A Life, Lived

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!

Touring with Pino - Montisi Day 3

This is Pino Teresi with his many fans:

It would appear that he enjoys his job!

Monday was our tour with Pino. He met us at the villa and we loaded into the vans (we had decided to take our car and follow along). Our first stop was just outside of Montisi in an olive grove. Pinoe explained olive production tous and provided a great deal of information about farming in the area.

Back in the vans we headed to Montepulciano where we parked at the bottom of the hill and slowly worked our way up into the town. Pino would stop every now and then and take us into a shop - it might be for a tasting of local foods, a place where we could find a great deal on quality products, or a shop with Etruscan tombs beneath for us to look at. We would never have found any of this without his guidance!

One of the highlights was meeting Caesare - a skilled copper craftsman. First we visited his shop which featured incredible work. Then we saw his workshop. He is the third generation in his family to work with copper and he is extremely talented. He showed us his tools (his grandfather's) and showed us how he does his work. Amazing!

At the top of the town (what a work out we were getting today!) Pino took us into a winery. He explained wine production in the area to the group and provided and detailed tour of the facility. Next was a tasting of 5 wines from the winery so we could taste the various vintages. Good, but we have had better wines. I think we might be getting a bit spoiled.

Back at the base of the town (thank goodness for gravity) we hopped back into the vans and headed for Pienza. We had lunch and then went on a tour of the town. What a jewel of a town this is! Famous for its production of Pecorino cheese you could smell cheese throughout the town. In one shop Pino explained how pecorino was produced and the various ways it is aged. We tried a number of different types which were all so very different depending upon the way the cheese is aged and in what it was preserved (my favourite was the pecorino aged in straw).

On the way out of the town we had another tasting - balsamic vinegar this time. Again Pino explained to us the way balsamico was produced and the differences in the aging. We tried many different types - the differences as the vinegar ages were stunning! We bought some and then headed back to the villa.

This was a FULL day - many in the group were exhausted. Pino, at 69, could have gone on for hours. LOL

Back at the villa we rested - lots of naps on this trip.

Later we went back to Pienza with Brad, Palma, Gail, John, and Sandi for a great dinner at Latte Luna. Excellent food, better company. My ribs were hurting on the drive home from all of the laughing.

Montisi - Day 2

I've gotten a bit behind with the blog - there is rather limited access to the Internet in Montisi and the Internet cafe in Pienza has closed. Right now I am at the Grace of God Internet point in Siena.

Our first full day in Montisi was Sunday. We were lucky in that it was also Cantine Aperto - the day many Italian wineries open their doors for visitors. This is quite different from the norm - generally visiting a winery in Italy involves multiple e-mails begging for an appointment to pop in for a visit and a taste.

Our plan was to visit some wineries and then go out for a group dinner later in the evening.

Palma, Brad, Paul, and I took off to get a feel for the area (well, that was our goal, Palma and Brad, who had been here before, were acting as tour guides). Brad was very patient - stopping whenever anyone felt the need to take a picture of a poppy field (of which we found MANY!).

We ended up at a lovely hotel that they had stayed in for a week a few years ago. Originally a self-supporting borgo, it has now been turned into a high end hotel. They had a cantine where we enjoyed a refresher glass of vino before our wine tour. It was wonderful to sit in the courtyard, watching the swallow bob here and there, sipping wine and enjoying the company of friends. A great way to start the day!

When we got back to the villa (which is brilliant - more on that later) we met up with the rest of the group heading out to the winery. At the first winery we visited we were given a tour and wine to taste. There was also an exhibit of art - painting, sculpture, and ceramics, which we enjoyed. The painter was the one who will be providing our painting lesson later in the week. We fell in love with one of her paintings and bought it - I think we're over our purchase limit now! LOL

The next winery we were to visit was to have live music, dancing, food, and tastings but when we got there the band was tuning up. Rather than listen to them tune for an hour we decided to pop into town for some cash from the bancomat, lunch, and then to return to the villa for a rest.

Gail had made arrangements for a group dinner at a local restaurant at the other end of Montisi. For € 27 we had a 5 course meal with all fo the wine and water we could eat. The food was good featuring local favourites (I found out later that the restaurant was a part of the slowfood movement and that many of the foods were organic).

