Tuscany South Untour, Fall of 2002
by JC and Diana Prinzo, Middleburg Heights, OH
10/9/2002 - Arrival
JC and I are returning to Italy for the second time, having done a Rick Steves tour in September, 2000. It was a wonderful tour, and we experienced much of Italy in 20 days. But we wanted to concentrate on just one area this time, and we remembered the beauty of Tuscany, much of it viewed through the bus window. We are delighted to have our friends from Cleveland Heights, Ed and Mary Ann Vizdos, traveling with us. We’ve been traveling about 12 hours so far, and are rewarded for being unable to sleep on the plane when we pass directly over London. It is a clear night and the lights of the city below are enchanting. We can make out the Thames River, the blackness of the English Channel, and the lights outlining the French coast. We descend in Frankfurt and take a smaller plane to fly us over the Alps and into Florence.Since we are scheduled to arrive at 8:30 a.m., we elect to take the "self-escort" option rather than wait until 12:30 to meet Harriet and the rest of the group. This turns out to be a questionable decision given that we haven’t driven a standard shift in years, don’t know our way around Italy, and are jet lagged. We pick up two neat Fiat Puntos at the airport and follow as best we can the instructions to get out of Florence on the A-1. It’s a comedy of errors (but none of us feels like laughing) as we take one wrong exit after another, find we can’t figure how to put the car in reverse (you pull the shift knob up, rather than push it down), manually push the car to get out of a tight spot, and finally find a sign at one of those infernal traffic circles for A-1 and Siena.
We finally make it to Buonconvento and into the home stretch. We see the outline of Montalcino in the distance, our home in the clouds for the next two weeks. But are we actually going to drive up there? Won’t we need a helicopter? Well here’s our first experience of driving into a hill town and, after a couple more wrong turns and a few more stall outs, but in awe as the panorama unfolds below us, we finally arrive at La Crociona.
Since our rooms are not yet ready, we decide to have lunch at the Osteria on the property, the first of many delicious meals in Italy. After lunch Roberto takes us through our apartments (we have C-1 and Ed and Mary Ann have C-2, separate apartments with an adjoining door) and explains some of the intricacies of the gas stove, the heat, and how to use that funny little coffee maker. Untours has provided fruit, bread, eggs, cheese, ham, butter, jelly, and mixes for soup and risotto, so we will not lack for supper. The kitchen is quite well equipped to prepare simple meals. The rooms are spacious and our bedroom has plenty of drawer space and two armoires to hang our clothes, so we will not be living out of suitcases these next two weeks. The view from our bedroom window of the hills beyond is lovely–we will savor it as we open the shutters each morning. We unpack, and then sit awhile on the terrace where we meet some of our fellow Untourists. The grounds at La Crociona are lovely, in the midst of vineyards and olive trees, but due to early darkness and chilly evenings this is the last time we’ll be sitting outdoors.
10/10/02 - Buonconvento
Thursday dawns cool and rainy, and that is to be our experience for the next few days. Today is our orientation with Harriet, a most informative 90 minutes, especially the information about driving and parking regulations. We stay on for lunch with the group at Pieve a Salti, which is in a lovely setting in the hills outside Buonconvento. Throughout our two weeks we will be mesmerized by the landscape, so much beauty at every turn in the road. As we lunch the rain begins again, and it’s becoming colder. We head for Buonconvento to explore the walled historic district, and for our first visit to the Coop. This shopping trip takes longer than expected as we try to find items we need while reading the Italian labels, and figure out how to weigh and mark the produce before we check out. The first trip is a learning experience, but once we master the basics of food shopping in Italy, subsequent trips are a pleasure. The quality of meats and produce is excellent. Even the canned tuna and salmon are better than at home. A tip–the eggs will not be found in the dairy case. They are unrefrigerated on the shelf by the milk cartons (which are in aseptic containers.)10/11/02 - Montalcino, Sant’ Antimo Abbey
Jet lag almost gone today, but it’s still cold and rainy and we decide to stay close to home. We start off by visiting the abbey of Sant’ Antimo, just a few kilometers down the road. The abbey seems to be pictured in every Italy guide book, and it really is as lovely as the photos. The inside is spare, but architecturally pleasing. The main altar has an impressive statue from the late 1100's of Christ crucified. We learn that the original crucifix is now in the museum in Montalcino. Wishing to see the abbey by night, we decide to return for vespers at 7:30 p.m.Another good lunch at Il Giardino d’Alberto in Montalcino and we spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the town. The rain lets up for a bit and in the few moments of sunshine we climb the parapets of the Rocca, the fortress, for a million dollar view (for 3 Euros). All the views from Montalcino are wonderful, but this being the highest point, they are most dramatic.
