The Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta on the road from Pienza to San Quirico d'Orcia

In 2001 I came to live in Italy. I had some fun, wrote a journal and this is the blog of my story...

"Tuscany is a state of grace. The countryside is so lovingly designed that the eye sweeps the mountains and valleys without stumbling over a single stone. The lilt of the rolling green hills, the upsurging cypresses, the terraces sculptured by generations that have handled the rocks with skillful tenderness, the fields geometrically juxtaposed as though drawn by a draughtsman for beauty as well as productivity; the battlements of castles on the hills, their tall towers standing grey-blue and golden tan among the forest of trees, the air of such clarity that every sod of earth stands out in such dazzling detail. The fields ripening with barley and oats, beans and beets. The grape-heavy vines espaliered between the horizontal branches of silver-green olive trees, composing orchards of webbed design, rich in intimation of wine, olive oil and lacy-leaf poetry. Tuscany untied the knots in a man's intestines, wiped out the ills of the world. Italy is the garden of Europe, Tuscany is the garden of Italy, Florence is the flower of Tuscany." Irving Stone from my favourite book " The Agony and the Ecstacy" A fictional biography of Michelangelo



2. Chianti Classico, Vin Santo and Olmastrino


Two years earlier in England we had met a Florentine couple on their honeymoon. We told them of our intention to move to Italy, although we hadn’t decided where at that point. They invited us to stay with them for a 2 week ‘reconnaissance’ holiday and like many English travellers before us, we fell in love with Florence and Tuscany and decided that this was the place for us! They said we were welcome stay with them while we looked for flat...



We get straight down to business and start scouring the local papers and magazines for houses, make lots of phone calls and get absolutely nowhere! Then in true Italian style, the guy we are staying with says he knows just the place…

Every November he buys his newly pressed olive oil from a small farm in the Chianti and remembers that they have some flats to rent. The property is about 45 minutes from Florence and he offers to introduce us to the owner, Lucia.

The house at Olmastrino
The location is stunning. Olmastrino is on the beautiful Chiantigiana road just outside the small market town of Greve-in-Chianti, right on top of a hill. Although when I say hill I’m talking 330 metres or 1,000 feet above sea-level hill, with 360° views of the surrounding olive groves, vineyards and woods, some of which are on the farm.

We meet Lucia and she seems very friendly, showing us around the grounds. They have a private wood with benches, perfect for eating outside! She then proceeds to lead us into her cellar, where she

has countless bottles of ‘Chianti Classico’ wine and huge terracotta jars full of new olive oil. We are treated to a tasting of her ‘Vin Santo,’ a dessert wine somewhat reminiscent of Sherry. The flat is just about the right size for us, with great views of the countryside and we can even see two Castles, Vicchiomaggio and Verrazzano out of the window.

The deal is done and we agree to move in!



                                Castello Vicchiomaggio - from our bedroom window




Here is a link to Lucia's Olmastrino website. The photos of the views are pretty impressive, you can also see the olive oil jars, the cellar, the flats, her son Marco and their dog Toby who took more than a liking to my Grandmother's finger when she visited us!

                                               http://www.aziendaagricolaolmastrino.it/ITA/home.html

(Original journal entry 12/11/01)

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