15 Search Results for "montepulciano"

• Tuscan Sunset

  • From: dmg33
  • Description:

    We just had to stop along this winding road to get this shot!  We were on our way from Montepulciano to Monticchiello a charming small fortress town.

  • 3 weeks ago
  • Views: 31
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 12
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 15
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 5
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 20

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 4
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 6
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 4
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 2
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano, Italy

  • From: lcassidy
  • Description:
  • 4 weeks ago
  • Views: 3
  • Not yet rated

• Montepulciano

  • From: vestagirl
  • Description:
  • 2 months ago
  • Views: 8

• Montepulciano Italy

  • From: stolitx
  • Description:

    Views from Montepulciano Italy

  • 5 months ago
  • Views: 101
  • Not yet rated

• great, inexpensive accommodati

  • From: etbrown
  • Description:

    We are just back from two great weeks in Italy: the first eating and drinking our way through Emilia Romagna, the second on an agriturismo estate about 15 mintues southwest of Siena.

    Many of you probably know about agriturismo in Italy: staying on a working farm in guest accommodations ranging from simple to deluxe. Ours, www.montestigliano.it, is the most glorious place, conveniently located to explore throughout Tuscany, super comfortable, with guest support by a totally engaging and helpful English guest manager. And to top it off, the rates are unbelievable! 10 of us stayed in a 5-bedroom, 4 bath house for 1550 E for a week, total. That is the low season rate but even in high season, it's a bargain. We had breakfast in our house each day, cooked dinner in with fresh local ingredients three or four times, and ate great meals in the countryside....or Florence or Pisa or Siena...once a day.

    This is definitely worth checking out.

    By the way, there are lots of agriturismos throughout Tuscany, and really throughout Italy. Especially a lot in Chianti. While the Chianti area is totally gorgeous, it is VERY difficult for local exploring. It can take an hour or more, depending on where you stay, to get to a highway that gets you to the local sites. Staying as we did at Montestigliano, you are 5 minutes from a highway that goes north to Florence (45 minutes) or San Gimignano (30 minutes), south to Montalcino, Montepulciano and Pienza (45 minutes or less), northwest to Pisa (an hour plus), east to Arezzo, Cortona, etc etc etc. And you are 15 minutes from Siena. You hopefully get the picture.

    By the way, don't be scared off by "off season." We had good weather and no crowds.

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 1398
  • Not yet rated

• That's Amore: Our Italian Adv

  • From: blairherzog
  • Description:

    To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of our first date, my husband and I took a trip we'd long talked about but never gotten around to planning - a journey to Italy.  It was difficult deciding which areas of Italy to see, but we finally chose the Cinque Terre, Tuscany, and Rome.  To say our trip surpassed my wildest dreams would be an understatement.  Welcome to our Italian adventure!

    The Charming Cinque Terre

    After flying into Milan, it took several trains to reach the Cinque Terre (which means Five Lands), but it was completely worth venturing off the beaten path to visit this quaint, charming, and friendly coastal area of Italy.  The Cinque Terre consists of five small hillside towns that each looks like it's literally spilling into the ocean.  The towns have all been in existence since Medieval times and have the ancient lookout towers and historic stone churches to prove it.  The shops are quaint, the people are friendly, and the views are breathtaking.  We especially enjoyed just roaming the streets, as well as the twisting stairs and alleyways (which also qualify as streets in a place as old as the towns of the Cinque Terre,) taking pictures of lovely archways and windows, and watching the locals hanging their laundry out as they conversed from window to window.

    Getting Around the Cinque Terre

    Don't expect taxis here, and whatever you do, don't plan on renting a car.  In the Cinque Terre, there are three options: trains, hiking, and boats (although boats may not be available year round.)  Oceanside trails passing through olive groves and terraced vineyards connect the five towns of Monterossa, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore and are a lovely way to travel - but be warned, the trails get progressively more difficult the farther north you go.  So, based on your hiking ability, we advise hiking between the more southern towns and taking the train between the northern towns.  We used the low-priced Cinque Terre Treno Card, which admits you to both the trails and the trains.  And we sometimes found the train schedules difficult to follow in the Cinque Terre, so when arriving at the station, we advise asking a clerk when the next train to your destination is due.  Overall, the trains are a pretty easy way to hop between the towns if you choose not to hike or tire of it.