Returning for evening vespers at San Antimo, we arrive early and the church is dark. Somehow I expect that it will be lit by candlelight for the vesper service, but then someone flicks on the electric lights and I am disappointed. Soon five monks emerge from the sacristy to chant the psalms, and the superb acoustics carry their voices throughout. I remember singing Gregorian chant as a child in parochial school, and I find the service very moving, even without candlelight. When we emerge it is dark, and the church is illuminated against the night sky. It’s a beautiful sight and I steady my camera against some fence posts and hope I can capture it on film.
My throat is scratchy and I am sipping tea, hoping not to get sick. I packed cotton sweaters, and am thinking longingly of the wool sweaters I left at home. I am thankful I brought my fleece vest that I wear indoors and out, day and night.
10/12/02 - Buonconvento, Monte Oliveto Maggiore
The four of us go today to the open air Saturday market in Buonconvento which is great fun—it seems the whole town turns out to shop. JC buys another sweater and, while sitting on a bench waiting for the rest of us, makes a new Italian friend, Ghino. When Ghino realizes JC is American, he asks if he may sit down and converse with him. It seems he had lived in California and served in the U.S. Army in World War II, and looks for opportunities to practice his English. JC asks why he returned to Italy. He responds kindly, thinking this should be obvious, "Because Buonconvento is my home!" Between his English and JC’s limited Italian, they communicate well enough to have a pleasant visit. I ask permission to take a picture to remember him by, and he says he is too old for a photo, but agrees and thanks me for taking it.By now the rain has started again, and seldom lets up the rest of the day. Since we find Mario’s closed on Saturday, we have a good, long, leisurely lunch two doors up at Osteria da Duccio–no English menu but the charming waitress translates it all for us. Mid-afternoon we drive to Monte Oliveto Maggiore Abbey making only a couple of wrong turns. We are happy to finally arrive and get out of the cold and the rain. We luck into a guided tour in English of the frescoes by Sodoma and Luca Signorelli that depict scenes from the life of St. Bernard. The tour also takes us through the refectory, library, pharmacy, and finally the church with its magnificent inlaid designs on the choir stalls.
Finally back to La Crociona for sandwiches and tea, and to shake the chill of the day. It is turning colder rather than warmer. I am coming down with a cold, and I hope it will be a mild one.
10/13/02 - Pienza
A late start for us this morning after a restless night. Ed and Mary Ann head for Siena. The rain has stopped, and we decide to stay closer to home and visit Pienza, the Renaissance city built by Pope Pius II. It’s Sunday and we encounter crowds of tourists for the first time. Most of them seem to be Italian–I tend to forget that Italians, too, like to travel in their beautiful country.A lovely town, but the square and town center are more compact than I expected. The views from the walls are heart stopping, perhaps even more dramatic than Montalcino. We identify Montalcino, our "city in the clouds" off in the distance by the outline of the Rocca. Taking our guidebook’s suggestion, we find La Latte de Luna for an excellent lunch. JC has a wonderful mushroom soup and I have pasta with truffles, my first experience with truffles. They look like thin slices of dried beef and the taste is hard to describe but delicious. Wine, of course. Since we eat our main meals at midday, we grow accustomed to drinking wine earlier than at home. I wish I could be more specific about what we drink, but I like whites and am no red wine connoisseur, so I just go along with whatever the group orders. We also have chocolate gelato at the stand to the right of the Church of San Francisco. JC, the gelato expert, pronounces it the best he’s ever had in Italy. It retains its standing for the rest of the trip.
After siesta we rent an audio tour from the tourist office across from the Duomo. We find it too historically detailed and too full of dates and names for our taste but finally it takes us from the square and through the town, explaining the rest of the sights in (thankfully) less detail. By the time I am finished with the tape tour, I’ve missed the last English tour of the Palazzo Piccolomini, and they won’t let me see the hanging gardens without the tour.
