My Driving-Vacation to Tuscany Part 2

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SR 222

The morning sun did not shine on my face. The roasters did not wake me up. It was my intrusive alarm from my mobile phone that did it. This place was just too tranquil to do anything this early. But we were on a mission; to enjoy the driving vacation under the Tuscan sun.

SR 222 goes through the wine region of Tuscany. No wonder the Italian loves to make sports cars. Roads like this are their source of inspiration. The mesmerizing rolling hills, the fast switch backs, and the occasional exhilarating hairpins are all can be found here with the postcard-like scenery.

Imagine if you have been towing a two ton weight and then all of the sudden that weight disappears. All of the energy used to carry the enormous weight is now available at your disposal to be used for whatever your heart desires. And that's what I had to unleash on these Tuscan roads.

Greve in Chianti

Arriving at Greve, we switched our minds from devouring curves to devouring Tuscan delicacies. Greve in Chianti is synonymous with the famous wine for a simple reason; the Chianti originated here. This was originally a market town of the Chianti Classico wine zone of Tuscany, because it was at the crossroads of merchant traffics in the past time. Every September, wine connoisseurs from all over the world flock to this town to attend the largest wine fair in the region.

The main cobblestone piazza has a unique triangular shape lined with porticoes. On weekends, this piazza is buzzing with activities just like in the old days. Aromatic Italian foods, fresh vegetables and fruits, vibrant flowers, adorning crafts, cured meats, and smooth silky fabrics attract not only local residents but also many visitors from neighboring towns and villages.

The simple buildings in this town feature terracotta tiles, beamed ceilings, neoclassical facades, and plantation shutter windows. The statue of the explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, who discovered New York Harbor, stands proudly at the center.


We stopped here to enjoy the weekend market ambiance and the Italian fried vegetable and seafood snacks. Out of the intensity agricultural activities in this region, every ingredient that made up the simple snacks was extremely savory and delicious. As a matter of fact, the menus in this region change several times in a year according to the different harvests to maximize the the ingredients' freshness. The cyclical menus have been perfected over centuries of passion and hard work. The result is self evidence in the Tuscan delicacies...@driving-vacation

More pictures...

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