    Where To Stay in the Cinque Terre

    We chose to make the town of Manarola our home base.  It's the least touristy of the towns and we found our hotel, the Ca' d'Andrean simple but perfect for our stay.  It's a steep walk up the hill with luggage, but worth it for the view of lemon trees and terraced hillside gardens out our shuttered window each morning.  The staff here was especially helpful in mapping out future parts of our trip.  For nice, clean accommodations, we highly recommend the Hotel Ca' d'Andrean.

    While Manarola was our favorite, when we visit the Cinque Terre again, we will gladly consider staying in any of the other towns.

     

    Highlights of our Time in the Cinque Terre

     

    We found something truly unique and delightful at every turn in the Cinque Terre, so it's hard to narrow it down, but here are a few faves:

    1. The quaint, bustling Riomaggiore waterfront
    2. The especially charming Medieval streets of Corniglia (pronounced Cornelia, by the way)
    3. The view of Vernazza from the trail leading to Monterosso
    4. The ancient monastery high atop Monterosso

    Cinque Terre Fun Facts

    1. Cat lovers rejoice: Cats are plentiful in the Cinque Terre - you will see them everywhere you go, including on the trails.
    2. Residents of the Cinque Terre towns are more likely to own a boat than a car.
    3. Before the 20th century, each town was so isolated that most people married residents of their own tiny community.

    Finding Romance in the Cinque Terre

    Romance was pretty much everywhere here, but here are a few tips for romantic moments with your significant other:

    1. Look out over the Mediterranean by moonlight from Manarola's "vineyard walk."
    2. Dine on Vernazza's waterfront Piazza Marconi
    3. Stroll between Manarola and Riomaggiore on the wide promenade of the Via dell'Amore - the "walk of love."

    If you want to stop and smell the roses - or the sweet scents of lemon trees and lavender in the air - schedule some time for the Cinque Terre in your trip to Italy. We spent only two and a half days there and wished we'd had more time to simply soak up the slow-paced seaside charm of this traditional slice of Italy. Italian charm at its best.

    Under the Tuscan Sun

    From the Cinque Terre, we took the train to LaSpezia, where we rented a car. Warning: Driving a car in any sizable Italian city is a challenge when you can't read the signs and don't know the general rules and customs of the road. But once you get out of the city into more rural areas, driving is fine.

    Our plan to drive through Tuscany, hitting as many hill towns as possible along the way, worked out well. We spent two days meandering the twisting roads across rolling gold and green hills, stopping to soak up Medieval history along the way. It was amazing to be driving along and suddenly see an ancient fortified city appear in the distance.

    Where to Stay in Tuscany

    We made our home base at the Castel Bigossi, a lovely thousand-year-old castle in the heart of Tuscany near the fort town of Monteriggioni. It was off the beaten path, but we enjoyed the drive through the countryside, dotted with still more historic towns, each time we returned there. The exterior and grounds of the Castel Bigossi were lovely - the perfect Tuscan postcard - and the staff was friendly, talkative, and helpful. The interior was an unusual mix of modernity (spiral staircases and an elevator) and history (ancient wood beams on the ceiling of our bedroom) and all the rooms in the castel are spacious suites - more room than we needed, but we didn't mind. This would be a great place to stay for a longer visit than the two nights we spent there.

    Other thoughts on accommodations: Tuscany also boasts many agriturismos - these are working farms that also provide bed-and-breakfast type accommodations. And if you're more of a city person, all the hill towns offer rooms, as well.

    Getting Around Tuscany by Car

    Like I said above, once you're away from traffic, driving is a breeze, but be warned: Italian street signs and American street signs differ greatly. In Italy, roads are not marked with any sort of name or number, so it's hard to tell where you are most of the time, even when following a map. You are instead guided by arrows that point the way to the nearest town in any direction, and these tend to appear in groups at the frequent roundabouts.

    Also, be prepared for crazy drivers who will merrily pass on blind curves and motorcycle riders who consider it perfectly acceptable to pass between two cars without a lane. Our advice: Drive safely and normally, but be on guard.

