Our Last Day in Melizzano

So ... what else do you do in Guardia? You pick grapes! This is the time of year for grape picking and beginning to make the wine. Remember Maria, at Cantina Morone? (we cooked with her on Sunday) ... well this is the family that ownes the vineyard that is organic. Their grapes are wonderful, and you can eat them right off the vine!

We are up and ready in our t-shirts and tennis shoes and ready to become grape-pickers for a while. Arrival at the vineyard, rubber gloves (happily!), our aprons, and some very sharp cutters. Pasquale (the father, and owner) gives us a lesson in where and how to cut. After that ... we are off and picking along the rows. Hot, muddy, and really a blast! Who knew? LOL

Grape picking is over, and we sit to rest for a few moments. We assume we are going back to town for lunch. But.... NO: Maria arrives with a field picnic. This is a fairly typical scenario. Stuffed peppers, sandwiches, cheese and salami and wine and water. What a kick, and what a delight. In the photo with us is her daughter, Eleanora. The last photo is Pasquale and Maria ...they have been such wonderful hosts, and so giving, they deserve their own spotlight!



Here we are ... ready to go with our gloves and our clippers. Warned several times: they are sharp! keep them awy from your fingers!!

Just a little look at the map ... nothing was very far, and we were so happy to have a "home base" at La Pampa .... our only problem became the amount of items we managed to purchase over the 10 days! Gotta find a shipping office!! UPS or FedEx, here we come!