On the way back from the Tornesi Winery tasting, Heidi and Jeff remind me that they have massages scheduled between 4pm – 6pm. Heidi would go first, then Jeff. I had an idea that while Heidi was in her massage, it would be a great opportunity for me to bring Jeff over to Pienza to take some photos. He’s a photographer and was always looking for opportunities to capture new sights on the trip.
Iconic viewpoint in Pienza. The pathway and house was obstructed by a renovation in progress.
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and Pienza was only about 8 minutes away from where we are staying at the farmhouse. As we walked through the different little avenues atop the hill town, echoes of so many previous trips with different friends were whispering to me from many corners. I spied the iconic bench where I took a memorable photo of Amy on my first visit to Pienza in 2015. We passed the Lavender shop where Carla and I couldn’t escape from the shop owner who kept talking to us in 2018. We passed the ristorante where Dana, Tony, Maddie and I sat down to our first meal together in 2017 and formed a still existing bond of obsessed Italy travelers. We passed all the favorite gelato shops – I could almost remember each flavor I had ever sampled. We passed the sandwich shop where Carla and I had ordered the most simple but memorable sandwiches of our lives in 2019. I peered in the window to make sure the same little lady was there who made the best sandwiches. Yes, there she was. I wished I was hungry for a sandwich in that moment.
The bench with whispers from a past trip to Pienza.
Yes. Everything was still there and still the same. Nothing had changed. The only thing that was different was that I was on this trip without any of those same friends. And now walking through this town, as Jeff peaked in and out of alcoves and alleys to take pictures, while I kept strolling, I missed each one in different ways. I was discovering that so much of the joy of this trip or any trip is that it an experience to be shared. All the highs and lows of travel are better shared – both during and long after the trip. For each friend that I mentioned in the memories above, we still laugh as we recall so many moments of those trips and in a way it extends the trip forever. It is such a bonding experience to travel internationally and the memories stay with you long after the trip is over.
The Post Office/Tabacco shop. Dana and I always have a running joke and giggle every time we pass a tobacco shop, ‘You never know when you are going to need a tobacconist. It’s good they are everywhere.” I always think of her when I see the Tabacchi sign.
As melancholy continued to poke at me, my phone started to ping me and I was brought back to present time. It was Fernanda, she was asking me, ‘Where is Heidi? It’s 4:20 and she isn’t in her room and she isn’t in the cabana for the massage.’ I respond with, ‘Well, I dropped her off at 3:45 and she was going straight into her room to get ready for the massage. Are you sure she’s not there?’ Then Jeff tries to call and text Heidi, no answer. Hmmm, that is so odd. Where could she be? It’s getting close to 5pm, the time for Jeff’s massage, so we head back to the car in a bit of a hurry and slightly concerned that they can’t find Heidi. As we get back to the car, I get a new text, ‘Oh never mind, Heidi was already in the Cabana. Niccolo was confused.’ Okay, thanks, glad she is okay.
Sandwich shop lady is hanging in there. So relieved! I promise you these meats, cheeses, and breads are the best combination in Italy.
We get back to the farm just before 5pm, and sure enough there is Heidi, walking back from her massage from the cabana. She had showed up there right on time at 4pm. I asked, ‘Was the masseuse appropriate? No funny business?’ We all laughed. She assured both Jeff and I that he was completely appropriate. In the past, there was a masseuse there that had a reputation of rubbing the family olive oil all over your body from the tip of your head to the tip of your toes and every place in between. I had steered clear of the massage ever since I heard that tidbit in 2018. Any questions? Just ask Debbie.
Solo trip to Pienza and missing my buddies from trips gone by.
We woke up to beautiful blue skies again on this day and it feels like we are all walking on the egg shells of weather as we progress through the week. Still no rain, even though it had been forecasted to rain every day. Bad for the crops, but good for visitors trying to hop into a week in late fall without too much rain.
Mike Lynch got up early to take this photo. You can see Pienza atop the skyline in the distance. Mike is a professional photographer and I always enjoy seeing his early morning photos.
Our wine tasting lunch wasn’t until 12:30pm, but a lot of my morning was spent trying to coordinate around the evening plans. The schedule called for a dinner at a local cheese farm. By now, everyone is ready for a night to do their own thing and at the same time, it isn’t easy to back out of plans to a local small family business that may have hired staff and purchased ingredients for the evening visit. Trying to be sensitive to all parties involved, I did a lot of coordination around pulling us out of the dinner in time to not harm the business and giving the group the freedom to do what they wanted that evening. Even if it was just to relax back in their own rooms.
Around noon, I did the now regular tap on Heidi and Jeff’s door downstairs signaling I was ready and we could head to the car to depart. I really appreciated their enthusiasm and that they were always ready right on time to head to the next event. Heidi was in the later stages of the head cold she picked up from someone earlier in the trip and said she was on the mend. Even so, when she did a fully covered sneeze in the car on the way up to the wine tasting, my reflexes immediately went to roll the window down. “Sorry,” I said, “I’ve spent 2 years watching how sneeze particles travel, I think the fresh air will do us all good.” She laughed and said, “No worries, I agree, Jeff and I have been watching those same YouTube videos.”
With the pace we are all on eating, drinking, the chill in the air, together all the time, passing and sharing food plates, the head cold is being passed around. I’m trying to take all precautions. Almost two years into the pandemic, I forgot what it a head cold was even like. I haven’t had this cocktail of conditions hit my immune system in a long time. Would all of the vitamins I am taking every day, the continual hand sanitizer, the masks – would they really do their thing? Time would tell.
View from atop the farmland of the winery. Breathtaking.
We arrive at Tornesi Winery in Montalcino right on time at 12:30pm. It is a picture perfect day and the setting on a hill is beautiful. Their specialty is Brunello wines, of course, but they also produce Vin Santo and Olive Oil. A family run business, I enjoyed the tour and the reminders that a Brunello is made from 100% sangiovese grape. A Brunello is like a Cabernet in that they are both rich, full-bodied wines. The difference is that a Cabernet is typically blended with Merlot, Cab Franc, Pettit Verdot or Malbec. A Brunello must be in the barrel for 5 years. The lesser wine they make from the same Sangiovese grape is a Rosso. The Rosso is the younger sibling of the Brunello and only needs to age 3 years in the barrel.
One of the many beautiful buildings on the property.
The farm this land is on has been in the family since 1865 and the owner, together with his wife and daughters have adopted all organic methods to grow their vineyards and olive groves. All production -related work is done by hand. We were toured through their production room and they are so happy to have the aid of machines now that that help them bottle 1,511 bottles per hour. One full size barrel produces about 12,000 bottles of wine. She also took us into the label and corking room to show us where and how that is done. They produce DOCG (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin) wines, which are the highest designation of quality among Italian wines. When the wine barrels are tested for this designation, they get 2 opportunities to pass the test. Obviously, with a 5-year wait to production, it’s a big loss if it doesn’t pass. Thankfully, they haven’t had a situation where that has ever happened for them.
