Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

What is this Slow Travel All About Anyway?

I've had lots of folks ask me what slow travel is all about - for some reason they have this image of elderly folks pushing their walkers slowly through the streets of Rome. Truth be told, most slow travelers move about as spryly as everyone else.

Slow travelers try and form a bond with the place they are visiting. They avoid the superficial ten cities in 2 days mentality. They want to experience a spot in a deeper way.

Slow travel does not come naturally to me. I am a hyper person and I like to be on the move. However, I have come to appreciate the beauty of just hanging out and listening the the sounds of a new spot while watching the world go by.

Many travel far more slowly than we do - unfortunately we are bound by constraints of money, vacation time, and a LONG lists of places we want to see. This list seems to grow, rather than diminish, with each passing trip!

This Monty Python clip really alludes to why slow travel is special - I love the way customer describes package tours!

Oh, and most slow travelers wouldn't use a travel agent - they prefer to research and make the arrangements themselves. It is a big part of the 'fun'!

Dinner at I Caffi

We travelled to Italy to celebrate our 10th anniversary. As our plans progressed and I realized that we would be in Acqui Terme for the actual day I asked Diana if she had a good recommendations for a 'splurge' dinner to celebrate. She immediately suggested I Caffi.

I Caffi used to be located in the Langhe area of Piemonte (in the town of Caffi) but recently moved into the city of Acqui Terme itself. It is now located in a completely renovated 15th century building just a short walk from the Cathedral, comprising of two dining rooms, one on the upper floor with a coffered ceiling and elegant and refined furnishings, known as the Sala Padronale, and one on the ground floor, in a more relaxed, country-style setting, known as the  Sala delle Mura, where lunch only is served. The formal dining room is small - only seating about 35 guests; if you don't have reservations . . . forget about it!

Diana made our reservations for us, confirmed them, and even drew us a very detailed map so that we would have no trouble finding the restaurant. We arrived at the appropriate time and were ushered to our seats. The dining room was beautifully decorated with a creative touch and great attention to detail.

Each place setting was colour coordinated with the charger and bread 'plate' being made from coloured glass. The water glass picked up the same colour. Each setting at the table was a different colour - mine red, Paul's golden.

The menu was in Italian with NO English 'subtitles' - which, as all good travellers know can be a very good sign. Our waiter spoke no English either. You had the choice of ordering a la carte or ordering a variety of tasting menus. We both ordered the Piemonte tasting menu which was paired with regional wines.

Not long after we had ordered a server brought over a glass container filled with homemade grissini, still warm from the oven, and a large basket of bread. He arranged three small rolls on our bread plate. Each tiny roll was different, unique, and carefully prepared. I was in trouble immediately . . . with rolls this good I was likely to fill up on them!

Heaven help you if you ate them all because then the bread basket reappeared and more were placed on your plate! Again, each unique and different.

For our first course we were brought a glass jar which contained a local piemonte potato salad. This was a a pleasant combination of potatoes, fresh mayonnaise, onions, herbs and spices. This was NOT your grandmother's potato salad eaten at the summer BBQ!

To accompany this course we were brought a fluted glass which was filled with a local sparkling white wine. We were shocked when it was refilled . . . when we have eaten outher tasting menus we received one glass to go with the course, when it was done, it was done. I would have to be careful or we would be walking back to the B and B.

Not long after our plates had been whisked away we were brought the next course. This deconstructed dish contained a mound of raw chopped veal covered with shaved parmagiano, a glass with a small amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice, a formed mound of fresh soft cheese, and three tiny piles of different sea salts. Our served demonstrated how to pour the lemon juice over the meat and then eat this wonderful dish which was like a version of steak tartar - but far better than anything we had ever tasted.

All the while our champagne flute was replenished with a neverending supply of wine . . . oh oh.

The next course consisted of the freshest poached egg I have ever had (until I enjoyed one of Diana's breakfasts the next day) - so fresh that the yolk was orange! This egg was served over a bed of chopped spinach, covered with a flavourful white sauce, and then sliced white truffles were layered on top. My lord - to eat like this every day!

After the server removed the plate another servre removed the champagne flute and replaced it with a wine glass. We were then given a bottle of wonderful red wine for the table to sip with our next courses.

Soon we were presented with a plate containing the pasta course. It was a small mound of freshly made tagliatelle with a wondeful white ragu. We had enjoyed a white ragu the evening before on Torino but this was far superior. The meat was a combination of pork and veal, the sauce carefully prepared with perfect seasonings.

