The Cubicle is empty!!!

Where: Coenglliano, Italy
When: Sept. 9, 2005

It was thundering and lightning and really raining throughout the morning and into midafternoon. We all slept in since we had a grandiose time at Leo and Elda’s last night. When the first question is Red or White wine, you know you’re in for the long haul. They were very hospitable and gracious host! They really showed the essense of Italy. Family, Food and Fun.

After getting up around 9am. We had a little breakfast since we were still full from last night. Since it was raining all morning we decided to do laundry. Maria Sue and I were dropped off to the laundrymat in town. While my sister, Deanna and Mary went shopping for groceries and pasta to bring home. Don stayed home to rest and read the book on the Vatican. I think he got thru the first chapter and probably slept since the rhythym of the rain and thunder were conducive to making you fall asleep fast.

At the laundrymat, we were trying to figure out how to run the wasther when an Italian lady said something in an Italian way and all I can say is “Si, grazi mille.” Luckily, I noticed that the start button was taped and apparantly the machine was broken. I just assumed that that was the message she was trying to convey in Italian. So, also luckily she just finished using to washers and just asked her is she was finito with those, pointing at the washer, Si she said. Now were in business of doing laundry. Also on the wall there were instructions on the payments system written on the wall in Italian and English. By the way, the machines were Speed Queen. If I’m not mistaken this company is HQ in Ripon, WI. Small world after all.

The way the laundrymat worked is that you place your laundry in the washer and load up the soap and faric softener. Then you go to the payment wall and place the coins in the slot. Once the correct value is placed, press the corresponding number on the lighted board to the machine. Once that machine number is lighted, press the start button on the machine and in 30 min. you’ll have washed clothes. The dryers worked the same way. I guess this is to save the machines by not having someone tamper with the coin slots, jamming them and temporarily disable the machine. The owner will collect the coins in one location instead of running from one machine to the other to collect all the coins. Which way is better, I don’t know. I’m not in the laundrymat business. Ask John Ott.

It took us 2 and a half hours to do the laundry. We waited awhile for some of the dryers to free up. We were back at the house around 3:30 and we had lunch. Pasta lunch. My sister made some beautifull tasty pasta dish.

After lunch, Vito’s dad arrived to accompany us to the winery for a wine tour. He is friends with the owner of the winery. At this time, the clouds cleared up and the sun shone. Perfect timing.

At the winery, the wife of the owner gave us the tour. Her daughter was suppose to give the tour, but had to take the dog to the vet and was not able to make it. But we met her at the end of the tour and also her dog.

We saw from where they place the grapes after the harvest, to the presess, to the vats for fermentation and also the cask for fermentation. Saw the process and the machines that bottles and labels the bottles and the packaging. Of course at the end, we had a sample. We had some prosecco. The Italian champagne that ever better than the real champagne. It has less carbonation, therefore less gassy and more taste. It was very good and I had three servings and we finished the bottle.

Leo was gracious enough to give us six bottles of red and white wines to take back with us. We were very appreciative of the gestures. And while he was there, he took home two cases of wine himself. There were also another group of american tourists getting the tour and I’m sure they had a great time touring the winery.

The view from the winery is spectacular. From where we sampled the prosecco, out the window you can see the valley and the acres of grape vines and also the Dolomites! Spectacular views. I guess this is a great segway for our Austrian and German alps in the next couple of weeks.

At night we got to packing as we waited for Vito to arrived for dinner. We had dinner around 9:30.

Ate tin-tin prepared the meal and It was worthy of a 10-satr restaurant:

Antipasti: Bruschetta
Primi patti: Risotto
Secondi patti: Veal with very great combo of herb and spices along with eggplants, string beans and cubed oven baked potatoes with some herbs that I can’t remember. The vegetables came from Elda’s garden. And of course a bottle of vino from the winery.

Awesome meal to end our stay in Conegliano.

Vito, Maria, Ale and Gianlucca have been very gracious with accommodation and hopitality.

Can’t wait to come back here again. Hopefully we can make it every yr.

Tommorrow we leave for Viemma. Catch the train in Coneglian at 6:15 and switch at Treviso to catch the Eurostar nonstop first class to Vienna. Should arrive at 1:45 pm.

The views to Vienna should be magnificent!

Love you all!!

Ciao und Auf Wiedersehen!

PS- Thanks to all that have e-mailed us and posted comments on the blog. And great thanks to all well wishers for the rest of the trip. We are truly enjoying this once in a lifetime trip. Please keep us informed on goings on back home. Go Pack Go!

If you want to leave a comment, you don’t have to go back to the first blog. Just click on the “No comment” on ” (no.) comments” at the end of each individual blog. That way I’ll know if new ones are placed. Thanks.

Tags: C The Trip

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