    Medieval Hill towns Aplenty

    The Tuscan landscape is dotted with lots of Medieval hill towns, each with its own personality. Meandering through these places was fascinating not only because we were walking streets and seeing buildings that have been there for nearly a thousand years, but also because these are all still thriving communities where people live and work. Wandering the stone streets and piazzas, I expected to see knights in shining armor come riding up on horseback any minute.

    It would be difficult to see all the hill towns in the region (yes, there are that many,) so we picked a few that sounded especially appealing based on guidebooks and advice from our hotel staff. A few of our favorites were:

    1. Montepulciano: This is a must for wine-lovers, but even without being into wine, we enjoyed the Medieval sights here a great deal. We spent time hanging out at the large Piazza Grande with its unfinished Duomo, built around 1600.
    2. San Gimignano: Fabulous Medieval architecture, including fourteen remaining watch towers, some dating from the 10th century. And if that's not enough for you, this town also boasts the World's Best Gelato in 2006, 2007, and 2008 at the Pluripremaia Geleteria
    3. Montalcino: What made Montalcino outstanding for us was the fabulous castle-like fortezza (that's a fort) built in the 14th century. Dark clouds looming overhead while we were there made it appear particularly eerie.

    Note: As hill towns go, Siena is the largest in the region and pretty much considered a must-see. Personally, we were disappointed by how modern and commercialized even the historic part of town is (Foot Lockers and other American mall-type stores lined the stone streets.) But it's still worth a stop for the stunning Duomo, dating from 1215, and the huge Piazza Il Campo where a wild, no-rules horse race is run every July and August.

    But Back to the Rolling Tuscan Hillsides

     

    We made a small project out of locating some of the best-known postcard views of Tuscany's cypress-lined roads - a task made more difficult by the lack of road signs. However, before leaving home, we Googled on the topic and found other travelers' notes on how to reach some of these scenic spots. Finding them felt like a special victory! But with or without them, we came home with countless pictures of fields teeming with red poppies, villas flanked by vineyards, and some lovely cypress-lined roads we stumbled across on our own.

    Note: As we traveled the winding roads that criss-cross Tuscany, we were kept company by the abundance of American music on the radio - everything from Dionne Warwick to Bruce Springsteen to Green Day.

    Finding Romance in Tuscany

    Romance is pretty easy to find in Tuscany, too, but here are some recommendations:

    1. Enjoy in the stunning view from the walls of Montepulciano over a glass of their famous wine.
    2. Stroll the quiet town of Volterra after dark.
    3. Take a lazy drive along cypress-lined roads, delighting in fields of wild poppies, Italian villas, and ancient fortresses.

    Tuscany is a must-see for those who enjoy lovely, rolling landscapes. The rich Medieval history and striking hill towns are wonderful perks to this region teeming with romantic ambience.

    All Roads Lead to Rome

    All roads may lead to Rome, but here's a tip: leave your rental car at the airport and take the train into the city. Even that was a bit of a challenge - remember, Italians don't seem to value signage as much as we do in America - but it was still by far the best choice.

    You can look at Rome in two ways: it's a zoo or it's a party. Choose the party attitude and you'll have a much better time. This large, busy city seemed to have as many pedestrians as cars, and it was usually unclear who had the right of way, especially on small streets left over from older times.

    Getting Around Rome

    To walk or take the train around town? It's a toss-up. Rome is a walking city, but things are often farther away than they appear and you can put many a mile on your sneakers by day's end. On the other hand, some of the subway terminals were confusing to navigate and had broken ticket machines, or they were far enough out of the way that it just seemed simpler to walk.

    The streets are confusing - remember, this is a very old city, full of twists and turns. Our advice: Follow the signs toward major landmarks and don't be frustrated if you get lost. On one particular evening, after listening to street musicians for a while at the popular Piazza Navonna, we started the twisting trek toward our hotel, following signs and making good progress - we thought - until, about fifteen minutes later, we emerged right back onto the Piazza Navonna. We just looked at each other and cracked up laughing.

    Where to Stay

    We made our home in Rome the LaResidenzia Hotel, near the Via Venetta, a major thoroughfare. Despite the fact that two lap dance clubs sit directly across the street from the hotel, we were very happy with our choice - which is to say we never really saw any traffic at the clubs and they seemed very quiet. Like our other Italian accommodations, the staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Sitting areas in the lobby were spacious and elegant, our room was nice with lots of storage and a turn-down service, and a pretty good breakfast buffet was included in the price of the room.

