127. Parco Pratolino and the via Bolognese

It's the last week of April and a real mixed bag of weather here in Florence.

On Saturday I spend another relaxing afternoon by the river Arno while Annette is studying. On the Sunday I manage to tear her away from the books - last night's rain has cleared and we take a drive up the very picturesque via Bolognese.

We enjoy a fish lunch at this family run restaurant with great views toward the Mugello region.

We continue on to the Park at Pratolino. Our return here is long overdue - I spend some time sketching and 'haikuing! while Annette, studying of course!

Softly drifting clouds

Passing by as lovers kiss

Ever to return

Gracefully hewn rock

Majestically stands silent

As life slowly fades

(Original journal entry 25/4/04)

126. Le Marche

Saturday 

We passed through Le Marche a few years ago on our way to the very dull Ancona. And so the return trip to the area finally happens... We've booked one night in a 15th century monastery somewhere between San Marino and Urbino.

We set off on the Saturday morning and take the Autostrada to Bologna and then down towards Rimini. Unfortunately the weather isn't too good, it's foggy and drizzly, but the road from the coast to our hotel is breathtaking, taking us deep into the Montefeltro region of Marche. Mountains soaring to 4,500 feet and plunging valleys of deep green pastureland...

Our hotel is fairly easy to find, in a small hamlet called Frontino and we check-in and enjoy our packed lunch in the cloisters.


San Marino


In the afternoon we decide to visit the 'most serene' republic of San Marino. It's only about 40 minutes away. Unfortunately the fog hasn't lifted so the spectacular views we were supposed to see from the highest point, the 'Guaita' fortress on Mt. Titano are enshrined in cloud... The town is full of kitsch cafes with large laminated pictures of brightly coloured dishes and and extremely tacky souvenir type shops selling guns, swords, fake perfume and every other type of useless crap, making the most of San Marino's tax free status. It's like Blackpool and Margate have been transposed to Italy, not exactly our cup of tea...

I'm sure once upon a time San Marino was a pretty hill-top town., but has now been ruined by cheap commercialism and even the beautiful view is spoiled by the weather...

Nothing tempts us and we can't get away quick enough!

We phone and book a table at the Hosteria where we're staying, San Girolamo and head out of San Marino. We change and settle down for what can only be described as a masterclass of cuisine. An antipasto consisting of 7 wonderful dishes at an incredibly low price!

Sunday 

Urbino

After a hearty breakfast and a tour of the monastery we check-out and head on to Urbino - the weather is much better and we are greeted by a quite superb city, as Piero Della Francesca coined it 'The ideal city' and who am I to disagree!

Beautifully set out streets, tasteful, individual shops and hidden alleyways, this is the birthplace of Raphael and we see the house he was born in.

After a very light lunch, we decide to take a lok inside here, the Palazzo Ducale. There is a special exhibition on at the moment celebrating the works of Titian, Raphael and Piero della Francesca. (The Della Rovere collection.) Highlights include the ideal city, the flagellation by Piero della Francesca. Raphael's mesmerising 'La Muta', somewhat reminiscent of the Mona Lisa and the magnificent wooden panelled study of Duke Federico. We also check out the basement with it's unique ancient draining system before finishing our very cultural day in Urbino with cappuccino and cakes.

Only the long drive home over the spectacular Appenines remains, with a stop for pizza at 'Affe di Bacco' in our old stomping ground of Gavinana... 

(Original journal entry 18/4/04)

126. Mugello and scopo del carro (nearly)

Easter Sunday and again it's a beautiful day. As we're now loiving in the city, we decide to check out the traditional explosion of the cart in Piazza Duomo. Our guide book it happens at midday, so at 11.30 we mosey on down to the centre... in Piazza Repubblica we see the cart being wheeled away??? This year apparently they decided to explode it at 11.00am! Doh! Maybe next year then...

So we go back home, pick up the car and head out to the countryside... the Mugello to be exact. An area of outstanding natural beauty to the north of Florence.

