Tuscany May 2004
Tuscany Tuscany Boston
May
12, 2004: We flew from Dulles International via Milan
to Pisa France
May
13, 2004: Transferring from one flight to the next in Milan Pisa
Since
we had our carry-on luggage, we quickly went to the car rental place, got some
money from the ATM machine, and then drove off to Pisa Maryland
Getting
to Lucca
Finding
our hotel in Lucca Lucca
We
unpacked a few things from our bags, freshened up, and then headed out for the
afternoon. Lucca
Dinner
was very good. We dined at Orti di Via Elisa near the porta Elisa on the
east side. The hotel owner recommended this little place when I
corresponded with him prior to the trip. I emailed the restaurant and
made 7:30pm dinner reservations. The pappardelle with rabbit sauce was
very good. Reenie enjoyed braised goat with onions. One part of the
restaurant reminded me of a diner.
We
had a nice walk home after dinner, taking about an hour to get to the hotel. Lucca
May
14th, 2004: I didn't sleep well last night. Our room faced an inner
courtyard, so it was quiet at night. Reenie had gotten up earlier and
stepped out for a short walk. I looked out the window to find bright blue
skies. I was very happy! Temperature for the day was in the mid
70's and dry.
We
decided to climb the first of many towers early before it got too hot and
possibly too crowded. We stopped along the way where I purchased a large
slice of foccacia bread for breakfast along with some cheese that Reenie
purchased the day before.
We
climbed up the tower, the Palazzo Guinigi, where shade trees grow on top of the
tower! There were 230 steps to the top and well worth the climb for the
great views of Lucca and the nearby areas. Lucca
We
wandered around the town stopping at various places (S. Frediano, as well as
the Mansini museum wonderful place to visit with its tapestries,
beautiful carpeting, and the most ornate room with gilded statues and alcove
and silk wall hangings), and walked along the town walls. Many locals get
around Lucca
For
lunch we shared a pizza Margherita at Pizzeria Rusticanella 2. The crust
was thin and it was delicious!
Back
in our room, we freshened up and headed out to Pisa Pisa Pisa
We
look through the many kiosks that sold faux brand purses. I purchased a
purse designed by Giovanni for 14 Euros. Most of the goods were tacky
touristy items, such as the leaning tower coffee cups. It was around 6pm
that we decided to take a break and have a glass of wine at a café. We
sat enjoying our house wine while writing in our journals. Our waitress
Roberta talked with us for a while. She was embarrassed with her limited
English, but I thought she spoke very well. While sitting, we watched the
illegal vendors grab their goods when they heard the police were coming. A few
minutes later, they returned and laid out their goods. This went on a few
times.
My
friend Dawn recommended we dine at Stefani's, a restaurant three miles south of
Lucca Pisa
Driving
back into Lucca Lucca Lucca
15
May 2004. It was time to drive south to Montepulciano. We woke up
around 9am. I was a little tired, still getting over the jetlag.
After packing our bags, we headed out to get a bite to eat and visit the
antique market nearby. I was hoping it also included a food market but it
didn't. We quickly looked through, but were not interested in
anything. It was all antique crystal, brass, frabrics, etc.
We
were finally on the road by 10:30am after checking out. We didn't get to
Montepulciano until 3pm! I expected the ride to take only 2 hours.
I hate the Italian road signs. Even with good directions from Giacomo,
the owner of the apartment in Montepulciano, I still ended up on the wrong
road. I should have known better from my last driving experience in Italy Siena
when I saw one for Siena Siena Siena Siena
Then
in Siena Siena
Once
in Montepulciano, finding the apartment wasn't easy since there is limited
driving within the town. There were lots of steep road, sharp turns, and Senso
Unico, one-way streets. I found the apartment after about 10 minutes
and parked next to the building. I was glad to be there and out of the
car! I rang Giacomo's door and he greeted us. The previous
apartment renters had just left, so the place still needed to be cleaned.
We unpacked our luggage while Oxana cleaned the apartment. We were
pleased with the apartment. There is a small hallway with the living room
and bedroom on the right (with wonderful views) and the kitchen and bathroom on
the left. We went out for a late lunch/snack. I had a little
sandwich on the road, but Reenie didn't have a bite to eat all day. We
ordered bruschetta and a polenta appetizer, thinking it would be similar to the
polenta dish from Stefani's. It was more of a very thick soup. The
bruschetta was huge!
Montepulciano
is a beautiful, hilly town with some steep hills. We certainly got our
exercise every day in all the towns. Montepulciano is very touristy with
its many wine and pecorino cheese shops. There is one great shop near the
bottom of town where one can sample wine and cheese. There were many
people in that shop. I purchased some Vin Santo and Cantucci for the
apartment and Reenie purchase some white wine, the same as we had for dinner
the night before.
