185. Easter with Chas and Mavis and Roma 8 & 9

Well it's been almost three years to the day that Annette's mum and dad last paid us a visit in Tuscany - after several illnesses and operations, their burning desire to see their beautiful daughter can't wait any longer. Unfortunately not even for the better weather of May or June. Easter is early this year and the weather continues to disappoint...

Day 1 - Arrival

A Monday evening pick up at Pisa airport goes smoothly and within the hour the happy family reunion is complete... They haven't seen each other for seven months!

Day 2 - Fiesole

A hazy, sunny Tuesday morning forces us out and up to Florence's most upmarket neighbourhood, the very beautiful Fiesole, idyllically perched above Florence, with some spectacular views. We have a wander through the Roman ruins and museum and then settle down for a rather expensive cappuccino and cakes in the Blu bar where we can just make out the Duomo. We're both working in the afternoon and evening, but a very satisfying first day for our guests...

Day 3 - Caruso's Villa Bellosguardo

Well what do you know, the sun makes another surprise appearance for the second day running and so we head on out and up again. This time to the Villa Bellosguardo, which was restored by the great Neapolitan Tenor, Enrico Caruso. He lived here towards the end of his life and very peaceful it is too!

We enjoy a stroll among some spring anenomies and daisies and bask in glorious 21° spring sun - maybe March hasn't turned out so badly after all...

Day 4 and the drizzle has returned, so we stay in and relax, watch a dvd and play cards, Chas and Mavis feel like they're back in England for the day!

Day 5 - Florence and Santo Spirito

Another grey day, but we decide in true English fashion to soldier on... We take our guests on a short morning's tour of Florence, taking in Piazza Signoria, the Uffizi, over the Ponte Vecchio and ending up in Piazza Santo Spirito.

We enjoy a long, lazy lunch at an Osteria and Mavis even manages to pick up a new Pink twin-set at the clothes market!

Day 6 - Siena

I've finally broken up for my week's Easter holiday... yippee!!! So we have a full day to spend together and so Mavis' Siena date finally happens. Unfortunately the third grey day in a row makes the usually pretty journey fairly unforgettable. Still, I think they enjoy the 'Siena experience?.

We park up and slowly make our way to the Piazza del Campo, which is radiant. It's packed with happy tourists and we enjoy a hot chocolate at a bar while being entertained by a crazy street entertainer/comedian. Afterwards we go for a stroll and browse in the shops before picking up some sweet, almond Ricciarelli biscuits at Nannini for later. We usually end up coming here on a Sunday when all the shops are closed so it's nice to witness a very buzzy Siena on a weekday. And what do you know the sun finally appears on our journey home!

Day 7 - Inalbi

And as they say in the U.K. "Rain stopped play!" There aren't many days when it actually rains all day in Tuscany, but this was one of them! Still a chance to catch up on some reading and more playing of cards and a chance for the boys, me and Chas to get some revenge over the girls, Annette and Mavis...

We do however have a dinner date at the restaurant of one of my students, Massimo Grifoni, whose family own an agriturismo in Impruneta. So we all don our gladrags, complete with umbrellas and drive up to the restaurant. The property is down a long 'strada bianca', translated as 'white road' or unpaved road to you and me! It's very nice, the restaurant is in a large conservatory and is packed! No doubt in the daylight you can see the surrounding countryside too.

The food is traditional Tuscan and superb! We start with parma  ham and crostini with liver pate and porcini mushrooms. we share ravioli starters and for main course I have a veal chop, Mavis baked veal, Chas the pepposa all'Impruneta, a local beef stew with lots of peppercorns and Annette the pigeon. The house wine is soft and fruity and Massimo and his wife, Dorotea even put in an appearance at the end to say hello.

We finish our meal with the most pleasant surprise possible... Massimo has payed for the whole meal!!! What a guy!  (I must be a good teacher! At least that what Chas and Mavis think...)