Between this course and our 'main' course we were given some time to enjoy the momment (and the wine!).

We were presented with a plate containing two pieces of roasted rabbit and some steamed beans and fennel. The rabbit was perfectly prepared and served with a delicate sauce.  To be honest though, I was most impressed with the vegetables. It has been our experience that most of the restaurants we have been to in Italy tend to cook their veggies far more than we are used to . . not I Caffi - these were perfectly done.

By now we were rather full (understatment of the year). The service had been attentive and we had been carefully paced through our courses, however it was still a lot of food even though the portions had not been huge.

Our table was cleared of everything except for the Siamese fighting fish who had been swimming lazily in his bowl while we had eaten our way though our tasting menu. We were brought a sweet dessert wine.  We wondered what the finale would bring? We should have known the best would be saved for last!

We were soon presented with a glass pedestal dish filled with sweets - tiny wedges of paneforte, chocolates, cookies, candied orange peel, chocolate covered fruit, and small fruit gellies.  This alone would have been more than enough for dessert. We noticed that the other dinners were waiting so we admired the view (although this was a challenge, let me assure you!) and waited with them.

Soon a server brought a plate that was beautifully decorated with melted chocolate. A bit of chocolate trivia for you - it was the people of Piemonte who perfected the art of chocolate making and then taught it to the Swiss and the rest of the world. It is fitting that we would end with chocolate.

On the plate was a small chocolate cake, still warm from the oven. Beside it was a chocolate cup containing a scoop of gelato. It looked like vanilla but upon further investigation we realized that it was lavendar gelato. WOW

It was 11:15 when we rolled ourselves out to the street to wander back to our car. Acqui Terme is beautifully lit at night and it was a lovely stroll through the quite pedestrian only area. As we made our way back to the B and B all we could speak about was the stellar dining experience we had had. Diana had been spot on with this recommendation (as she was with ALL of her recommendations).

Not only was this one of the best meals we had eaten at a restaurant in Italy it was one of the best meals EVER. The food was carefully and creatively prepared. The service impeccable. The wines well-matched to the foods. I could go on, and on but I am loath to do so . . . I'd like to keep this spot just for me (I am selfish!).

The price?

130 euro for both of us.

A meal of this calibre in Chicago, New York, or Toronto would easily have been between $ 300 or $ 400! Add an incredible value to the list of superlatives above.

So, if you love food, are in Aqcui Terme, and wish to celebrate a bit - run, don't walk to I Caffi (having made a reservation well in advance of course) and enjoy a stunning dining experience.

Remaining Italian Top 10

Nothing earth shattering happened last night (sorry Stanley Cup fans - really though, who cares about hockey in June anyway) so I can continue with my top ten experiences form our trip.

We left off with number 6 . . .

This spot is reserved for being with great friends in Montisi. The villa Gail had booked was luxurious with a lovely terrace and stunning views. To be there with Gail, John, Sandi, Palma, and Brad was amazing. It wasn't long before we got to know Sandi's sister Holly - we quickly realized that she was a lot of fun to be around. It didn't matter whether we were on a tour, getting the morning coffee, sipping wine at the end of the day, or just passing on the street - laughter was spontaneous and infectious! This was a great group to hang out with!

Palma in front of 'her' poppy field

Drinking wine (and an entire bottle of lemoncello creama) on the terrace into the night (someone, who shall remain nameless, was 'overserved').

Sandi assists in balloon inflation. We look mighty fine for 6 am with NO coffee. I believe she has just informed Paul that she has found some tiny holes in the balloon.

Sandi and Gail shove Liz (the real singer) aside and hog the microphone with Pino. Notice painting # 2 and 4 on the fireplace mantle, aren't they grand? Yes, yes they are!

OK. Enough of the pics of US!

Number 7? The concert we attended in San Giovanni in Lucca San Giovanni was built in the 1100s as Lucca's Cathedral. Later the townspeople built another Cathedral even more grand and eventually this beautiful church was deconsecrated. Today it is most famous for the excavations underneath which have revealed Roman and Lombardian ruins. It is also used as an event hall. What better spot to enjoy a concert devoted to Lucca's favourite son: Puccini?

Now at the risk of being labeled as trailer trash, I must admit that I am not a fan of opera. In fact to me it sounds a bit like cats screeching in the night, except it is on stage to music. Having said that, hearing the words song by the two singers bouncing off of the vaulted ceilings of the Cathedral brought goose bumps to me. This was a spectacular experience and all for 15 euro!

