Day 2 of Michael and Chantal's Honeymoon

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Day Two of Chantal and Michael’s Belated Honeymoon

Off to the region of Tuscany, now, for our 13 day holiday. Ah, we came upon a jewel at La Foresteria. Our drive here from Ostia Antica took four hours, so we spent the rest of the day and evening lounging on the luscious grounds. Built in the 1300s, this manor, currently owned by the Illuminati family, serves as guest house from May to October. It is attached to apple orchards and grape vineyard. We have great difficulty conveying our emotions about this warm and welcoming vacation estate, so we’ll let your imagination play with the attached photos. A word about the food is warranted, though.
Our first meal here was dinner at 8:00 p.m. (no evening meal is served before 7:30 p.m. in Tuscany. Many restaurants don’t open until then). How does this tickle your taste buds?
Antipasti: Sformatino di Zucchine (zucchini soufflé - ah so tender and soft)
1st Course - Penne con fave Pancetta mantecete al pecorini (penne with green beans in peccorino sauce - peccorino is a sheep cheese and it is delicious)
2nd Course - Tagliata agliarani con insalata (thin slices of Tuscan beef, spiced with tangy green peppercorn and green salad)
Dessert - Semifreddo con pinali e miele (frozen custard with pine nuts and honey)
Wouldn’t this make a great dinner party menu?
Driving in Italy is an adventure in itself - we’ll speak more about this later. Aside from the Autostrade (toll highway) and the Superstrade (major highways of 2 to 4 lanes) most of the roads are narrow and dark, often with no shoulders and deep ditches. There is seldom a centre line. You won’t see many SUVs on these roads, or so I thought. It looks like the SUV craze is just happening in Italy. So far we’ve seen only one minor accident - between a car and motorcycle -- none hurt.
Tomorrow we’re off to visit some medieval towns in the area, most notable Monte, San Savino in the province of Arezzo.

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Photos

La Foresteria
We'd be a little worn too, if we were over 700 years old. Don't let the exterior fool you.

The Tool Shed at La Foresteria
How often have you seen a tool shed covered in roses? This would make a delightful painting.

The Apple Orchard at La Foresteria
There, this proves we were in Tuscany. 'Our' manor is surrounded with apple orchards and vines.