So…now that I have my bearings a bit more, here’s a follow-up on my new digs.  Since I’ve "WWOOFed" before, I had no idea what to expect, but it definitely wasn't what I found at the first farm.   Here's a quick rundown of the new place, which is gorgeous, well-organized and sane! 

This farmhouse has been, like many others in the area, added onto over time; and it's primarily composed of two parts:  the "old part" was originally a tower in the 13th century, and the "new part" was added in the 15th/16th century. 

My room, with my own bathroom, is the upper/attic storey of the "old part," i.e., the 13th century tower.  There were many, many towers in the area and most eventually were lopped off at the top, so my room is just the second storey of the current house.  It's clean and beautiful.  Did I mention my very own, clean bathroom?!   Here's my bedroom window (which is small, but plenty big for hearing the roosters at 5am!).  It definitely beats the rooms enclosed by sheets hanging in alcoves at the original farm!

All my clothes are clean now and hanging on the line with a view of the Siena hillside and the neighbor’s ancient farmhouse.   Most people don't use clothes dryers here, and I think it's great.  Sure it takes a few minutes to hang the clothes up, but they smell great afterwards and think of all the energy that's saved.  And I'm loving the nice, slow pace of being outdoors doing it, too.

The food is excellent here, nearly everything produced here on the farm and prepared by a good Tuscan cook.  More details on that later.  Overall, I'm definitely thrilled with the change, though I do miss the goats--and, I'll admit, was a little sad to wash out the goaty smell from my t-shirt (result of missing the bucket when I was milking!).  Just look at these gals, what's not to miss?