Apparently Montalcino was overrun by tourists this Sunday also. Driving up the hill we encounter seven tour busses heading down, and narrowly avoid an accident at the infamous Montalcino traffic circle as the eighth bus collides with a car in front of us. Thankfully there are no injuries and we manage to get around the accident and into town. After about an hour we encounter Ed and Mary Ann who advise us not to try driving home, as traffic is still backed up from the accident. The four of us find a bench inside the Rocca facing west, and sit and watch a splendid sunset.
10/14/02 - Montepulciano and Monticchiello
The four of us team up again and drive to Montepulciano, said to be the highest hill town in Tuscany. We’ve been sharing driving chores which saves on gas, and allows the driver to be a passenger on alternate days and enjoy the view. Driving it Italy is an experience I have decided to forego, even though we paid for an additional driver on our rental car. The roads are excellent and well-maintained. However, they are narrow with no shoulders, hilly, and full of hairpin curves. And did I mention the Italian drivers! Not a place to relearn to drive a standard shift. Our biggest frustration has been the signs. Those little blue signs are not obtrusive and blend in well with the lovely landscape. However, they are usually placed right at the intersection and, unless you have the eyesight of a hawk, you have about one second to decide which way to turn. Even with three navigators in the car watching the signs, we make more than our share of wrong turns driving in Tuscany.But today we do well, and in the welcome sunshine arrive in Montepulciano and manage to find a parking place outside the city gates. We have a great time climbing the steep narrow streets, dodging cars, and poking around the shops. The man at the tourist information recommends Il Cittino for lunch–he says it’s like eating food he has at home. We wonder if perhaps he’s recommending his own mother’s restaurant, but no matter. Il Cittino is very homelike, as if we are in someone’s large dining room. There is no printed menu and we neglect to see the blackboard as we come in. But we muddle through the recited menu, with the help of an English speaking patron, enjoy another fine lunch and are happy for the recommendation.
We climb to the top of the Palazzo Communale but can’t see Siena. Either we aren’t looking the right way or it isn’t clear enough. A fine view of the square below however. The highlight of the day is visiting the church of San Biago, an elegant 16th century building between Montepulciano and the valley below. Like Sant’ Antimo Abbey, this beautiful church seems to be pictured in every Italian guidebook. Take some pictures from the Montalcino overlook, because once you are at the church you can’t get far enough to include it all unless you have a wide angle lens. The church is immense. In it’s time only St. Peter’s in Rome was larger.
We then drive to Monticchiello, another small walled medieval gem of a village between Montepulciano and Pienza. We park outside the gates next to a sag wagon for an American bike tour company. As we enter the town Ed speaks to one of the cyclists and we exchange information about where we are from. When we say outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Mark, the cyclist, laughs. Turns out he is from Euclid, another suburb of Cleveland! His next words are "How about those Browns!" He is with a group of 14 cyclists on the first day of a Tuscany bike tour. They have ridden only 14 miles this day–some days they would do 50–but the last mile was up that hill our car had just struggled to make. We decide we’ll stop complaining about all the uphill walking.
10/15/02 - Murlo and Monticiano
Today we join Harriet and the Untours group for a lunch at Da Vestro in Monticiano. We stop in Murlo, a version of Monticchiello to the east of Buonconvento. The museum is closed, but outside the door we meet a charming couple from Canada, she an administrator, and he a professor (and classical music composer) at a Toronto university. They are spending three months in Italy and regale us with tales of their adventures. They apologize for talking so much, saying they are so happy to meet people with whom they can speak English.The rest of the way to Monticiano is an incredible ride–hills, switchbacks, hairpin turns even more formidable than the usual. Now we know why Harriet said to allow 1-1/2 hours for what seemed a short distance on the map. It’s great fun to get together again with our fellow Untourists. There are five feisty ladies from Texas traveling together. We hear that the leader of this group has taken the Tuscany South Untour several times already–each time she returns with another group of friends or relatives. A petite blond woman looks so familiar. It finally hits us—she looks like Hillary Clinton! And we learn–I am not making this up–that her husband’s name is Ron Reagan! We meet and sit with Vera and Gary from Texas who we find are also staying at La Crociona.
After lunch we all drive to the ruins of the monastery at San Galgano which is among the greatest Gothic buildings in Italy and provided inspiration for the cathedral in Siena. If only the monastery could have been saved like Sant’ Antimo. Mary Ann and I take the hike to the hermitage at the top of the hill to see San Galgano’s sword in the stone and the skeletal arms of a man who lost them to the bite of a wolf. We are not sure how this particular relic could inspire religious fervor!