Awaiting the performance

My eighth favourite experience was the Egyptian Museum in Torino. The museum contains the most important collection in the world after the one in Cairo. It documents the history and civilization of ancient Egypt and contains about 30,000 exhibits - artifacts, papyri and funeral caskets. Among these, the exceptional rock temple of Ellesjia, the intact tomb of Kha and Merit and the imposing statues of Ramses Il, Thutmoses I, Tutanchamon. 

On the day we visited it was raining outside - a perfect museum day in our books. The place was full of school groups - I enjoyed seeing that Italian students enjoy being dragged off to museums about as much as my students used to.

Gelato makes my list at # 9. You knew it had to be there sooner of later didn't you? Apparently gelato eaten in Italy has no calories at all! We embraced this theory and tried to enjoy gelato every day if possible - heck, sometimes it replaced lunch of dinner! In Torinowe visited GROM - the company many folks feel makes the best gelato in the world . . . it was AWESOME!

The least expensive gelato - 1 euro for a cup in Torino. The most expensive - 5 euro for the same sized cup near the Accademia Gallery in Florence (we went elsewhere).

My favourite flavours? Amarena, lemoncello, chocolate, gianduia, and Crema di Grom. Heck, I just like it ALL!

Our first gelato of the trip. . . Torino.  . . eaten from a cup whilst sitting on the steps of a church.  . . ah . . . Italy!

Where to round out the list? There is so much to include!

My tenth favourite experience of the trip is a HUGE one - Piemonte. Piemonte doesn't receive the press that Tuscany does and we were happy for that. It didn't matter if we were in Acqui Terme, Torino, or Barolo . . . we weren't overrun with tourists. In many instances we were the only English speaking folks within hearing range. I thought Piemonte was more beautiful than Tuscany. It had great wines, awesome foods, and incredible museums/galleries. Piemonte became the standard for the trip - I can't count the number of times Paul said 'it wasn't like THIS in Piemonte' . . often accompanied by a judgmental sniff.

Midway through our eight days in the area our lexicon changed . . no longer did we talk about if we might return. Instead we started to talk about what we would want to do or see WHEN we returned.

Vineyards, castles, and hill towns near Barolo.

My Italian Top Five

By nature I am a reflective person. The elongated plane trek home on Sunday provided lots of time to reflect upon our trip. One of the things we often do on the trip home is to list our ten favourite things about the trip . . . . it was difficult for us this time because with a three week trip there were many things.

For me one of the nicest things about this trip was its variety. We stayed in cities and in the country; never long enough to get sick of either. We traveled with friends and on our own, again never long enough to get sick of our friends or one another. We traveled in touristy areas and in non touristy areas. We walked, we drove, we napped, we ballooned, we visited museums, we tasted wine, we reflected upon the grandeur of churches, we shopped, we ate . . . again lots of variety. It would be difficult to 'pigeon hole' this trip in a category or box - I guess a lot like ourselves.

So what were my top 10 experiences while in Italy?

The top for me by far was our dinner at I Caffi in Acqui Terme. It was such an amazing experience that there will be an entire blog post just about that! When I e-mailed Diana, the owner of the B and B in which we were staying, for suggestions of a great restaurant to celebrate our anniversary she suggested this one. Clearly Diana knows her food! Course after course of brilliantly prepared and presented food, each paired with a wine from the area.

To tantalize your taste buds . . . this is just the assortment of chocolates, cookies, and candies that came out with dessert. Oh my!

The second on my list has to be staying at the Baur B and B. Much has been written about this small B and B located in the hills above Acqui Terme. There is a reason for this. Diana, Micha, and Max work together to create a peaceful sanctuary for their guests. The location is beautiful, the accommodations stunning, and the breakfasts the best we have ever had in Italy.

This was our bedroom (and one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept on!).

My third favourite experience has to be seeing the real statue of David by Michelangelo while we were in Florence. On our last trip to Italy we had seen the 'fake' David that stands in the spot the real statue occupied for more than three centuries in the Piazza della Signoria. Later, when we went to see the 'real' statue in the gallery where it had been moved to protect it from the elements, the gallery was closed for a staff meeting (even though we had scheduled a timed entrance). My goal was to correct that lapse on this trip . . . and I did. The feeling that you get when you turn the corner and gaze upon this colossal masterpiece, sculpted by a 24 year old is difficult to explain, you are struck by the size, the genius, and the magnitude of this stunning work of art.