Back
in our apartment, we enjoyed some wine before dinner. I had asked Giacomo
to make dinner reservations for us at Acquacheta for 7:30pm. The Osteria
was only a three-minute walk from the apartment. The place seats about 35
people - tight and cozy. I saw my name on one of the table paper
placemats. We sat next to an older Italian couple (Silvano and Fernanda
Aveno) who were from Milan
After
dinner, we walk around town before heading back to the apartment. That was our
normal routine after dinner. It helped us to wind down from our busy days
and large meals. In our apartment we enjoyed some Vin Santo and cookies,
a nice treat to end the day.
16
May 2004 Sunday: I woke up several times during the night. The bed
was firm and comfortable but the pillow was too hard. Reenie slept in the
living room on the foldout couch. This was a nice arrangement since she
reads before going to sleep. I also woke to no hot water in the
apartment! We ended up boiling some water so I could take a sponge bath
and wash my hair. Reenie took a bath last night without any water
problems. We found out later from Giacomo that there was a switch next to
the bathroom light switch. Giacomo explained "I" is on
"O" is off, common in Italy
We
were out of the apartment by 9:15pm for our first day trip. Just near the
main entrance to Montepulciano on the south side of town, there were two gas
stations. I had the car filled (30 Euros!), and then we drove off for the
day. It was another beautiful day again and we were thankful. It
was around the low to mid 70's. Just perfect.
Our
first visit after stopping along the way to take some pictures was to the Abbey
Di Mont Oliveto Maggiore. I read in one of my guidebooks that for a great
view of the Abby one should drive past the Abby to the next tiny town,
Chiusure. We took a few photos, and then headed to the Abbey. The
frescos in the courtyard were fabulous, especially the Legent of St. Benedict painted by Signorelli. We also saw the
monk's dining room: tables set with dishes, cups, and even bottled water.
Asicano
is a lovely little town north of the Abbey. We arrived in time for lunch
since most of the shops (though not many) were closed. I was hungry too
since we didn't buy any breakfast for the apartment. I picked the first
restaurant I saw, La Mencina. We sat in the back outside under umbrellas.
We were the first to arrive and hoped others would come and fill the
place. As we were getting ready to order our meal, I looked up and to my
surprise saw Silvano and Fernanda walk in. Reenie saw my expression and
wondered what I could have possibly been seeing. We asked them to join us
for lunch and again, we had a great time with them. It was amazing to
meet up with someone while in Tuscany Tuscany
After
our "Ciaos" and hugs, we drove to Serre di Rapolano, which was only
five minutes away. Alexandra, our hostess at Piccolo Hotel Oliveta in Siena Tuscany
Trequanda
was another small town that Alexandra recommended we visit. I liked her
choices in towns, as they were not filled with many tourists. Trequanda was
quaint and quiet. To get there, we drove past Singalunga. We were
quite surprised at the size of the police station in Trequanda - it was a very
large building for the small town. What crimes were committed here?
It
was getting late in the afternoon, so we headed back to Montepulicano.
Dark clouds were in the sky but we only had a few drops of rain. We drove
back on some very windy roads, even a dirt road. I knew the road would
lead us to Montepulicano (I saw a sign!) but didn't like being on a deserted
dirt road. What if we got a flat tire? That would have been lots of
fun.
Back
in Montepulicano, we ran into Giacomo. He's a very nice man and was
interested in hearing about our day. He recommended Ai Quattro Venti for
dinner, which was very good. It's located in the Piazza Grande, about a
7-minute steep hill walk away. Dining next to us was a French
couple. We talked to them with our limited French. After our short
walk, we wrote in our journals in the apartment with our wine and dessert.
17
May 2004: Today was a special day for us. When I corresponded with
Alexandra about our hotel arrangements in Siena
While
outside waiting for Antonio, we chatted with Giacomo. Antonio had called
him for directions and showed up minutes later. Antonio walked up to us
in his New York City
Antonio
drove us to Montalcino via some small roads (SP15, SP57, etc) passing Torrita,
Castelmuzio, S. Giovanni d'Asso. He told us the location of the Abbey
that was used in the film, The English Patient. We would visit there another
day. At a winery (Conti Costanti) just outside Montalcino, we tasted some
Brunello wines. They were fabulous, but expensive. Our little tour
included seeing the large wine barrels in the storage room and how the grape
vines have to be pruned by hand to insure maximum growth for the next
year. Annalisa, one of the owners in the family, explained the wine
making process. Brunello wines must age for at least 5 years but are best
up to 7-10 years.
Our
next stop was at an olive oil Frantoli near S. Angelo in Colle. Antonio
drives like my husband's cousin from Naples USA on
this trip, I read in the paper that most olives are imported to Italy from Spain
and Tunisia
The
three of us dined at a small Trattoria in S. Angelo in Colle for lunch.
We met Fabio, Antonio's business partner in his hotel and Country Tours
business. He recommended a wild boar dish for lunch. Everything we
had was wonderful. Our meal ended with a shot of Grappa.
