16 th September

From GREVE to CASTELLINA in CHIANTI, via the house I used to live in (which I rebaptise Jaguer-Pernano) and then PANZANO, which – from the most sleepy little village I remember – has turned into an Anglo-German Enoteca thing, with tons of cars everywhere.
I just have to mention that I felt very upset, when I saw that in most places, vines and olive trees planted in traditional style and of very old age are torn out to be replaced by younger plants, in such away that they can be attended with machines. I remember some of the old olive trees around that house individually. It?s such a terrible waste and offence to the people who used to look after them for years. It also and inevitably is changing the landscape from what typically used to be the Chianti area.

I mentally figured out that, would I have had the money in the early 80?s to buy the house I was renting, I would now be very inclined to sell it?.and make a nice profit, by the way
Some me things just don?t happen ?

We managed to stay off the tarmac roads for most of the day and also to loose our way several times: the only map in my possession, I had any faith in (in terms of accuracy) turned out to be much too old to be trusted. Or the Chianti area has changed so drastically in the last 3 to 4 years to make maps obsolete for walkers. Well possible?
Picknick lunch of Gorgonzola and other leftovers from the purchases at the market in Florence, plus a bottle of wine from the Enoteca in PANZANO. The ants partook quite liberally in it. Crumbs of bread were shifted away very quickly. A rather big piece of Gorgonzola fell down and was taken up by an army of them and we had rather good fun imagining this ant colony turning to the GORGONZOLA CULT, after benefiting from such enormous chunks of food falling out of heaven.
The next bit was up a steep hill lost in a bit of scratchy woods: less fun.
Made it to CASTELLINA, after another bit of turning in a circle, due to a path that had been blocked off.
Quite a few beers – I seem to remember – and dinner at a the Trattoria del Castello, followed by beers at the local bar – I seem to remember – took us back to the apartment we had for that night, for a snoring competition ? nobody stayed awake to tell who the winner was,

PS, Please don?t open the fridge, Simon.