Day 8 - Impruneta and Greve

A brighter start to the bank holiday Monday, or 'Pasquetta' as they call it here! We decide to check out a flower festival in Impruneta... A relaxing drive through the beautiful Chianti countrtyside is in the words of Chas, 'Just the job!' as is the ice cream we stop for in the pretty slopey square in Impruneta. There doesn't appear to be much happening in the floral area here, so we drive on to Greve...

There is a special antiques market and the town is the most packed I've ever seen it! We grab a seat at the cafe La Loggia (our old local) and gorge ourselves on some wicked bruschetta and I indulge myself in a glass of 'Serra di Belguardo' red wine. We take a browse round the antiques market and what do you know, even manage to pick up a couple of small tables for £45 and £15!

Then the heavens open, but I just have time to pick up some of my favourite pancetta from Falorni butcher's before whisking them away and home in the car!

Next stop  -  Rome!

Roma 8 & 9

We've booked a couple of nights at an agriturismo farmhouse between Rome and Tivoli for Chas and Mavis' last three days. They've both never been to Rome before, so hopefully it will be an 'eternal' experience for them!

The three-hour drive down from Florence is relatively traffic free and we drive straight into the centre of Rome (which is no mean feat!) to pick up the tickets for the bus tour that we had booked back home. We figure it's the best way for Annette's ageing parents to see the city. I park the car close by and by 1.15 we are on the bus!

The first stop is the Trevi fountain. Luckily it's a beautiful day. Cloudless, blue skies and some warm March sun. We enjoy our packed lunch in front of this huge, fantasy of white marble! I think they are impressed... We make the short walk to another of Rome's famous landmarks, the Spanish Steps (which is actually pretty good for a 75 and 85 year old!) and again it's packed with people all sprawled out over the steps. We join the throngs and imagine ourselves as Audrey Hepbburn and Gregory Peck in Roman holiday... it's a timeless scene!

After the walk back to the bus Chas and Mavis are very tired, so we decide to stay on the bus and go round the rest of the tour without getting off and listen to the guide do her thing. We pass the Borghese gardens, the Vatican, the Vittorio Emanuele monument and the Colisseum. We alight back near the station, pick up the car. and head out to our agriturismo near Tivoli.

Driving in Rome and through the suburbs is always a hair raising experience and we eventually arrive at 'La Quercetta' despite the dodgy directions. It's beautifully situated high on a hill where Annette can just make out the dome of St. Peter's with those eagle eyes of hers!

After a brief rest and change we head out to find a restaurant. We hit on a place called 'Tony's' and what do you know the waiter was born in Cambridge! A small world it is... A two-course meal for four with wine comes to only 58 euro!!! Welcome to southern Italy...

Day 2

And we're out at 9.30 am and stop for breakfast at a local cafe. After a half-hour drive we're parked up and back on our sight-seeing bus for some unfinished business... First stop is the Vatican and St. Peter's square. We arrive at 11.30 am - just missing a surprise appearance by the ageing Pope John Paul II by 15 minutes! Still Chas and mavis are suitably impressed with the square and we relax with some tasty ice -creams to cool us down from the sweltering heat.

The next stop on our bus is the Colisseum, Rome's most famous monument. I accompany Mavis up the Appian way to have a look at the Arch of Titus and we have a quick peak at the Roman Forum. Our 24 hour ticket has expired so we hop in a taxi back to the station. Annette manages to stop the taxi driver totally ripping us off by informing him that he has forgotten to turn on the metre!  and the 10-minute journey costs us a mere 4 euro 20! We pick up the car and decide to have lunch in the Borghese gardens and then we leave our guests resting in the shade while we have a dash round the Villa and museum!

Villa Borghese

This is a museum I've wanted to check out for some time. Cardinal Scipione Borghese amassed a huge collection of sculptures and paintings in the 1600's. He either comissioned or bought several  pieces by his favourite artists, Gianlorenzo Bernini and Caravaggio!

