We are on day 10 of rain, with another 10 days in the forecast. Benefits of rain our winter garlic and onions are already pushing up, cabbage and leeks are thriving and squash still blooming. Our pig, Sausage, escaped the back yard to the front garden this last week which happened mid rain shower, funny but messy. He went for the beets and the okra. The fall colors are popping through more and more each day.
The quince trees only have about 6 left in the tree and the rest are picked up and we have even starting canning some for the winter. The persimmons are starting to ripen, small tip to reduce the tannin aka that filmy covering the inside of your mouth, wipe the fruits down with raki, store in a plastic bag in a dark cabinet for a week and they are tannin free and delicous! The pomegranates are still very sweet and juicy, Art squeezes fresh juice for us about every other day (yes I am spoiled).
We did make a day trip to Laç . A small town with an infamous cave, Cave of Saint Vlash Martyr, and church, Kisha e Shna Ndout or St. Anthony's Church. The church was first built around year 1300, and dedicated to St. Mary, then renamed after Anthony of Padua in 1557. In 1971 it was destroyed by the communist regime, and eventually was rebuilt in the 1990s. During the communist era there was a priest that lived in the cave below the church site that was destroyed in 1971, many stories of miraculous healing from his blessings he provided to the ill. We have been there once before in the evening hours so this was my first trip to truly take it all in, very peaceful and beautiful.
We drove to the coastline in Laç after leaving the church to explore a bit more as the rain had cleared. As we crossed the marsh lands we found a few restaurants with mini huts on the water in this area, bunkers and even a small island with a restaurant. The road dead ended with a new restaurant, large in ground pool and small cabins, it could be a great stop for anyone wanting a seaside stay away from heavy beach traffic.
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