Good Afternoon,

Last week, the usual criminalising airport call to school dispensed with, the glorious natural carpet of Italian countryside unrolled easily towards our familiar reach of the upper Tiber Valley. More beautiful than ever, the oak-forested hills around the village resounded to vigorous declamations by unseen cuckoos. Elsewhere, a regular traffic of Hoopoes swooped, flapping from branch to branch, whilst across the pool Housemartins came in fast and low, either to drink or to snatch waterlogged insects. Morning found me tooth brushing whilst looking into the bright brown focused eye of a hare, before it gathered a confusion of legs into a sensible lollop for cover, stopping briefly en route almost as though checking nothing was forgotten.

Big news in the village was that Chef Luigi had opened the doors of 'Il Torrione' at the foot of our previously mentioned 'very steep hill'. Amongst the cucina tipica enjoyed during an epic menu-less repast was Tagliatelle con Lepre (pasta with hare). Luigi's sidekick boasted of running it over earlier in the day - Hugh Fernley Whittingstall look out!

Have a good week.

Best,

Nick