Ordinary To You, Extraordinary To Me

Commercial wine production was part of our visit, but Laura was excited to learn that one of her cousins is making really excellent wine in one of his subterranean storerooms. Daniele makes both red and white and a passito which are really, really drinkable. While he dismisses the quality of them, we sampled them at lunch and found them very drinkable and enjoyed a pleasant visit about production experiences. It is funny that the family all try to find something suitable to give us whenever we visit. What they could give us that we would most enjoy is simple a couple of bottles of Daniele's wine made from the grapes he grows in the backyard. And speaking of the practical over the sublime, we found our own perfect gift for cousins Paola and Mossimo: they want from us a decent recipe for pancakes and a bottle of maple syrup. Apparently, finding a truly authentic recipe is a difficult thing in Italy and pancakes are much prized. The challenge for them will be to manufacture buttermilk, since apparently this substance doesn't exist in Italy. We will also be sending them a pastry cutter, as they were quite interested in an had not ever heard of this kitchen implement. Strangely enough, they are not alone. We have yet to find anyone in Britain who has ever heard of or sells such a thing either. Travel is indeed a broadening experience for all involved.