Our driver decides not to drive back along the same winding roads which had made some of us queasy, but heads north for Siena where we think we’ll pick up the S2 for Buonconvento and home. Such optimism! As usual, we find the road signs most confusing in Siena and head south (but toward Grosetto) and then west (toward Arezzo), before we finally correct and find the S2. A very long day in the car–are we the only ones who get lost so much?
10/16/02 - Montalcino
Today was our "vacation from our vacation." I finally brew a drinkable cup of coffee in the cute little coffee maker–add a little extra hot water and it’s not half bad. We actually find the post office in Montalcino open today and buy some more stamps for postcards. The Internet café on via Mazzini was closed with no explanation and no hours posted. Finding it open is like winning the lottery. The Museo Civico is a delight with wonderful works of religious art from the 12th to the 16th century, all collected from local churches. We did not expect such a fine museum in a small town like Montalcino. On the top floor we come across the Crucifixion that originally hung in Sant’ Antimo Abbey and is one of the oldest pieces of Sienese art in existence.We enjoy a good lunch at Taverna Grappolo Blu and JC finally orders Brunello for us. I let him have the rest of mine as he enjoys it so much more than I.
Forgetting it’s Wednesday, we drive to Buonconvento but both the Coop and the Consorzio Agrario are closed. The Consorzio is right on the S2 and can be identified here, as in other towns, by its light terra cotta painted exterior. It’s an alternative to the Coop, with more of a gourmet food and wines selection. We wonder who controls the supermarkets in Italy. In various towns we’ve seen only the Coop and/or the Consorzio Agrario, along with independent produce stores, bakeries, and butcher shops. But no matter–I wish my local Giant Eagle had food choices like theirs! We strike out again at the Botega del Pane where we hope to buy some whole grain bread, but it’s closed until 5 p.m. We wait until 5:10 but no one shows up. Fortunately we have pasta fagioli soup mix provided by Untours. With two chopped zucchini added it makes a fine meal. (We do find the bakery open the next day and enjoy their wonderful whole grain bread for the rest of the trip.)
The warm breezy day dried all the clothes that I hand washed and left on the drying rack on the porch. We calculate we can hand wash enough to get us through our second week and not have to deal with the washing machine.
10/17/02 - Siena
Ed and Mary Ann decide to rest and catch up on laundry today, so it’s just the two of us off to Siena. Does it always rain in Siena? The weather was a recap of our trip two years ago, where I have lovely photos of everyone in the Campo holding umbrellas. But no matter, it’s the Duomo and the museums we come to visit today. We visited the Duomo last time, but this year the great marble pavement is uncovered until October 22–what a stroke of luck! Of course this means larger crowds, but taking our time with an excellent audio guide we are able to experience it all. I marvel that such artistry would go into works that are just going to be walked on. Many of the panels have been restored, or are in lightly trafficked areas, but it’s sad to see the others so worn down. I guess they weren’t thinking as far ahead as the 21st century when they created these masterpieces. I admire the sculpture at the base of a holy water font, and am impressed to hear on the tape that Michelangelo, who carved statues for one of the Duomo’s altars, had been inspired by the carvings on this same font. My connection with the genius of the past.JC can only handle one museum or church visit per day, so he wanders around Siena while I visit the Museo Civico. I had especially wanted to see the 1338 frescoes, The Allegory of Good Government and Evil Government. They are so much larger than I expected and only the first is in good condition. I am starting to OD on religious art, and it’s refreshing to see a portrayal, however idealized, of everyday Sienese life of the time.
Upon our return I open the windows to air out the apartment as recommended, and I smell something wonderful. I think perhaps it is the Osteria’s cooking, but then I realize it’s coming from next door. Mary Ann had purchased a package of Odori at the Coop that the Italians use to make soup, but is apparently used as a basis for a number of recipes. It is basically carrots, celery, onion and parsley, sometimes with the addition of garlic. With this and a Coop chicken she has prepared us a marvelous dinner of chicken soup with vegetables and risotto. I quickly put together a salad with the Coop’s wonderful bagged and prewashed salad mix and a few tomatoes, and we dine like Tuscans, those lucky people! (This is beginning to sound like a commercial for the Coop!)
