After an intense week of writing, I treated Joe and myself to a full weekend of play. While Noble’s Quest was debuting in NYC at the BookExpo America, we began our weekend shopping for quail at the Mercato Centrale in the Piazza near the church of San Lorenzo, and then stopped at the Perini Gastronomia for a scrumptious lunch.

On Sunday, we celebrated Italy’s most important national holiday, equivalent to America’s Independence Day. On June 2, 1946, the monarchs in the House of Savoy were exiled and Italy officially became a republic. To celebrate this historic event, our generous neighbors hosted a fantastic picnic with all the traditional Italian delicacies. It was a glorious day…Viva Italia!

Way too much wining and dining this weekend. And Joe will be grilling the quail tonight…Yum!