Our
day with Antonio was quite enjoyable and most memorable. He certainly is
passionate about wine and the Italian way of life. He told us that one
does not need much [money] to enjoy the simple, fresh foods of Tuscany , the wines, and Tuscany Tuscany Tuscany Tuscany and help them to really
appreciate what Tuscany
We
made our way back to Montepulciano in the late afternoon and after a kiss on
each cheek and, "See you Saturday," he was off. What a
wonderful day it was with Antonio. If anyone wants to feel at home while
in Tuscany
Stuffed
from lunch, we walked around town for a while to get some exercise. I
purchased a few gift items and a lovely ceramic utensil jar for the
kitchen. I found the prices to be a lot more expensive than on the last
trip to Italy
18
May 2004: Another beautiful day in Tuscany Egypt United States
The
streets of Cortona are very steep at some points. We worked our legs this
day! We wandered around, visited the cathedral, before heading to Piazza
Repubblica for lunch at Ristorante La Loggetta. We picked a table outside
where we could see the piazza and people watch. Lunch was very good (I
loved the dish Reenie had: Spelt with chicory in a parmesan cheese/cream
sauce). When I received the bill, I noticed that the waitress charged me
3 Euros more than she should have, so I had her correct the bill. She did
so with many apologies.
As
usual, Reenie wanted to see the fortress. She wanted to see all the
fortresses she could! So up we went to the fortress along those steep,
steep streets. We stopped along the way to take some pictures and to
catch our breath. I didn't go to the fortress. Instead, I found a
nice shady bench at the S. Margherita church to relax. I know I burned
half of my lunch by then. Dinner would be well deserved. Reenie
came back a short while later. Although she had great views, it was hazy
in the distance.
I
was ready to drive home, but Reenie wanted to see another town. We drove
to Lucignano, a lovely walled-in town. It's a very lovely, small place to
visit. The towns were beginning to blend. This town actually has
four streets, all circling the next one inside. It wasn't hilly at all,
so that was a nice change. I purchased a bottle of white wine for the apartment
while Reenie purchased some ham. She bought a single large slice.
The butcher just smiled.
Getting
back to Montepulciano was very aggravating. To get to the A1 from
Lucignano, I had to drive north on a small road (following the sign to A1) for
7 to 10 miles!! Then once I was on A1 heading south, there was no exit
for Montepulicano. The maps that I had showed the roads and it looked
like there were an exit for Montepulciano. We drove south all the way to
the Chiaciano Terme exit, about 6-8 miles away. How frustrating!!! I
could have driven the small roads to Montepulciano from Lucignano and gotten
home sooner. Damn Italian roads! What a waste of gas and
time.
Instead
of going to the apartment, then out to dinner, we drove directly to a
recommended place called Osteria Nottola, a few miles north of town.
Well, I guess I didn't read my notes properly as they were only open for
lunch. That was too bad. I read good reviews of this place.
So we drove back to Montepulciano where I dropped Reenie off at Ai Quattro
Venti to get a table while I parked the car. Just as I got to the piazza,
she was waiting for me. Reenie could only get 9pm reservations, but that
was fine for us. We walked to the apartment, had some wine, wrote in our
journals, and relaxed. We did a lot of walking this day so it was good to
just hang out.
Dinner
was so excellent that I made reservations for the next night at Quattro
Venti. But I decided too that we wouldn't dine there again after that
since there were other great restaurants to try. It was nice to be
recognized by the owner. The chef also recognized us who smiled and
checked up on us to see how we liked our meals.
19
May 2004: We've been having such wonderful luck with the weather.
Again we woke up to blue skies and warm weather. Our first stop of the
day was at a Pecorino farmhouse near Montepulciano. Reenie really enjoyed
the cheese we had at lunch with Antonio and wished she bought the wheel of
cheese that was there. She didn't care for the cheese, so we moved on.
At least we knew there was a cheese shop in town that we could use as a
backup.
I
drove the same route that Antonio did to get to S. Anna in Camprena, where the
English Patient was filmed. Along the way we stopped in charming
Montefollonico. It's a very small town, no tourists except for two women
on bikes. We saw a lot of bikers on this trip. How they ride on
these small, steep, windy roads, I just don't know. I found the deal of
the century in an Alimentari: Limoncello for 3.95 Euros. Every
other shop had bottles ranging 9-12 Euros. Unbelievable! So I
bought one to bring home. Then I decided to buy one to have while in the
apartment. Reenie bought Amaretto for 9.61 Euros - at least $20 in the
States. I also bought more cantucci to bring back home with the Vin Santo
I bought the other day. It's such a simple and delicious dessert.
