Shortcut to Mushrooms

Those are from various spring walks. There sure is no shortage of places to walk in Gravagna and I couldn't be happier. The mountains here are so beautiful, so mysterious, and they seem to never end. Most of the trees are chestnut and beech and pine here and there is practically a religion surrounding the chestnut trees. They are beautiful and many are very very old. The really old ones have these little stone walls around them built long ago when that was the main food supply around here and you feel like you can almost see the foletti or wood spirits hiding around them on a cool quiet day in the evening. They make wonderful little pancakes with the chesnut flour here, le fritelle, and you eat them with ricotta cheese.


Ben is in Florence for the weekend restocking painting supplies and my sister came up for the weekend with her various nordic friends. Mafalda and I took the girls up into the chestnut forrest and found some little spring porcini. They are not as dense and big as the fall varieties but they sure are cute. I found three and Angelica found one. I took a picture but I'll have to wait till Ben loads them up to show.

I took the girls to San Rocco this morning for mass and the women sang a beautiful hymn. I'm trying to remember all of it. It was so simple but so pretty.

Tu seì la luce, la nostra goia. Resta con noi Signor, resta con noi.
You are the light, our joy. Stay with us, Lord, stay with us.

Prettier in Italian.

Oh and Sherry I'll try to post a killer recipe soon. (congrats on number two!!!!!)