198. Open Pool

This year's 'Festa della Repubblica' (the birthday of Italy) falls on a Thursday and is a national holiday. many people are taking a 'ponte' on the Friday to make a 4-day-break. Unfortunately we're both working - d'oh!

However we've managed to book a late room at an agriturismo farmhouse near Suvereto on the Saturday night. For today we decide to hit the pool. Our old favourite in Greve-in-Chianti is the destination and is absolutely packed.

 A fairground has appeared in the car park accompanied by some thumping music. We somehow manage to relax, though (are we getting old?) and enjoy a sunny afternoon. The Chianti countryside is as beautiful as ever.

197. Wedding - Italian Style!

We are finally going to our first Italian Wedding. Our good friends, Gemma and Tiziano have decided to tiie the knot and we are invited.

A glorious Sunday afternoon greets us as we drive to Prato and head to the Palazzo Comunale. It's a wonderful setting for the short ceremony in this old building.

Gemma's parents and sister have made it over from Wales, as well a some of her friends. We are giving a Scottish couple, Brian and Rhona a lift in our car, Brian is wearing his kilt and gets quite a few stares from the locals. Gemma looks radiant in her pale blue dress and Tiziano dapper in his suit.

The reception is being held in the 15th century Villa Vittoria between Artimino and Comeana. We tuck in to some scrumptious antipasti and punch on the lovely lawn, surrounded by some cool marble statues and breathtaking views of the Carmignano countryside.

We move inside the villa for a sit down meal including many toasts to the bride and groom and afterwards dance the night away to a cool jazz band. It is a perfect day as the happy couple are whisked away and we disappear into the cool, crisp Tuscan evening...

(Original Journal entry 29/5/05)

196. Centovini at the Certosa

And so onto wine festival number 4! And bringing May's wine festival to a happy conclusion...

I've picked up the wine list and searched out some gems to try. Andrea has moved the festival back a week as last year was too cold. It's the opposite problem as it's so hot he has to put even the red wine on ice to cool it down!

A very enjoyable time is spent, all the usual sommeliers are here and I move effortlessly from Spumante to white to red and dessert wines including an incredible Marsala and Passito di Pantelleria to add to all the usual fabulous red wines and just my next article for the Florentine to come...

195. Villa Le Corti and Ornellaia Masseto

The incredibly hot May continues and my favourite Tuscan wine festival is back. Held at the imposing Villa Le Corti, just outside San Casciano.

This year I've somehow managed to talk my way onto the Masseto vertical tasing session on the Sunday morning and I'm really excited! A vertical tasting is where you taste several different vintages of the same wine to see how different weather conditions and the passing of time make the wines so unique. I'm going to taste seven different years of famed Bolgheri Producer, Ornellaia and their 100% cru Merlot, called Masseto. It retails from about 250 to 1,000 euro a bottle, so I'm going to be tasting about between 1,750 and 7,000 euros worth of wine!

However on the Saturday I get to taste everything else! I arrive at midday and get started on some of the expensive Supertuscan's, Tenuta di Trinoro, Testamatta, Galatrona, et... wow! There are the usual cheese and cold cuts on offer to bounce the wine off and I have my trusty rug on hand to provide me with some relaxation. I continue with some wonderful and expensive Brunellos and find two incredible white wines from Lucca. I somehow manage to stagger home, very content and get myself ready for another big day tomorrow...

Today is officially Masseto day! As the legendary and award winning Ornellaia estate is hosting a vertical tasing in the very elegant Villa Le Corti. The tables are all set out and I find a place somewhere near the front, so I can hear the speakers clearly and take some notes. There are seven glasse placed in a semi circle with the different years written on a place mat. There are three speakers on hand including newly appointed winemaker, Alex Heinz. The tasting gets under way with a description of each vintage, starting with the oldest first, as the tannins are less harsh and working round to the latest vintage. From 1995 through to 2001. The standout years are the '97, '99 and this year's 2001. The 100 % Merlot wines spend two years in French Barriques and two years in the bottle before being released onto the market. It is an incredible experience...

Annette is joining me today and after some lunch of arancini and a wicked porcini mushroom schiacciata we finish up with some dessert wines. Villa Le Corti... can we move in here?