Continuing
on, I took the wrong turn (or so I thought) and ended in the town of Castelmuzio
The
road to the S. Anna in Camprena is lined with tall Cypress
Pienza
was lovely despite the many tourists. This was one town where many
residents filled their windows with beautiful flowers as well as their door
steps. We found a place to eat, but too late to get a table to dine al
fresco. The patio was packed with hungry diners. Lunch was good,
but I should have ordered the tagliatelle with tartufo. The man at the
next table ordered it and it smelled heavenly. Truffles have such an
intense smell. We wandered around Pienza after lunch enjoying the sights.
We also purchased some wonderful pecorino cheese to bring back home.
Not
too far south of Pienza is Bagno Vignoni, a very small spa town. I
believe it's the only town that has a bath for its piazza. We took a
break and had water and tea. I noticed some older Italian soaking their
feet in the spa stream so we joined them. The water was warm and
refreshing. I expected the water to be cold. Our feet deserved this
small spa treatment. The views were lovely from there.
Our
last stop of the day was in S. Quirico d'Orcia. We walked around the town
and visited the church. On the way home, we stopped a few times taking
photographs of the countryside. We were always amazed with the views and
never tired of them.
This
was a long day. We arrived back at the apartment around 7pm and we had 8pm
dinner reservations. Later, during our usual evening stroll, we walked
home via a different street. It was fairly dark and I heard a noise in
the grass. I saw a little porcupine like animal. He was cute and stood
still once he knew I saw him. We enjoyed limoncello before bedtime.
20
May 2004: Here we go again, another beautiful day! There was more
haze than the other days, but we were very happy so far for the weather we
had. Thursday is market day in Montepulicano. After searching for a
parking lot, I found one near a ballpark. We saw many items in the
market: shoes, shirts, baby clothes, pants, kitchen items, various foods,
etc. There were lots of stalls and it was very busy with buyers, most of
them residents of Montepulciano. I purchased a kitchen tablecloth in a
lemon print for only 8 Euros. What a bargain!
We
visited the market for about 45 minutes, and then headed out for the day.
We drove to Abby di S. Antimo. It sits in a little valley and is quite
beautiful. Lots of people were picnicking on the lawn. Another
group of people were singing some songs, but they were in the distance so it
was hard to hear what they were singing. I imagine they were religious
songs.
I
was tempted to drive to S. Angelo in Colle for lunch, but wanted time in
Montalcino. I found a parking lot near the fortezza. We walked
along briefly and found a place for lunch. Although the food was good,
the service was extremely slow. We should have walked out, but the
waitress had already brought our wine. I asked for the check three
times. We could have walked out because when I asked the waitress for the
third time she thought the other woman already took care of us.
I
found Montalcino to be more expensive than the other Tuscan towns. I was
very happy that I chose Montepulciano as our home base. We toured the
fortezza and enjoyed the views from above. While walking around town I
was keeping an eye out for Bob and Ginny's hotel. Just as I looked down a
street I saw the hotel and there was Bob and Ginny walking towards us.
After talking for about five minutes, Dawn and Francesco drove up in their
car. I wasn't sure if we would have the time to see them while on this
trip since there was no phone in the apartment to contact them. Dawn and
Francesco had stopped by our apartment earlier some woman told them we had
checked out. Dawn was so concerned because she knew I wouldn't have check
out until Saturday. We found a café and enjoyed some wine and each
other's company. Reenie was anxious to see more of Montalcino, so we made
dinner plans with Dawn and Francesco and left the group. We stopped at
one church, but I didn't go in since I was not properly dressed. That was
fine as I was getting my fill of churches and Abbeys.
We
stopped in Pienza on the way home to purchase some wine at a grocery
store. It went quickly in the apartment. We also picked up some
meat for breakfast. Back in the apartment we had our usual glass of wine.
We
made plans to meet Dawn and Francesco at the Villa Nottola at 8pm where they
were staying. The villa has a restaurant, so we figure we'd dine
there. It was only a 10-minute ride from Montepulciano. Once we got
there, Francesco said the place was too expensive, so I suggested we head back
to town for dinner. Francesco called one restaurant who told him,
"Get here quickly, we close soon." It was only 8:15pm!
They followed me back to the apartment and we walked to Acquachetta to see if
we could get in there instead. We were told 9pm, so Francesco made the
reservations. Back at the apartment we had some wine and talked about
many things and relaxed. It was very nice sitting in the living room as
if it were our own home.
Dinner
was very good. I tried Riboletto for the first time, a Tuscan poor man's
soup of bread and beans. It's amazing that such simple ingredients make
for a great dish. That's what Tuscany
(and all of Italy
21
May 2004: I woke up with a hangover- too much wine and limoncello.
In fact I was surprised how much limoncello we drank. I could have slept
till noon. We toured Montepulciano in the morning visiting the Torre in
the piazza, the Duomo, walked along the park and stopped in the grocery store
to buy some orange juice. My body needed some liquids. This was the
first time we saw Montepulciano during the "rush hour" with the many
tourists.