We stop at the very pretty Borgo San Lorenzo and carry on to Ruffina. Then we continue on to Contea and stop by the river Sieve for some relaxation on our trusty rug. Then it's back home to munch on some Easter eggs!   

(Original journal entry 10/4/04)

125. Omero

Day 2 of our easter holiday and the weather has greatly improved, so much so that we enjoy a couple of hours stretched out on the rug by the river Arno (a 5 minute walk down the road). A perfect pre-qual to our dinner date at a restaurant I've had my eye on for a while. It's in the very fashionable (and expensive) 'Pian di Giuliari' district overlooking Florence...

We arrive in time to see the sunset over the city, beautiful. Annette wins every course, but then it is her birthday! We indulge in a bottle of '99 Summus from Banfi in Montalcino mmm and finish with a stroll up Piazzale Michelangelo.

(Original journal entry 9/4/04)

124. Boticelli and Filippino - Grace and Unrest

Good Friday and the weather isn’t so good, so we decide to check out the Botticelli exhibition down in Palazzo Strozzi.

It marks the 500th anniversary of Filippino, Botticelli’s protégé’s, death. And entitled ‘Grace and unrest’. Grace, for the Platonic ideals that inspired ‘the birth of Venus’ and ‘spring’ . And unrest, for the influence mad monk, Savonarola was to have at the close of the 15th century.

The exhibition brings together nearly 30 of Botticelli’s paintings from galleries and private collectors around the world. Highlights include two panels from the Prado in Madrid, two circular paintings and a detached fresco from the Santa Trinita church in Via Tournabuoni and some superb portraits – a perfect way to spend a wet day...

(Original journal entry 8/4/04)

123. Settignano and the villa Gamberaia

Book 6


'What a beautiful country!
There are so many things
that leave you fascinated.
You have to know,
that in this blessed earth
they tie up sausages
together with geeses and goslings
and there are mountains of grated parmesan.
The people there have nothing better to do
than make pasta and ravioli
and then cook them in a chicken broth.
When they want to eat some, they grab it.
And if they don't have enough then they grab more!
And from the press that runs with the best wine,
they drink without even having a drop of water!'

One week to go until Easter and it’s a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon...


A trip up to the very picturesque hills of Settignano is the plan and in particular the Villa Gamberaia.

We spend a couple of hours in this spectacular gardens, it’s a little too early for the roses and azaleas they have here, but the Limonaia is bursting with fruit. The 15th century villa is in a magical setting high on the cusp of a hill overlooking Florence, with stunning views.

Afterwards we take a stroll up the hill and Annette picks some wild flowers. We indulge in a wicked aperitivo in Fiesole.

On our way home we agree we’re far too lazy to cook dinner! So we try this pizzeria near Porto Romana, with over 130 different pizzas to choose from... decisions, decisions!

Anyhow it turns out to be a real find, huge tasty pizzas, buzzy atmosphere and a cool way to start my journal number  6...


(Original journal entry 4/4/04)

122. Delta Blues

Annette has a ton of assignments still to do for her Delta course and her final exam isn’t until June 2nd.

The weather has been a real mixture of hot and sunny/cold and wet – March has turned into April and I have no Easter holiday... still chin up!

We have booked a table at this Spanish restaurant around the corner. We have also booked a couple of nights away in Le Marche, Annette’s birthday is coming up and May’s schedule is just in...

The Mille Miglia car race on the 8th

Our favourite wine festival at Villa Le Corte on the 22nd 23rd.

Alicia Keys and Dido are playing at the Lucca summer festival in July!

And all I have to do is find a new book to continue my journal...

(Original journal entry 27/3/04)

121. Santo Spirito

Wow! Today feels like the first real day of spring. The temperature has reached 20°C and everybody has come out of winter hibernation...


We’re checking out the Santo Spirito antique market. Over the river Arno in the very ‘artsy’ Santo Spirito district of Florence. We stroll along the river and have a nice browse. Round the market. We don’t find the mugs we are after, but do buy dome daffodils. There are some very interesting looking restaurants in the square and everyone is lunching ‘al-fresco’ – the temptation is too much and before long we are munching away on risotto with scammorza cheese and zucchini and gnocchi al mediterraneo! Is this what Sundays were made for?

