223. Collodi

We had decided to visit San Miniato, but somehow I manage to take the wrong road and we decide to carry on to Collodi in Pescia. It's the unlikeliest of destinations and here we are in the hometown of Italy's greatest children's stories, Pinocchio. The guy that wrote the book was called Carlo Lorenzini, better known as Carlo Collodi, because he came from the town of Collodi, near Pescia.

There is a small theme park here and a famous villa and gardens called 'Garzoni'. The latter is what we've actually come to visit. The garden is built into the hillside and has some cool waterfalls, somewhat reminiscent of Tivoli gardens and some huge statues. The villa is closed, but we a stroll around the gardens. 

222. Certaldo and Montespertoli

Autumn has come early and this weekend the forecast is sun on Saturday and rain on Sunday, so we force ourselves out today and take a picnic and drive out to Montespertoli and stretch out on the rug in an olive grove on the ridge of a hill at Lucolena.






Afterwards we head on to Certaldo - birthplace of Giovanni Boccaccio. We last came here three years ago, but only rushed around. This time we take it a little more leisurely - A short funicular ride takes you up to Certaldo 'Alto' and the historic part of the town.






There is a wedding going on and we follow the bride and groom around the town, meeting up with them in the 'Governer's Palace - where there is an erotic art exhibition taking place. However the town is prettier than we remembered and we even stop to enjoy an aperitivo in an outside bar.




For a Saturday evening it's still quiet and we discover that all the locals are down in the new part of the town for their evening 'passeggiata'.

221. Cala Violina and Scarlino

Our last visit to the beach this year and we choose to go to Cala Violina in Grosetto.




We start out nice and early and by midday we're sunning ourselves on the powder white sand and dipping outr toes in the turquoise waters.




The beach is half empty as Tuscany is already in Autumn mode, with more people hunting for mushrooms than sunbathing!




I somehow manage to get myself sunburnt for the first time this summer, but we have an enjoyable time and even manage a '50' ralley with our bat and ball!




In the evening we pop into the hill-top town of Scarlino. There isn't much going on there, but the views are pretty awe-inspiring!




(Original journal entry 25/9/05)

220. Pratolino 'Broadway' and Tijuana

It's a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Far tto  nice to stay in, so after work in the morning, we pop to our favourite park at Pratolino for some relaxation and what do you know there's a free concert at 5 pm!


A selection of Gershwin and Bernstein classics in the red room of the Villa Demidoff.


In the evening we book a table at Tijuana, a Mexican restaurant we went to a few years ago. It's crowded and noisy, but the food is red hot!


 (Original journal entry 24/9/05)

223. Biennial at the Palazzo Corsini

Every two years they hold a very special antiques festival at the huge Palazzo Corsini on the Lungarno. The palazzo is opposite the Harold Acton Library, part of the British Institute, where I work. We were curious to have a peek inside and this seemed like the perfect opportunity...

The Palace dates from the 17th century and is in the Baroque style. It was built by the Grand Duke Ferdinando II de' Medici and sold to the Corsini family in 1649.

As well as some incredible pieces of furniture for sale there were also paintings actually for sale by famous artists such as Canaletto, Poussin, Van Dyck, Canova and Tintoretto.

The palazzo inside was incredible, with enormous ballrooms, monumental staircase and even a grotto in the basement! We also enjoy a stroll on the terrace, with some great views across the river. Unfortunately our budget doesn't quite stretch to afford a Titian painting!

219. Vino e Piacere - Impruneta

And so onto this year's Vino e Piacere wine festival. It's chucking it down with rain, but we don't let this dampen our spirits. This year their holding it in the cloisters of the church in Impruneta.

Saturday afternoon and we head straight down underground to the the red department, as this year they have two of Italy's most famous wines, Sassicaia and Ornellaia on the list! There are two spaces where the wines should be, but as we know most of the sommeliers we both get a taste of the 2002 Sassicaia... wow! at 105 euro a bottle, it's not every day you get to drink this beauty! The Ornellaia has finished for the day as have some of the other top wines, but that's ok as I return on Sunday a bit earlier to try them too!

Still we enjoy our Saturday afternoon, with Spumante and Champagnes to taste, as well as the white and dessert wines. There is also plenty of food to taste, including some interesting lentil and bean salads and those wicked soft chocolate cantucci biscuits.

So all-in-all a very successful weekend, oh and I still have that box of wine from Stefano Chioccioli to dip into...




(Original journal entry 18/9/05)

218. The Winemaker

This morning I am driving out to the tiny hamlet of Ugolino - famous for its stunning golf course and home to one of the most famous oenologists in the whole of Italy, Stefano Chioccioli. He has signed up for an English course with The British Institute of Florence and yours truly is the Teacher designate!




He turns out to be a really nice guy - he is actually a free lance consultant for about 45 wine estates in all but two or three provinces of Italy.

In 2001, 10 of his wines won the Gamberro Rosso '3 -red glass' award (top 250 wines in Italy) and this year he won 5.




After the lesson he presents me with a box of six of his most prestigious wines worth somewhere in the region of 200 euro!!!

What a guy!


(Original journal entry 17/9/05)

217. Vino al Vino- Panzano-in-Chianti

It's a beautiful sunny afternoon for my third wine festival in Panzano, the gorgeous hill-top town above Greve.




