After taking Michael to the hospital and dropping him and Jeannie off, we headed into Montevarchi. Franca who went inside the hospital to translate, soon joined us. She took us to a wonderful shop that’s been in the same family for generations. They had all kinds of great food stuff at local prices rather than the inflated tourista pricing in the tourist towns. We bought 15 year old balsamic vinegar and other food stuff that you can’t find in the States such as truffle salt. Then we headed up the hill towards home for lunch.
After lunch, Jeff and Tina took Allan and Ally to Firenze (Florence) to get a new rental car. We meanwhile, headed to the Farmacia (pharmacy) for Michaels medications. Turns out one of them was shots! Guess you’re supposed to know how to give them to yourself. Then it was off to the goat farm.
The Cashmere Chianti Goat Farm is owned by Nora who came here as an art student 30 years ago from New York. She married an italian, ended up getting divorced but now has 300 goats and 12 italian versions of Great Pyrenees dogs to protect the herd. Her goats are Mongolian and produce the finest cashmere. Both boys fed a 3 week old baby out of a bottle whose name was Jelly Bean. The cashmere was 20% of the cost of what you’d pay in the States. Our group must have spent 3000 euros! Of course this was not us, but rather our friends.
We then went back to the grocery store and went home to make dinner. Allan and Ally scared up 5 wild boars on the road on the way home and apparently there’s lots of wolves around which is why all the dogs to protect the goats.
Today we were going back to the sea to go on Antonio’s boat but he and Andrea were in an accident on the motorcycle last night as a guy pulled out and hit them sending them too to the hospital. No broken bones but lots of road rash and shaken nerves. Hopefully all is ok. Time to run as Lori just brought me coffee. The coffee here is really good! God Bless and prayers to the 84 year old priest who was savagely killed in his own church in France yesterday by Isis. What a World!