Now we feel like we’re really living in the city!

120. Goodbye Fra and Ila

Well the day has finally come... our good friends Francesco and Ilaria are leaving Florence for a new adventure in the land of Oz. We've booked a table at one of our favourite restaurants, Baldovino and spend Saturday afternoon choosing some cards and gifts small enough to take across the world!

We meet up at 9 and settle down to a sumptuous feast, antpasti and crostini, bistecca alla Firentina and some wicked chocolate cake. They seem to like their presents and we have a fun evening reminiscing on the last 7 or so months that we have known them. They are going for a last ice cream tomorrow afternoon and ask us to join them, so it's not quite the end yet...

Sunday afternoon and we meet up outside the Duomo and wanderl to a gelateria to indulge in our first ice cream of the year.

A stroll to Piazza Signoria and the new uffizi shopping complex and we part... as they disappear into the Florence evening...

119. Gemma & Titz

Our visit to Prato to see friends Gemma and Tiziano finally happens! Postponed because of our move, we are only three weeks late...

However we enjoy a very pleasant day at their home in La Badie. They have a huge flat and garden, complete with orange, lemon and Cedro trees. We have lunch and then head off to nearby Galcetti, which is a conservation park for injured animals. The day is sunny and bright and we see lots of animals, including peacocks, deer and some very noisy wild boar!

We're back at their house for tea and biscuits, bringing the happy day to a conclusion.

118. Winter Warmers

The end of February and beginning of March have seen some of the worst weather (and football) this winter in Italy - cold, damp and miserable. So how to warm things up?

A Valentines meal at home, with chocolate and red wine. Annette finally gets to taste her Brunello, Poggio Banale riserva 1997! We enjoy 2 meals at our local Chinese with work colleagues and a wicked 'sweet' pizza at a snazzy pizzeria called 'Bacco' in Colle val d'Elsa with good friends Francesco and Ilaria.

We catch no less than 5 oscar winning films at the Odeon in piazza Strozzi...

The sun doesn't even come out for the ladies day celebrations on March 8th - but we buy ourselves a new basketball! Roll on spring...

117. Corso Italia

Well what do you know, the weekend we move it snows in Montefiridolfi! Friday night we stay at work colleague Jane's house as we can't get back home.

Saturday and I have a new class starting and we take the coach in at 6.30 am!

Sunday we make a very cautious two-car-journey to our new flat, but we're in! The flat is on the fourth floor in the very trendy Corso Italia near the river Arno. We're two minutes walk from the Cascine park and a fifteen minute walk from work... and just check out our new neighbour... resident conductor at Teatro Comunale, Zubin Mehta!

115. Rignana

Just one week to go for our move into the city... and so the perfect excuse for a celebration meal. We've heard about this restaurant near Badia a Passignano and so book a table.

The drive is quite an adventure as it's in the middle of nowhere! Down what seems like an endless dirt track, we eventually find an old tumbled down hamlet with half a dozen farmhouses. The restaurant is very cosy and the food wonderful. Tagliatelle with truffle sauce, veal chop and guinea fowl and some very interesting strawberry grappa to finish... now how do we get back home?

(Original journal entry 24/1/04)

114. Tijuana

Our good friends Francesco and Ilaria are back from their travels. While we were in grey old England, they were jetting off round the world, literally! Their destination was Hawai, to visit Francesco's sister, but they missed a connection in Munich. So it meant they had to travel via Rome-Munich-Tokyo-Hawai and back via LA - so literally round the world!

This evening we are meeting up for a meal at a very trendy Mexican restaurant, Tijuana, in Via Ghibelline. So jalapenos, fajitas, burritos and tequila! We have a great time, the restaurant is buzzy and food a nice change from the usual Italian fare.

Afterwards we go back to their flat and catch up on news. Francesco has brought us some more wines from Puglia... what a guy!