After dinner we slowly walked back to the villa. Montisi is a lovely town, the people very friendly and welcoming. As we walked everyone we passed called out Buon Notte (good night). It was quite to see that we would be happy here!

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

This is one of my favourite pasta dishes to whip together (and whip together being the operative word!). Because it uses bottled sauce (GASP) it comes together quite quickly. Lately I have been using low-fat turkey sausages to bring the fat content down a bit.

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

1 lb sausage cut into 1 cm think slices
2 bell peppers cut into strips
1 white onion cut into thin wedges
1 bottle of your favourite prepared pasta sauce
olive oil
assorted fresh herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram work best)
1 lb of your favourite pasta

Cook the sausage in a large frying pan until cooked through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

If there is enough grease on the pan you do not need to add olive oil, if not add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Put the peppers and onions in the pan and cook until tender crisp.

Add the cooked sausage and herbs (I add herbs to taste) to the vegetables in the pan. Pour the bottled sauce into the pan (note - if you like it 'extra saucy' you can add two bottles).

Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta.

Drain pasta and toss with the prepared sauce.

Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Lucca to Montisi

Yesterday was a LONG day. The drive south wasn't that long in itself (about 1 1/2 hours according to googlemaps) but we have added a number of pit stops along the way.

First stop? Cassa Emma winery outside of Castellina in Chianti. We visited this winery in 06 and loved their wines. This is where we first tried vin santo. None of the vin santo we have tried since comes to close to what we had here. This is where mom was overserved and proceded to sing songs about lemon trees all the way back home to our villa!

We bought two bottles of their super tuscan Solio and two bottles of vin santo to bring home with us.

Our next stop was at the bar outside Monteriggioni where we had the BEST porchetta of our trip in 06. This spot is located just off fo the exit ramp from the highway.

You walk up to the counter where all sorts of meats, cheeses, and prepared foods are lovingly displayed. If we could speak Italian we would quickly say what we want. Because we can't we rely on a combinations of pig latin (bad pun - sorry), gestures, smiles, and pointing in order to get lunch. It was as good as I remembered.

Stuffed to the gills we hopped back in the car and head to Colle di val d'Elsa. This town was an unplanned addition to our itinerary back in 06. It proved to be a great spot to wander and it was here where we made our 'big' purchase of ceramics and had them shipped back home.

I like the work done in this shop. The ceramics are simpler than those from Orvieto or Deruta, but they have an elegance to them which I like. The prices are far cheaper as well. *smile* They wrap the ceramics up very well and ship.

This is where Paul bought me my my anniversary gift - more on this later.

After Colle we continued south to Montisi where we will met up with the gang for our week at the villa!

Montisi shall never be the same!

Lucca - Day 2

Today is our last full day in Lucca. When we woke up the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Thank goodness for some nice weather finally! We decided to go easy on breakfast today - the food is amazing here at B and B La Romea but we don't want to be beach ball shaped when we return home.

The first order of business was laundry. We had been advised that there was a good laundry just off of the Piazza S Maria. We loaded up a suitcase with the dirties and rolled it to the laundromat. The attendant was very helpful - even if he hadn't been the signage in English was so good that we would have had no difficulty at all. In an hour we had finished 5 loads of laundry - the machines were high powered and added the right amount of soap automatically. We both agree that the clothing is softer and smells fresher than when we do it at home! LOL

After changing into clean clothing again we headed out to do some shopping. First I updated my blog at the copisteria Paolini on via S Paolini just down from San Michelle. Then we hit the shops. We didn't buy a whole lot for us - mostly gifts for other folks.

Lunch was at K2 pizzeria near the anfiteatro roman. It is every bit as good as the reviews on slow travel say. Two pizzas with a bottle of water cost € 20.

Back at the B and B we napped for a bit and then feeling refreshed we decided to walk the walls. The walls are about 4 km around and we joined the throngs of Lucchese and tourists walking, biking, and jogging along the paths. What a relaxing experience. It was neat the see so many elderly Lucchese, dressed to the nines, out on their ancient bikes enjoying the fresh air and some exercise.