We make our way around the outside of this beautiful villa, through the gardens and limonaia and somehow end up inside without paying the entrance fee! We only discover the ticket office afterwards, in the basement and nobody has checked ...

The Bernini sculptures are amazing. Apollo and Daphne, Aeneas and Anchise, David and the Rape of Prosperine. Also we enjoy Canova's very seductive Venus, portrayed by Napoleon's sister Paolina.The Caravaggio paintings are sublime too. We see 'The Madonna of the Serpent', San Jerome, The Sick Bacchus and The Boy with a basket of fruit that we saw in England five years ago. Noteable abstentees are Saint John and David with the head of Goliath. Goliath being a self portrait of the artist himself. Both at the National Gallery in London until May! D'oh! Still a nice surprise visit on our 9th visit to Rome...

We drive back to our agriturismo in time to sit in some very welcoming early evening sun. We find this great restaurant and get to try the local dish, 'Saltimbocca alla Romana.'


Hadrian's Villa

We pack up our cases and make our sad departure from the agriturismo, stopping for breakfast at a very sunny cafe. next stop Hadrian's Villa. It's a gorgeous morning and we enjoy a leisurely walk in what amounts to a small town! Some thirty buildings make up this 120 A.D. Summer residence of this great Roman Emperor. the ruins are extensive and surprisingly well preserved. We leave Chas and Mavis relaxing and dash about trying to see as much as possible!

Villa D'Este

And so on to our last port of call, before heading home to Florence. We drive up to the hill-top town of Tivoli. A quick lunch in the small main square and then we're in to the Villa D'Este.

It was built in the 1500's and is famous for its water features. Unfortunately the rain has arrived and looks like it's set for the day... We wait around for it to clear up, but no luck. The're has been a thunderstorm and the lift down to the gardens is out of order and the stairs are too much for our aged guests... what a shame. The best we manage is a few pictures for the album. Never mind. However we've had a great three days in the eternal city...

(Original journal entry 31/3/05)

P.S. This was to be Annette's father Chas' last trip to Italy.

99. Volpaia and Turandot in Siena

Volpaia

This afternoon the sun is out and the scorching August is coming to a close... So we take a very pleasant drive out to the tiny hamlet of Volpaia - inhabitants 55. It's in the middle of nowhere surrounded by vineyards and woods. We stop near Radda for a picnic in a shimmering olive grove and then take a stroll through the beautiful old cobbled streets. There is a castle, two restaurants and a bar, where we enjoy a nice cappuccino outside. It's a very peaceful place, time seems to have stood still here, no cars or any kind of noise...

Tonight we are meeting our new landlady... After 2 years at Olmastrino we have decided to move on. Our old landlady, Lucia is very up and down, kind and sweet one minute and a monster the next. The last straw was when my mum and grandma came and woke everybody up, we think the neighbours probably complained and she threatened to throw us out! She has made us feel uncomfortable, especially at having visitors. One of our neighbours have dogs that they leave all day and constantly bark and so we have decided to leave. One of our work colleagues, Miriam is going to Spain for a year and has offered us her house in Montefiridolfi, asmall town also in Chianti, near San Casciano. Moving date is September 10.

Tonight we meet her and her son and family for pizza in Montefiridolfi.



Turandot in Siena

Tonight the company of Torre del Lago are performing Puccini's masterpiece opera for free in Siena's Piazza del Campo. Obviously the chance to see it is too good to pass up and so here we are on our way to the medieval city...

It's a balmy evening and an unbelievable perrformance with wonderful costumes and set. This is only our second opera in Italy , but our third free concert in Siena!

In the background we can hear cheers coming from the bars as the Italian football team our beating Wales 3-1 in a European qualifying match... quite appropriate as we are listening to the famous aria 'Nessun Dorma'!

97. Mum and Grandma, Antonio and Nilla

Mum and Grandma

My all-Italian summer continues and we're welcoming some very special guests... It's my mum's second visit and my grandma is making her first ever visit to Tuscany, so I'm quite excited!
A very late 23.15 pick up from Pisa airport means we arrive home at 1am. Our landlady Lucia goes loopy the next morning...

