I feel I just left Rome the other day, but in fact, I have been bicycling in France and WWOOFing in Tuscany since I was last in Rome. That said, time that flies is the best type of time, and the last two weeks have been more than memorable. We separate from Katherine at the Cecina train station as she heads to the Pisa airport to return to London and we train back south. As we sit on the train, we feel the temperature continue to rise for each latitude line we cross, and by the time we are in Rome, the heat is intense.
While in Rome, we are staying with Sam, one of Gabe’s very good friends he made while living here over the last year. Similar to Gabe, Sam also lives next door to the Pope. The first night we are back, the two of them have a kitchen reunion and they whip up some delicious pasta with home-made sauce. I learn what real al dente means — there is actually a thin layer of white, uncooked pasta in the center of the noodle. The trick is taking the pasta off before it is done because it will continue to cook in the sauce before it is served. The meal is delicious and we top it off with a small glass of grappa that Gabe and I brought back with us from our time on the farm.