The owner of our hotel is also the Chef of the restaurant. We had a wonderful meal here last night.
We woke up at 5:30 this morning to get ready for our walk. It was raining with lightning. Our hike today was a 3000 ft climb over a mountain pass, so we decided to go back and rest rather than be out in lightening. We woke up leisurely and stated to explore our options. The first order of business was, of course, bakery.
We discovered that we could take a bus or taxi to our next stage. We decided to enjoy the food festival!
Turns out the festival does not start until 5 pm.
We enjoyed exploring Pontassieve, our quaint town which is part of metropolitan of Florence.
We were able to check back into the same hotel, so we can enjoy the festival this evening. It’s nice to have extra days in our plan to enjoy this simple deviation from the plan. Our chef recommended a local restaurant for the best pasta in town for lunch. Using our English/Italian dictionary we ended up choosing a simple but delicious dish of Pasta Bolognese. In the process Pat made a new acquaintance with our server.
More on the festival tomorrow! Meanwhile it’s time for another pastry to get us ready for a hard climb tomorrow. We will not take the bus to our next town tomorrow but will go ahead and do the 3000 ft climb over the pass after all!
I would like to end today’s blog with a tribute to a beautiful soul and mother of many foreign students.
Pat Ehle passed away on September 2nd in Indiana. She was an amazing woman full of love and tenderness. Mushtaque (my brother) and I met her in 1974 when we came to America. We always called her Mom along with 150 other foreign students. (She had eight children of her own, but she loved and cared for us all.)
When my brother Mushtaque was sick with cancer, she wrote to him everyday. I remember how Mushtaque’s face would light up as we read the letters from Mom to him at the hospital. He, I, and countless foreign students found comfort in her care and love.
May her soul Rest In Peace. She was a true persona of motherhood and love. I honor all mothers and their motherly love that make this planet heaven.
Camino Mystic 
So sorry to hear about your loss. She sounds like an incredible woman. But you are carrying on her legacy!
Pastries look tempting. I am sure the food festival was enjoyable. Hope the weather is better today.
May her soul rest in peace. I remember her from her visit to Chicago and when we had gone to Fort Wayne.
I’m so very sorry to hear about the loss of your American Mother figure, Mrs. Ehle. What wonderful things you wrote about her, and I’m sure she knew how much of an impact she was to your, your brother’s and many other foreign students lives. The pastries look AMAZING!! Oh how hard it would be to choose which one to have lol!!!
Good decision, to stay and enjoy the festival! Each town deserves some time to absorb the wonderful culture of Italy! And then, there’s the delicious food! How could one resist?!!!
Enjoy! I’m so jealous….
Love the photos of the bakery. Did you have one of everything? My condolences in the death of Pat. She sounded like a special lady. Enjoying all the Italian architecture.
What a beautiful day! So sorry to hear about Pat 😦
Looks like you got a shot of everything in the pastry store – LOL – why am I not surprised? You were meant to stay for the festival especially after you told us about it yesterday but then said you couldn’t stay for it.
I was talking to my boys yesterday and told them how Mushtaque got a letter or card from Pat (mom) each and every single day when he was sick- no one could have done as much. There is a special place in Heaven for people like her, we can only aspire to it.
I feel like I’m on the Camino with you and Patty! Your pictures are lovely! I’m sorry about the passing of your American mom. She sounds like an exceptional human being!
Wow! That is a bakery. 🙂
What a lovely tribute. People often forget the simple gesture of caring can make an life changing impact on others.
Nice pictures of the place, good you could relax due to lightning and sorry about Ehle’s passing away, good I could meet him during my thanksgiving visit to LA couple of years back
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