No, I didn't break the rules (for a change) and snap a pic . . . I downloaded this from the net.

# 4? Ballooning with Robert Etherington. Today is the anniversary of the first balloon flight in history so it seems even more fitting that this activity makes the list. It was fascinating to watch the preparations for the flight (even though it was 6 a.m. and I was uncaffinated). It was a brilliant experience to feel the basket lift off and soar about the ground. From the balloon we could see castles, villas, farms, great churches, deer, pheasants, sheep . . . all rendered minuscule from the air. This truly was an experience of a lifetime!

This is our shadow as we soared over fields and forest.

After we landed we enjoyed a champagne (and wine) breakfast. It was a great finish to a wonderful experience. It wasn't finished there as Robert and Liz drove us through the countryside to Buonconvento where they treated us to an impromptu tour, coffee, and gelato.

My number five experience is the wine tasting we enjoyed in Acqui Terme. Diana drove is to Domenico's house where we met this third generation wine maker, his dog, and his cat. He invited us into his dining room where he opened his wines and shared them with us. This is the way wine should be enjoyed!

Later he brought us into the cellars below where he provided us with a barrel tasting. We tried two different vintages to get a sense as to how they change with the aging process. As we left with our purchased wine in tow, he gave us each of a bottle to take home and to remember him when we drank it.

A bad pic of Domenico and Diana enjoying the barrel tasting. The pic may be bad but it captures the joy of tasting a wine in the process of being made.

Numbers 6 - 10 to follow tomorrow (barring some world event which desperately requires my pithy commentary).

The Return Home

AKA - how to end a truly wonderful vacation with a journey from hell!

My pal Nancy has been reading Buddhist magazines - trying to get her karmic universe in order perhaps. Apparently some of that karma got us yesterday (although I'm not sure 'got you' is the true Buddhist sentiment!)

Paul and I were so happy with ourselves on Saturday . . . one of the great challenges on the slow travel message board has been returning a rental car in Florence without getting lost and taking an unplanned dip in the Arno or without incurring hundreds of dollars in traffic fines from driving in the restricted areas of the city. We were suitably impressed when we did neither and returned the car without ANY stress (unlike our 2006 trip).

Paul declared 'that was so easy, something bad will happen tomorrow.'

Well, I don't know if it was Buddha trying to return some humbleness to us or God responding to Paul's ripping of the cross off of the church in Lucca (he did not keep it as a trip souvenir, he wants me to assure everyone, it was placed back where it was found) but we got it back in spades yesterday.

The trip home started lovely.We woke early, got ready to travel, took the luggage to the street with ease, and the cab showed up EARLY. The cab was large enough to fit all of the luggage so that neither Paul nor I had to balance a 50 lb (OK, they were ALL more than 50 lbs) on our laps. We were at the airport early. The charge was less than I had been told (27 euro instead of the 30 euro I had been quoted). The luggage carts in the Florence airport were FREE!

We got into the Lufthansa line at 7:20 for the 8:50 flight. There were only 8 folks ahead of us and they had 6 agents checking in passengers and collecting luggage. Visions of a smooth check in and me sipping my last Italian coffee at the Autogrill whilst Paolo parted with his last euros at the various shops filled my head.

Then it came to a crashing halt.

After about 30 minutes I noticed that the line was not moving at all. Plus it had grown considerably longer behind us. Two of the 6 check in kiosks had changed their signage and suddenly were only checking in Swiss Air customers. We were informed that the Lufthansa check in system throughout Europe was crashing repeatedly. I was prepared to miss the flight.

We were finally checked in at 8:55 for an 8:50 flight. Now there was some good in all of this - all of our luggage was WELL overweight, they didn't care and just sent it along the conveyor belt (SCORE - saved $ 200 there). They held the flight for us and we were whisked through security. The airport was tiny so we did not have a repeat of our Olympic dash through the Atlanta airport last February - my heart was happy and neither a defibrillator nor the oxygen tank was required.

I could whinge a bit about the truly horrid and repulsive turquoise colour that Air Dolomiti has selected as their corporate colour but I might just look superficial here. I would never want THAT! I will say thought that those employees deserve a hefty raise for having to wear an outfit that particular shade (think bridesmaid dress from 80's HELL).

Anyway.

