By Rose Bennett Gilbert

I know the precise moment when it hit me, this deep longing to speak Italian. It was in Milan, teeming with rain on that Wednesday afternoon, as we were feeling our way through city streets also teeming with scooters, trolley cars and pedestrians.

We'd spent a frustrating Tuesday trying to find and make sense of the huge Milan Expo that ran from May through October. Subtitled "Feed the Planet, Energy for Life," the massive Expo was filled with pavilions and explored food from 140 different countries.

It also attracted 21.5 million visitors, most of whom, it seemed, crammed into the Italian pavilion with us to witness "The Four Italian Powers" (Expertise, Beauty, Challenge, Future). The "challenge," we soon realized, was just seeing over the heads of the hordes.

Outside again, close by the "Tree of Life" that stood 120 feet high and played Vivaldi and Pavarotti recordings, we had a plastic cup of Italian wine and decided that before we headed down to Agriturismo Villa Stabbia, our friends' organic olive oil farm near the spa town of Montecatini Terme (between Florence and Pisa), we'd skip out on Expo and see the sights of Milan itself.

So there we were, driving in the pouring rain. Suddenly, as we rounded a blind corner, the enormous, ethereal Duomo Cathedral of Milan appeared in our rain-streaked windshield. A Gothic confection reaching heavenward since the turn of the l4th century, a lacy wedding cake made of brilliant white Candoglia marble, the Duomo towers over its own 18,000-square-foot cobblestone piazza — across which we were now blithely bumping in our rented Audi.

And only us! Not another car was in sight and for good reason."ZTL," the small sign up front would have warned us had we noticed it through the pouring rain. ZTL, we've since learned, means "Zona Traffico Limitato," not difficult to translate, just difficult to see.

Consulting a guidebook later, we learned that ZTL is "the worst and most common infraction committed by foreigners. ZTL means limited traffic zone. Present in most historical city centers throughout Italy, the ZTL sign is a red letter O on a white background, much like a Do Not Enter sign. They are usually small and placed at intersections where you may turn in another direction to avoid crossing that ZTL checkpoint."

No see, no turn. So on we blundered, in thrall to Milan's architectural treasures, bouncing across the sacrosanct piazza, oblivious to the astonished Milanese waving at us from the shelter of the adjacent arcade.

And there is more to come, we also learned from the guidebook: "Once you have crossed the TZL, even for a second, it's too late. Your picture was automatically taken, and you will be fined ... .At this point you might as well fully enjoy your crime and cruise around the restricted zone for the rest of your vacation."

We opted to spend the rest of ours learning another kind of Italian, the ancient, complex language of olive oil as it's spoken at Villa Stabbia by Mario Marchi Bartolozzi and his Danish-born wife, Tine. He's a geologist, she's a geophysicist. Both dropped out of careers in the petroleum industry "because we wanted to let our children grow up in close harmony with nature and in contact with the older generation" (three grandparents lived on the farm at the time), Tine explained.

That was in 2002. Now the farm, which dates to the early 1500s and boasts a Medici crest on its front wall, is certified organic. Fertilizer comes from the 14 horses in the riding center, and spring and rainwater nourish the gardens. The infinity swimming pool is filled with saltwater (fewer chemicals), and photovoltaic solar panels generate 75 percent of Villa Stabbia's electricity. Says Mario, "Soon we hope to make the entire farm run with only sunlight."

"Sunlight in a bottle" — Villa Stabbia's organic olive oil — wins gold medals and draws crowds for tastings in the cave under the villa. We were too early for the harvest itself. That happens in October, when the olives are just before ripe. And it's all done by hand: "Avoids bruising, which triggers acidity," Mario explained. Instead, harvesters spread nets on the ground and use pneumatic rakes to gather the fruit, which is immediately cold-pressed in the villa's ecological mill, a precious few at a time, gently, gently, gently.

No heat, no hot water to reduce flavor and nutrient content, Mario points out. Even in good years, the farm's harvest is small, so is it possible to make a living making extra-virgin organic olive oil?

"No," says Mario, but still he's smiling. The villa's elegant oil tastes of Tuscany itself, of sunshine, of grass, maybe, and — when specially flavored by Tine — of lemon, garlic and farm-grown herbs. And although it scores just 0.1 percent on the acidity scale, Villa Stabbio's oil also leaves that scratchy throat feeling that makes the Italians shout "Primo!"

WHEN YOU GO

Milan is where the action is, such as the Navigli District, where the old canals used to connect parts of the city. Restaurants and nightlife jump on both sides of the water. Try the old Tratteria Milano, Viale Gorizia 30, where locals order the osso bucco that comes in slices atop al dente risotto. And don't miss the fried zucchini flowers.

The Tortona District, once a warehouse area in southwest Milan, is now a magnet for creatives in fashion, art and furniture. Seek out the Osteria Delbinari Bistrot, 20144 Via Tortona, by the railroad bridge. Step up through a door that's hard to spot on the narrow back street and into outdoorsy dining in a former bocci court built for the railroad workers. Terrific traditional Milanese food.

A must-visit is to Agriturismo Villa Stabbia, Massa e Cozzile, Pistoia, where there are six stone farmers' houses handsomely updated and thoughtfully equipped.

Saltwater pool, horseback riding and olive oil tastings are all on offer. It's close to Montecatini Terme spa and an hour's drive to Lucca, Florence, Pisa and Collodi (home of Pinocchio and Parco di Pinocchio). Rates for an apartment for four range from $815 per week in the low season to $1,300 per week in high season. Also available are apartments for two and rooms with baths.

For more information: www.villastabbia.it.

Villa Stabbia, an hour from Florence in Italy, is an excellent agritourism destination. Photo courtesy of Villa Stabbia.

Villa Stabbia combines comfortable accommodation with agritourism and is only an hour from Florence and Pisa. Photo courtesy of Villa Stabbia.

The stone farmhouses at Villa Stabbia have been updated for visitors who come to explore Italy's quiet countryside. Photo courtesy of Villa Stabbia.

Rose Bennett Gilbert is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.