What do you get when you cross three friends, a seven hour car ride in the "shaggin' wagon", a day and a half of ceramic shopping in northern Italy and an American classic rock cover band in a small walled town named Marostica?  Sixty hours of laughing so hard you could say we were guffawing, three American girls singing Country Roads, Ring of Fire and Friend's in Low Places at the TOP of their lungs and too many "good games" to even count.  Welcome to a new theme entitled "Born to Be Wild-Northern Italy".  I learned so much on this trip and was asked by more than a couple of ladies upon returning, "Tell me everything!"  I knew I needed to write about this experience...additionally we had such an awesome time, I never want to forget it!  

Traveling to Nove is somewhat of a right of passage for ladies stationed in Europe.  It's important to go with someone who has already experienced the ceramic insanity to help you to remain calm.  I do remember looking to my friends and asking them in a terrified whisper, "Why did you bring me here?"  It is overwhelming.  The ceramics are beautiful, good quality and amazingly priced.  More on that later.  

We left right on time Thursday morning to which Diane quipped "It just goes to show that our husbands and kids make us late."  Much snickering ensued.  Nove is situated between Milano and Venezia, so it takes about seven hours from Naples.  At the halfway point in Siena, there is this junk man of sorts, Aldo Sestini and his store Sestini e Corti (S&C).  

Benvenuti Sestini e Corti

Now, my friend, Stacy, made this trip before with two of her friends before they moved back to the States.  They stopped at S&C and were invited down into their makeshift cantina for a small lunch, in exchange for many cheek kisses.  Stacy has recounted this story to many people, so Diane and I were excited for this possibility again.  I must explain that Stacy has a way with people...they just remember her, especially the older Italian gentlemen (it could be the blond hair and warm smile).  

We exit the Autostrada, eager for the opportunity to stretch our legs and see the magnificence and artistry of S&C.  And maybe get a lunch out of it.  Stacy and Diane both have been to S&C, and they weren't lying when they said the reconstructed items are truly amazing and it's just fun to get lost in the store.  At first we don't see Aldo, just who we later find out to be his sister.  As we wander around more, in he walks.  I exchange pleasantries with him, "buongiorno's" all around and then he sees Stacy and immediately remembers her.  (Yesssss!)  I hear him ask her, "Picolo pronzo?"  She looks to me and I say "Si, si, si!  He's saying small lunch!  Yes!"  So we find ourselves down in the wine cellar or what Aldo calls his "picolo ristorante".

He was quite cute and so excited to feed us.  As you walk down the stairs you are confronted with more beautiful restorations and antiques...wine racks made from some large piece of wood, demijohns in wicker baskets, antique wine barrels.  

Down into the depths

Turn left and you see this...

Piccolo ristorante davvero (indeed)!

He has a table set for us with salsiccia (sausage) that he's cut from the ceiling of his picolo ristorante, pancetta, pecorino cheese, asiago cheese, fresh walnuts, marmellata di arance (orange marmalade), bread and of course the vino rosso.  He joyfully serves us and we three ladies soon realize that together we are fluent in Italian!  OK, maybe not fluent but three heads are better than one, especially after a cup of Italian red!  We tell Aldo "Siamo tre matte!  We are three crazy ladies!"(a phrase I've learned in this awesome book I'm reading...more later) and he chuckles and says something about wine helping with the crazy.  He continues to place cheese and sausage on our plates until we tell him "Basta, basta! Enough!  Enough!"  But the wine continues to flow.  We take some pictures, enjoy vino piu bianco (more white wine) and Aldo smiles at each one of us and exclaims "Sono contente, I am content" as he takes another swig of wine.  His smile is infectious and his words sincere even if only to get more cheek kisses, we linger in this time and place trying our best to soak it in.

Tre matte e Aldo

As we make our preparations to leave, Aldo asks "Caffe?"  We say "Si!" and he hops on his bicycle and pedals out of the driveway and down the hill to the caffeteria, coffee shop.  It ranks pretty high up there with the most endearing acts I've ever seen, he must have liked us as I don't think he wanted us to leave and we were even cutting into his reposo time!  He arrives some minutes later with three caffes strapped to the back of his bike, very excited with himself and his mad caffe hauling skills.

Aldo on his bicycle off to the caffeteria.

We enjoy and Diane makes her purchase, a gorgeous wine barrel slat candle holder for the mantle or dining table...truly a work of art and excellent craftsmanship.  As we make our way to the car, he is coming along and says for us to drive down to the end of the driveway, he wants to show us something.  We stop and see the Lago de le capre, Lake of the goats.  They have goats!  AND baby goats!   And Aldo continues to smile, while I continue to pinch myself.  We drive back up the hill to drop him off, hugs, cheek kisses (I think an extra one for Stacy) and a buona giornata.  We drive away.  

I am in awe of this experience.  I still can't believe it.  I am so thankful these two ladies invited me along for this girls weekend, it is one I won't soon forget.  No worries, I will document the rest of the details if only for the three of us to remember, laugh at and enjoy.  Here's a few more from our two hour layover at Sestini e Corti. I'm digging short, squatty demijohn. Terra cotta...OH MY!

Finito!

That's one HUGE bellows! I see something new in this photo every time I look at it. Two great travel buddies.Sitting on a piece of outdoor furniture I would love to own!

Buona giornata amici!!

Mackenzie