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Published: October 28th 2007
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I think I forgot to mention that we had originally only planned to stay one night in Tuscany. That was until we actually got to Le Pozze di Lecchi. The clincher was that first night by the fireplace. It was cozy, romantic, quiet and we had the whole place to ourselves. Midway through our 6th hand of Uno, Gus got up and booked another night. Another great benefit of traveling off-season, your room will most likely be available. They were happy to have us and we got all excited at the prospect of another night in the country.
That is something that we miss but couldn't put our finger on. For all of it's glory, Florence has no real parks or green areas. The first time it dawned on me was when we were happily chowing down on some "burritos" at a "Mexican" restaurant we found. We started chatting with two American students from Ohio and they pointed out that they really missed trees. Hmmm...I guess you're right...there really aren't many trees in Florence. I think that is why we both loved Fiesole so much - it's ALL GREEN! I think if we ever came back to stay in Florence
we would stay Oltrarno (on the other side of the river) because there are way more green spaces and it has a more laid back feeling.
Oh yeah, back to Tuscany and our greenery fix. Today was all about Montalcino, the birthplace of Brunello, and Montepulciano, the birthplace of Vino Nobile. So we had to bid "arrivederci" to Le Pozze , pack up our stuff and head to the southern villages of Toscana. Go go Smart Car! Our first stop was Montalcino where we got an answer to the question "I wonder where the mobile market guys will be tomorrow?" The "Sears" had moved from San Gim to Montalcino. It was pretty fun to recognize some of the vendors. We wandered around town and it was significantly colder than it had been the day before, so I bought a wool hat. Seeing as we will be in Paris for a few days next week and the weather promises to be cold a blustery, I thought it was a wise investment.
We worked our way up hill to this really cool fortezza (fort) that had been (oddly) converted into an Enoteca. The reason this is odd is that most
monuments and historical landmarks are just museums or some other state run business. I wonder who the owner of the enoteca knew (or paid off) to get his sweet digs. It was quite impressive. The enoteca (Enoteca La Fortezza Di Montalcino) was very charming and had some very nice wines, olive oils, balsamic vinegars and honeys. All of which we promptly salivated over and then quietly wept for knowing we couldn't take any of them home with us. This rule of no liquids on airplanes should be lifted when you travel to Italy. I mean come on, ALL the best souvenirs ARE LIQUIDS! 😊 They also happened to serve light lunches along with their wine tastings, which was perfect for us...I could eat, and Gus could sample some vino. I ordered the lasagna al ragu (which I will never understand why it isn't served with more sauce!) and Gus had the meat and cheese platter al Toscana. And they weren't messing around with the meat and cheese. There were 3 kinds of thinly sliced salami/proscuitto-type items and some homemade sausage. The cheese was all locally made and it all smelled amazing! I, unfortunately, decided that it was in the best
interest of our unborn bambino, to refrain from chowing down on the meaty goodness. I could not, however, resist the cheese...it has some sort of unholy hold over me! I love the cheese!
Gus was in heaven and sampled three local wines. We hung out there for about an hour and a half chatting with the staff and enjoying our meal. Gus got really chummy with the server (I think she enjoyed the fact that he really could appreciate good wine - and not in that "I detect a note of oak with a backsong of cherries" way that is SO annoying) and she gave him a free sample of a rare, boutique Brunello. Gotta love free stuff!
After lunch we wandered around Montalcino a bit more and as it got colder we walked faster back to the car. On to Montepulciano!
We were in Italy in August and September of 2001 and I have this vivid memory of Gus taking 45 minutes to get the "perfect" shot of a small chapel in the Tuscan countryside. It drove me crazy! Well, here we are again...and guess what we drive by...yep, that same chapel. When I mention the
Gus and Gus
5 weeks together 24/7 and we STILL like each other! chapel and remind him of the ordeal last time we both kind of smiled. I know he can't resist. And as we approached the turn-outs, I see the blinker go on.
The chapel is exactly what I think of when I think of Tuscany. It is on posters, postcards, books, calendars. It's everywhere and it's beautiful. It's extra beautiful this time of year because the leaves have changed and the fields are freshly tilled. Gus took 40 pictures from 4 different vantage points! You have to LOVE digital photography. The shots are beautiful and worth braving the FREEZING wind to get them.
Montepulciano is very tiny and very closed! We got there at about 3 o'clock when most places were shut down. So instead of meandering through the shops, we just walked in the streets and breathed in the fresh, rainy air. It is a beautiful village and we pretty much had the place to ourselves. We even got to see an Italian TV show being filmed. I am sure the location scouts have the easiest job in the world! "Oh, you want to shoot in a charming medieval village...I think I know just the place."
Oh,
yeah, and a pigeon pooped on my jeans! I have survived 5 weeks of pigeon close encounters and finally my time came! I feel like the trip is now complete! 😊
On the pregnancy front, I am proud to announce that brushing my teeth no longer makes me want to throw up! Yippee! Thank goodness for small miracles! And it's official, none of my jackets fit...so going to Paris should be fun. I think there will be lots of pictures of me with my trench coat on and loosely tied to my body. 😊 This is, by far, the weirdest thing to ever happen to me! I am also experiencing the "up/down syndrome." It's where your pants are always falling down (because of the elastic waist band), and your shirts are always riding up (for obvious tummy reasons). I am constantly pulling up my pants and pulling down my shirt. What I wouldn't give for a pair of coveralls! We have already decided that scrubs will be the way to go once I get home. 😊
Ciao ciao!
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Aunt claudia
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Prego Clothes
Scrubs OR muumuus.....You would look so "retro" in a muumuu.... You could send an order to Granny and she could whip up some especially for you....Aloha!!!! I would be interested in what the "burrito" consisted of.... AC