Friday, May 1, 2009

Gregorio's Family Farmhouse


May 1st is National Holiday in Italy commemorating Labor day.  It is a day for families and friends to gather and mostly MANGIARE!  It also marks the 100th day since I left Camarillo, California.

We were invited to Gregorio Barbagallo's family farmhouse high up in the Mt. Etna foothills in the town of Ragalna for a Sicilian BBQ.

The Farmhouse's Long Driveway

The Farmhouse was so very picturesque!

Over it's 100 years it has been used to press grapes.

The Barbagallos are Rotarians it appears making my father-in-law happy I'm sure.

Laurie and the Farmhouse's press.

We also found these REALLY old bottles of wine in their basement.

This scale MUST be broken.

An awesome wood burning stove inside the Farmhouse.

Colorful plates line the kitchen area's wall.

I like the idea of a plate that tells me what I'm eating and how it was prepared.

Laurie loves cherries and therefore loved these drawings.

This old well probably serviced the Farmhouse for years. 

The backside of the Farmhouse

Some of the girls flashing their Haute Couture scarpa!

Paul was happy to relax for a few minutes.

Alessandra... "STYLING"

Gustavo... "CLOWNING"

A tense crowd waiting for the feast to begin.

Giulio now bills himself as a "vegetarian"?

Here he is trying to prove it by eating fava beans.

I hear they are GREAT with a little Chianti.

MEAT!

MANGIA! MANGIA! MANGIA!

Laurie digs in while Giulio looks on in disgust.

No meat in a riccota cannolo thank goodness!

Suddenly a game of Calcio-Tennis broke out!

"Here they come, walking down the street..."

Another herd of goats blocked our way home bringing traffic to a halt.

I started to daydream about the team of my youth, the NFL's Los Angeles Rams

Nice Freckles

WR Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch was my favorite Ram.

Black Beauty joined the animal parade to finish our drive home.

It was a GREAT day!  Thanks Gregorio and Alessandra for hosting the BBQ!!!

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