(Original Journal entry 22/5/05)

194. Piemonte in Viareggio

I always say to people here that Viareggio is like the 'Brighton of Tuscany', even though I've never been there! Well today  that changes as we pay the Tuscan riviera our first visit...

A Sunday afternoon bathed in glorious sunshine greets us at the 'Principe di Piemonte' hotel on the 'lungomare' promenade. The wine festival we are indulging in is actually in the congress centre wing of the hotel and we get to take our glasses outside on the beautiful lawn while admiring the inviting swimming  pool, although it's not quite warm enough to swim yet.

Annette sits by the pool taking in some rays, while I ply her with glasses of Barolo and Barbaresco, two of Italy's most famous and prestigious wines from the this Northern region of Italy. The wine is fabulous and I even get to meet and chat with the man himself, legendary Barolo producer, Elio Altare. As well as the Barolos and Barbarescos there are some other interesting wines from the Langhe and Roero areas of Piemonte.

After the festival we take a long 'passegiata' along the enormous promenade and have a walk down on the sandy beach. The sea is a bit rough and not that clean here, so not great for swimming, however we enjoy a relaxing coffee 'shakerato' on the seafront before heading home from Viareggio... Brighton? Well, not quite!

(Original Journal entry 15/5/05)

193. Pentecoste a Castellina

May's wine extravaganza starts here...



It's a miserable Saturday. Our good friends Gemma and Tiziano are finally going to tie the knot and this evening Annette is with Gemma and some of her girlfriends for her hen-night. So I check out this years wine event in Castellina, called very aptly, Pentecoste a Castellina.

This year I'm tasting with a view to writing up a report for a possible second article for the Florentine newspaper. So I taste wisely and very carefully write my tasting notes down. I taste some very nice wines and the mood is very jovial and atmospheric under the medeival vaulted walkway.


Annette has had a great evening too eating and dancing the night away back in Florence!



(Original journal entry 14/5/05)

192. Villa di Bibbiani

It's another gorgeous May weekend as Florence is enjoying a mini heatwave.

Saturday afternoon and after work we take our rug down to the river Arno and join the sun worshippers.

Sunday and it's 'Open Gardens' in Tuscany. Last year I visited the Castle of Celsa near Siena, while Annette was studying for her DELTA exam. This year we can enjoy it together and I pick this super location in a place called Limite-Sul-Arno near Empoli, called Villa di Bibbiani.

The Villa set on the Montalbano hills is pretty, but it's the garden we're here for...

It was the brain child of  Politician and Agronomist, Cosimo Ridolfi, who decided to experiment with his botanical skills and planted two dozen exotic trees. Some of these today are over 300 years old!

We have a very informative guided tour around this extensive 20 hectare property and enjoy the Palm trees, Sequioas, Junipers, Lebanese Cedars, Pecan, Chestnut, Pines, Magnolias any of course many Cypresses. Annette is in tree heaven! There is a cool stone archway, called 'The Arch of Man', which was part of the old entrance and a tree house high up in the forest. It is a fascinating day which we end lazing on a huge lawn.

Having got the tree bug, we pick up some azaleas and a purple rhododendron from our local nursery - well we couldn't fit a Sequoia in the car boot!

(Original journal entry 5/5/05)

191. Wine Lovers Delight

There is a new weekly newspaper being published in Florence, called 'The Florentine'. It'a a free paper and is run by an American couple. In the second or third issue I spot an advert for 'writers wanted'. They are interested in all subjects based around Florentine and Tuscan themes, including wine. It catches my eye and I have the idea of maybe writing something about the wine festivals. I write an email to them and they ask me to send them a 1,00 word article. So I get scribbling, send it off to them and what do you know they publish it in the May 5th issue! I am now a published writer!!! I am very excited when the paper comes out and make sure I pick up a dozen or so copies to give to friends and family. Everybody is really happy for me and seems to enjoy the article.

Here is a link to the digital version of the article:


http://www.theflorentine.net/articles/article-view.asp?issuetocId=1423

(Original journal entry 5/5/05)

190. Open gardens in Florence

'I took refuge 

in Tuscany 

to be free 

to do 

as I liked'

Pliny

Book 8

Villa Torrigiani

My favourite month gets off to a flying start with an event I missed last year - Open Courtyards and Gardens in Florence. We have invited Gemma and Tiziano over for the day - three weeks before their big wedding day. Lunch is rather forgettable as my pasta dish sticks in one big lump and the wine I bought was corked. However we all laugh it off and go out and have some fun. It's a beautiful sunny day and we head off towards Porta Romana to the first of our two villas.