Their new ‘toy’ the bottling machine which produces 1511 bottles per hour (noted by the label at the top).
The corking and labeling machine. On the right of the machine about mid-way you can see the DOCG labels. They are given a precise quantity to use after their wines are tested. If any of those labels are damaged, there is no replacement process.
Since it is such a nice sunny day, they seat us outside and lead us to a table with a beautiful view. I loved coming to this winery because it was new for me on this trip and it was nice to have a new experience. I sat next to Lynnette, who has a heart of gold and who I adore. She shares with me that she has a head cold now, but that she took lots of meds this morning to hopefully keep it at bay. Still, I can see her little watery eyes and her rosy nose and my heart goes out to her. It is an awful thing to spend all of this money to travel internationally and taste all of these wines and delicious foods when you aren’t 100%.
Shawshank Redemption moment – on the rooftop in the sunshine.
What followed next, was the the most delicious meal (I do believe) I have ever enjoyed at a ‘wine tasting.’ Each course was so flavorful and made by the grandma in the kitchen. We all enjoyed this lunch so much and each of the wines they were pairing with the courses. It was going to be our last sunny day and moments in the full sunshine. It made me think of the movie Shawshank Redemption. When Andy bought the boys the beers on the roof and they all were having their moment in the sunshine on a break. Of course, I’m not trying to draw any parallels here that being in Italy is similar to being in prison, but perhaps the state of the world the last 2 years has felt like a prison of many sorts – and finally we were having our moment on the rooftop in freedom in Italy.
I won’t soon forget this tasting or the delicious courses paired in the sunshine on this beautiful fall day.
On this morning the first official thing on the agenda was to leave around noon to head for a lunch I had planned for Heidi and Jeff in Montalcino. After such a full first few days, it was nice to have some down time on this morning. I thought about going for that loop around the property that Carlo took us on, but the weather had shifted and it was cloudy, windy, and cool. Rather than whipping myself around out in the cold on that hike, I decided to build a fire and spend the morning sipping coffee and writing.
Picture of my room. I really enjoyed relaxing mornings in this room. The shutters on the right closed and this room would get pitch black at night. An Italian sleeping den of sorts, perfect for sleeping in as the schedule would allow.
There was a restaurant in Montalcino with a view that I wanted to visit this trip, as I had sent other travelers there based on Carlotta’s recommendation. I also had a ‘credit’ on their account for unused funds from the summer when I surprised Dana’s daughter and new son-in-law with a wedding gift ‘meal experience’ at this place. I wanted to do the same for Heidi and Jeff as this was their delayed honeymoon.
The front of Osticcio looks very unassuming. Once you walk through the doors, be prepared to be led out to breathtaking views. In the spring, summer, and fall, they even have a private terrace out back where you can dine.
We found ourselves in the hill town of Montalcino, and as per usual, looking for decent parking. Much to our surprise we followed ‘P’ signs and it was an actual parking lot with ample parking. Not wanting another ticket, we all walked over to the machine to pay the parking. I pressed every button on that machine and nothing was happening. It didn’t seem to be working. Also, it was cold and the wind was whipping. Thankfully, a young couple with a baby came near us and spoke English, they explained you have to download an app ‘EasyPark’ and handle the transaction on the app. As we needed wifi to be able to do that, I just took a picture of the rear of the car so that I had the information, and we headed up to the restaurant.
It was a steep incline up to the top, using a mixture of steps and pathways, and there were biting headwinds as we walked up to the top. We kept following the walking directions, and then it had us going about the same elevation down a pathway towards the restaurant. ‘Great,’ I was thinking – we will have to do this all in reverse again after lunch – but it’s probably for the best as I’m sure it will be good to move after we eat. Hopefully, the winds will have died down by then.
Our meal started with a very nice Brunello recommendation from our waiter.
We finally arrive at Osticcio Ristorante Enoteca and are led through the restaurant with a window view of the valley below. It is truly breathtaking, and the cloud formations on this day make the view even more dramatic. Even if I drove here and did this little hike just to sip wine and look at this view it would have been worth it for me. But, what followed with the menu was a culinary parade that was a treat to see and taste, while you savored each bite. After the waiter picked out a very nice bottle of Brunello for us, I asked him to select 3 appetizers for us to share and then we each picked a main course. That was followed by 2 desserts we sampled, with coffee. So far, this was my favorite meal because it was so very different than anything I had experienced in Italy (since the Four Seasons in Florence surprise from Jay in 2017) and because every dish was an artful masterpiece to the eyes and the tastebuds.
Burrata cheese bed topped with truffles and a perfectly cooked solid egg yolk. It wasn’t runny but it wasn’t light yellow inside. Amazing how they did that to perfection. No words for this beef tartare. I’m sure I will never taste anything like this again until I come back.
We spent three leisurely hours there enjoying each bite of that meal and good conversation. I was so happy for the app for parking that the waiter helped me with when I arrived. It was so easy to keep adding ‘time’ to the meter from my phone. It even would ping me when I was 15 minutes away from running out of time. I couldn’t even imagine having to interrupt this meal to walk up and down that hill town to pump a meter full of more money for more time.
Jeff and Heidi enjoying the view that looked like a painting back-drop.
My main course was lamp served with perfectly prepared grilled and crisped veggies on the side.
We finished our meal with desserts and coffee and then enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to the car. Jeff is a photographer so he was enjoying poking in and out of all fo the little nooks and crannies, while Heidi and I kept walking towards the car at a steady pace. Thankfully, the winds had died down at this point.
Just your average rotting doorway that looks like art that I stopped to take a photo of on the way back to the car.Final descent walking back down to the car. The clouds in the distance look ominous, it was about 4pm. Imagine biting cold and that’s how it felt for us Californians.
Once we got back to the farm, we had about an hour before we had to head over to La Moscadella for a lesson in wine-cheese pairing from Antonella (a high-end guide in this part of Tuscany). Thankfully, as everyone in the group was also full from the days activities – many had been at a cooking course of equal gastronomic proportions. By this point in the trip, as you are about to hit mid-week, you wonder how you can keep going at this pace of eating, especially now that the weather is shifting and isn’t great for movement outdoors.
Antonella at her station explaining the wine and cheese pairings.
We arrive a La Moscadella and Antonella is there waiting with place settings for all of us in the main dining room. We all are seated and then she shares with us for about an hour. When she was done, it seemed liked 5 minutes as she was so entertaining and at the same time educational as she walked us through the pairing of the cheeses and wines.
