Tuesday was Ferragusto and suddenly chaos broke out around us. The house next door to us, also owned by Mariella who owns the one we stay in, (and very very close) was suddenly occupied in a big way. At least 10 people descended on us. Relatives and friends and they pretty quickly took over our little piece of rock with their gorgeous bodies and massive self confidence. Luckily I’d already had a lovely long swim so, of course what I did was scuttle back up to the house and spent the rest of the day jealously watching them frolick in the water. Then in the evening the sounds of their merriment travelled far.
This morning they were still there. We had our lovely morning swims while the cherubs slept and then we went off for a days excursion into Slovenia to eat and drink mainly. Chris had found an article about the Vipavo Valley. The wonderful wines and cheeses made there. So she made a booking for lunch at a restaurant called Faladur. The owner is a wine maker and makes the loveliest wines from the Slovenian grapes Pinela and Zelen. The restaurant was truly magnificent using local produce and traditional cooking with a modern twist. I started with a polenta and pancetta plate of deliciousness, and Chris had Jota which was a thick type of soup with smoked pork, turnip and beans. Also delicious. For main course Chris had trout cut vertically and poached with a pea puree. I had Wild Rabbit Ragu with an impossible to explain crisp onion on top that tasted a bit like bacon. We had wines paired with the dishes…and some!! We foolishly shared a desert, which really was over-reach but nonetheless delicious.
We came out of there thinking we’d never eat again for absolute certainty. We set off the find the cheese man written up in this article. Up and up we drove through the most beautiful Slovenian mountains until we were sitting on top of the world, looking down on the most glorious Valley way below. You could, in. fact see all the way to the Adriatic. Before we knew it we were having an elaborate cheese tasting with paired wines.
I need to stop here and just let everyone know, reassuringly or not depending on how you view the world, that .05 is sort of like many things in Italy, more of a suggestion.
Anyway, back to cheese tasting. The first thing he did was place a whole Burrata cheese in front of each of us. It was just more than I could take. So we asked for one and said we’d buy the other to take home. From then on it was one serve only but even that was an effort worthy of super powers. The cheeses were indeed lovely for the main part and a different wine for each plate. Even a most delicious sticky.
So by then I was wobbly for many reasons but we had to go down into these water tunnels where the cheese is stored at a constant 10 deg. They had been built by the Italian army pre WW2 to convey water to the troops. But the Nazis neglected them and so did the subsequent Yugoslav Govt. Into the cave-like / sewer-like structure we went. Slippery and damp so I was very cautious. I put my hand out to the wall and something jumped at me, The wall was covered in GIANT cockroaches…say no more.
The drive back after these lovely adventures was a long and winding road. Chris is experienced in such circumstances so did a stirling job behind the wheel.
We’re back now in our favourite seats looking out to sea in the dark…and yes you are right, a glass of wine in hand. And joy of joys our temporary neighbours have left and peace reigns supreme.
Sorry about the long -winded descriptions of food but I haven’t really been able to rave about food until now. Lots of love xxxxx