I am sitting in the centre of Rome, listening to the night noises of the city and sipping on Podere Ciona Rose . . . and already feeling homesick for the week that was.
Let me say this about our Friday Chianti farewell. For years I have been anticipating a return to Volpaia. Seven years ago this mountain-top village wrapped its spell around me and I set an intention to return there someday with Wes. It is not often that reality out shines what we create in memory, but in this case that is more than true. The magic still swirls in the mountain air, the buildings still speak of timeless, steadfast place, the wine and oil taste like they have been stirred by angels, and I wanted to sit in Paolo's restaurant and eat warm liver pate forever.
This has truly been a week to remember. Oscar Wilde said, "After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relatives." Well, if that good dinner included great wine we without a doubt forgave our relatives and probably the relatives of Italians across Chianti!
We ate, drank, talked, sang, walked, read, sunned, rained, and spent our last day together doing more of the beautiful same.
Our final shared supper, exquisitely located and served, was made even more delicious by the waves of love and gratitude that swept across our table in the forms of heartfelt toasts and mementos and in the feeling of reluctant acceptance that our time together was ending.
Today we parted ways, some to continue the adventure in Rome and Malta, others to return home. Wherever we have landed, I think I speak for us all when I say . . .
Grazie Chianti, speriamo di tornare un giorno.