We saw our luggage as it was loaded on to the plane and had an uneventful flight to Munich. The snack served was actually tasty, although the coffee was nasty.

We had no trouble at the Munich airport although the security guys were a tad agitated that I hadn't gotten my passport stamped in Italy. When I explained that there was a gorgeous woman in the cue behind me when we arrived in Rome and that the passport checkers had been racing everyone through without a glance because they wanted the beautiful woman to be at their booth, the security guys just laughed and made some comment about the Italian male and the location of their brains. My passport got stamped (German males being well aware of THEIR priorities) and we were through.

Because of the Lufthansa check in debacle everyone who had pre-booked their seats lost them. We ended up with centre aisle seats about 4 rows apart. No arguing about the window seat on this trip. I was able to convince a nice man to switch seats so Paul and I could sit together. When no one else took the third seat we ended up with the centre three seats to ourselves with lots of room to spread out - score.

Everything seemed fine. We were cruising towards the Atlantic, I was actually not hating my lamb dinner with my wee bottle of red wine, when I noticed the chief steward beckon all of the other flight attendants to the back of the plane. It was the first time I had ever seen the service stop when there was no turbulence. After awhile they resumed and finished the drink service. There was an announcement that there would be no coffee service and then they rushed about the cabin grabbing people's trays almost as soon as the last morsel of food had passed their lips.

The reason for this unusual behaviour was soon evident. The pilot came over the PA and announced that there were some troubling indicators from one of the engines. Nothing to worry about, they were all working as they should, but as a precaution we were turning back and landing in London. Hmmm

We started to circle in the air over the Irish Sea.

The helpful man beside me informed me that they were burning/dumping fuel so that we didn't explode as badly as we could when we landed.

Paul turned white and bit his lip.

I just love helpful plane crash information.

As we approached Heathrow we noticed that the airport appeared to be in a 'holding pattern' - lots of planes circling and none taking off. Hmmm

What were those tiny red cars with flashing red lights all over the runway? Hmmmm

We landed without incident but came to a complete stop in the middle of the runway whereupon we were surrounded by emergency vehicles. Just a precaution we were told.

Everyone applauded the pilots.

We made our way to gate 592 where another Air Canada plane was parked beside us at gate 591. The plan was to unload everything from our plane and load it up on the plane beside us. Then they would transfer the passengers.

It was surreal watching all of this happen.

At a certain point some of the flight attendants wheeled their bags off of the plane  . . . a bit like rats leaving a sinking ship. Not to worry the flight supervisor informed us, they were required on the other plane to prepare it for the arrival of passengers and had to be present on the plane when passengers started to arrive.

We walked off of the plane onto the tarmac where we had to be shuttled by a bus 50 feet to the other plane. Apparently it is illegal to walk on the Heathrow tarmac without a fancy yellow reflective vest. Once we got to the other plane we walked up the steps, on to the plane, and found the same seats we had vacated. Try to imagine 275 folks doing that. Yes, some confusion broke out.

Finally, everything was transferred over and we were good to go. Of course we sat on the tarmac for another 45 minutes until we were cleared for take off.

I was able to get a call through to the villa in Montisi and asked Gail to call my mom to let her know that we were delayed and we would NOT be arriving in Toronto at 2:40 as planned. We would be late, very, very late.

After more delays we were on our way. It was a new plane with personal entertainment units so that was good. Unfortunately they had only loaded the same provisions on that had been on the other plane. Since we had already had our hot meal there wasn't much left to eat. Paul and I hid our food stash that we bring on every plane ride for fear of being set upon by famished passengers. A wise move it turned out. Some folks got crazed from the hunger later in the flight.

When they came down the aisle serving drinks I had a double Black Russian figuring that being drunk might be the only way to handle the remaining ride.

We landed in Toronto at 7:30 almost 5 hours late.

After we pulled up to the gate there was yet another delay . . . the walkway was broken and they needed to send someone to fix it prior to our being able to disembark. Would the nightmare ever end?

When we got to the customs hall and there were hundreds of folks in the line ahead of us. My double black Russian wore off and apparently I became cranky. Don't believe a word of it. I am NEVER cranky.

Finally we were through. With all of the delays at customs and disembarking our luggage was at the carousel when we got there.

YEAH

Well, three of the four bags were.

I was just going to the missing bag kiosk when I spotted it - three carousels away. Presumably someone thought it was their bag, took it, realized it wasn't and then just dumped it rather than returning it to the carousel. We were all tired at that point. I might have done the same.