After
sharing a pizza for lunch (and it was good!) we visited the Tempio di S. Bagio
church. It was under scaffolding. There's always something covered
with scaffolding in Europe . Our
afternoon visit was to Chuisi (an old Etruscan town), about a 30-minute drive
south. I had to fill the car with gas and couldn't figure out how to use
the self-service pump. I drove to another station and it was
closed. It was siesta time. Back at the first station, there were
two cars there, so I was able to get directions: add money, pick pump number,
pump gas, go. We should have visited Chuisi in the morning when the
museums were open but we neglected to check our guide books and notes the night
before. We could only walk around and see the town. I wasn't
impressed with the town as it was more modern than the others. It wasn't
quaint and pretty.
Back
in Montepulciano, Reenie went out to get some wine while I prepared a small
antipasti plate together for a pre-dinner appetizer. We wanted to sit
outside in the back yard, but the table and chairs needed to be cleaned.
After dinner at Diva e Maceo (one of our better meals), we chatted with two
women from Canada
22
May 2004. It was time to move on and head to Siena Florence Siena Siena
We
walked into town, which took about 15 minutes, from the Porta Romana
gate. Our first stop: the Campanile and its 503 steps to the top.
It was actually a pretty easy climb. The views of Siena
The
Duomo in Siena was our favorite. It was quite spectacular with all the
various color marble and beautiful inlaid marble on the floors. There are
large panels depicting various scenes. The last time we were there, most
were covered. This time we could enjoy seeing most of the panels.
It took 120 years to build this Duomo.
After
lunch at Da Dino (tasty veal Milanese), we walked back to the hotel to get our
bags and unpack some of our clothing. Since we were nearing the end of
the trip, I didn't take everything out. I didn't want to spend extra time
repacking everything. I decided that since my bags were getting very
heavy that we should just enjoy the other bottle of limoncello. I can
easily make it at home. So we had some while unpacking. It was
better than carrying the extra weight.
We
met Antonio and Alexandra around 7pm to go to dinner. They had plans to
take us to Antonio's favorite restaurant, Ristorante Nella La Taverna.
First we had drinks in the Campo and watched a parade of the Contrade that won
last years' Palio. Everyone wore scarves of their Contrade colors and
sang songs. There are 17 Contrade, representing the various districts of Siena
Alberto,
the owner of Nella and friend of Antonio, took good care of us. Antonio
brought him a bottle of Brunello. We had a fabulous dinner and consider
it our best meal out of the whole trip. We started with a glass of
champagne, followed by the antipasti. My octopus "sopresata"
was excellent. White wine was served with our primi (eggplant ravioli
with julienne zucchini) and red wine with our secondo (rolled rabbit stuffed
with pancetta and sauce). We all shared a variety of desserts along with
a strong after dinner drink. Everything was just wonderful. Next to
our table were five men from Germany
After
a short walk around the Campo, we drove back to the hotel. I would have
liked to walk off dinner, but it was nice to go home in comfort. Antonio
and Alexandra made the evening very special, something we'll never
forget. Thank you so very much!
23
May 2004 Sunday: Today started out different: Cloudy skies. I
sent an email to Tony (as well as the day before). It was my first chance
at getting to a computer. I knew he knew I was okay because he kept an eye out
on the PC banking. He knew if I took money out, I was alive and well and
spending money! This was our last day with the car and I was glad!
I got tired of driving every day, but it was the only way to really see the
countryside of Tuscany
I
had lunch alone (excellent mushroom and chicken liver risotto and with a side
dish of grilled eggplant) while Reenie walked around. She really wasn't
hungry. We decided to skip Colle Val d'Elsa as we decided we had seen
enough for the day. The town blended, although a few stand out as my
favorites: Serre di Rapolano, Montepulciano, Montefollonico, and Pienza.
Back
at the hotel we packed some of our things while it rained. It rained hard
for an hour. By the time we were ready to head out for the evening, it
stopped raining. We were so lucky on this trip with the weather.
Antonio
was sweet to help me get the car to the car rental office. I followed him
and thank goodness I did. I would have gotten lost! The sign for
Europe Car was quite small. Expecting to bring us back to the hotel, he
actually dropped us off in the center of town near the restaurant where planned
to dine. We walked around a bit before heading to the restaurant.
Alexandra had made dinner reservations for us at La Torre. At dinner the
night before I stated I would rather dine at Nella again, but they recommended
we dine at La Torre for a different experience. The pasta was made fresh
that day and delicious! No menu (except for one in the window), the
owner, who sipped his white wine watered down a little with some water behind
the counter, told us our choices. Reenie splurged and ordered the
Florentine steak bistecca a la Florentina. She was a little
disappointed as it was not rare enough for her. I had the osso
bucco. Dinner was good, but Nella La Taverna was the best.
