As we settled in last week, luck would have it, so did a lazy rain. Yup, you know, one of the kinds that drizzles on for a couple of days, or in this case more than a couple. It was fine as we were just getting used to the new world in which we landed.
(the buildings connected by the covered pool)
It’s rumored that the villa below us and to the right belongs to George Clooney. Although that may very well be just something to tell the tourists, it didn’t stop one of us from keeping an eye out over there. 😉
We managed to sneak out between showers to drive to Como for shoes because SOMEONE actually “forgot” theirs. Oh geez… in the 15 plus years of our life together, we used to laugh at the number of times Todd forgot a belt. Well, the new Todd remembered those; this time it was his shoes! He wore only sneakers and flip flops, much to his own chagrin. He feels like an “idiota,” but luckily, we found a nice pair on our first stop!
Into every life, a little rain must fall
The clouds and rain continued as we made a quick stop at our favorite market, the Granmercato, on the way back to the rental. Hence, we tucked back in for a couple more days.
Good thing there’s the awesome view of Lake Como, right?
One never really knows what they will obtain when renting a small house. Kitchens come in all shapes and sizes. Fortunately, it’s one of the many things we enjoy about traveling and exploring – and the adventure of just cooking? Fuhgeddaboudit! We can always throw together a tasty pasta dish. Oh, and one little espresso pot waters down nicely into two lovely cups of coffee. Ha!
A few days in, the weather cleared enough for our Todd to try his hand at the BBQ down in the garden. Armed with a hunk of beef worthy of Fred Flintstone, off he went to evaluate the situation. Turned out that one ribeye was a thick one, weighing in at 1 kilo (2.2 lbs)!
This Italian life in the lake district requires steps, lots of them. In fact, 35 down from the road to our front door, and the grill is down a couple more long flights, into the back yard.
With no luck finding grill tools in the house, Susie headed downstairs with the longest fork and spoon available in the kitchen, basically a small salad serving set.
To set the proper perspective, the long path to the grill goes like this:
The owners had provided lump charcoal and all the wood anyone could need. Lump doesn’t start quickly, but nothing a good fire can’t handle. So, Todd began the process saying, “That steak’s gonna need a good hot fire!”
Undaunted – and actually having fun – he went back to work and got a “proper” fire burning. (Yes, the grill has a plant growing around it.)
Getting a good fire to burn down to wonderful coals took long enough that the sun set before the cooking could begin. Have no fear, armed with cellphones, a small light, and some wooden spoons, that chunk of beef would absolutely get cooked, and it WOULD be delicious (declared Todd).
And just what was Susie doing this whole time?
Hey! You mean besides photo journaling, running back and forth up and down the stairs to fetch things, cook the sides, set the table, uncork the wine, etc.?
Well, drooling, of course.
When we finally sat down to dig in, the meal was absolutely “delizioso.” A bit late, perhaps, but perfect. Wait, we’re in Italy. It wasn’t late; it was right on time, speaking from our new world perspective. In fact, that steak was great for several days!
To cap things off, the sun came out the next glorious day and we could finally do a bit of laundry, Italian style!
And that, friends, ends our tale of “Italian beef!” 😉
Our Travels 