Quite Possibly the Best

Quite possibly the best… pasta, coffee, wine, people, views, art… How can it possibly be that one country can score so big in all these areas? Even with two weeks of rain every day, we have experienced so many wonderful things. We have met such wonderful people. The Italians are generous, polite, and full of life. They live large.  

The coffee drink pictured above was “constructed” in at least 5 separate steps. Lovingly made in Montepulciano. 

The best Aperol spritz.

Chiusi is a smaller hill town in Tuscany with a wonderful Etruscan museum. This is a civilization that predates the Roman Empire and of which little is known. Their artifacts suggest a highly developed people with beautiful carvings and jewelry. 

Siena boasts an amazing Duomo, or cathedral. The characteristic black and white marble is evocative of grand times. Even the floors are incredible. 

Today, it was Orvieto in Umbria. An ancient hill town that predates even the Etruscans! Civilizations on top of civilizations. Layers of history all in one town. Their Duomo is very different than Siena’s and  is rich with art. It boasts a nave that is devoted to the book of Revelations. 

Tomorrow will be filled with more adventures looking for more new experiences.

More “bests”! 

Ciao Baby, 

Gina

 

 

Where the Road Leads

Today the road took us to Florence. Our first big city and one of my favorites. There is a gorgeous Duomo, many museums, street markets, great gelato, and much much more. Of course we started our day out with gelato. One must have priorities after all! 

We heard about Vivoli gelateria and directed our taxi driver there. He said it was a first for him; gelateria as a first stop in Florence. We are passionate about our gelato!  From there we walked to the outdoor leather market and indoor food market. Both impressive. 

All of that walking and the beautiful food market and we were hungry again. We stopped at a locals trattoria. No English spoken here. It was delightful. In my quest to try new things I ordered sea cicadas. Google them. Weird and delightful. 

Not shrimp, not crawfish. Something all together different.

More walking. 

More shopping.

More drinking.

An exhausting day. Fortunately we took the train! 

What road is next? We shall see.

“The road goes ever on and on down 

from the door where it began. 

Now far ahead  the road has gone 

and I must follow if I can.”

JRR Tolkien 

Ciao Baby,

Gina

 

Make a Wish

What would your perfect day be? Make a wish. 

Today was nearly perfect. What could be better than having a great adventure! On this Mother’s Day we celebrated by taking a steam engine train ride for the whole day. 

First of all the train was remarkable. Straight from the early 1900s. We were the token americani on the train, and as such, a bit of a oddity. We shared our car with delightful people from Germany and Croatia. 

We had a traveling band with us all day. 

Our travels took us  through our corner of Tuscany enjoying the scenery, stopping to give our train water and having lunch in Asciano. 

After arriving back to the Siena train station we headed into town for an apertivo. How relaxing watching the people walk by. They call it the passeggiata; an evening stroll through town. A time to see and be seen.

 

My thoughts exactly!

and then…. 

The Goose family invaded. You see Siena has 17 neighborhood contrada. Each year they compete in a no holds barred horse race that takes place twice; July and August. This is the famous Palio. Each contrada is named for an animal or symbol. Just a few are the Snail, the Dragon, Unicorn, and of course the Goose. And that takes us back to the invasion. Evidently this large parade took place in the adjacent contrada so this was a bit of a challenge. 

Our day was complete. A grand adventure on a beautiful train. We met wonderful people from around the world, we relaxed and watched the passeggiata and finally we experienced a spectacular parade of a proud neighborhood. The example these neighbors set for us brought tears to my eyes. 

That is all for today. Time to get some rest so we can continue our fun tomorrow! 

Ciao Baby. 

Gina

 Yesterday and Today

My sweetheart and I were in this very town 13 years ago. I remember it clearly. A little too much one on one time…differences in how one should travel. One of us loves the history and the art of each town and the other loves to check out at least a few shops. Can you guess which one I am? We parted ways in this gorgeous little 9th century village. After an hour apart this is where I found my love. On the sidewalk overlooking an enchanting vista. 

There was of course a make up kiss, followed by a smooth glass of brunello. We were in sync again. 

I still like a little retail time but I too love the churches and architecture. 

This is Pienza’s duomo. What amazes me is the incredible art adorning the walls of every duomo and cathedral in this country. 

Even this little gatto, cat, is a part of the everyday and becomes a piece of  “art”. 

Besides the inherent beauty of the place it is famous for pecorino cheese. How can this ugly little “wheel” be so delicious? 

Here is pecorino in action. Cacio, pepe, and pistachio. A sublime pasta dish that is simply pecorino cheese, black pepper and ground pistachios. As simple as it may seem the recipe is actually a tad tricky. The shepherds of Ancient Rome used to make this while out with their flocks. Of course the pistachios are a new addition. 

Our visit this time was without drama and was delightful. I hope we can return again, hopefully soon. Love you all. Ciao Baby. Gina 

Rainy Days and Sunshine

Today we went to one of our favorite destinations, Siena. What an intriguing place. An ancient city that actually fought with Florence to determine who would be the cultural and economic center of Italy. As it turned out Florence won, but Siena remained a financial powerhouse that actually participated in the funding of Christopher Columbus’s expedition to the new world. Siena is also home to the famous Palio horse race. 

Believe it or not the race happens right here in this piazza! 

This is Siena’s lovely Duomo. We toured the hospital that was across this piazza; Santa Maria Della Scala. It was founded in 898 and remained in operation well into the 1900’s. 

Of course we had to visit our favorite cafe, Nannini’s.

I’ll leave you now. Have a wonderful day and dream of  coffee and gelato at Nonna Gina’s!

Ciao Baby!

 

 Things I Will Miss and Things I Don’t

What an incredibly awesome and exhausting day. We start out driving the Crete Senesi. This is a breathtaking part of Tuscany with hills, turns in the road, cypress tree lined drives, wild poppies…to be honest it is indescribable. We went to the Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey. 

This dramatic piece of art is hard to capture on camera. It begins with a painting and then our crucified Savior is a sculpture. Amazing.

We attended vespers here and listened to the monks, young and old, as they prayed with singing. It is known as Gregorian chants. I will not forget this; ever.

These cacti were so pretty with the rainwater.

And finally… I don’t miss laundry, but how fun is this?! 

That’s all for today. Tomorrow is Siena! 

Ciao baby!

                                                  Siena

                                   “There and Back Again”

   If you are a bit of a nerd you will know the origins of today’s title. J.R.R. Tolkien published this book in 1937. “The Hobbit”, which is it’s primary and certainly most well known title, was a labor of love for Tolkien. He was a veteran of WWI. The Hobbit reflects many of his experiences, whether it be of heroism or of horrors, and certainly a reflection of personal growth. All of this couched in a classic fantasy that has been read by over 100 million people (those are just the sales). I, myself, have read it multiple times. I digress but just a bit. Gandalf our courageous leader, Bilbo..our brave and reluctant hobbit, and of course the others bound in this fellowship spoke often of travel. This is one of my favorite quotes spoken by Bilbo to his cousin Frodo as he faces the prospect of his own grand adventure.

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to”.

That is where I am today. I am faced with my own grand adventure. I am packed, double checked, and ready to go out my door. Who knows where I might be swept off to!

   This is our dear, Siena,  and she is helping us find our course to …you guessed it, Siena, Italy! Check  in with me in a couple of days and I will start my adventure with my dear, sweet husband, Gary. Ciao Baby!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”  Numbers 6: 24-26