We each had a plate of 4 different cheeses in us in Noon, 3pm, 6pm, and 9pm formation. This is how she referred to them as she took us through the tasting. We also had 3 glasses of wine in front of each of us for the pairing. I learned so much in that hour, that I never knew before about cheese. Especially that cheese is a food that you can and should use all 5 senses to enjoy. She would have us smell each cheese first and asked us what we were smelling. Some cheeses she would have us touch first. Then we would taste the cheese and she would walk us through the taste – was it salty, sweet, did it change in your mouth like wine does, what was the aftertaste of the cheese?
I have to say, I have never been this ‘thoughtful’ with eating or tasting cheese. It was interesting to really break it down. The most amazing thing of all is that when the cheeses were paired with the right wine, it COMPLETELY cleansed your palette. It was like everything in your mouth dissolved . When it was the wrong wine paired with the cheese, it felt like paste in your mouth.
She also explained that there are certain cheeses that you can’t really ever truly experience unless you go to the part of the world where it is made fresh daily. The taste will never be the same after 24-hours. You can’t ship it, you can’t take it home, you have to literally go there to experience it. One of those cheeses is the Buffalo Mozzarella cheese from Naples. Due to it’s high moisture content, the true taste only lasts 24 hours.
There was a sweet little family that were with us this week staying at La Moscadella. Dan and Stephanie are both aviators stationed in Naples. They verified this is true about the Mozzarella and they get it off the trucks in the morning and you have to eat it that same day. They had their 5-year-old little boy with them named, Duke. He is in an Italian school in Naples and they said his Italian is already so much better than theirs as they only speak to him in Italian at school. He often corrects their pronunciation. He is an expert at rolling his ‘r’s already.
Little Duke was so adorable and well behaved all week. Antonella put the wine before him also because she said it is good even at a young age to introduce the smells to children so they can begin to learn – even if they can’t taste it quite yet.
After the tasting, Isabella announces there are now ‘light’ appetizers prepared for everyone in the other room. I couldn’t even get up to go look. I was happy with my cheese tasting that night and the few sips of wine they were paired with that evening. This wine/cheese class so impressed me and it is something I want to share back home. I know I could never do it justice, so asked if perhaps Antonella would be open and interested in doing a virtual one-hour ‘webinar’ class for me and friends in the future. She said she would definitely consider it in the off season, which is, I want to say, starting about now.
The moon over the farm that evening after we returned from the wine and cheese pairing. End of another magical day in Tuscany.
On this morning, I had to get up and drive myself to the San Quirico pharmacy for another ‘tampona’ test. I’m required to test every 2 days for the green pass that allows me to take part in any indoor activities. Fernanda (the new helper at the farm) had made me a 9am appointment. I arrive at the pharmacy 10 minutes before they open, and really, the idea of an ‘appointment’ here seems like a stretch. Again, there are several Italians waiting out front of the pharmacy for the same test and no one is calling out appointment times.
Why is every building so interesting to look at in Italy? Especially in the context of nature. It all looks like art. One of the many sights I enjoyed on my walk from where my car was parked to the pharmacy.
My turn comes up and I’m required to go to a side door that is really like a little closet and sit on an upside down plastic bucket. The door closes, and I’m sitting there in this little enclosed holding area wondering. ‘How many additional germs am I exposing myself to in this moment? How many actual positive tested people have been in here today?’ It doesn’t make sense to me that I have to do this every other day – it seems like more risk to purposefully sit yourself in this environment every 48 hours. An old man that looks similar to Doc from Back to the Future, all decked out in hazmat gear approaches me with the little mascara tip of a swab and motions for me to tip my head back. My eyes water as he twirls it in the first nostril further than I expect, and then when he goes for the 2nd nostril, I instinctively draw my head back to help balance out how deep this test is going. He says, ‘no’ as in push my head back down, and so I do. It’s over in less than a minute, but still – the feeling of it in your nose stays with you long after the test.
The magic Green Pass (Certificazione Verde) with a ‘Negativo’ result.
I wait for my results and pay my 25 Euros and then I’m given the magic Green Pass that is good for another 2 days. After all this, I decide to treat myself to a cappuccino and a mini-croissant before I head back to the car. I enjoy each sip and each bite and ponder all the tests ahead this week and decide not to think about it too much.
Oh the sweet sweet taste of my first cappuccino of the trip. Made me forget the invasion of my nostrils minutes earlier. I sat outside and people watched and also noticed a big ‘Black Friday’ sale poster in the doorway of a little souvenir shop across the Piazza.
As I walk back to the car, I am sharing the road (in this ancient hill town), with this 85yo man (at least) in a tiny stick shift car that he is revving up and trying to get what seems oriented with – he keeps starting and stopping. He is so close to me, I could reach out and stick my hand in his window. I think, how is he even driving around this place? It seems loaded with hazards. I watch him go through this a few times and then just like that, he gets moving and disappears in his tiny car between an archway, headed who knows where, but he seemed determined to get there. With that, I head back to car and return to the farmhouse.
Goodbye grandpa. Wherever you are headed today, I respect your determination to get there.
Our group total is 14 (12 reunion folks and 2 new invitees – Heidi and Jeff). Prior to the week, we all selected our preferences on group activities. Pretty much everyone signed up for everything that was part of the ‘Dolce Vita’ (Sweet Life) package. You pay extra for the cost of this package, so you don’t want to miss any of it. The next activity would be at 11am. A hike, this time with Carlo, in the Val d’Orcia near Cretaiole.
A highlight for me each trip, is to do this hike with Carlo in the area around the farm property. You learn something new each time and it’s great exercise for all the eating and drinking you are doing.
As the time came closer to the hike, folks were opting out one-by-one, needing more rest that morning or wanting to do other things with their day. Heidi texts me, ‘So, would it be horrible if we skipped the hike today? I woke up with a sore throat and Jeff just wants to rest.’ I say, ‘Not horrible! Rest and take care of yourself. It’s your vacation, you should rest if you need rest.’ So they opted for that rest as they still weren’t quite sleeping well and now Heidi seemed to be catching something. I wasn’t surprised, a couple of folks showed up to our trip with head colds on Saturday night and odds were this was sure to be passed around given the lack of sleep, colder weather, and continued exposure to one another. I was hoping this would pass quickly for Heidi – as it does diminish things for you when you aren’t feeling well.
Five out of 14 of us showed up for the hike with Carlo at 11am. Given the full day of activities on Sunday, I wasn’t surprised. The freedom to join or not join the activities of the day is the beauty of a week that is curated for you, but that you can also opt in and out of as you feel you want/need to as the week goes on.
Veronica, Mike, Lisa, Susan, Larry – The Monday morning hikers with Carlo. It was good to dress in layers as the sun came out. I was down to my t-shirt by the end of the hike.
The hike with Carlo took about 2 hours and was on another beautiful day that started out misty and cloudy, even a little windy, but it eventually warmed up and the clouds parted. Carlo’s English isn’t as good as Isabella’s – it’s very limited. Even so, he is able to communicate just enough so you get the important take-aways about his property, adjacent property and his family’s history on the land. You feel a bit like you are walking around with Braveheart of the Val d’Orcia – a man of the earth, who could probably snap a wild boar in half with his bare hands and then proceed skin it, grill it or hand it over to his mother to turn it into a nice ragu for you as a pasta topping.
