For me a quiet weekend after a very busy week. Work has been hard as ever and I am pleased to say that I have made it to the gym every morning, but that has taken a toll on me too. So, Saturday was a sleepy day and today will be some ergoing and some gaming with Rob. Dawn is going off to explore into the country somewhere.
At work, we have had some security issues over the past few months. We share our building with the gym, and we have had some attempted access to our PCs over night. To address this we are setting a honey trap with a sneaky surveillance camera hidden inside a fire alarm - it is very cunning, however, it has taken about 4 weeks for this to happen as we had to get approval from the unions. Ah fun and games.
Speaking of security, I am having another battle with them :) it is a privilege, only for senior company members, to be able to bring a car onto campus which I am pleased to say that I can do. My bike however - this is above and beyond their ken, and my bike has to stay on the horrible bike shed, mainly for Vespas, on the edge of campus, and then I have to totter across campus on my cleats, up and down the hills, like a fool. Because bikes are far more dangerous than cars huh? I'm getting over it now, but at first this really annoyed me - classic Planet Italia.
Of course, as I have always said, some things are fantastic. A few weeks ago we had an issue with our car, the one we own, when the tyre kept getting flat. Anyway, one time it got flat on campus, Dawn tried to drive it to the garage but on the drive through campus it got really flat and she had to stop and called me to come and put the rubbish temporary one on. Before I managed to get their some workmen had spotted her as a damsel in distress and from nowhere a fork lift appeared and they lifted up the whole car to change the tyre - simple, rustic and effect - classic Toscana!
This Thursday we went to dinner for some American friends who are returning to the states. We went to an amazing place about 25 km away from here in Panzano in Chianti. The place is called "Antica Macelleria Cecchini" and is famous for bringing back Bistecca al Fiorentina a few years ago. Essentially it is a famous butchers with a restaurant attached. We had a set menu of 8 courses, with lots of barely cooked beef, and fresh bread, some vegetables, and then a pudding, all including table wine and finished off with coffee (not for me) and Military Grappa of 5 different flavours!! Imagine petrol, with a bit of fruit in, or not, for the plain grappa and you're about there. Agressive. Anyway, 8 courses, all lovely, and all for only €30 per head. Amazing.
http://www.dariocecchini.com/
The only drawback was the car pool. We went with some friends and Dawn didn't handle the windy roads very well and ended up feeling sick before the meal and then having to stop the car and be proper sick on the way home. Poor Dawn!
On Friday evening we went to Italian friends for dinner and we made Italian pizza from scratch, including rolling out the dough and firng the dough and choosing the toppings. Interestingly, Italians have white pizza and red pizza - white pizza is simply without pomodoro (tomato) and is good as you can taste the ingredients much better. The fresh cheeses that go on the pizza are amazing, not just mozzarella , but something else which is stringy and melts on the pizza. Anyway, it was fantastic, and accompanied by Sardinian beer and followed up by Senese sweet wine. Splendid.
Today is London Marathon day - ha, losers. Good luck Stuart and Suzy!
Photos today include sunset from our window, my vogatore (rowing machine) on our patio, fish finger sandwiches and Turbo Guinness at Tannaz and Simon's, Sola's birthday, a beautiful view of the snow tipped alps from the plane, a beautiful house somewhere (I can't remember where!) and Lisa and Gareth with the twins. And a picture of the crazy butcher from Panzano in Chianti.
Ciao for now.
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