10/18/02 - Cortona
An early start today as the four of us set off for Cortona, using the Untours suggested route. All goes well until we reach Sinalunga, where the Untours directions stop, and no Cortona signs appear. The map shows a connecting road between Sinalunga and the road leading north to Cortona, but we never do find it. We go too far south through Bettole on the way there (and too far north through Foiano della Chiana on the way back) but we finally reach Cortona at 10:30 a.m. and manage a free parking spot below Piazza Garibaldi with its great panoramic view of the valley and Lake Trasimeno. We easily find our way to Piazza della Republica and Piazza Signorelli, much of it looking familiar from illustrations in Frances Mayes’ books. We see that Christmas lights are being strung around the Palazzo Commune, the building with all the stairs and the clock tower. There is also something that looks like snow on the banisters and railings of the building and many more white bags of this substance (the labels say magnesium sulfate) stacked up beside the building. We decide they must be setting up a winter scene for a movie and check for information at the tourist office. The woman proudly informs us that they are filming "Under the Tuscan Sun" starring Diane Lane on location in Cortona. I ask her if the people of Cortona are pleased with all the publicity and increased tourism the book has brought their city. She smiles and nods enthusiasticallyWe visit the Museo dell’ Academia Etrusca and enter the first room with some Etruscan items in cases, and paintings on the wall that don’t really interest us, then continue on to rooms with furniture, glassware, more paintings, etc. We are disappointed at the paucity of Etruscan items until we reach the last several rooms with many more Roman and Etruscan treasures. The museum has a fine collection but could stand better organization. On to lunch and probably the best meal of the trip at Osteria dell Teatro. My primo is a wonderful pasta with duck sauce, and JC and I split a secondo of veal marsala with truffle sauce. I could have given him all the veal and would been satisfied just dipping my bread into that marvelous sauce!
I had found directions on the Cortona Internet site to Bramasole, Frances Mayes’ home, which I know is within walking distance of the town. I left the directions back at the apartment, but I think I remember how to find it. JC accompanies me as we walk through the public gardens and look for the turn at the tennis club. We walk a fair distance without seeing the tennis club and I know he is getting tired and impatient, so we turn back. (When I get back to the apartment I see the directions read "Walk all the way through the Public Gardens to the tennis club..." and I bet if we had just gone a little further... Oh well, next trip.)
We return home to find an invitation outside Ed and Mary Ann’s door from Gary and Vera to join them for bruschetta and wine. Not wanting to come empty handed we gather up some wine, cookies, and fruit and head over to the separate building, also known as the hayloft, which houses Apartment D. Gary is a self-taught gourmet cook, and treats us not only to bruschetta, but also Tuscan bean soup and pasta with mushrooms. We have an enjoyable evening with our gracious host and hostess, but Mary Ann and I are a little wistful after seeing their apartment, which is newer with lovely beamed ceilings, tile floors, and large windows and sliding glass doors. We had originally requested Apartment D (and also E, which is on the second floor of the hayloft), but they were already taken.
10/19/02 - Banfi Winery
Another gorgeous fall day, warm, sunny, with fluffy white clouds, we hardly even need our sweaters. We finally locate the well-known Banfi Winery on our map and find it’s only about 18 km southeast of Montalcino. Only one wrong turn, into Sant’ Angelo in Colle–it’s actually further south at Sant’ Angelo Scala–and we are there. An impressive operation, 7,100 acres, 1/3 of which is vineyards. The winery itself is closed to tours on Saturday, and we are told to call on Monday to schedule a tour. We browse through the visitor’s center, a classic building of fine woods, tile, windows overlooking spectacular views, many glass fronted cases displaying the prize winning wines. We enjoy a complementary aperitif, a white wine which they serve with a platter of prunes stuffed with walnut halves and whole almonds. Afterward we visit the estate’s museum with displays of the art of glass making from the 15th century B.C. to the present. There is also a castle, but it is being renovated, so we cannot go beyond the courtyard.Since we did not travel far, we return home early and JC takes a nap as he’s now coming down with a something himself. Since it’s still light, I stroll the grounds of La Crociona to take some photos. I encounter Vera who’s just putting away her painting supplies–she is a talented artist who finds she’s been doing more touring than painting, but has taken hundreds of photos and hopes to duplicate what she’s experienced of Tuscany when she returns home. Today she’s done a water color of the area between the buildings that house the apartments/winery and the office/living quarters. It is a lovely picture, with the textures and colors of the stone buildings, the red geraniums in window boxes, even the laundry on the line, contributing to its appeal. What I might see as merely functional space, she as an artist sees beyond to its beauty.