Cretaiole sits behind us, I was hoping it would be captured in the photo, but we are blocking it. Carlo had just explained that Cretaiole means ‘Clay Garden’. As you looked in the distance at it you could see, oh yes, that does look like a little garden up on a hill surrounded by all of this clay earth.
As we walk, he will pick at wild little plants or small berries and that grow on the plants. He describes these things that he picks, similar to how cave men talk (with the limited English). ‘This good. Small fruit. Skin here. Healing.’ Then he pops it in his mouth and keeps walking as if he expects us to also do the same. We just keep walking. I’m already potentially fighting what is likely a head-cold coming my way soon, I don’t need to add the ‘the backdoor trots’ to the list at this time.
Carlo said this was a ‘new house’ only about 100 years old. He said you could tell by the shutters on the window, which aren’t typical for homes in the country in this area in older farm homes.
He tells us about how it has been a really bad year with no rain and that much more rain is needed for good crops next year. He then shows us the clay that the wheat grows in explaining, it’s a 3x rotational process for planting because the earth is so thick. He does all of this in the cave-man talk, but somehow we are all tracking with him. He also told me at some point that he worries and wonders about the future of his family business. He has two sons, and hopes one of them will want to carry on the traditions of several centuries of the family farming business.
At the top of the final ascent, looking down. You can see the clay earth to the right that is tilled 3x during the wheat planting process this time of year.
We make it back to the farm, and they have a little brunch all ready for us with pastries, champagne, orange juice, coffee, fruit salad, quiches, cheeses, meats, focaccia with tomato sauce. I think hmm, wow, nice way for me to completely counteract the benefit of 2 hours of hiking. Still, I find myself picking up a big croissant with a berry filling and some quiche and water. I’m not quite ready to start drinking. Tonight is the 7-course dinner at Andreucci. I did this last time and know it is the eating and drinking event of the week (including Thanksgiving – so THAT is saying something). We’ll be taken over to the winery in vans and leave a sea of wine glasses, like you’ve never seen before in your life, at the end of the night. Time to stick to a light touch on this round.
I’m not a cat person, but this little kitten was aggressively eyeing my brunch. Loved how his little yes matched the chair.
After the brunch, I went back to the room, built a fire and enjoyed the afternoon in my kitchen/living-area – doing some writing on my book and blogging. That’s one of the hardest parts of the week at the farm, to find time for writing. The schedule is so full, but this Monday afternoon was the perfect time and I know that in the future I will often think of this little cozy nook every time I want to write. There is a book marker that is a gift for the week. It says, ‘Real luxury is to have time, space, and silence.’ So there I sat that afternoon enjoying my time, space, and silence.
A writer’s haven – pure and simple.
It wasn’t long before we were loading into two buses that were going to take us back to Andreucci winery for the 7-course wine/meal tasting. I remember this experience clearly from last time as a highlight of the trip. Not only the exquisite wines, I still can’t get out of my mind the lasagna the grandma made and hoped it would make a return appearance on the menu. Once we got there, they explained to us how the evening would roll out. I felt like we were at champion tournament for wine/food, listening to the rules of play, and we all were eagerly waiting at the starting line to get going. With a few explanations under way, it was time to take your marks, get set, go…..
The pre-pour to the wine pour, each and every time. Lining the glass with the wine we would be tasting.
Out rolled 7 tastings that they prepped on a table in the room. They prepped each wine tasting glass with an actual swirl of the wine to prep the glass. They wanted nothing but the wine to lace all sides of the glass. It was quite a process – like a chemist laboratory – with each tasting that we eagerly awaited in addition to the mini-courses of food that paired with each wine. We feasted on delicate appetizers atop bruschetta, a wonderful little creamy soup with croutons, gnocchi, lasagna (yay!), a small beef course with spinach and heavenly focaccia bread, a little chocolate ball, and finally tiramisu. I don’t have any idea where we all put it, but I’m thankful they were small portions – just a few bite tastings of each, which was perfect.
How big did the glasses get, you ask? This big.
We headed back to the farm late – happy and with full stomachs. I may or may not also may have ordered a case of wine to send home. Already dreaming of menus now to share with friends as they taste these wines. I find as I get older – it’s experiences that I love to gift to friends vs. things. The experience of Italy is what I am most looking forward to sharing with friends when I return home. And well, that’s going to take some wine, lots of good wine.
Near final scene – a sea of glasses, wine and food tournament done!
First morning in my little farm apartment and I was so looking forward to making a coffee in the Moka pot and just enjoying some toast with fresh jams. So that’s exactly what I did before we headed off at 9:30am to drive over to La Moscadella (Isabella’s property), where she would take us on a loop hike in the hills around the property.
Coffee out of this little Moka pot is one of my favorite things in the morning on the farm. Even when I try to do the same thing back home, it never tastes quite as good as it does when I am in Italy.
On previous trips, we always have an ‘orientation’ with Isabella that never fails to be informative and different every time. She has such a rich understanding of the local area and Italian culture. This time with her never disappoints as she does her best to prepare you for the week ahead and to take advantage of your time in the area.
Isabella leading us on the hike on a beautiful crisp morning in the Val d’Orcia.
Being the first official activity, everyone was on board and showed up for the hike and talk with Isabella. The weather (forecasted rainy all week) turned out to be so beautiful on this day. Isabella explained to us, as we walked through olive groves, that during the beginning of the pandemic – this is what she did almost every day (as they really weren’t even supposed to leave their houses). But, she could show she was a local and would take her papers with her and say she was checking on her olive groves if any authorities questioned her. What a time to live through, to have to prove you could walk around your property in the fresh air. Also interesting to note, as we walked through a neighboring property of the farmers who have lived and farmed there for generations. She said, NOTHING changed for them during the pandemic. They lived as they had always lived, then and now. They are farmers that just farm olive oil and live off of the production of their own property, with little connection to the outside world.
A tree in the olive grove that was once dead, and then came to life. The farmer has created a piece of art from it now with all sorts of biblical symbolism – complete with the serpent in the garden and the tempting fruit. Also, the little colored boxes hanging around the tree, represent gifts we are given in our life. She literally spent 20 minutes explaining all the elements and symbolism of the tree, I found it fascinating. The serpent and the fruit of temptation.
I had stayed at this property a few years ago for 2 weeks with Dana in the summer of 2019. We had taken this same hike almost early every morning or at dusk. It is so hot in July here, those are really the only times of day that are bearable. Even with having done this same hike so many times, it felt new to me now, in a different season and I learned so many new things just based on the commentary Isabella was providing. She is such a deep thinker and her explanations come from, what feels like the deepest part of her intellect and heart. What she is saying instantly matters to you, because it matters to her. We took this hilly walk at a nice pace and waited for anyone that needed more time. Near the end, as we were running out of time, she asked me to lead the group that was ready to go back to La Moscadella for aperitivos (appetizers). She would stay back and bring those that needed more time.