24
May 2004. We woke up around 7am so we could have our breakfast and get to
the bus station for the 9:05 bus to Florence
We
didn't get the chance to see Alexandra. She received news that her cousin
in Naples Naples Tuscany Florence
It
was a slow walk to our hotel from the bus station. Our bags were quite heavy,
so we switched hands every few minutes. It took about 20 minutes to get
to the hotel walking along via Nazionale to Via Guelfa. Via Guelfa is a
small, but busy street. Our hotel building had no elevator! Luckily
Massimo, one of the managers, helped Reenie with her luggage.
Our
room still needed to be cleaned, so we stored our bags with our breakables
behind the counter and left for a while. The Mercato Centrale was just
around the corner. We wandered around checking out the outdoor stalls,
which had tons of leather goods, scarfs, purses, and souvenirs. One
cheese and meat stall inside the market had a plate of samples. Delicious
cheese! I ordered a sandwich for lunch while Reenie picked up a few
different sampling of foods. We found a bench near by and enjoyed our
lunch.
Back
at the hotel we checked into our room. We had one more flight of stairs
to tackle, but Massimo took the larger pieces of luggage for us. Room 24
is very plain with a king and twin beds. The carpeting needs to be replaced
(I was glad I brought my slippers), as well as replacing the "lock"
on the bathroom door. I had asked for a room facing the inner courtyard
rather than facing the busy street. Reenie complained about the tub
because there was no stopper for her to take a bath. Other than that, it
was pretty decent. However, the driving factor that made me decide not to
recommend this place was the fact that the beautiful white Persian cat that
hangs around proceeded to use the tile floor of the lobby bathroom as its
toilet. That was such a turn off! This hotel was recommended in
Sandra Gustafson's Great Sleeps in Italy Book, so it was a big
disappointment.
After
unpacking a few items, we went to the Palazzo Medici-Ricardi, the original home
of Cosimo de'Medici. Such opulent rooms, but our favorite was the one
room in the Palazzo Mansi in Lucca
We
enjoyed the great views from the top of the Campanile, a total of 414
steps. From the Campanile, we could view the Dome of the Duomo and all
the way to the mountains. I also saw the Mercato Centrale and the general
area of our hotel. We deserved a break after that climb, so we decided to
get some gelato at Perche No! It was fabulous!
The
Medici Chapels were open so we went in. We were surprised at the "free
entry." Well, it was free because a lot of the chapel was under
scaffolding. Still, it was an amazing site to see. The Medici's
knew how to show off their wealth and their support of the Renaissance
artisans everywhere.
One
fun thing to do in Florence Venice
For
dinner, I asked Massimo to make reservations for us at Trattoria Guelfa, a
small place up the street. Mrs. Copola, who I had corresponded with about
her hotel, recommended it to me. As we arrived at the Trattoria, groups
of people were turned away the place was full. Just as the woman
started to shut the door on us, I told her in Italian we had
reservations. With a big smile, she let us in and led us to our reserved
table. Dinner was very good, including the risotto a la Florentina and
veal with mushroom sauce. Reenie was daring and tried a tripe dish.
I had a couple of bites. It wasn't bad but not something I'd order on a
regular basis. The Trattoria had three different "menus" for 9
Euros, a very good deal. I chose the specials of the evening.
25
May 2004: Reenie and I had a very busy day starting with a small breakfast at
the hotel. This was the morning I saw the cat crapping on the tile floor
in the bathroom. Also, a couple from Russia
Our
first exercise of the day was to climb the dome of the Duomo, a total of 463
steps. We visited the Duomo first, which was not as impressive as the
Duomo in Siena
dome was very short. It's best to get there in the a.m. before the crowds get there. We took this very slowly. At one level of our climb, we walked halfway around the Duomo on the inside. Looking down we could see the other visitors. Large plexiglass was laid so that no one could throw things down. It was a little claustrophobic as the walkway was pretty narrow. Then we hit the area of the dome itself as the walls started curving in. At this point is where we could see the two domes. As stated on the web: http://gallery.euroweb.hu/database/churches/duomo.html,
"The
dome was not built until the early 15th century, when Filippo Brunelleschi, a
goldsmith and sculptor, began to make statues for the cathedral. Gradually he
became interested in the building itself and built some smaller parts of it. In
about 1415 he prepared a design for the dome that he daringly proposed to build
without the aid of formwork, which had been absolutely necessary in all
previous Roman and Gothic construction. He built a 1:12 model of the dome in
brick to demonstrate his method; the design was accepted and built under his
supervision from 1420 to 1436. Brunelleschi's dome consists of two
layers, an inner dome spanning the diameter and a parallel outer shell to
protect it from the weather and give it a more pleasing external form. Both
domes are supported by 24 stone half arches, or ribs, of circular form, 2.1
metres (seven feet) thick at the base and tapering to 1.5 metres (five feet),
which meet at an open stone compression ring at the top. To resist outward thrust,
tie rings of stone held together with metal cramps run horizontally between the
ribs. There are also tie rings of oak timbers joined by metal connectors. The
spaces between the ribs and tie rings are spanned by the inner and outer
shells, which are of stone for the first 7.1 metres and brick above. The entire
structure was built without formwork, the circular profiles of the ribs and
rings being maintained by a system of measuring wires fixed at the centres of
curvature. Brunelleschi obviously understood enough about the structural
behaviour of the dome to know that, if it were built in horizontal layers, it
would always be stable and not require timber centring. He also designed
elaborate wooden machines to move the needed building materials both vertically
and horizontally. Having all but equaled the span of the Pantheon in stone,
Brunelleschi was hailed as the man who "renewed Roman masonry work";
the dome was established as the paragon of built form."
