Just Relaxing

This morning I woke up early and there was no going back to sleep.  I got dressed and stepped outside to see the mist rising above the vineyards and the cyprus trees that line the farm lanes.  A short walk down the gravel road leading to town brought me to a curious building on a curve of the road.  I've noticed it before and assumed it was a church of some sort.  A spindly cross and flag made out of metal is on the peak of the lichen-covered tile roof.  The facade is crumbly brick and the sides are stucco that has fallen off in places to reveal fieldstone walls.  The two windows in the front have wooden shutters partially opened, so I pushed through scratchy bushes to peer inside.  Sure enough, it was a church.  A granite altar engraved with a cross stood beneath a semi-circular window.  There was nothing else, though.  No seats or prayer books or evidence of anyone using the church for a very long time.  I imagine the church once served the little Vatican-owned hamlet that has been turned into the agriturismo where we are staying.  The building is probably at least five hundred years old, which is not all that old here in Italy but is ancient by American standards.  Anyway, it's Sunday morning and I thought about the folks at home who will be gathering for worship today at St. Stephens-Bethlehem UCC.  I miss them!  The crumbling, empty church on the hill reminded me that I'm glad to be part of a church community that is very much alive and is doing great things.

We actually did relax quite a bit yesterday.  There is so much we would still like to see and do in Tuscany before we leave, but our bodies remind us that we need to set a reasonable pace each day.  Yesterday we drove around a bit to  try to find a post office that was actually open during its stated hours.  Then we read by the pool for awhile.  The weather is a bit cooler here now, so fewer guests are venturing into the pool.  I think I'm the only one who went in all day yesterday.  In the evening we drove north through the hills to a village called Radda in Chianti.  We admired the ancient city wall and walked the streets before returning to the restaurant where we had our cooking class.  Simone, the chef, is an amazing man.  He took our reservation by phone, greeted us at the door, showed us to our seat, took our order, cooked the meal (with the assistance of kitchen staff), served it up, and then cleared our dishes.  He assured me he would be washing them as well!  There were about thirty diners that evening and he provided the same service for everyone.  It's no wonder it's such a popular place and such a great example of Tuscan cooking and hospitality.

Today we are off an adventure.  Just one destination planned, but with the hope of finding some wineries and the prospect of getting pleasantly lost on the back roads.