One of the great pleasures of foreign travel is the serendipity of encounter; that chance meeting with other nomadic compatriots. Such was the case yesterday over lunch in the quaint village of Casole d'Elsa. Given the constraints of our Citroen Picasso hatchback rental car, the six of us cannot travel together, unless one of us (the always-willing Jerry Gray) rides orthogonally on propped pillows in the luggage area.This day, preoccupied with neglected photo editing tasks undone, I chose to stay behind. And as luck would have it, my compadres were, with my absence, able to join the table of a charming ex-pat UK couple that were already seated in the small cafe. The spirited and engaging conversation that ensued eventually led to a invitation for drinks at the couple's villa some ten minutes away, at least according to the hand-scribbled map drawn on the beige paper napkin.
Upon return to our villa, the troupe shared the story and the names of the British couple that serendinpity led them to. Always the sleuth, and of course always wired, I immediately Googled the pair. . . since among unwritten rules for charmed perpetual serendipity are discretion and etiquette, I will not share the flurry of details that my keystrokes unleashed. Suffice to say that first dispatch I read from BBC News, circa 2003, revealed our unassuming but obviously cultured sixty-something hostess as a hot fashion designer on a list of Britain's top twenty highest-paid female earners, just ahead of Madonna and the Queen of England!
Our now over-loaded Citroen slowly made its way up the winding dirt road. . to the white picket fench, metal gate and bell noted on our map. . The gate doors opened magically to the last hundred yard stretch leading to the hilltop villa. Upon arrival, the warm welcoming couple shared yummy nibbles and a luscious bottle of wine pulled from their cellar. . of course, from their 2007 private stock, made from the Pinot grapes plucked from the vines that line a hillside of the estate.
Here are a few discrete snaps to convey our memorable encounter while respecting the privacy of our very generous hosts - 'per caso, per fortuna' (literally means 'by chance, by good fortune'). (G)
What a lovely encounter! On a side note, I would like to see a photo of all six of you in the hatchback :)
Posted by: Krista | 09/15/2011 at 06:50 PM