As we crossed through the final customs point (the one where you get pulled over when you have made too many purchases or look like you might be smuggling booze). We had declared 14 bottles of wine and are only allowed 4. We always wonder . . . will we get pulled over and have a repeat of the 'unfortunate customs event' we enjoyed when returning from California a few years ago. . . We were waved through! Wine - not a problem. If it had been 14 bottles of rum (or 14 leather coats for that matter) we would still be navigating our way through customs hell.

We met mom (who had been waiting for us for 2 hours) and made our way to the car. Sadly she had forgotten where in the GIANT car park she had left it. It was beside an orange sign she told us. That was helpful. Try to imagine how many orange signs there were in the carpark. Eventually we found her car and we were on our way.

Because we hadn't eaten much we were famished. In Burlington we looked for a spot to get a quick bite to go. Apparently everything closes early in Burlington on a Sunday. We ended up in the McDonald's drive through (my gout is returning as I type) where we had a debate with the drive through clerk (what do you call the person at the end of the speaker), had to wait for fresh fries, and ended up being 'parked' because the cute young thing behind the window had an 'accident', presumably with our food.

She had the nerve to giggle as she told us this.

She was almost attacked with a plastic straw.

Whilst we were 'parked' and awaiting the delivery of our order mom somehow dropped her car keys and temporarily lost them.

Finally, food in hand, we were back home. We unloaded the car, were greeted by two VERY happy and affectionate kitties (that will wear off shortly). We were home. It was almost 21 hours since we had left our hotel in Florence.

Awesome trip. Return from hell but at least it had its 'moments' that were fun and memorable.

Pics and stuff later. Laundry and getting Paul off to work is beckoning. Happily I am off until next Monday so I have lots of time to shop, rent a herd of sheep to deal with the back lawn, and let the cats know that we missed them too.

What is in a Name?

I've borrowed this idea from Sandra . . . a name meme.  It has actually been coursing about the blogosphere for some time now. It is the perfect things to use as a 'trip' blog for when I'm away. We're enroute from Italy and I don't know when we'll get home tonight so this is my 'travel' post.

1. Your rock star name (first pet, current car):
Scamp Santa Fe (apparently I am a rock star on the Christian rock circuit)

2. Your gangsta name (fave ice cream flavour, favourite type of shoe):
Vanilla Sneaker (it is impossible to be a gangsta named Vanilla, isn't it . . .?)

3. Your Native American name (favourite colour, favourite animal):
Green Cat

4. Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born):
William Oakville (The Bold and Beautiful wouldn't know what hit them)

5. Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name):
DeQJe

6. Superhero name (2nd favourite colour, favourite drink):

Purple Martini (apparently the gayest superhero EVER!)

7. NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers):
Reg George (this almost works)

8. Stripper name (the name of your favourite perfume/cologne/scent, favourite candy):
Man Tootsie Roll (that might be rude. This has never been an x-rated blog before! Thank you Sandra)

10. TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter):
Stevens Spread Eagle (I think I am back in the stripper name world. Really, what must the happy folk of Spread Eagle, Wisconsin have been thinking . . . or smoking?)

11. Spy name (your favourite season/holiday, flower):
Fall Tulip (now there is a name which does NOT strike fear in the hearts of ANYONE!)

12. Cartoon name: (favourite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now):
Apple Slipper

13. Hippie name (What you ate for breakfast, your favourite tree):
Rice Krispies Sugar Maple (man, that is a very medicated hippie!)

Montisi

Today is our last day in Montisi. What a wonderful town. Well off the lists of the touring hordes, but special, very special!

Montisi is a fortified medieval hill town in an area where settlements date from Etruscan times. It overlooks a valley filled with olive groves, vineyards and woodlands. The view to the south from the villa's garden includes the village of Castelmuzio, 9th century Pieve di Santo Stefano and, in the distance, Mount Amiata. The village is home to 6 tiny churches, a full-service restaurant with grape-shaded dining terrace, a noted slow-food restaurant serving authentic ancient recipes, a prima piatti café with outdoor dining, a cinema showing both European and American films, an outdoor summer club and a classic village barino, (café/bar) – all within minutes’ walk of the villa.