    Ancient Rome - Walking Through History

    If you're a history lover, this is why you're here. We loved the Colesseum and the Forum, as well as Palatine Hill (where many Roman rulers built their palaces.) Our advice: It's worth it to pay for the tours here. Not only do you get good, interesting information along the way, if you enter with a tour, you bypass the long lines to get in.

    We spent a couple of hours roaming around the Colesseum, and more time outside, just taking pictures and enjoying the ambience of the area. As this was a sight I'd only dreamed of seeing, it felt almost surreal to actually be there. I had the same reaction to the Roman Forum and enjoyed knowing I was walking the same paths Julius Caesar and so many other historic figures had traveled. I found myself wanting to take a picture at every step to be sure I captured it all, and I truly felt the impact of being in the cradle of modern Western civilization.

    Roaming Around Rome

    Of course, there's much more to see here than just the ancient ruins. We enjoyed sitting on the Spanish steps, hanging out at the Trevi Fountain, touring the Pantheon (an amazing piece of ancient architecture,) and taking in the views from the Victor Immanuel Monument (although not as famous as some stops in Rome, you can't miss it on your way to the Colesseum - it's an enormous building that looks like a giant wedding cake.)

    Rome is filled with countless piazzas - or town squares - both great and small, and each has it's own personality. Some are large, sporting numerous cafes, shops, fountains, and street artists, while others are smaller and less busy. It was fun to be walking along a narrow street and suddenly exit into another new piazza and see what it had to offer.

    Adventures at the Vatican

    How many people can say they've been kicked out of St. Peter's Basilica? I don't know, but we are now among that number. More to come on that in a moment.

    First, some facts. This is another place where it's wise to pay extra and enter with a tour group - it cut our wait considerably and we truly got a lot out of the tour. Also, you must where clothing that covers your shoulders and knees to be admitted to St. Peter's Basilica.

    Our tour covered St. Peter's Square, the Basilica, and the Vatican museum, including the Sistine Chapel. Upon entering the Basilica, we'd barely gotten started when an angry man approached our tour guide and began yelling at her in Italian. She reported that we were being thrown out because he didn't believe we were a real tour group and that she'd bring us back later. Weird but true, and we never did really understand what happened there. But on with the show.

    We were, honestly, a little let down by the Sistine Chapel, which I'd long looked forward to seeing. It's an amazing piece of art, yes, but the ceiling is higher than I'd envisioned, so it's really pretty difficult to see. The whole room was packed with people craning their necks to try to take it in, which made everyone prone to bumping into each other. Plus you can't take pictures (understandable) and you can't talk (less understandable.)

    After the chapel, it was back to the church, but we had to pretend we were not a tour group. (Again, confusing, I know.) But we enjoyed the un-tour of the basilica and were taken aback by the scope and size. Particularly notable items in the church: the famous Pieta by Michelangelo, the enormous canopy marking the (official but who knows) burial spot of St. Peter, and a statue of St. Peter to which, tradition holds, one should hold onto the toe, make three wishes, and they will come true.

    One nice thing about being kicked out of St. Peter's Basilica: when we returned, hours had passed, and the sun shone through small windows in the dome, casting a heavenly glow on the floor, which made for amazing photos.

    A Few Tips for Your Time in Rome

    1. You can sit on Roman ruins in the Forum and Colesseum - they are so plentiful that they are literally set about to be used like park benches - but whatever you do, don't sit on the ground near the Trevi Fountain (policemen blew a loud whistle in my ear for this and looked at me as if I'd knowingly committed a heinous crime.) And definitely don't sit anywhere inside the Victor Immanuel Monument, where you will also be firmly chastised by a whistle-wielding guard.
    2. Hungry for a taste of home? McDonald's are everywhere in Rome, and we happened to visit what might be the fanciest one on earth - a two-story affair complete with marble stairs, replicas of famous Roman statues, and a separate gelato bar, dessert bar, and breakfast bar in addition to the normal counter.
    3. Need to use the bathroom? In Rome - and everywhere else in Italy - it's wise to carry some toilet paper or (as I opted for) individually packaged Wet Ones. Toilet paper just isn't a hot commodity there. And be prepared to find yourself squatting over a hole in the ground - which, oddly enough (to us Americans anyway,) usually come complete with fiberglass inserts around the hole, so that it's not dirty, but it's quite awkward and just makes you ask: Why? In Rome, we often took advantage of McDonald's bathrooms - they weren't the cleanest, but we knew we'd at least get a commode.
    4. Want to drink a Coke? Your best bet - again - is McDonald's. At gelato shops or bars (in Italy, a bar is what we think of as a quickie mart crossed with a snack stand or deli) you'll usually pay the equivalent of $3 or $4 for a 20 ounce bottle, and should you be unfortunate enough to be thirsty near the ancient sites, you may pay up to $8 at a portable concession stand.

