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



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)
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