Montisi also has 2 alimentari, or village grocery stores, and a bakery. The traveling mercato or market, together with specialty vendors, visits the village each week. Within 2 miles the neighboring villages of Trequanda and Castelmuzio have additional restaurants and shops. Within a ten mile drive through the Tuscan countryside are Montepulciano and Montalcino, noted for their Vino Nobile and Brunello wines. Pienza, a jewel-like Renaissance village is just 5 miles away. Along the way is the beautiful Sant' Anna monastery, where “The English Patient” was filmed.

I am sure that the amazing citizens of Montisi are happy to see the end of us! They might be able to get some sleep now. It has been an incredible experience to share this jewel of a town with them.

It was a blast of a week. When we arrived last Saturday the area was a torrent of green . . with the odd poppy sticking up to provide some contrast. Leaving today we noticed that there was more yellow and brown than before - amazing how one short week can change the landscape to such an extent.

We made it to Florence in about an hour, then spent 30 minutes dropping off the car which we are pleased to say we did so without ANY incident this time. We took a cab to our hotel and checked in to a lovely room.

Florence is far busier than Montisi! :-)

We toured the Medici Chapel, finally saw the REAL David at the Accademia - talk about a truly awesome experience. We even managed to do some shopping at the market where we were able to buy some of the treats Judy introduced us to in 2006! YUM Truffle salt, tuscan spice mixture, pear, and fig jams for cheese. Funny how many of our purchases involve food.

Paolo is napping in the hotel across the street while I check flight status. Sadly it appears as if they are a go. I can't believe that we will be home tomorrow! I guess it is time to start planning another one . . . .

Party Under the Tuscan Stars

Today was scheduled to be rainy here in Tuscany. It has been interesting watching the landscape changed quickly over the week – bright and vibrant greens slowly gave way to yellows and browns as wheat ripened and hay was baled. The sunflowers have started to grow; we pass fields and fields of them so the display in a few months should be spectacular.

This morning we had the art class that we missed on Tuesday (we were ballooning when the rest of the group enjoyed their class). Liz Cochrane, a talented local artist, spent close to four hours patiently working with us as we tried to produce some art. We managed to produce a painting each although I don’t know if I would call it art! LOL

After a bite of lunch we decided to head to Montalcino for some wine tasting. First we went to the famous abbey located south of Montalcino - Sant Antimo. It was a simple but beautiful building. When we got there we looked at a service schedule and noticed that the monks were about to pray in about 15 minutes. The monks at this abbey still use Gregorian chants that have been used for hundreds of years to pray so this was something we wanted to see! They filed in and chanted their prayers, something they do 7 times a day. It was a stunning experience – if you are in the area do check it out.

Next up was Montalcino and some vino. This area is home to the famous Brunello grape and makes some of the finest (and expensive) wines in the world. After parking the car we made our way to the fortress where sampled a number of amazing wines and managed to find some within our price range to bring home!

Back at the villa we napped before the big party.

One of the special features of a week with Gail Hecko is the party she arranges for the Thursday evening.

Gail invites locals from the town, slow travelers who are the area, and anyone else she can think of who may enjoy a party to the villa. She sets out lots of food .  .  .

Although with Palma in the kitchen you can bet that the table was fully laden with food. People were full with just the appetizers alone. There was more to come and we enjoyed sausages baked with mushrooms, cheesy polenta, and zucchini baked with more cheese. Amazing food!

The wine flows . . .

Later in the evening Pino broke out his guitar and we are treated to live music – songs by Pino, Liz, and any of the guests who wished to sing. It was a very special evening.

It is because of events like this that a week with Gail Hecko is as good as it gets!

We crawled into bed at close to midnight, full, exhausted, but wishing that we were NOT returning home on Sunday. L

Montisi - Day 5

Today we returned to Siena. It was a bit of a grudge match for us; when we were there in 2006 on market day we struggled for close to an hour to find parking. The normal thing to do would have been to return on a day other than market day but we are anything but perverse! This was our chance to see if we had learned anything . . . I am happy to report that we had.

 

We had no difficulty finding the San Francesco parking lot where there were plenty of spots. After parking the car (and feeling as if we had had a triumph of sorts) we headed up the escalators through the city walls to the old city above.

 

On the way to the Campo we passed at least three internet cafes which we missed for some reasons. I did see one down a side street where I was able to get an hour of internet for € 1.70 at the Grace of God Internet Point. While I updated my blog, Paul did some shopping.