San Gimignano

Thursday and it's straight down to business with a day trip to San Gimignano. We have lunch in the Neapolitan deli and would you believe it the guy tries to rip us off! So last time there then... We pick ourselves up and get back on track with ice cream from our favourite gelateria and wander round the medievil streets and browse in the shops. Very satisfied we return home and knock up some salmon and risotto Milanese for dinner which we enjoy with our San Andrea wine and catch up on Worthing gossip.

Antonio and Nilla - Ferragosto
My cousin Antonio and his wife Nilla have paid the 84 euro train fair (each) to come and see us from Naples for the day! They are staying overnight in Lucia's spare bedsit.

I drive the ladies into Florence and drop mum and Annette off at Piazzale. I then take grandma to the station to meet Antonio and Nilla. We all drive up to Piazzale for Antonio's first view of Florence... After dumping the car off we take the bus down to the centre. What follows is the quickest tour of the city I am ever likely to conduct. From the Pontevecchio to Piazza Signoria, the Duomo and San Lorenzo without catching a breath! Antonio is eager to see as much as possible! The temperature is close to 40°C and we are sweltering. We stop for a breather and souvenir purchasing at the Mercato Nuovo and a very hearty buffet lunch near San Lorenzo. As today is a national holiday the busses are taking ages to arrive.

To all get home mum and Annette take the SITA coach and I take the others in the car. I stop off at Impruneta to get some ice cream and we're back home at 5pm... phew! (My advice is: Don't go sightseeing in Italian cities in August!)

Antonio and Nilla have brought copious amounts of food from Naples (obviously they were a bit sceptical about Tuscan cuisine...) including Buffalo mozerella, provolone cheese, salami and limoncello! Annette knocks up a pretty fancy meal while our guests relax in our woods, catching up on news and playing cards!

It's great to see Antonio, I haven't seen him in 7 years. We enjoy our dinner whch is crostini, two different pasta dishes, chicken, veg. and of course the ice cream. By 10.30 we are all completely exhausted and as I have to drive them back to the station at 7.30 am, so we hit the sack.


Saturday and after dropping Antonio and Nilla of at the station and bidding our fond farewells we decide to have a relaxing day. So we make a picnic, put on our swimming cossies and head to the outdoor pool in Greve for some serious sunbathing and swimming and even manage a game of table tenis. After a light dinner in the evening, we pop into Impruneta where they are staging some musical evenings (including the Reading Philharmonic!) and have put up an outside bar. They are doing Brunello wine by the glass... too good to pass up!

Siena

Sunday and mum and grandma have a lie-in so it's a late start to our Siena trip. We pack up the picnic bag and stop in Mercatale for lunch. After a coffee stop in San Casciano we're on our way to Siena...

Yesterday we saw some of the Palio horse race on tv and the Caterpillar neighbourhood were victorious, so today their yellow and green flags are adorning buildings everywhere. I drop the ladies off near Piazza del Campo and get escorted out of the historic centre by the Polizie Municipale! I feign ignorance as a foreigner of course...

I park up and meet them in the Campo. We enjoy an ice cream and then wander up to the main cathedral. I take mum and grandma inside and show them the Michelangelo and Bernini sculptures and and we even get a peak at the Piccolimini library with the lovely Pinturrichio frescoes.

We've managed to book a table at a place we spotted last year, but couldn't get a table then, the Taverna di San Giuseppe. We make our way here and arrive at 8.30pm. It turns out to be a big hit! Very atmospheric and the food is wonderful... we enjoy gorgonzola, honey and pear crostini and some yummy aubergine, ham and pecorino cheese parcels. For main course we have wild boar, osso buco, a porterhouse steak in a  Brunello sauce and pork with figs mmm... and we even squeeze in some wicked desserts! A monumental meal...

