long time no hear

ok ok, so everyone says to me, "hey, hani, you haven't posted to you blog in months" so before my readership is reduced to one (my mom), i suppose i better start up again.

Italy was fabulous -- I went in October for my 30th Birthday and of course, loved it so much, I went back for New Year's. We rented a villa in Segromigno in Monte, just outside of Lucca and it was gorgeous. 17th century farmhouse, surrounded by olive groves and grapevines, gravel paths and cypress trees in rows. If you're interested at all, the company from whom we rented was Salogi, and the villa itself was Il Leccio. Marcello is the owner; a veritably sweet italian agriculturist, and the Fattoria-Mansi-Bernardini villas (there are five homes for vacation rental on the estate) are managed by the very kind Monica. Agnese was our housekeeper and she made my birthday dinner for me, complete with the most amazing tiramisu I've ever had. Recipe forthcoming, though it is in italian at the moment and I haven't had the time to translate.