    Finding Romance in Rome

    Rome is busier and a bit more challenging in ways, but you still need not look far for romance here:

    1. Toss a coin over your shoulder in the Trevi Fountain and it's said you will return to Rome.
    2. Share a bicycle built for two at the city's largest park, the Villa Borghese
    3. Share a bottle of wine on the Spanish Steps, then stroll the city as dusk turns to night. The Forum and Colesseum are particularly striking to behold at nightfall.

    Ah, Rome. Two-thousand years of history and culture and architecture. It's a lot to take in, but it would be a crime to visit Italy without fully embracing it's exciting, bustling capital.

    Ciao!

    We travel a lot, but our trip to Italy was truly the romantic adventure of a lifetime.

    Final tip: Take your time exploring romantic Italy, and eat a lot of gelato because it's just not as good at home, no matter what anyone says.

     

     

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 2443

• Tuscan Pizza and Chianti (and

  • From: LTBergren
  • Description:

    A Dream Begins...

    Over an Italian dinner, we discussed it with our new friends in hushed undertones, hardly believing that we were giving voice to such a scheme. Could the four of us really leave behind our combined seven children and escape for a tour of Italia? Could we afford it? Where would we go? Would we do well, traveling together as couples? Within twenty-four hours, we had agreed to go; within forty-eight, we were researching our options on the Net.
    
    Rome is Fabulous...but Tuscany is Even Better!
    

    Having never been to Italy before—and since I am a novelist and needed some research time in several key cities for a medieval trilogy I was writing—we elected to canvas it from (near) bottom to top, and purchased open-jawed tickets that allowed us to begin in Rome, move on to Tuscany (via car) for the bulk of our time, then head north to Venice. Rome was captivating, enthralling, overwhelming with her layers of history. We walked five to six miles a day and reveled in the sites. But we all breathed a sigh of relief once we negotiated the aggressive traffic and were en route to Tuscany. (**Renting a car? See bottom of article, PART 2, for tips.)
    
    Half an hour outside Rome, the countryside began to resemble more of what we had in our mind as iconic Tuscany—rolling green hills, umber-colored homes, towering Juniper. Even from the freeway, we could make out the hill towns that we would soon be exploring. En route north toward Arezzo, where we had found our agriturismo to rent, a picturesque town perched high on a hill called to us, and we quickly agreed to stop and do some brief exploration. It was Orvieto, home of a wonderfully decorated church, a sleepy village and a nice piazza where we purchased a glass of Chianti, a wild boar sandwich on crusty bread, and sat outside to watch the children and pigeons at play. A thin autumn sun shone down on us, and we periodically grinned at one another and said, “Can you believe this? We’re in Italy!” like the silly, giddy, delighted tourists we were. (I swear we became more cool in time, but never ceased to be lost in a sense of wonderment at being someplace so beautiful and unique.) Later it was Montepulciano, home of excellent wines and a quintessential hilltop town, that called to us to stop, with beautiful views, charming cobblestone streets, but was sadly, largely closed because of siesta. We moved on.
    
    Finding a Home Away from Home...

    Darren and I were the Internet researchers pre-trip, and we looked at countless villas to rent. Two of the best sites are http://www.tuscandream.com and http://www.florencevillas.com. (Agriturismi are country farmhouses or villas that are typically rented by the week, Saturday to Saturday.) But given that we were traveling off-season (November), we contacted several owners to see if they’d rent to us for five nights instead of the prescribed seven—and cut us a deal, no less. The one that rose to the top was the Odina--a name that still invokes dreamy sighs and long stares out the window (www.odinait.net), and was a delicious enough experience that we returned with our children and parents a year later! North of Arezzo, high in the Pratomagno Hills, nestled among olive groves, overlooking the Casentino valley, just above Loro Ciufenna, was our huge, luxurious home away from home.