 

Having completed the important things we headed towards the Campo. We had seen many of the sights and climbed the tower when we were last here but we did want to see the Museo Civico which is at the base of the tower. This museum showcases the area where the local government has met in Siena for hundreds of years. The walls are beautifully frescoed with a utopian view of both god government and bad government from the 1400s. There is also a remarkable series of displays of Sienese arts and crafts throughout the years.

 

We were hungry by the time we left the museum. There was a restaurant located nearby that is listed as one of the top 10 in the Fodor’s book – Le Torre. I say it should be listed in the as one of the top ten rip offs! € 49.30 for mediocre food. When we were in Acqui Terme we had a similar meal (although the food was far better) that cost € 20.

 

It was getting quite hot by this point so we made our way back to the escalators. We popped in and out of shops buying the things that remained on our various lists of things to get. When we got to the car it had reached a scorching 35 degrees celsius. We were parched!

 

Things were quite quiet when we returned to the villa. Because it was so hot we decided to use the pool. It wasn’t heated but the heat of nature had done its thing and it was a comfortable swim – just what we needed.

 

Later Paul, Palma, Brad, and I went out to dinner at Il Conte Matte in the nearby town of Trequandra. This was an incredible meal that far made up for the disaster of lunch. The food was very well prepared with n interesting mix of flavours and the prices were quite reasonable. It was a lovely evening sitting out on the terrace enjoying great food, company, and some very nice wines. We were all full and happy when we arrived back at the villa three hours later.

Ballooning - Montisi Day 4

Yesterday was a hectic day. We started with ballooning, spent the afternoon driving about, and then enjoyed a wonderful dinner 'tossed' together by Palma and Brad back at the villa.

I don't know who these folks but this YouTube video will give you a sense of what it was like to glide over the Tuscan hills.

I'm hoping that this isn't how we end our trek.

Our ballooning excursion was led by Robert Etherington. He has been doing this for years so I was confident that we wouldn't end up on our side or marooned in a lake. We showed up at his house at about 6 am. It was about 5 minutes from the villa which was great because we could 'sleep in' until 5:00 (ARGH).

We helped get the balloon ready for flight and then hopped into the basket. Robert briefed us on safety issues and the we lifted off. What a truly stunning experience this was. At no time was it scary. We floated over the Tuscan hills listening to the running commentary provided by Robert - he seemed to know every farmer or villa owner in the area. Even from the air we could see flocks of sheep, deer, rabbits, and pheasants as they scurried out of the way from this strange object floating over head.

We landed in a field and soon a crowd of local farmers rushed over to meet us and see us back up the balloon. It wasn't long before we were joined by Robert's wife Liz in the tracking car. She had our breakfast (champagne, water, wine, slaps of pizza, fruit, veggies, and a lovely tart). After breakfast we loaded everything onto the trailer, loaded ourselves into the safari jeep, and we were off, it was our lucky day because Robert gave us a tour of the area!

We stopped in Buonconvento where he and Liz provided a tour of the town. We stopped at a local bar, clearly a favourite hang out for Robert and Liz, for coffee. Later we visited Robert's favourite gelato shop in the area. This spot makes their own gelato and makes some unconventional flavours - I can attest that the mojhito and lemoncello was fab!

Our final stop was back at their home we we settled up with Robert (the best € 200 I've ever spent) and he provided us with our certificates. Liz is an artist and has had a number of children's books printed. One in particular tugged at our hearts so we bought it and she signed it for us.

It was a very special morning!

It was lunch time back at the villa. Palma was just sering penne and roasted meats when we arrived. Frankly all I could think of was sleep! LOL We took a shower which revived us a bit and then enjoyed lunch.

Later we had to decide what to do. Paul thought it might be nice to visit the monastery - Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggoire - that we had flown over in the morning. We had no trouble finding this special spot. After parking the car we walked down along a steep cedar lined walkway to the abbey. Inside we admired the church and we blown away by the fabulous fresco cycle by Sodoma and Signorelli - beautiful work!

We got back to the villa in time for a nap. It seemed like we had just put our heads down when Sandi was at the door telling us that dinner was ready. Palma had out done herself. We started with a salad with figs (what else) and the most amazing goat cheese fritters. Next was picci with a lemon cream sauce. The main event was roasted pork with Gorgonzola or guava sauce, potatoes baked with Gorgonzola, and carrots baked in honey and thyme. For dessert she and Brad had prepared Panna Cotta with strawberry sauce and they even had found the time to make a cake stuffed with peach and strawberry gelato.

AMAZING

The entire table gave them a round of applause!