~fattoria il poeta~

June 21st, 2009

We spent my birthday week at fattoria il poeta, an agriturismo above Pontassieve, in eastern Tuscany. The farm is near the top of a windy mountain road, it was very spooky returning late at night when even the bats are asleep.

Our apartment included the two doors on the right.

We drove 4000km from Switzerland to Italy to Germany on this trip. Here we are not even half way. Very tired driver.

There were a gaggle of roosters who held a crow-off every morning starting at about 4.30 am. They were about 20m from our heads.

Don’t cry for me, Argentina.

This is the road to the farm, and a meadow with some cows we made friends with–two moms and two kids spent a lot of time here. one kid tucked far left. (click on image to expand)

They had dogs, cats, donkeys, bees, horses, roosters, a turkey, and a fawn named Evita. Also loitering were swifts, bats, dung beetles, and clusters of mating insects.

One afternoon we took a hike to the top of the mountain and returned with booty: 18 porcupine quills, a wild daisy, some very fine rocks, seeds, pods and bits of old pottery used to shore up the road: Ali found one stamped “Planet” with a picture of Saturn, I found one that looked like a piece of the sky. Fortuna.

The landscape is dense, lush, and micro-climate.

We had wild cherries and wild strawberries, which I learned were excellent for washing down the bug caught in your throat.

Beetles everywhere, some in huge congregations.

Among the poppy pods.

View from the top.