The crew when we first were heading out on the hike with walls of olive groves on both sides of us.
When we arrived back at La Moscadella, such an incredible display of little ‘light’ appetizers and complementary wines and champagnes were before us. Roy Stowe, who was with us 3 years ago, and couldn’t make it this year – hosted us to this wonderful after-hike tasting. His deposit was going to expire so he asked that it be put towards this experience for the group. It wasn’t even quite noon yet, and next up we had a wine tasting and lunch, but we were all down for this little morning ‘brunch’ before we headed out again. We literally had to be pushed out the door as we were running at least an hour behind as it was just sitting in the sun and enjoying the moments of our first full day together.
Just a light post-hike aperitivo, compliments of Roy Stowe, who couldn’t join us for the reunion. Thanks Roy!
We quickly gathered ourselves and caravanned over (in our hiking clothes) to Santa Giulia winery in Montalcino. It was great to not have to get dressed up or change clothes. After a tour of their wine making process, out came the ‘light lunch’ of meats, cheeses, salads, bruschetta, wine tasting, and finished off with Vin Santo and biscotti. I knew this would be coming, so I had a light touch here and at the first event after the hike. You learn after your first trip here, you need to pace yourself, because so much food and drink will be coming at you with every experience, you can burn out early in the week. We just don’t eat and drink at this pace at home, but at the same time, it is so hard to resist once you get here because it all tastes so good and you don’t want to miss out on a thing.
Freshly made biscotti and Vin Santo capped off our lunch and wine tasting at Santa Giulia Winery. The little grandma of the property came in and out of the room with all of the food offerings that afternoon.
We also had a wine pairing dinner this same night at Daria’s restaurant in Monticchiello. So seriously, it was good we hiked this morning and had some time to go back after the late lunch in order to rest, shower and change for dinner. We all departed around 7:30pm to drive to Daria’s. Every activity – it seems – is about 20-30 minutes away. It could only be about 8 miles, but on the country roads, it takes a bit of time to get there. Also, we were cautioned on the first day, it is hunting season – so go really slow, slow, slow and then slower as you never know what could jump out in front of you. That’s all this granny driver needed to hear to ratchet it down even a few more notches with my speed. This whole week, I was never in a hurry to go anywhere and it worked well for me.
Dinner at Daria’s was just as expected. She always has a great wine pairing dinner that has just the right sized portions and compliment the wine well. It is sad that this year, Daria, wasn’t able to be here personally to explain the wines and the pairings personally. I have seen her do this several times and always learn something new. She’s a classy older Italian woman who has built this business and finally owns her own restaurant. I was so saddened to learn this year that she has advanced lung cancer and it doesn’t look good for her to survive. She has been battling it this last year, but it continues to spread and take a toll on her. I was hoping I would get to see her this night because I had a feeling this would probably be my last opportunity: I hope that is not the case.
We sat at three tables in this room, and listened to this Italian man (who pinch hit for Daria) as he introduced each wine and course. Poor guy, he wasn’t holding our attention the same way Daria would have. I think at this point of the day, we just were ready to eat, drink and enjoy – we didn’t need any explanations.
One of the highlights of this night was that Carlotta and Marta joined us. They are two former employees of Isabella’s who really were a big part of what made your stay so personalized throughout the week at the farm. They went above and beyond (24 x 7) to attend to your every need and question. They were truly part of the fabric that made this experience so rich. In the pandemic, so many things changed all around with life circumstances, no work, etc. Many had to shift with jobs and schedules and life circumstances changed with aging parents, etc. Part of that outcome is – these two gems are not working for Isabella anymore. It is unthinkable to me. I keep trying to brainstorm, how I can get them back there? But, for now – just to see them on this night – with us again – made it feel just like old times and previous visits to the farm.
This truffle ravioli course was tops! So creamy and flavorful on every level.
Carlotta sat across from me and I told her about my parking ticket in Fiesole. The paper was all in Italian, I had no idea how to pay it. She said, ‘Give me that ticket.’ She walked away, came back. Then she got on her phone and paid it for me through an Italian app. She said by paying it within 5 days you get 30% off. So that was great news. I paid Carlotta cash, and felt relieved that was taken care of for me. Another reminder for me, that it is incredibly helpful when you visit a foreign country, to have these types of contacts and people that will take such good care of you. It helps relieve the stress of the every day activities, you really aren’t able to manage on your own, like paying a parking ticket on an Italian app.
Teresa (L) and Carlotta (R) sat across from me at Daria’s. Two amazing women. Teresa is part of the reunion group and shares my love of this place and returning again and again. She and I collaborated a bunch before the trip to help shape the week for everyone with ideas for new activities. Parting shot with Marta and Carlotta at the end of the night. Love these two Italian ladies!
I was the driver for my little carpool of Heidi and Jeff, so I was truly mindful all week of how much I was drinking. It was their first trip to Italy, and the honeymoon they didn’t get to have a year ago, so I was enjoying watching them indulge. Also, I was super grateful that they were with me as Carla couldn’t come. Something about my struggles in my first week in Fiesole with the car situation, and wanting someone there for you, made me appreciate their company even more. They are both so good natured it was easy to be with them for a week. I really haven’t been around Heidi in 20 years, but grew up with her – so there is something so familiar about her to me. Something long ago from my past. My childhood best friend’s little sister – who always wanted to play with us – or was trying to listen to us and possibly tattle if we didn’t let her join in on what we were doing. Back then, we continually put her through initiations to join made up clubs and she would give it her ALL to join and we would still sometimes reject the application, unless she made a scene, then we would let her join. ‘Don’t cry, okay, it’s fine, you can join.’
Picture from 1977 in Yosemite. Heidi is in the front, far left – always the optimist, giving her big thumbs up in the photo. I am on the far right after having asked to wear the ranger’s hat – I had dreams of being a park ranger. The two blondes over my right shoulder are Heidi’s older sisters who I was closer in age to and played with more growing up. We made up all the ‘initiations’ for the secret clubs Heidi tried to join.
On this night, we walked back to the car and laughed all the way down the hill. Jeff kept saying he ‘had to go.’ So we said, “Well then ‘go’ – we’ll wait.” And off he ran to the bushes and went while Heidi and I waited in the car and laughed. Once he was done, he ran back to the car, ‘Ah, so much better.’ Both Heidi and I looked at each other probably thinking the same thing, ‘Gee, men have it so easy in these situations.’ We made it home by 11pm – a very full and satisfying first day!