The drive out is as spectacular as always and all the usual wine estates are here showing off their wares. I get chatting to some very satisfied English and American holiday makers who have obviously just stumbled on this event and think they've won the lottery!




I move effortlessly from Castello dei Rampolla's 2003 Vigna d'Alceo to La Massa's 2001/2002 Giorgio Primo. Villa Caffaggio's 2001 Cortaccio is also here and the usual Anfiteatro, Tzingana, and Fontodi etc... making for a very happy afternoon!


(Original journal entry 16/9/05)

216. Mum 3 - Grandma 2

Only one week back from our Greek holiday and we're playing hosts to my mum, on her third visit and my grandma on her second visit.

Another late pick up from Pisa airport on the Thursday evening and very slow drive home in torrential rain.

Day 1 - Friday and the rain is still bucketing it down. We shelve the 'pool' plan and head to the centre of Florence to check out the Medici tombs in San Lorenzo. I don't know whether the 8 Michelangelo sculptures impressed, but, hey they didn't have to walk too far!

After popping back home it's on to Greve for a look at this year's wine festival and surprise surprise, they've postponed it until tomorrow due to the bad weather... the forecast doesn't look good! Oh dear...

Day 2 - Saturday and things are looking better... it has rained all night, but Mr sun has got his hat on today! Destination - Lucca

A 10 am start means we arrive before lunch time. My brainwave idea of a 4-man (well 1 man 3 women!) bike ride around the walls doesn't happen, as 4-wheel bikes have been banned by the local council! (spoil sports) Anyhow, a nice stroll around the streets is the order of the day. They enjoy the piazza del duomo and today there is a busker singing 'O sole mio' (which my grandma joins in!)

We stop for a cool lunch in the even cooler Piazza San Martino (after an aborted  start in a bar, where the owner actually attacked my mum!) Dining  al-fresco in September.

In the afternoon. We check out the 'Torre Guinigi',  the tower with the trees growing... I go up with Annette and mum, while grandma waits at the bottom. There are some great views from the top.

Then it's on to Piazza Anfiteatro for an ice-cream and we finish on the walls overlooking the very beautiful Palazzo Pfanner Contrini (where they filmed some scenes from the film 'Portrait of a Lady') We decide to stay in lovely Lucca for dinner and by chance find a superb Osteria, called 'Baralla'. We snag the last outside table and bring a great day to a happy conclusion.






Day 3 - Sunday and again the weather is glorious. After a late start we head down the A-1 motorway towards Montepulciano. We stop off for a picnic lunch in an olive grove, with a spectacular view. I manage to drop grandma, mum and Annette off close to the main square and we meet in a bar. All the scaffolding has gone from the square and so we enjoy it in all its glory. We check out a couple of wine cellars and even get to taste several wines - including the best wines of Montepulciano, a 2001 'Asinone' - in the Poliziano enoteca. After a brief downpour we head out of the city by way of the church of San Biaggio - still as impressive as ever! We also pick up some 'vino sfuso' from the cantina cooperative.


Day 4 - Monday and a lesson cancellation means I'm free to accompany the ladies into Florence. My grandma seems to have forgotten most of what she saw two years ago... age! After lunch we take the bus to Piazza Duomo - today the centre is packed (two years ago when she came it was Ferragosto and Florence was like a ghost town) We walk down via Calzaiuolo to Piazza Signoria, which is now scaffold free and past the Ufffizi to the Arno to see the Ponte Vecchio - maximum sights wiyth as little walking as possible! We take the small electric bus to Santa Croce - unfortunately we have just missed last entrance, but we settle for an aperitivo in a café.

Day 5 and the temperature is back up to 30°C and so we head out to the big park at Pratolino - which is closed... D'oh! It's only open from Thursday to Sunday! So we head up Monte Morello for our picnic and lazy afternoon relaxing on the rug. Annette and I are both working this evening, so we book a table at Vico del Carmine for a pizza.

Day 6 - and its their last full day... and the beach is the request. So its's an early start for the two-hour drive and by midday we hit sand! San Vincenzo is my choice. It's a bit breezy and for a Wednesday in September the beach is almost completely empty! We enjoy our picnic lunch and then mum and grandma launch themselves into the sea... Afterwards we pop into town for a stroll and then head back to Florence for the turn-around shower and change and head out for our last meal at Inalbi in Impruneta. There are no discounts this time, but the price is reasonable and the food very nice.

Day 7 and a morning excursion for the ladies to the supermarket for some goodies and presents to take home. I drive them back to Pisa airport after lunch and we bid them our sad farewells... We drive back home and collapse in a heap -but we have bacon, biscuits and chocolate to keep us happy!!!

(Original journal entry 15/9/05)

215. Giostra del Saracino - Arezzo

Another Tuscan festival to experience, this time we're in Arezzo for some serious jousting. It's a bit of a cloudy day, but that hasn't dampened the locals spirits and the Piazza Grande is absolutely packed. Apparently like the Palio in Siena, they take the competition rather seriously...

It's quite exciting as different neighbourhoods are represented by a horseman kitted out in full medieval costume, armed with an enormous lance hurtle towards a huge metal dummy and have to hit a target.

 Everyone goes crazy as the 'Porto Santo Spirito' district win and fortunately nobody is injured. It is quite an occasion and unique experience for us.