LAST DAY AT PALAZZO GALLOTTI
I thought leaving here to go to the next farm was going to be easier. I've gotten very comfortable here and been allowed to do pretty much what I want given the ITALIAN guidelines. It's been fairly easy making food that is acceptable to the Italian man (Roberto). Miriam always said I could do anything I wanted as long as it was healthy. But I had to stick to the Italian protocol. I had to learn what to serve with what and when. You never mix courses. I always tried to put a spin on breakfast; changing it up a little but in keeping with what this part of the country eats for that meal. It might be something very simple like putting a few black olives around the sliced tomatoes with a few tiny basil leaves. Sounds like nothing but when you're used to the same Italian bread, sliced tomatoes and sliced cheese for breakfast, adding a few little touches was very appreciated by my hosts. But what they will really miss that I started here was getting up early and making some kind of cake with the fruit from our own trees. The Italians don't eat eggs for breakfast. They like cake and extra strong coffee. Miriam doesn't bake. She and Roberto will miss me and all the sweets I made. Plus if there were any leftovers from breakfast, Roberto would inevitably come looking in the kitchen in the afternoon for something sweet.
I will miss MiMi the cat who finally after 6 whole weeks of not letting me pet her unless she was eating, lets me and will come down inside my kitchen and cry to be petted. I'll miss her. The sheep now come charging to me when they see me hoping for food. The first few days they were here they were scared to death of me. We just got 2 new chickens last night. Won't be able to get to know them. I will NOT miss Sophia. She is a brat and I have no problem admitting that. She can and does give her grandmother a hard time now. Miriams mom will be staying until they all leave here to go back to Munich for 2 months. I don't know who will take care of the animals while they are gone. Can't worry about it. Roberto has mentioned a few times that he thinks I should stay here to take care of them. Don't know if he's serious. I have commitments elsewhere so I've never had any comment.
Katia came by last night through the main gate and into the hallway that leads to the fountain and shouted my name a few times. She came by to give me a hug and say goodbye. Dora came in to see me this morning also to say goodbye. I'll keep in touch with Miriam via email. She said she would like me to come back for the Spring planting next year.
Today I learned that by letting the broccoli (rabe) go to seed and pulling it up, letting it dry, you can get a whole lot of seeds for the next planting. That is what Miriam's mom and I did today-took out all these tiny, tiny seeds that will be planted maybe tomorrow in the place where we dug the potatoes. They should have broccoli rate in 60-90 days. So the planting goes on and so will I.
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