Dinner was at a restaurant suggested to us by the B and B owner - Olivio. When I mentioned it to Palma she indicated that she had been there and it was great. It is located around the 'block' from the B and B.

This was our best dining experience in Lucca by far. Not as grand as I Caffi in Acqui Terme but amazing nonetheless. After ordering our meals our server brought us a zucchini flower stuffed with ricotta . . as soon as we had had a bite of this we knew dinner would be amazing. For our primni we split an order of their house ravioli - fresh ricotta ravioli in a browned butter sauce. For our mains Paul ordered a rack of lamb and I a veal chop with juniper berries and sage leaves. WOW WOW WOW Because the food was so great we ordered dessert for the second time of the trip. Paul's panna cotta was declared to eb the best ever (apparently he has forgotten the panna cotta I have made him at home) and my semifreddo with almond crunch was superb. Be sure to put this spot on your list if you are coming to Lucca!

Lucca - Day 1

Yesterday was a very wet day until about noon. Because of the rain we decided that it was 'museum day'. After posting on the blog we got lost a bit - easy to do when it is pouring rain and you are not looking up because of the umbrella. Once we figured out where the heck we were we headed towards the main cathedral complex.

First up was the church of San Giovanni; the former cathedral of Lucca. Built in the 11 th century, it sits on the foundations of numerous other structures, both early Christian churches and Roman. Because the cathedral has been deconsecreted much of the art has been removed. The real star here is the excavated ruins beneath the floor of the church. We paid € 6 for a combination ticket which provided access to the ruins, the museum, and a special area in the Cathedral.

The Cathedrale San Martino is built in the Pisan style. The facade is fascinating with each of the columns being a different style. Inside the church is sumptuous, befitting the main church in one of Italy's wealthiest communities. One of the unique features here is the Holy Face - reputed to be a true likeness of Christ. Apparently this crucifix, once carved in the middle east, made its own way to Lucca. Upon its miraculous arrival in Lucca the faithful started to pour into the town, bringing further wealth. We cut our stay in the cathedral short when hordes of school kids on trips started to pour in.

Beside the cathedral is the museum which contains much of the art from the cathedral and other churches in town. Sadly most folks miss this museum - a huge mistake in my opinion. When we were there (on a very rainy day) we had the place to ourselves. The works within are magnificent. We each paid € 1 for an audio guide which was quite helpful in deciphering exactly what we were looking at.

When we left the museum the rain had stopped and the sun was trying the break through the clouds. We did everything we could to encourage it - this rain is CRAZY!

We wanted a light lunch of pizza but the place we wanted to go to (K2) was closed for the day. We found another great pizzeria nearby where we got calzone, wine, and aqua for € 24. Back at the B and B we had a much deserved nap - I think I have napped more on this trip than other before which has been wonderful!

Later we thought we'd walk a bit of the walls which we did until we saw an interesting church down below. We found a path down into the city and set off towards the church. Unfortunately the doors were shut. There was a wee incident then . . . Paolo thought he would try the doors . . when he did the cross from one of the doors came off in his hands! Now I am not Catholic and make no claim to understand the nuances of Catholicism but I do believe that this couldn't be good! He put the cross back up (methinks this has happened before) and we hightailed it back to the B and B.

Lucca's favourite son, opera composer Puccini, was born 150 years ago. In honour of him there are concerts in San Giovanni each evening. We thought that this might be interesting so we changed, made our way across the town, and bought our tickets (€ 15). Early, we sat at a nearby bar and enjoyed a glass of wine before heading.

The performance counts as a trip highlight. There were two singers accompanied by a superb pianist. The music filled the former cathedral, echoing off of the walls. It literally brought goosebumps to me a number of times!

After the performance finished at 8 we headed back towards the B and B and a recommended restaurant Gigi. We sat outside because it was so beautiful, sitting in a square in Lucca, on a terrace surrounded by laurel and lights. Unfortunately I keep forgetting that the smokers sit there as well and they will smoke through anything! Grrrr Nonetheless, the food was amazing as was the ambiance. We ate like kings for € 54.

After we got back to the B and B I wrote in my journal until the breadth of activity caught up with me and I crashed.