gli zii

Annie & John and their friends Ally and Jeff just spent two weeks with us here in Monterenzio. With 8, sometimes 9 of us (Ally's nephew David, who is studying opera in Salzburg, visited for a few days) in our house, in the bed & breakfast apartment next door, and on our patios, it felt like a little vacation colony. Taking advantage of all the aspects this location has to offer and over two weeks, there was a little something for everyone: bird-watching, finding new favorite wines, cooking, getting in the Uffizi in Florence, enjoying the Italian shopping experience at the local butcher and green grocer, seeing how Parmigiano-Reggiano is made, and eating outside (I'm sure I'm missing some here, in fact I notice there's little connection between this list and the pictures posted...). I understand everyone made it back safely, including the carefully hidden contraband pork-sausage.
pics:
1. the piazza in Siena, full of people and men in tights
2. look! annie's in italy!
3. maddy & gus, not making faces (rare!)
4. our pick for prettiest church in Italy- the duomo of siena
5. maddy, gus & uncle john on the steps of the siena duomo
6. waiting in line to get into siena duomo
7. inside the duomo of siena- amazing and somewhat suessian
8. john, annie, ally & jeff in siena- saint catherine's head and thumb (not in view) in church in background
9. eating dinner outside for first time in 6 months
10. gibbs laughs about high-dive baptistry in Parma
11. look, annie's still in Italy!
12. look, annie's in Italy again!
13. excellent pancetta con aceto balsamico and lovely potato swans at idice 95
14. the 8 of us at idice 95