Dear friends,
It's been a while since I last reached out to you. But as you may have experienced yourselves, there are times when one is so engrossed in important questions or issues, sometimes accompanied by worries and troubles, that one must focus all their strength and energy on addressing and solving them. That's been my situation in recent weeks, and unfortunately, this period of uncertainty will continue for a while longer. Nevertheless, I want to inform you that since Christmas, some progress has been made, and we're making every effort to gradually catch up on the lost time.
Unfortunately, the bad weather, and particularly the absence of a crucial artisan, have thrown a spanner in the works for us. This latter circumstance, in particular, is weighing heavily on us. After hoping for some improvement for a while, we now must react to prevent further setbacks. These will be tough decisions to make, but they are unavoidable. Nonetheless, we won't let them deter us or knock us down. The only consequence will be a delay in the opening date due to these circumstances. I hope to be able to share positive news and updated photos with you soon.
But there were other tasks to attend to as well: it's time to fertilize our olive trees, naturally with organic fertilizer, as is obligatory and natural for our certified organic olive oil. Each tree receives 4 kg of fertilizer, and with 356 trees, that amounts to a total of about 1,500 kg, which Marco and I have distributed in the olive grove with a wheelbarrow, a sweaty but also very beautiful, genuine rural work.
And by the way, spring has already arrived in Tuscany, so I've been tempted to sit out on the terrace in a t-shirt and read. Despite all adversities, life must not be neglected, so Epifanio and I have continued our culinary explorations. But more on that shortly.