Thirteen

JUICY TOMATOES AND ROMPING PUPS
It rained intermittently in Siena. And outside our window there was a lot of talking and activity and lots of young people were laying down long tables, like for an exam. Later they covered it with plastic sheets, held down by these steel clips. 
Later after dinner we walked down to have gellato and then walked further to talk to the young men. They said they were having a beer festival along with music bands. Sounded exciting. 
So was the gellato and this time M and I had three scoops of different flavours. Everything was delicious. 
In the morning we packed and had brioche (slightly more denser than croissants and definitely sweeter) and a couple of our team took a taxi with the luggage to the parking lot. A few of us rode the escalators. Very exciting. 
Then back in the hippy van and back on the road to Assisi. We took the highway. 
Any landscape other than an urban one is extremely appealing and the deep ingrained alpha person wants to feel the rural (I am using this word for easy reference) aura. Which is good. It will give a sympathetic feeling towards our agrarian brothers and sisters, while appreciating all produce in general. 
In Italy we have been living in the old part of the city, by and large, with history writ all over. In fact Volterra also had an amphitheatre, recently discovered. 
At Assisi, we are living on a farm, filled with billy goats, two asses (I kid you not), romping puppies, a mourning 12-year-old dog and our hosts Anne and Pino. They have a grandson Millo, the cutest of 'em all. Anne Robichaud is an American and her website says she is the only American authorised regional tour guide for all of Umbria region. 
The couple has lived on the land in Umbria since the mid-1970’s and now welcome guests into their Assisi farmhouse. 
It has a gorgeous setting, with the actual farmhouse surrounded by colourful flowers, trees, little plots of vegetables, including some gorgeous tomatoes, butternut squash, cilantro, zuccini, etc. And this in turn is surrounded by rolling hills dotted with olive trees.  Olives are still very young. 
When we entered the house, the table was all set with a bowl of farm fresh tomatoes and some of the most amazing figs.