Unfortunately they are moving to Australia and even have their moving date, March 15th. So we only have them for a few more months, so a bittesweet evening.

http://www.tijuanaristorante.it/


(Original journal enrty 17/1/04)

113. Fiorentina vs Cagliari

Somewhat of a football weekend starts here as Cagliari are paying their visit to Florence's Artemio Franchi stadium. I'm going to witness my first competitive football match in Florence (the match I saw last year was only a friendly) Fiorentian now have their old name back and have been reinstated in serie B (the second division). This season they're doing ok, about mid-table and I've chosen to come and see ny old 'Chelsea' favourite, Gianfranco Zola. He has gone back to finish his career in his home town of Sardegna.

I ease my way into the 'curva ferrovia', the station end of the stadium along with all the 'ultra', the crazy hometown fans and enjoy a very entertaining match. The customary purple and red flares begin the game and the stadium looks pretty full.

Zola is somewhat frustrated all evening, only a few touches of the old magic that graced Stamford bridge for 7 seasons. The Fiorentina defense is playing him really tightly. Fiorentina's 'bomba' centre forward, Rigano scores a wonderful overhead goal early on, which gets the crowd singing. They unfurl a huge banner that says something like 'We welcome you in your own dialect - ba ba ba!' refering to the large sheep population of Sardinia! The first half finishes 1-0 to the Viola, with midfielder Enrico Fanti impressing.

In the second half Rigano scores from the penalty spot to make it 2-0. Cagliari then score a goal to make it 2-1 and have another disallowed as Fiorentina hang on for a 2-1 win.

Forza Viola!

(Original journal entry 16/1/04)

112. Montegufoni, Cerbaia and Montespertoli

January seems to be going quite well and the weather has been kind to us. While the rest of Italy appears to be under snow, so far we've escaped it! The temperature has kept above freezing and even reached double figures. A little rain and plenty of sun and blue skies... We are really looking forward to moving into our new flat in the big city and everybody seems to be throwing work at me!

This afternoon it's lovely and sunny, so we take a drive out towards Montespertoli. The road from San Casciano to Cerbaia is breathtaking and we spot this gorgeous castle at Montegufoni. The crenelated tower is like a smaller version of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. We enjoy a pleasant walk around it, there seems to be a restaurant inside, but some unfriendly guy refuses to give us any information... obviously they don't need our custom! We just admire the stunning views and can even see the snow-capped Appuan Alps. A short drive on to Montespertoli, where we have a wander before heading back home to Montefiridolfi.

(Original journal entry 11/1/04)

Isabel's first year Dec. 2010- Dec.2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9MyaYNINYU&feature=youtu.be

Isabel walking

111. Living in the City

After only five months in the house from hell we're on the move again! We've been offered the choice of two flats in the centre of Florence. On Friday we went to look at both of them. One was in the suburbs to the west of the city near viale Talenti, a nice cosy flat courtesy of work colleague, Jane. The other one we find through one of my private students, the Verdinis. It's in Corso Italia, behind the American Embassy, next to the Teatro Communale. It's dead posh and right in the historic centre of Florence! Too hard to pass up...

Moving date is February 1st. So we need to get packing! All the travelling has been killing us and while we've enjoyed Montefiridolfi, the village and the friendly people, Miriam's house was too big, cold, old and too full of her junk.

110. Bagno Vignoni and San Quirico

New Year's eve and day are spent tucked up at home with prosecco and toblerone and of course fireworks! Four out of the first five days of the new year are sunny... welcome back to Italy! We venture out for a few walks in the nearby countryside. Today is a beautiful day, blue skies and bright sun, perfect for a trip south to the hot thermal springs. This year we've decided to return to Bagno Vignoni and pack our towels and swimming costumes just in case we get the urge and head towards Siena.