After the COVID test, I drove back to Silvia at the agriturismo, had a light breakfast, checked out and headed to Florence to pick up Jeff and Heidi. The thought of traveling into the center of Florence on a sunny Saturday (more crowds) wasn’t my favorite thought, but I was excited to meet up with Heidi and Jeff and get on our way back to the farm for the reunion.
Closing the door to my room at the agriturismo. You can see the little desk I used to write. I loved staying here, it was such a cute place with so many great rooms to choose from. I want to come back! This was the view when I opened my front door each morning. I just loved this little alcove and looking out on to the other structure with the colors and plants.
Despite the fact their hotel was down a skinny ally of a ‘street’ with cars parked up on one side. They were waiting out front with their oversized luggage and like a clown car, we worked efficiently to get it all packed in and all of us buckled up just in time for a car to come barreling up the street. With that we were on our way.
We chatted the entire 1:45 minute drive out to the farm, and the further we got away from Florence and onto the highway and country roads, I could feel my driving anxiety start to lift. We soon pulled into the familiar gravel driveway of Cretaiole (the farm name) – which means clay garden. The earth around this part of Italy is dense like clay and the area around the farm looks like a garden.
Return to the farm on a beautiful day. It was supposed to rain this whole week, so far no rain!
We were the first to arrive and Fernanda – the new person that works with the family – was there to collect our passports and show us to our rooms. I have and upstairs 2 bedroom unit with a kitchen and fireplace. It has beautiful views and so much room. This is my fourth trip to the farm and it is the largest space I’ve had to doubt. Without Carla in the second bedroom, the place seems oversized for me, but I am so happy with all the room and still a little bummed that Carla couldn’t be here to experience it with me, with all of us.
Bittersweet to be here without, Carla. Here are the stairs leading up to our 2-bedroom apartment.Love this kitchen and living area, complete with a fireplace. On the table is the welcome bounty from the farm.
We all get settled in our rooms and then greeted different couples and families as they arrived at our reunion place. It was so nice to see them again after 3 years. We all gathered that evening for wine, appetizers while we waited for the welcome dinner hosted by the farm family. They said it would be a simple dinner – but it was far from simple and cooked by the grandma of the family Lilliana.
The gang all back together again. Salude!
We had amazing garlic toast with olive oil – I could still taste the garlic in my mouth the next morning (yes I brushed my teeth that night). We had Ribollita – which is a famous Tuscan bread soup, mostly consisting of cannelloni beans, kale, cabbage, other seasonal autumn vegetables and leftover bread – in the soup. It had so many layers of home cooked flavor and it was chilly outside. A perfect choice for this nice with red wine. They also served a combination of beans and sausage and then grandpa Luciano came with the fresh made biscotti to dip in the Vinsanto. A perfect meal and gathering for our first night back at the farm. We all staggered back to our room full, a little tipsy and oh so happy to be back here again.
Luciano (81), welcoming us back at the end of the night. He was genuinely emotional to see us again.
Lucky me! I now get to test every two days for COVID to get a renewal on my Green Pass. This gives me permission to go into restaurants and museums, etc. Carlotta, and old friend from the farm, helped me to figure out that I could drive to the Fiesole pharmacy in the morning and get tested when they open at 9am. Side note – it is so important to be supported by a local or someone that can help you navigate certain more complicated things in Italy. I am finding on this trip there are not many English speakers so I’m grasping to communicate and figure things out at times. Carlotta is my angel!
I drive up to the Fiesole pharmacy to get my test when they open at 9am. I figured driving there early in the morning was my best chance for the clearest of traffic on what I consider to be 1-way roads that Italians use as 2-lane highways. As I am driving up there, I keep talking to myself – ‘That’s good, that’s good all you Italians, sleep-in today, it’s Saturday, please be as unproductive as possible this morning!’
I make back up to Fiesole and find the pharmacy. Of course, it is on a corner with the tiniest of access. I will need to keep driving to find something remotely close. I do find a spot that is a parallel spot, but there are two open back-to-back, so it’s not like I have to park this large car on a rice grain. I move into the spot, I look at the signs…I have no idea if I can park there or not, or park there during these hours, but I figure it is a Saturday morning in a walled City, I should only be gone 15 minutes, this shouldn’t be a problem. Are parking attendants really combing these spots up in the oldest City in the world on a Saturday morning in late November? Um, the answer is yes, yes they are. More on that later.
I walk up to the pharmacy and find about 10 Italians waiting outside. It is 9:10am. I’m making up a story in my mind. Good grief. What? Has the pharmacist not opened up yet? This IS a small town. Wow. And on and on I am going on in my head. I try to make eye-contact to see if anyone will look at me and I can ask them if they speak English. They are all talking amongst themselves and not looking my way. Then I see someone walk out of the pharmacy and I realize they are open!
I keep hearing them say ‘tampona’ – and I’m like, surely, they can’t all be talking about tampons. Well, as it turns out, I figure out, they are Italians that need to be tested every 2 days to work and the COVID test is called the ‘tampona’ in Italian. They have all already had their test and are just waiting on results, so I can go in and let them know I want a test. Which is what I proceed to do. After I talk to the pharmacist, he let’s me know he still isn’t ready to test any new people as he is currently processing the results for the first 10.
I go back out to the crowd and they realize I am American. They first thing they say to me is ‘Let’s go Brandon. Let’s go Brandon.’ Imagine that. They don’t speak an ounce of English, but they want to communicate that to me. I laughed and said, ‘Yes, exactly. Let’s go Brandon.’ Hard to believe that phrase has traveled all the way over here and that would be the first thing they want to communicate to me, in this oldest of Cities in Italy. Every where I go it seems Italians are very anti the current administration.
Pretty soon, a short little doctor in a white coat tells me to go around to the side of the building to a window to get tested. He then asks me, ‘Are you Juliette Louis the American actress?’ I hand him my passport and say, ‘I’m definitely not Juliette Louis.’ He continues to insist I might be her and I look exactly just like her. We get that settled that I’m not her and he asks me to step up closer to the window. It is literally so high, I feel like I am on tip-toes trying to reach the window of a castle.
Then a long stick that looks like a miniature mascara wand at the tip, gets twirled around in both my nostrils. I literally have to stand on the sidewalk on my tippy toes while he does this. When he is done, he says – okay, go wait 15 minutes and we’ll bring out your green pass if you are negative. So I go back and wait around the front again with the ‘Let’s go Brandon’ Italians. About an 1:15 after my arrival – I am done with my testing and sent on my way.
I get back to my car, relieved it hasn’t been towed. The whole walk back I think, this took so much longer than I thought, please don’t let the car be towed, please don’t let the car be towed. Well, it’s there! But now someone has pulled behind me and it will definitely be an Austin Powers 30-point turn to get out of there, oh and what’s this? Something on the windshield? Oh, that must be my parking ticket. So to answer the earlier question – yes, in this oldest City in the world, they are up early on Saturday mornings, roaming the walled City parking areas, looking for infractions.
