Rest Day, well I guess we climbed a mountain too....

We had a relaxing morning at our airbnb having breakfast outside and listening to the birds: common chiffchaff, common restart, long-tailed tit, great tit and Eurasian blue tit and the Eurasian green woodpecker. I was getting a little too much sun and decided to head in, freshen up, and get ready for lunch.

Bill and I headed out, as Betty and John wanted to rest up before our big day tomorrow. On our way out for lunch and afternoon adventure we saw a Eurasian jay.

We tried to check our the Serena restaurant nearby but it was still closed when we arrived. We headed to Vetto and had lunch at . Bill had pasta with a side of mushroom and meat ragu sauce. I had the pork ribs that were really tender.

We headed to the flat top mountain that we can see from our yard, Pietra di Bismantova. After parking and walking up past the restaurant there is a small church dedicated to Mary. There is a story of a mystic that lived in a grotto and a statue of Mary that performed miracles outside the church.

The hike was moderately difficult. The path was well worn, easy to follow, and had large stable rocks to step on. Once we climbed to the highest point, we had a lot of flat ground to walk around and see the incredible view of the surrounding towns, hills, valleys, and trees. During our hike we saw a crested tit.

After our hike we had a refreshing dip in the pool, great vino, great company, and a great home cooked meal - steak, branzino, zucchini, pepper, salad, and Italian pastries.

After everyone went to bed, I was working on the blog and suddenly I heard an animal bellowing that sounded really close to the patio. I grabbed my phone and stepped to the edge and peered out into the darkness and saw a deer. I had no idea that they could make such a loud barking-like noise. It had startled me because I expected to see something like a coyote or fox. I stood very still and was able to watch the deer graze, although it constantly stayed alert. It was brave enough to step onto the lawn but then went back down on the the slope to continue grazing.

I finished up the blog and headed to bed like everyone else. Hoping we can all sleep while Bill does his football draft in a few hours.