Reenie
and I were quite fascinated with this feat of architecture. At one point,
the stairs rose right up on the inside dome which was quite steep. The
last 7-10 steps were almost as straight as a ladder (watch your head).
From above we could photograph the Campanile. I only took a couple of photos
since the views were the same as the day before. But of the two, the dome
is a wonderful experience for the closeness of the frescos and Brunelleschi's
arachitectural genius. Going down, we passed a couple. They asked us
about the views and we said they were great. "That's why we're doing
this!" The woman was quite overweight and I thought to my self,
"Good for her!" I'm sure it was a very tough climb for her.
We
saw Michelangelo's Laurentine Library staircase. It was quite dark, which
is what he purposely planned. It was a dark entrance into a bright
library. He really was an amazing man with his paintings, drawings,
sculptures, frescos, and architecture.
I
picked up a sandwich for lunch and Reenie picked up some cheese and dark
bread. The bench we used the last time was occupied so we decided to eat
in our room and give ourselves a break in the mid afternoon. I could have
taken a long nap!
We
decided to visit the Palazzo Vecchio in the afternoon. We spent a lot of
time in the Palazzo enjoying the rooms. The ceilings were so beautifully
decorated. Why the ceilings? Reenie wrote in the guest book,
"Fabulous! But my neck hurts." Reenie also wanted to
visit the Pitti palace, but with our time at the Palazzo Vecchio, we wouldn't
have had quality time at the Pitti. So we decided to visit the
Baptistery, which was a sight to see with its gold dome. There were lots
of chairs so we could sit and look up.
Dinner
was at 7pm so we walked at a leisurely pace to the Oltrano to the Osteria
Cinghiale Bianco. We stopped at a café for a drink or two and wrote in
our journals. It was nice to stop and relax. We really didn't do a
lot of café life while in Italy USA Florida
(originally from Ohio ) and was enjoying the
various foods of Italy
It
was nice to have a long walk home after dinner. The Florence
26
May 2004: This was our last day in Italy Pitti Palace
The
Bargello museum was my favorite! I loved the sculptures. There were
also paintings, a room filled with beautiful ceramics, and another with
armaments. There was even a sculpture of two men fighting. One man
had the second one lifted in the air and upside down. The second one had
the first by the .....!
We
headed east towards the S. Croce church, but decided to skip it. We just
didn't have the time to do it all. It was lunchtime and I wanted
pizza! There was a place I read about in the Frommer's guidebook that
stated that Pizzeria il Pizzaiuolo had the best Neapolitan pizza in Florence
Lunch
was quick and the pizza caprese was excellent. The place was empty except
for another couple who ordered something that looked like a volcano when the
center was pierced. I asked the waiter, who was from Naples ,
"Mount Vesuvius !?" He just
laughed.
Since
the museums were free, Reenie decided after all to see David at the
Accademia. Without any lines, we walked right in. The museum was
crowded, but manageable. We were fortunate that David was no longer under
any scaffolding (he was given a "bath" treatment to remove the dirt
and other pollution) as I had read about, the main reason Reenie didn't want to
visit the Accademia. We were very glad we went. David was
beautiful! It's such a magnificent sculpture and very powerful.
Apparently Michelangelo created David out of a slab of marble that two others
had started. He was only 26 when he began work and took three years to
finish. No pictures were allowed, but Reenie took one anyway.
I
wasn't interested in seeing the rest of the museum since I was there once
before, so I left Reenie there to enjoy it. I headed out and got some
gelato at Gelateria Carabé on at Via Ricasoli, 60, just down the street from
the museum. I had pistachio and almond gelato. It was excellent and
definitely fresh made that morning. I walked around the outdoor markets
before heading back to the room. I stopped at the Internet place and
emailed Tony one last time with a minute to spare. I packed most of my
things and sorted through my receipts. We were getting up at 4pm the next
day so I wanted everything packed and ready to go. Reenie got back in
time to do a little bit of packing before went to visit the Uffizi gallery, the
last museum on this trip.
