go. Lol. It it will be fun.

‘To pay attention. This is our endless and proper work.’ ~ Mary Oliver. 

This little tale of the tomato plants and the running shoes reminds me how subtle beginnings and endings can sometimes be. How gentle letting go can be. It isn’t always big and scary. Rather that growing into ourselves and tweaking with adjustments is a contant. And not everything needs an ending, sometimes it’s just a shift, a new pot, a more intentional goal or plan. I wonder .. will the repotted tomato plants fruit with me alongside my adjusted running plan?!?

#Day22/31

#writingstreak

#therunninglooksdifferentnow

#ireallylovethiswritingstreak

 

Gardening, Home, Life

The Good Busy.

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‘Gardeners, I think, dream bigger dreams than emperors.’ – Mary Cantwell

What’s in a day of pottering? Hmm where can this tale go I wonder? The truth is I spend the day in the garden with busy hands and a busy body. Lost in a hard day’s work without really thinking. My mind in the garden, the jobs and the possibilities of this tiny space. Intoxicated by the smell of these tomato plants and the the sun on my back. They smell like the the ones you buy on a vine. My poor tomato plants who were sitting in a holding zone, in pots too small for them, growing without a stake. They’re a little wonky, hopefully they’ve still a little resilience in store and I’ve re-potted them in time!

Perhaps a cup of tea and my tale will come I thought. Into the kitchen, tea pot on and a Barry’s Irish tea bag in my favourite cup. It’s proper black tea, big mug kinda night. In the window sill I see my orchards have also outgrown their pots. Can you see the new roots sprouting out into thin air?! And wouldn’t you know it, here is where a gardening tale arrived.  It’s a simple reminder that we grow out of things. Taking care of plants is not so different to taking care of ourselves.

I’ve mentioned before that it’s time to end my #runstreak because I want to train with more intention. I want to train for a half marathon. I can’t do that if I run everyday and ride a couple of times a week, it’s too much! I’ve grown into the fitness to run a half marathon and into my new cycling hobby and now I’m too big for the pot I’m in. I need to change it. Otherwise I’ll respond like the tomatoes and grow all wonky, or the orchards where there is no space for new roots to flourish.

We need to adjust our space just as we need fuel to grow. Oh did you notice the pizza oven was lit in the first photos. Tonight’s was a pretty heavenly one. Some leftover olive, feta and mint salsa from last night, artichokes, porcini mushroom, rocket and burrata cheese. I spent the whole day pruning, planting, sweeping, shifting pots, enjoying and dreaming dreams about our tiny garden space. We are growing together, my garden and I. And it’s hungry work giving yourself to the garden all day. Or does the garden give itself to you? Perhaps we meet in the middle. I think we do.

I used to find fairy houses and fairy doors in the garden from the daughter who now regularly calls me a hippie and gives me the eye rolls! Lol. Today I found her stash of moon water. There is also one that belongs to her best friend. The garden is truly full of magic, truth and enchantment. It’s a place for daydreams and the good busy. Tomorrow, I’ll replant the orchids and refresh the herb planter after I take my morning’s ride amongst the canals and the windmills. And tomorrow I won’t run. After 140 days, I’ve outgrown my runstreak. I’m repotting myself!

#writingstreak

#day19/31

#tiredofmeyet

#gardeningtales