     

    Off-season, we rented the big house (Roseto), giving us two bedrooms to spare, but we really wanted the big, eat-in kitchen, massive living room with fireplace, and a wood-burning pizza oven outside—a Primary Tuscany Objective. We wanted to Move In In Italy--at least for a time--to get the feel of the place, a solid sense of life there, and the Odina allowed that. We made every meal we had—other than a memorable meal in Florence (more to follow), shopping at the grocery store with the locals.
    
    

     

    Grocery Shopping Tips:

    Making your own food whenever possible saves lots of Euros. We shopped in several small stores in towns we went through. This Eastern part of Tuscany is far less touristed, so be ready for people who speak no English—part of the fun! But there are also a growing number of larger stores in the bigger towns (look for “Co-op” signs—one in Montevarchi). Some things to be aware of:

    • Get the item # on veggies and fruits, weigh and tag them, while still in produce dept.
    • Chianti is cheap in Tuscany for obvious reasons—stock up! (A NYC waiter later recommended a bottle I’d loved in Tuscany, with a price tag of $55. I couldn't go for it, knowing I had paid $10 for the same bottle six months prior; if you find a local in the wine aisle who speaks a little English, ask what is best and a value these days.
    • Stores are closed on Sundays; Saturday night shopping can be a killer. If you’re arriving to check into your agriturismo/villa on a Saturday, plan to be shopping by Saturday at lunchtime to avoid the madness.

    We made pizza twice in our wood-burning stove, sacrificing several to the pizza gods before we got it down. Here’s what you need to know, if you want to try your hand at it:
    
    Woodburning Pizza Oven Ingredients/Directions:

    INGREDIENTS:

    Purchase several frozen pizza dough balls, flour, lots of fresh mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, and whatever else you like on your pizza, plus a rich, canned tomato sauce (so much easier to find here than in the U.S.!) that you add basil and oregano to, (or a ready-made pizza sauce, if you can find one). We liked Italian sausage, red onion and red bell peppers on our pizza, but we also did a ham and onion that was quite tasty. Salami and pepperoni are other obvious ingredients. (Don’t forget to buy red wine and salad makings while you’re at the store too—it’s a winding, hilly haul from the Odina! Also baggies to store leftovers.)

    DIRECTIONS:

    • Start a couple of hours before you want to eat.
    • Build big, hot fire in center of stove and let it burn down to coals; drink red wine while you wait.
    • Move coals to edge of oven floor, about 8-12” away from where your pizza will be, so they line it.
    • Drink more red wine if you have to wait for it to settle down a bit. Throw in some flour to dust the bottom and then place a tester crust inside to get the hang of cooking in a wood-burning oven.
    • Partially close up the oven to allow even heat to stay inside but also allow some air flow. Check it every 2-3 minutes and spin if some parts of the crust are getting done faster, sip more red wine while observing Tuscan sunset, but don’t forget to continue to check.
    • If crust is bubbling at any time, poke it with a fork.
    • If all is going well, slide your first pizza in. (We put our pizzas on the back of a floured cookie sheet and wax paper to build and transfer to oven—remember to put flour underneath or it will stick to everything and all will be lost!)
    • Pour more red wine and toast with your friends (“Cin-Cin” (pronounced “cheen-cheen”) or “alle salute” are the standard Tuscan toasts) as you eagerly await your imminent dinner. (Wanna get really fancy? Lay this on your dinner companions: “Cento di questi giorri”—“May you live a hundred years.”)  

     

    I’d love to live a hundred years if I could ever afford to return to the Odina in the Summer and enjoy her lovely pool, and take in her wonderful gardens and views in a different season, but fortunately, we were ready to embrace the moody, damp weather of autumn. Loving being in our own little Italian oasis, we elected to stay put the next day, sleep in, read, and recover from our whirlwind Roman touring and a touch of lingering jet lag. That evening—more luscious Chianti and a delightful Chicken Piccata (lemon and capers), courtesy of my amazing chef of a husband.

    
    SEE TUSCAN PIZZA AND CHIANTI, PART 2...

     

  • Blog post
  • 1 year ago
  • Views: 1268