There's something comforting about arriving somewhere that already feels like home. This time, however, we arrived with a bit more luggage--and a few more plans.
We landed at Leonardo da Vinci- Fiumicino Airport without any issues, and all of our bags--and boxes--arrived safely. Yes, boxes. We somehow returned to Italy with two extra medium-sized boxes to hold the things we accumulated during our travels. Isn't it funny how humans just naturally collect things along the way? At least we seem to.
Because the tiny house we're renting is somewhat remote, we decided to rent a car this time. We're practically pros at navigating Fiumicino Airport now--well, maybe not quite--but we managed to collect the car without too much trouble.
Ira stayed awake like a champ and drove us all the way to Massa Marittima without a hitch. Adrenalin probably helped.
The plan was to meet Niccolò for lunch and then drive together to the tiny house, Podere Sassoni. Lunch was at La Novella--just a simple pasta dish and a glass of red wine, but it felt wonderful to be back.
Niccolò gave us a tour of the house and walked us through how everything worked. Since we were the first tenants of what will eventually become a future Airbnb, he also asked us to note anything we thought might be missing.
Mostly, though, it simply felt nice to have a place of our own again.
Our only assignment that day was to stay awake as long as possible and try to sleep through the night. That wasn't difficult for me--I hadn't slept on the plane and was completely exhausted.
The next morning we had an appointment at the hairdresser. I was long overdue for some color, and chatting with Alice was a gentle way to ease back into Italian. She's wonderful about slowing down and speaking simply so we can follow along.
Of course, we couldn't resist squeezing in our first beach walk. It was grey and overcast, but it still felt great to be back.
After a quick stop at Conad for a few supplies, jet lag caught up with me. Between the haircut and the walk, I was ready to stop moving.
Back at Sassoni we finally took some time to appreciate our surroundings. Living out in the countryside is a very different experience from living in the middle of the piazza.
View from the tiny house
View of Massa Marittima from the tiny house
The views are spectacular, and we've even acquired a small visitor--a friendly country cat who seems to think we belong here.
As lovely as the countryside is, it also reminds us why we ultimately chose town life. A house in the country comes with endless maintenance and yard work, and that would take time away from the traveling we planned. Still, while we're here, we're going to enjoy the perks of country living.
Country Cat
View of the tiny house and Massa
The following morning we had an important appointment appointment in Grosseto with Pino, a representative from the relocation company helping us with our move to Italy. We had met him once before--unfortunately during the visit when the Questura denied Ira's previous permesso request.
This time, however, we were headed to the Prefettura instead, and we arrived with Ira's family visa in hand.
Even so, I was nervous. That's just my nature.
We arrived early enough to enjoy a cappuccino and cornetto before our appointment. Ira immediately noticed the beautiful main post office building next door to the Prefettura.
To our surprise, the staff at the Prefettura were extremely friendly and efficient. Ten minutes after our appointment began, we walked out with the signed document we needed.
The next step was to take that document to the post office, submit the rest of the paperwork, and receive a receipt along with a future appointment at the Questura--the same office that denied Ira last time, but now only for fingerprints before issuing his permesso.
If this sounds complicated, you'd be right. But the important part is this: the receipt we received acts as Ira's temporary permission to stay in Italy for a year while everything else works its way through the system.
After saying goodbye to Pino, we decided to stop by the ballroom dance studio in Grosseto. Online, the one we chose seemed to fit our criteria. If it worked out, it would be much closer than traveling to Siena or Florence.
We were lucky--the studio was open, and the people who greeted us couldn't have been nicer. They offered to schedule a free lesson so we could see how it felt.
When we asked about social dancing nearby, they told us the best place in the area is in Scarlino, just a few minutes from Massa Marittima.
A dance lesson and a local dance floor? Perfect.
Back at home we went for a walk around the neighborhood and stumbled upon a beautiful nearby property called La Colombaia. Later I looked it up online and was surprised by the website. You may want to check it out.
The name Colombaia reminded me of the seasonal cake I'd just spotted at the grocery store: the Colomba Pasquale. Similar to panettone but shaped like a dove, it symbolizes peace and the Holy Spirit for Easter.
Colomba
Dove-shaped Colomba
The next day we finally had nothing scheduled and enjoyed a glorious sleep-in.
Our only plan was dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in town, Le Fate Briache. Melissa had asked if they could join us there once we were settled back in town, and we were happy to make the reservation.
Unfortunately, I wasn't very diligent about writing down what we ordered. But the photos tell the story.
Antipasti
Beetroot tartar and homemade mayonaise on black bread
Focaccia with potato and cheese
Egg-less Pasta with chickpea, provolone and potatoes
Gnocchi with taleggio and walnuts
Crostata with cream
Creative antipasti, delicious homemade pastas, and wonderful desserts--every bite was fantastic. We shared three pasta dishes between the four of us and skipped the secondi entirely in favor of dessert.
The boys chose Torta della Nonna, which seems to be the standard male selection. I had tiramisu, and Melissa ordered the crostata with cream--which, as it turns out, was the best choice of the night.
Another wonderful evening at Caterina's.
And a pretty great start to being back in Tuscany.
Stay tuned for more updates soon.
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