Living the dolce vita

Well, it’s a hard life sometimes. I’m sitting in the sun under the spreading canopy of a leafy tree at the beautiful Il Grande Prato farmhouse, amidst the rolling greens hills of Tuscany. After the frenzy of our previous travels, our two days here are a welcome opportunity to recharge our batteries before the final busy days coming up. Besides the birdsong and Tahlia’s piano playing, we have the chance to simply read books, soak up the sunshine, play some of the games here (table tennis, soccer, tennis – we’re a week too early for the pool), or just stroll the beautiful gardens. Lunch each day is in the nearby tiny village, at the café run by the farmhouse owners’ son, with its stunning views across yet more cypress-studded valleys. Last night the students had a cooking lesson with Patrizia, making spinach and ricotta filled ravioli where those in the group with Italian heritage stepped up, rolling out their pasta sheets with increasing speed and precision. Ben’s turtle shaped pasta was also quite original. Tonight’s cooking lesson is on how to make the classic tiramisu, something Michelle is rather excited about. This really is la dolce vita!