We enjoy the wonderful rolling hills of the val d'orcia dotted with farmhouses and cypress trees. As we approach we can see the hot steam rising from the 52° C outdoor swimming pool...This year we can afford to come in and have a dip... it's heaven!  The scenery is breathtaking too, amongst the surrounding hills and the view towards Rocca d'orcia.                                                            

After our long soak we check out San Quirico, it's small, but very pretty and as the light fades we vow to return in the springtime...

(Original journal entry 5/1/04)

109. Grey, poo, rain and Eastenders

It can only be England!

We're loaded up with about 40 presents, including 4 panettone, 6 bottles of wine, off to the land of the eternal grey, rain, poo and Eastenders! Oh and the most often quoted phrase 'The weather isn't usually this bad' - (Yes it is, I know, I lived there for 30 years!) Of our 7 days, all 7 are grey and raining! All day and all night! Only on the Sunday does the sun show its face (in between showers). Our departure and journey go smoothly, despite planned bus strikes in Italy and Bin Laden terrorist attack threats in London. We pick up our hire car and drop friends Alison and Piero off at Kingston, before heading down to Worthing. in our blue Seat Leon.

It's kind of déjà vu, as our last visit to the UK was the same week a year ago. Nothing has changed much... only the kids, with Natalie and Kelly Anne most notably.

Tue 23- We settle into our routine of bath (as we only have a shower in Italy) bacon and eggs and visiting family. Unfortunately no Fast Show, Only Fools or Mark and Lard this year. A visit to Smiths to buy some cds and book-of -the-year contender, 'Crap Towns- the 50 worst places to live in England' surprisingly, Worthing is not included!

Wed 24- We have a nice walk up Honeysuckle lane with Ruth and Alison and the dogs, dodging the poo, but not the grey skies!

Dinner is at Ruth's and I catch up on the social life of Rory, oh to be 19! Oh yes, today is my birthday - 35...

Thur 25 - Christmas day and lunch is at my mum's with my dad and brother, Carl who is down from Devon. In the evening Chas and me challenge the ladies to a friendly game of bridge.

Fri 26 - Boxing day is 'taxi service day'. I drop Carl off at Lisa's and see my grandma and drop her off at Fiorella's and pop in to see the family. Evening is at Rita's, with curry courtesy of Shafiques and entertainment courtesy of Natalie and Holly!

Sat 27- Surprise, surprise it's raining again - all day! But we have a lunch date with mum, Rita and the kids at Worthing's premier attraction... the bowling alley! Burgers and fries are followed by some bowling fun. A pop into town, where Annette purchases some Next bargains in the sales and then we're off to Hove, actually! Where my grandma is treating us to a Greek feast at 'The Meze house'... and very tasty it is too!

Sun 28- We're at Lisa's for lunch, with Joanna, Jamie and the boys and back at Ruth's for a 'last supper'.

Mon 29 - We're all packed up and only Leonie  to see... (Phil has gone to California) she's with Phil's ex, Marie-Noel and treats us to a Christmas concert recital, lecture on the solar system! All this from the 5-year-old star of the Christmas edition of Eastenders.. We watch Leonie come on and pull Santa's beard!

(Original journal entry 29/12/03)

108. The Chianti trail. Greve, Gaiole and Castelnuovo Beradenga

We're off to England on Monday and so it's our last chance to buy presents. Greve market and a drive deep into Chianti to Gaiole to find the perfect Chianti Classico for Phil is the plan...

We find a packed Greve market and pick up some great gifts, including a rug for us! Lunch is the traditional 'porchetta' roll and then we're on our way to Gaiole.

We've been recommended to try a couple of wines and have decided to visit a couple of estates, Castello di Brolio and Castello di Ama. Unfortunately everyone seems to be closed up for the winter, so we decide to carry on to Chianti's most southerly town, Castelnuovo Bearadenga. It's very small and slightly disappointing, but we do find a bottle of 'Castello di Ama' 3-red glass winning wine for Phil.

We are also rewarded with some superb views of Mt. Amiata and the rolling green Sienese hills on a gloriously warm, sunny December day, with the sky as blue as a summer's day...

(Original journal entry 20/12/03)