10/20/02 - Siena
JC is nursing his cold today, so I tag along with Ed and Mary Ann as they return to Siena. It’s my first time seeing Siena in the sun, another perfect fall day. The sunny brick surface of the Campo is jammed with bodies like a beach on a hot summer day.I head for the Ospedale di Santa Maria Della Scala, but promptly become confused and frustrated once I enter. Where are all the rooms and exhibits listed in my guidebook? I turn into one room and am turned back by a nun–a private service of some kind is taking place. A museum guard directs me to the adjoining church but I am shooed away by another nun ("No touristo! Solo Messa!") Since they are actually between masses, I slip in anyway when she turns her back. I cross myself and say a prayer then look up and try to absorb the art from my pew. Finding my way back to the museum I discover the lower levels most fascinating, especially the spooky Oratorio, and the display of sadly eroded Jacobo Della Quercia 15th century carvings for the Fonta Gaia. The carvings on the Campo fountain today are merely reproductions of these wonderful pieces.
I meet Ed and Mary Ann for lunch and we stroll and window shop. We find a shop on the Campo, where they buy several watercolors of Siena for their newly remodeled kitchen, and I find two lovely matted Tuscan landscape prints for mine.
As the day progresses, the sunny area on the Campo becomes a smaller and smaller triangle, and the people remaining keep moving into that ever decreasing triangular spot. Near the end of the afternoon, the Campo looks like a pie with only one serving left!
10/21/02 - Asciano, Buonconvento, Banfi Winery
Ed and Mary Ann leave this morning for Lucca and Pisa–we will meet them in Florence for the flight home. We decide to return to Banfi for the winery tour. I try to make a reservation from the public phone in Buonconvento but the connection is terrible. I am being scolded for not making reservations earlier by e-mail or fax, but the woman does take our names, although I can’t manage to communicate the correct spelling, and I think we have reservations for the 3:45 tour. We decide to take the Untours recommended drive to Asciano, a pretty drive but Asciano is kind of a disappointing destination. After a short walk we decide to head back to Buonconvento and finally make it to Da Mario’s for lunch. It’s obviously a popular local restaurant, full of working men on their lunch hour. We have a delicious pasta with red pepper sauce, salad and wine, and are sorry we didn’t try Mario’s sooner.We are not listed on the computer at Banfi Winery, and I am afraid that I misunderstood the scolding woman on the phone, but the lovely woman at the front desk makes a phone call and all is well–we can join the tour. Meanwhile we meet Vera and Gary who have also called that morning and got reservations with no problem. Go figure! Now as far as I’m concerned, see one wine tour and you’ve seen them all, but in this case we’re talking Brunello! We’re hushed as we enter the room where the Brunellos age, in Slovenian (rather than French) oak barrels, no less. There are interesting chandeliers made of wine bottles in this room, and it’s treated like a holy place.
On the tour we do learn an interesting fact about the roses everyone plants at the edge of the rows of grapevines. We have speculated that they are merely decorative, or some type of good luck charm, or perhaps they identify the type of grapes in that row. Our tour guide tells us the rose bushes would be the first to show signs of diseases that might attack the grapes. As one of our group puts it "They’re like the canary in the coal mine." The guide also tells us that the harvest was two weeks earlier this year because September was so very rainy. We had reserved too late to get Untours accommodations in September–hearing this we are grateful we had to wait.
No Brunello is available for the wine tasting afterward, but I sample a lovely Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. JC buys a couple of small bottles to take back--the Chardonnay for me and guess what for him. We’ll have to prepare a gourmet meal to complement that very pricey Brunello.