This was my last full day in Fiesole. I had signed up for a cooking class with Silvia. After breakfast and my morning walk, we got started with the cooking class at 11am. She invited me into her kitchen and had a table ready with the ingredients. We would be preparing a spinach ricotta ravioli in a butter sage sauce. She would also be showing me how to make tagliatelle with the left over dough.
I noticed these colorful bins stacked up against this house and thought – even bins stacked up against a house look like art in Italy!
The dough is a very simple recipe of 200 grams Durham wheat and 2 eggs, with only a pinch of salt. You drop the eggs into the center of the dough and begin to blend and work into the dough. After a year of sourdough bread baking, this feel very straightforward. We then let the dough rest while we worked on the filling – a very simple spinach and ricotta blend.
200 of grams of Durham wheat ready for me to crack 2 eggs into.
She had me pour oil into the pan and I was modest with how much I poured, Silvia said, ‘More, more, you are not on a diet!’ I laughed and poured more generously. To that I added a single garlic clove that had just 2 small incisions with a knife. I place that into the pan with the oil to infuse the oil with the garlic aroma. She said you didn’t want it too strong an you would eventually toss the garlic clove.
Be generous with the oil, said Silvia. “You aren’t on a diet!”
She then had me sauté they spinach and add an equally amount of salt, pepper, and fresh ground nutmeg to taste. She said you want it balanced but powerful as it will have to bring the flavor to the ravioli which really has a mild taste. Also the ricotta is very mild. After the spinach was sautéed, we removed the garlic clove and she had me put the spinach on a cutting board and chop it up with a half-moon slicer. She said you don’t want it puréed, just chopped. I then added it to the ricotta to blend. After that, we again seasoned it with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Chopping the spinach with a ‘Mezzaluna’ – which basically means a ‘half moon chopping knife.’
We used a pasta press to transform the dough into long thin sheets to make the ravioli – from 0 to 7 on the machine in thinness. We then worked together to prepare the raviolis with the filling, remove the air in the pocket, cut with the ravioli cutter and then seal with the edge of a fork. The process went more quickly than I would have expected and soon awe had all the ravioli I would ever want and more for lunch portion.
Sheet of pressed dough before the filling is added. Voila! Finished ravioli ready to boil. The dog, Ugo, was ready for a sample.
She then showed me how to use the machine to make the tagliatelle with the left over dough. It was a 0-6 process of thinning and I was thrilled when I saw the how easily the tagliatelle spun out of the machine into my left hand as my right hand cranked the pasta press. It was as thrilling as it was when I was a little kid playing with play dough and you did something fancy with your new play dough set.
Literally squealed with delight when she told me to reach around the press and catch the fresh tagliatelle.
We then went to her garden to pick fresh sage – about 2-3 handfuls. We melted about 3-4 tablespoons of butter in the pan and once it was melted, added the sage leaves whole to get them crispy. While that was happening, the water was boiling for the ravioli and it really only took 1-2 minutes for the ravioli to be ready. It just had to float to the top of the rolling boil and it was done. As they were done, I scooped them out like gold fish with a mesh wire basket and added them to the bowl in layers between the butter sage sauce. I tossed it all together and we added grated cheese.
Silvia picking fresh sage from her garden.
Silvia then set a table outside for me on this beautiful sunny day, overlooking the hills, and also brought over a bottle of a wonderful organic Chianti. I enjoyed the ravioli and that wine and the view so much. It was a perfect little moment under the Tuscan sun. A great way to end my last full day in Fiesole.
Table where I sat to enjoy my bottle of wine a fresh ravioli. Magical.
I spent the rest of the afternoon writing – working on my book and blogging, and then did a little packing for the next day. Silvia told me to come back to her kitchen at 8pm and we would boil the tagliatelle for my dinner and she did just that and added a pesto. I had a pasta on pasta day and I was perfectly happy about that. I went back to my room and enjoyed dinner with some more of that bottle of wine.
Finished spinach ricotta ravioli in a butter sage sauce.
Tomorrow I would be heading out to go pick up Heidi and Jeff in central Florence. I’m cringing about thinking about driving there on a Saturday at high noon. But, once that hurdle is behind me, we will head to the Val D’Orcia where the farm is and about 1:45 from Florence. I feel much more comfortable out there on the roads and I am so excited to get back and see everyone again. Buona Notte.
I am still the only guest at the Villa and Silvia gets up early to make all of these baked goods, so really how can I pass those up? I’m obviously on a high carb plan in Italy. Yes – of course, I’d love a croissant with a side of butter and a side of another kind of bread you baked with butter and jam. Yes, I’ll take the eggs, the yogurt with granola, the meat slices, the honey, the fruit salad, and bottomless cappuccinos. Hey, at least I’m not snacking.
Portion of a typical breakfast with protein, carbs, fresh baked breads, jams, butter, yogurt, and granola.
While I am staying in the hamlet of Fiesole, I’m not actually in the City Centre. The sky was bright blue this morning and I thought it would be a great day to try the loop walk at the top of the walled City. I also needed to go there to figure out how/where to get my COVID test I needed to take on Saturday. I had an appointment at the lab in Fiesole that Silvia had booked for me that morning, but think the type of test is overkill and I don’t need that fancy of a test that gets sent to a lab. I just need a rapid antigen test before I head off to the farm.
I head up to Fiesole City Centre about 10:30 am – when I think everyone who wants to drive my direction on a one-lane road has already gotten to where they want to be that morning. That plan worked out pretty well. Also me studying where the parking lots were on the map – like it was a treasure map – was also another good pre-plan. I felt like I knew what I was doing all the way up to Fiesole and had a parking lot in mind.
As to plan, I found a great lot outside the walled city and parked without issue and headed up to the top. The views, as advertised, were spectacular- you can see all of Florence from the top and then some.
View from the top, looking down over Florence.
I walked around and headed first to the ‘Lab’ – to inquire more about my test. There were several people waiting. We all had our masks on. It goes through my head – wouldn’t it be ironic if I actually got COVID while waiting to find out how to get tested for something I absolutely feel no symptoms for at the moment? I try to assess each person – do they look sick with COVID or are they just there for blood tests, while I wait.