Monday is slightly more relaxing. Annette stays at home (still studying for her DELTA exam) while I drive mum and grandma to Radda, on a glorious afternoon. We take a very gentle stroll around this small, quaint town, finishing up at bar Dante. The ladies have an iced lemon drink and me, a glass of Brunello 'I Bricci' wine... what else!

For our final dinner grandma knocks up her speciality 'pasta e fagioli', our veal and finishing up with vin santo and cantuccini of course!

Tuesday and it's their last day... Their chosen destination is Arezzo. Again Annette is staying behind to study.

Badia a Coltibuono

First stop is Badia a Coltibuono, an 11th century Vallombrossan monastery, where I've heard the wine is quite good! We find the enoteca and drive up to the abbey. It is a beautiful setting, with huge cedar trees and incredible views towards Gaiole. Grandma pops into the chapel to say a prayer and light a candle and I check out the restaurant which looks rather interesting, for another time... We drive back down to the shop and enoteca for some wine tasting and I purchase a bottle.

Arezzo

After failing to find Castello di Brolio we head on to Arezzo. Somehow I manage to find a parking spot right next to the main square. We find a nice little place for lunch in the shape of a little deli which has a few tables and chairs out the back. So we tuck into pannini with prosciuto and pecorino, anchovies and pepperoni all washed down with some local red wine. Grandma gets chatting and makes friends with  3 ladies working in the shop.

Afterwards we walk into the Piazza Grande, made famous by the film 'La Vita e Bella', they both enjoy themselves and we take a stroll down 'Corso Italia' and stop for a disappointingly lukewarm cappuccino at Carraturo...

It's time to go and I rescue the car and meet them down the hill and we make our way home.

A quick wash and change of clothes and we're out for our last evening on the town... La Paglietta is the destination and as usual we order far too much food, but as usual it's all fab! Grandma takes a fancy to one of the waiters, who looks about 90 years old! Grandma asks us whether we think he still has all his beans??? I think she has had rather a lot to drink! Afterwards we drive into Greve where there is a band playing some traditional music, everyone is in a dancing mood and mum and grandma join in! I think they've enjoyed their holiday? Only the 9am departure from Pisa airport and a safe journey home...

(Original journal entry 20/8/03)

33. Parco dell'Ucellina (and Siena)

One of the many places that people have recommended is the Parco dell'Ucellina (little bird park) It's a national park down in the south west of Tuscany, an area of outstanding natural beauty, wild, rural and untamed (jst like Annette!)

It's quite a long way from Florence and we're not sure of its exact location, so today is a bit of an experiment...

We leave home at about 11.00am, with lunch and swimsuits packed and take the route through San Casciano, Colle VAl d'Elsa and Volterra. From there we head south west through Massa Marittima and on to Fllonica on the coast. Here we find quite a nice beach and stop for lunch and a sunbathe.

We driveon towards Grossetto and find another nice beach beyond a pine forest, but we must press on to Ucellina... Only a bit further and we're there!

No signposts of course, but it's more of a region than a town. The region which Ucellina is part of is called the 'Maremma.' There is one long road down to the beach at a place called 'Marina di Alberese.' We come across a baby wild boar nonchalantly ambling along the road, not seemingly worried about us at all! By now it's getting quite late, but we've found the park and at Albarese there are small, secluded, sandy beaches of powder white sand... we will just have to get here a bit earlier to enjoy them! Apparently we've taken the 4-hour scenic route!

Our journey home takes us by way of Siena. So impossible to pass up. We park the car, take a stroll to the Piazza del Campo and stumble on an interesting looking restaurant for dinner. It's called 'Hosteria il Carroccio'.
(Here's the trip advisor link!)
http://www.tripadvisor.it/Restaurant_Review-g187902-d696583-Reviews-Hosteria_il_Carroccio-Siena_Tuscany.html

On the wall there are photos of famous film stars, including Tom Hanks...and very tasty the food is too! Well if it's good enough for Forrest Gump, it's good enough for us!


(Original journal entry 18/5/02)