Labor Day in Italy!

I had chose this week to be in Italy mostly because I didn't have to miss so much work if I incorporated the Labor Day holiday in there.  Turns out it could have been a bad idea after all.  They were not lying about the rain.  We had to get up early because my friend had to go into work for an hour.  She teaches English here in Italy and takes assignments as they come.  Today she had to go to a daycare that mostly dealt with kindergardeners and 1st graders.  These kids were so adorable!  Italians come in all shades, so it was interesting to see different faces in class.  They were very excited to learn something new.  Our lesson was on England, so my friend taught them easy expressions and words associated with their nearby neighbor.  We also did an exercise with Simon Says.  Kids have a lot of energy so it's good to have them moving constantly to pay attention.  I do have to say I enjoy how expressive Italians are with their speech.  Sometimes I think it helps to get your point across instead of beating around the bush. 
Afterwards it was already 11am so we started thinking about lunch.  We figured we can go by the farm and do some fig picking.  Yesterday we had a slice of fig pie in Peschici and my friend wanted to bake one and have me compare which one is better.  She definitely improved her cooking skills in Italy.  On our way to the farm we passed up a little town called Torremaggiore.  It was there where I saw my first castle.  It was small, but very well constructed.  The town turned it into a public library.   
We enjoyed the time we had outside walking through the farm and observing the grape and olive trees.  We picked a basket full of figs before we got interrupted by a very big guy that came out of nowhere and scared us half to death.  He had a garden tool with him.  I think he thought we were stealing, but once we explained who we knew that owned the farm, he left us alone and walked off.  I honestly do not know where he went because there was nothing out there but acres of land.  I noticed the clouds getting darker and darker and we figured it was time to head back.  Being out in this particular farm area, lots of truckers pass by, and with that, prostitutes waiting at every corner.  It's interesting seeing them out in the open, but my friend informed me that the town had gotten rid of the brothels because of the church.  They felt that having them roam about will give them an opportunity to get help instead of having them working in an environment that's hard to get out of. 
Regardless, once we got home, the storm came, and it came HARD.  I saw the streets flood with a few inches of water.  Trees were bending sideways.  I heard thunder but didn't really see any lightening.  But it lasted for close to 30 minutes.  Enough to do some major damage.  It rained the rest of the day.  A couple of times it stopped but then it started again.  Me and my girlfriend were stuck in the house.  We napped during siesta and then got up to make dinner.  A couple of friends were going to join us for dinner.  My girl threw down in the kitchen!  I couldn't wait to eat!
Once our little dinner party came over, they set out the wine for the evening.  I truly enjoyed tasting new flavors, mostly because I do not consume beer back home.  If in Chicago, I usually order a vodka with cranberry, sometimes a glass of red.  But because of the company I was with, Italians adore their wine and are glad to share different variations with you to increase your knowledge.  It was a quiet evening with friends, but we made the most of it despite the weather conditions.  Now the biggest challenge is to figure out what to do the rest of the week...