Usually when you drive past this large property all you can see over the large old city walls is the large Rapunzel-like tower. Hiding behind  is a beautiful, enormous (17 acres) garden. Apparently it is the largest privately owned garden within city boundaries. We enjoy strolling round and looking at the botanical gardens and extensive trees, even if we're supposed to be following a tour guide. The tower is great, but we get told off for sitting on the grass. Oh well, so we move on to our second villa.

Corsini sul Prato

The owners are much more friendly here, it's a very impressive villa, designed by Buontalenti, with some wonderful statues lining the pathway, we spot some baby tortoises, which pleases Tiziano and we have a very pleasant time here among the wisteria and oak trees.

We pop back home for a cup of tea, before bidding Gemma and Tiziano farewell.





(Original journal entry 1/5/05)

189. Gubbio

I first heard about Gubbio in E.M. Forster's novel, 'Where angels fear to tread'. His fictional town of Monteriano, is thought to be a combination of Monteriggioni and San Gimignano. However there is also a hill in Umbria called 'Montereano' which faces the town of Gubbio... It was described in the book as one of those 'off-the-beaten-track, hill-top towns that one must visit' and it has also been described as the most beautiful medieval towns in the world! So for our 'Festa della Liberazione' long weekend, Gubbio is the destination!

By some miracle we manage to book two nights at an agriturismo in Umbertide, a small town a few kilometres west of Gubbio. We head off on a sunny Saturday morning and drive on the A-1 motorway towards Arezzo. We make an unscheduled stop at Monterchi in the Val D'Arno to see Piero della Francesca's 'Madonna del Parto', which is in a small church and very pretty. it's a quiet little town and well worth the stop.

We press on to our farmhouse, it's in a beautiful location just outside Umbertide, the perfect spot for three days of total relaxation...Which is the plan anyway! Especially considering our last visit to Umbria, when we rushed around trying to see too many places.

We eventually arrive and unpack our things, munch the sandwiches we packed, overlooking some very beautiful, unspoilt Umbrian countryside. After a brief 'pisolino' we make our way to Gubbio and park up near the Roman theatre. Unfortunately the sun has disappeared and doesn't reappear until Monday evening!

However we soldier on and Gubbio turns out to be as good as all the hype. Wonderful cobbled, medieval streets, the whole town carved out of a gorge on the side of a hill. We just wander aimlessly, gazing in the windows of some interesting looking shops. The very elegant 'Palazzo dei Consoli' is the main attraction, but it's the tranquil atmosphere that lingers in the memory... We buy a couple of umbrellas as the rain has set in and in true English fashion we enjoy a cup of tea and slice of cake in an outside cafè!

On the way home I fill up the Nissan Sunny with diesel instead of unleaded petrol and as we drive out of the garage it splutters to an abrupt halt! Luckily a very friendly mechanic, who although it is a bank holiday and is not officially working, interrupts his tea and comes to the rescue. We just manage to get back in time for dinner at 9 o'clock!

The farmhouse is famous for its cuisine and it doesn't disappoint! I have a very tasty pasta nocera, with a sausage and truffle sauce and Annette has a lovely asparagus risotto. We both have the goose for main course and it's sublime.




Sunday

And we're up at 8.30 sharp to partake of the farm's organic breakfast and then we relax and read all morning. In the afternoon we check out Citta di Castello (famous tower under scaffolding) and then go in search for this restaurant in the abbey at Montecorona. It turns out to be a beautiful place, along side the river Tiber (as in Rome-Tiber) We go for stroll and then book a table for the evening. The meal turns out to be wonderful. We share the restaurant with a seven-year old boy, who is celebrating his first communion and his fifty guests!

Monday


And after another huge breakfast we head back home, with another impromptu stop in Tuscany at Sansepolcro. We walk round the small centre and eventually find somewhere for lunch and there is just time to check out some more Pireo della Francesca in the form of the beautiful 'Resurrection'

The End 

of book 7! 

See you in book 8!)

(Original journal entry 25/4/2005)