I
went to the desk to pay our hotel bill before we headed out. The man at
the desk said I had made reservations for five nights, not three. Not
so! It was listed as five nights in his book, so I asked him if he wanted
to see the email I received. Yes. I went back to the room, got it, and
showed it to him. What angered me was I had previously highlighted the
dates (5/24 5/27, three nights), but he had to read both pages scanning
it and hoping it said five nights someplace on the document. He was just
beside himself and looked like he wanted to argue with me. It wasn't my
problem that he screwed up and could have booked the room for the two nights
with someone else. I also asked, "Why would I make reservations for
five nights when I made my airline reservations before making any hotel
reservations!" Even after he ran my credit card and I signed the
bill, he still looked confused. This was another reason for not
recommending this hotel.
I
had made advance reservations for the Uffizi by calling from the USA
We
were exhausted and our feet were really hurting, more so than our tower climbs
and steep Tuscan town walks. We were ready and hungry for dinner.
We headed west to il Latini, a very popular place. I had asked Antonio if
he would recommend a few restaurants. This was one of them. Despite the
many tourists, the food was good and it was a fun evening. The doors
opened promptly at 7:30pm to a crowd of about 50. We sat next to an older
French couple from Paris
Thursday
27 May 2004: With a 10:30am flight, we had to get up at 4am to get to the
airport on time. I actually woke up around 2am and couldn't fall back
asleep. We were out the door in 40 minutes and our taxi arrived right on
time, 4:45am. It was a quick 10-minute ride to the airport (15 Euros) as
the streets were bare. Everything went smoothly, even at the
counter. The airport was pretty empty in the early morning. We flew
on an Air Bus 319 to Milan Milan
We
flew home on a Boeing 767 and were able to move to two center rows. The
flight was about 1/3rd empty, so we grabbed the seats to stretch out and try to
sleep. Reenie slept for a while after our meal, but I chatted with a
couple of the flight attendants. One, Fabiola, asked about Washington DC American History Museum
Tony
picked us up at Dulles and we were home by 3:30pm (a 9-hour flight). It
was nice to be home, as always, but sad to end such a great trip. Lucy
was so excited to see me. Tony said she seemed depressed the whole time I
was gone. For dinner, Tony made kielbasa with cabbage. It was not
Italian dish, but a nice change.
We
enjoyed our time visiting the many hill towns of Tuscany Tuscany
Now
it's time to get back to reality and back to the job. I'll have to start
planning the next trip. I just earned enough frequent flier mileage to
travel to Hawaii China
Some
other comments:
Visit
Florence Florence
Climb
the Campanile in the afternoon and the Duomo in the morning for photos because
of the position of the sun.
To
avoid the long lines for the Siena
I
hate the Italian signs! (See above). The signs are never clear,
especially the road signs. I became frustrated several times while
driving. It was confusing trying to get through Siena
Watch
your food bill. I was charged an extra 3 Euros for one of my appetizers,
but caught it. With a lame "sorry" the waitress re-did the
check.
Don't
squeeze more than you can handle, whether in Florence Florence
Make
sure you have good road maps.
Stop
and take the time to eat gelato.
Bring
lots of film or extra compact flash cards!
Be
adventurous and try new foods. Reenie tried tripe (and I tasted it) and
spelt (Farro) risotto. I enjoyed the wild boar and rabbit dishes.
If
you want to dine outdoors, get to the restaurant just as it opens or make
reservations.
Some
useful Italian web sites:
http://www.turismo.toscana.it/ttgg/htmle/ttidgge.htm
http://www.welcometuscany.it/
http://www.tuscany.net/
http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/welcomeE.html
http://www.alltravelitaly.com/Italy/Destination_Guides/Cities/Florence.htm
http://www.country-tours.com/This is Antonio's tour company
Siena
Lucca
7
June 2004: I
came home today to find the postcard I sent to Tony, which I thought I lost
forever when I was in Serre di Rapolano! I guess the owner of the house
took heart and placed them in a regular mail box!
My
Expenses:
Transportation
(airfare, car rental, gas, parking, tolls, bus, taxi $846.30
Hotels for 14 nights $612.25
Food $623.70
Museums $80.00
Shopping $373.00
Total $2,535.00
dome was very short. It's best to get there in the a.m. before the crowds get there. We took this very slowly. At one level of our climb, we walked halfway around the Duomo on the inside. Looking down we could see the other visitors. Large plexiglass was laid so that no one could throw things down. It was a little claustrophobic as the walkway was pretty narrow. Then we hit the area of the dome itself as the walls started curving in. At this point is where we could see the two domes. As stated on the web: http://gallery.euroweb.hu/database/churches/duomo.html,
http://www.welcometuscany.it/
http://www.tuscany.net/
http://www.uffizi.firenze.it/welcomeE.html
http://www.alltravelitaly.com/Italy/Destination_Guides/Cities/Florence.htm
http://www.country-tours.com/This is Antonio's tour company
Hotels for 14 nights $612.25
Food $623.70
Museums $80.00
Shopping $373.00
Total $2,535.00
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