Lee's Tuscan Odyssey: December 2015

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

234. 37 and White Christmas

Another two weeks of solid rain, Gosford park at the Odeon, end of term party at the library and some last minute Christma shopping (with hot chocolate at Rivoire in Piazza Signoria) and finally we have arrived at our Christmas holiday! Annette returns from a three-day trip to Blighty to see her parents, with bags of goodies and for my 37th birthday evening, my customary smoked salmon and philadelphia.

We have Little Britain season 2 and Ali G - the movie, to watch... 37 is not so bad after all!

White Christmas

After some very indulgent food, including a wicked apricot, 'artigianale' panettone from Cerbaia, cakes from Pasticceria Giorgio, three bottles of Brunell0 wine and champagne, we finally paint the walls of our 'mustard' flat... white of course!

And to top it off nicely it snows on Boxing Day for the first time in Florence for 23 years!

Auguri di Buon Natale

233. Red Night

It's been raining for three weeks solid now, but we have the perfect remedy to turn the heat up a notch - a 'red' hot night, courtesy of 'La Martinicca' restaurant and the 'Saigricola' wiine association. A follow up to our 'white night' earlier in February. It's a themed dinner of eight courses accompanied by five different wines...

A sensational evening ensues... We are tucked away in a cosy corner of a packed restaurant -the waiter remembers us from before and the Saigricola director and oenologist prove wothy hosts!

The risotto with champagne and truffles and pumpkin pie are outstanding and the Colpetrone Sagrantino from Montefalco and La Poderina Moscadello a perfect combination. We are a little bit rushed, but with this much wine to get through...

232. Pisa Wines

i Pisani piu schiettti,

or the most outspoken Pisans

is a new wine festival to me... A winter-warmer wine festival as I make my way through torrential flooding to Pisa and thhe stazione Leopolda.

The place is crammed with greedy Pisans! I somehow manage to gate crash a 'future wines' seminar and taste some nice reds and dessert wines. Not quite as illustrious as what I'm used to, but fun nonetheless... and yes, the Pisan people, like thier wines are very outspoken!

231. Incognito at the Flog

Jazz Funksters Incognito are coming to Florence! It's a freezing cold mid-November Wednesday... can they heat it up?

The last time we were here was to see Julian Marley, son of the legendary Bob and it was so loud I couldn't hear anything for a week after! Tonight the small venue is packed and frontman, Jean Paul 'Bluey' Maunick has brought his twelve-piece band with him, including the literally larger-than-life, Maysa Leake and guitarist, Tony Remy. He also has a male singer who is pretty cool too!

Bluey is in philosophical mood and a slamin' evening follows... as do the hits! Always there, Don't you worry, Still a friend, and the signature, Everyday.

My memories of them from their heyday early '90's come flooding back!

230. Ripe for the picking

Amazing... We've been living in Tuscany now for four years without sharing in the olive harvest and in the space of two weeks we are back in the fields. My new student, winemaker, Stefano Chioccioli has invited Annette and I to his rather beautiful, large house which has an olive grove with some 200 trees, bursting with fruit surrounding it.

In true English style we are the first to arrive at 10.30 am, but are soon joined by his family and some other friends. There are 15 of us, the early morning fog has lifted and the sun has appeared. Luckily seeing as it's mid-November, it turns out to be a warm, balmy day.

We stop for lunch at 2.30 for a huge picnic feast of bread, cheese, salami and ham has been layed out and of course as this is Stefano, we are treated to some very special wine. One of his juicy merlots from Cortona. After lunch we continue toi strip the trees and enjoy the company. His garden has gorgeous views toward Impruneta and a huge swimming pool. The sun finally gets the better of us and at 6 o'clock we're done.