Piemonte

Ah, Italy: yellow houses, green trees, and bikes!

Although my camera did stop functioning the second day of my trip, I was able to snap about five pictures. I was unfortunately, however, unable to capture the castle behind the vineyard, and the other castle to the left of the nocciola (hazelnut) plantation. What, don't you have at least two castles in your daily sight? How very non-Italian of you!

Capturing this picture made the lack of other ones bearable. Yes, those are hanging pumpkins. And yes, you will never appreciate the weight of a heavy pumpkin if you just buy them at the market and take them home with you. One must fit them up with string, properly shlep them around from place to place, and then hoist them up to the banister to be hanged. 

Apparently, hanging pumpkins allows them to avoid contact with any other surface, thereby permitting them to avoid humidity and you know, rot! This is a fancy Brasilian trick. Thank you Wanessa!

Piemonte is a breathtaking region. Lush, rolling green hills, with a very fine mist settling in the morning and afternoon. This lights up the valley and gives everything a diaphanous glow. It is magic, and you should probably visit soon.