A hot mess of an old woman with a flashy red hat walks in with about the dirtiest blue mask I’ve seen in a while. She keeps switching between her mask and her scarf. I think oh boy – I wonder what her story is. She starts speaking to me in Italian and I tell her I don’t understand. Then she starts speaking to me in good English with a thick accent. She says, ‘Are you American? I’m from New York but I live here now.’ It’s so funny, because she seems like she blends in with the old ladies over here so well, I don’t picture her to be an American. But she starts talking about politics. ‘Do you like Biden?’ She asks. I say, “I don’t like what he is doing to our country.” She says, ‘Me neither, I voted for Trump.’ I wanted to laugh, because that is the last thing I expected out of her mouth. But wow, she knew a lot about US politics and the border crisis and the economy. More than I could ever tell her about Italian government. I really know nothing about the Italian government. Anyway, then she goes into telling me she plans to go to Hawaii soon to go visit a granddaughter living there. Another thing I don’t expect out of her mouth. But she has the whole trip planned, flight to L.A. – a few days there, then on over to Hawaii. She asks if I think she’ll have to wear the mask the whole flight, I answer – ‘Yes, yes you will.’ Anyway, she was a real character to talk to and before I knew it my questions were answered by the lab and I was on my way. I wouldn’t need the test there, I just needed to go to a pharmacy to get a rapid test on Saturday.
The “New York” Italian
I find a place Silvia recommended to me for lunch and they have a cute little table in a cubby outside. So hard to explain. But I fit perfect there. I ordered what I thought was a salad with goat cheese. Not so much. See photo. But it tasted just fine and then the pasta came and it was perfect. Another spectacular meal. I’ve started making lunch my main meal of the day, complete with wine. When I get back to the Villa, I just eat a piece of fruit if I get hungry. Between that and walking – hoping not to gain any kilos over here.
My salad with goat cheese. This was a surprise!
After lunch I head out for the ‘Pietra Serena E Leonardo’ route which means ‘The stonemasons and Leonardo’ – it sounds so much more appealing in Italian, doesn’t it? It’s a 2.5 kilometer loop that goes through a forest and has some steep inclines. Silvia said it is a beautiful hike. So off I went, and yes – it WAS beautiful. As I got deeper and deeper into the woods, I thought, hmmm, I am out here alone. What if someone attacks me? Isn’t that said, our minds have to go there? I thought, ‘Well, Silvia wouldn’t have sent me here solo if she thought it wasn’t a good idea.’ Then I get on a real rocky descent and think, ‘What if I twist my ankle? There is no one around that I have seen that can help me. I would have to wait for someone to come.’ I keep trying to shake these thoughts off and enjoy the walk.
Beautiful wooded portion of the 2.5 kilo loop.
I come up to the top and there is an older man there -probably in his 70’s. He is Italian speaks no English, but is really trying to give me directions on the loop and telling me to be sure to turn left at the tiny church. I understand that much. It was reassuring to see him and have him be helpful and to know there is another soul on this route. If I were with someone, these thoughts wouldn’t even be entering my head. It’s just the solo factor that spins up in ‘what if’ moments like this that I’m not used to back home.
I feel like Italy is a gorgeous woman that doesn’t need make-up, just some lipstick and she’s good. Like this old fence set in an old wall – add red leaves – boom – gorgeous.
Well, I finished the hike and managed to enjoy the views, my time in nature, and all the good hiking/walking I did on this day. The sun will be setting soon and I wanted to be sure to get back before dark. I found the car and headed home, feeling more and more comfortable with my little route home as the days go by.
Pulled back into the villa at the end of the day and loved how the sunlight was hitting the building.
I decided today needed to be the day I give my body a break from the death grip on my steering wheel and adrenaline rush of maneuvering my RV around this tiny town. The weather is warmer and sunny today, which is a nice break from the rain of the last two days. A great day to get out and walk as much as possible.
I sat down to another nice breakfast with Silvia and her friend Rafaella. It’s so cozy in the breakfast room. Silvia starts a fire each morning. She makes me as many coffees as I’ll drink and always has a nice display of offerings for breakfast. Silvia, Rafaella and I are all about the same age – so it was interesting to talk about culture and their upbringing. We also started talking about vision and driving and how it makes them much more cautious as we age. They said all their friends call them grandma drivers. What do you know – we are all kindred spirits! LOL.
Breakfast is through the brown doors each morning. My room is above with green shutters. I have the whole floor, and an outdoor patio with 180 degree views of the countryside.
After breakfast, I ask Silvia about hikes around the property, she points me right up the hill and said there are 360 degree views from there. So I head up that path. It was such a beautiful morning and the walk was incredibly invigorating, noticing nature all around me with jaw dropping views. It’s interesting – at home, I always want music or a podcast on – when I’m getting ready, when I’m out walking, when I’m cooking. Here – I am just content with silence. I think the beauty all around me is so stimulating to my senses, I really don’t need anything else and I don’t want anything to distract from what I am experiencing.
View from my walk. What? Is this even real?!?!?
Silvia has a little Lagotto Romagnolo (Italian Water Dog), he’s about 11 months old and he is the cutest little dog. His name is Ugo and he followed me off the property and decided to be my companion the whole walk. It was so cute – it was like he was my little protector. So much so, once we got near the main road he started jumping on me as if to say, ‘That’s it, that’s as far as we are allowed to go.’ So I said, okay, let’s turn around then. They use these dogs in Italy to hunt truffle. They only cost about 700 Euros here, but if you want one back home you’ll need to pay $3k – $5k. Pretty steep for a dog. I think I’ll just enjoy Silvia’s dog for the day and not think I need a dog like this back home, because you know I thought that by the end of the walk.
Ugo, my little Italian dog walking companion. He took great care of me.
During the walk – wouldn’t you know I walked right past the ‘road’ that gave me so much trouble the night before. It was like returning to the scene of trauma in the daytime and wondering how you made it through. I will say – it did feel way less intimidating in the daytime, but still I could see, I would have never made it through if I had tried to keep going forward. It did make me think though – probably a good idea to stay off the roads a night as long as I am solo over here and still not familiar with the area.
This is the view from the other end. I would have had to squeeze between that wall and the house. Way too tight!
After my morning walk, I came back and worked on my book and then my blog for a bit until I was hungry for lunch. So I walked into town to try Mario’s. This was the ‘real deal’ Italian local place. After they sat me outside, the old man (possibly Mario himself) came to my table and spoke to me in Italian. I told him (in Italian) I didn’t understand or speak Italian. So, he did what any good old Italian would do. He spoke the exact same thing to me in Italian, only this time, more slowly and louder. I nodded my head as if to say, okay yes, sounds good. I think he was telling me the specials?
A younger woman, realized my plight and came to the table with a menu in English – and within 15-20 minutes I had my first official Italian meal of the trip, complete with wine, coffee and dessert. I knew I wouldn’t be venturing out again after this meal, so decided just splurge on lunch. The cost for all of that was only about 20 Euro. A bargain, considering I also ordered food to go in case I got hungry later (I doubt I would – but didn’t want to leave again).
Vineyard with a heart. Nature in Italy often feels poetic.
I enjoyed my walk back home and just taking in nature some more. It was wonderful to have this stress free day to take walks, and hike, and write. I watched the sunset off my outdoor balcony at the end of the night and smiled realizing, yes – I’m finally starting to relax and settle in – this feels fantastic.
Kicking my feet up at the end of the day on my patio.