10/22/02 - Bagno Vignoni, Rocca d’Orcia, San Quirico d’Orcia
Our last day in Montalcino dawns with rain and wind so heavy we can’t open the shutters. Looks like we’re leaving in worse weather than that which greeted us on our arrival. We do some packing, but hate the thought of hanging around the apartment all day. We decide to chance a drive toward the Val d’Orcia. We can see some clearing in the valley as we descend from Montalcino, and it gets better as we drive on. Our day turns out to be a breezy mixture of sun and some light showers, and we are happy we headed in this direction. We stop at Bagno Vignoni which is renovating itself to attract more of the tourist trade. The center of town with its Renaissance arcade and other buildings surrounding the pool is appealing. Men are working on the pool–it seems there are plans to reopen it for bathing. There is also a brick walkway with new lighting being constructed from the parking lot to the town center. We follow signs for the W.C., only to find that it, too, is still under construction. (Why is the sign already up–to assure us that next time we arrive with full bladders we will find quickly find relief?)Across the valley overlooking Bagno Vignoni is a high, misty, Brigadoon-like town capped by a tower. We are delighted to read in our guidebook (the Tuscany and Umbria Rough Guide, our trip Bible) that the tower is open to the public. This probably means rest rooms as well! We drive up to Castiglione d’Orcia and follow signs for Rocca a Tentennano. It’s a strenuous climb from the parking lot to the top, but for 2 Euros this has got to be the best panoramic vista in all of Tuscany–a stunning 360° view. We were breathless–or was it just the wind gusting at hurricane force? I had to prop my camera against the iron railing encircling the ramparts to have any hope of getting clear pictures. On a calmer day it might have been different, but today it felt like the summit of Mount Washington. But worth every minute of it. We are at the very top of Tuscany!
Back to Bagno Vignoni for a wonderful lunch at Antica Osteria del Leone. We meet a couple from South Philadelphia who are traveling on their own staying at rentals they found on the Internet and they share some good travel and restaurant tips. The man speaks to the waiter in what sounds like fluent Italian. He says he learned from the Living Language All-Audio Italian tapes which we intend to try. JC, who is of Italian descent, remembers some Italian from his childhood and, even though it’s dialect, we get by. But knowing a little more next time–and there will be a next time–should make future trips even more enjoyable.
While the town center is lovely, we are even more fascinated with the springs on the hillside with warm water gushing through channels in the rock. They appear to be ancient ruins, undergoing some archeological restoration. We hike down to the pool below for a closer look, but when we get there I see the back of a very portly, very naked man taking the waters! He isn’t concerned about his privacy, but I don’t want to see any more of him, so we hike back up.
A quick stop at San Quirico d’Orcia on the way back, which is charming and I think we are the only tourists there today. Montalcino is still cloudy and rainy–had we stayed in the apartment we might never have known about the sunshine in the valley below. We hit the jackpot in town, and find a parking place outside the Montalcino Coop. Since it’s my first time inside I take a quick look around as I purchase a couple of tomatoes for our sandwiches. Then home to pack some more and straighten up the apartment as we leave for Florence tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. We say goodbye to Barbara, and finally catch Roberto for a taste of his fine Brunello.
10/23/02 -Florence
We leave in 6:40 a.m. darkness for our last drive down the mountain from Montalcino. I am astounded to see hikers walking up the road at that dark hour, but then I have daily been astounded to see the number of elderly people walking on the road (no shoulders, remember?) between Montalcino and La Crociona, and they don’t even flinch as the cars whiz by. I’m convinced we are leaving too early as our car isn’t due back at Avis until 9:30 to avoid the additional day charge. But JC, who always likes to leave early, is right. With traffic delays in Siena and the A-1 around Florence, and one more frustration with confusing signs around the airport, we make it back with only minutes to spare. Ed and Mary Ann pull in from Lucca at the same time, so we share a wild cab ride into Florence and Hotel Pendini. As Untours says, the hotel is centrally located and convenient on foot to the major sights of Florence.We missed the Museo del Bargello on our last trip, so that is our first stop. JC is taken by Donatello’s David which is surrounded by a group of art students and their professor. It is obviously the star attraction in the room, and we must wait our turn for a closer look. This room has eight Donatello sculptures, and we find them even more engrossing than the three Michelangelos on the first floor. I am thrilled to see the two original panels that were entered into competition for the design of the Florence baptistery doors. The subject for both is the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham and even my untrained eye sees that the Ghiberti panel is superior to Brunelleschi’s. On my last trip I saw and photographed the restored originals in the Duomo’s Museo dell Opera. It’s interesting–the crowds line up six deep outside the Baptistery to see the replacement doors, while few people are in the museum in front of the originals.
From the Bargello we find our way to the Church of Santa Croce to see the Renaissance art and frescoes. They are still doing restoration from the 1966 flood, and several large paintings on display have wide strips of tape indicating areas needing work. The nave is a burial place for many of the great Florentines and we pay our respects at the tombs of Michelangelo and Galileo
We meet Ed and Mary Ann for lunch at Cibreo which is nearby, and which our guide book calls the first stop in Florence for all self-respecting foodies. Our South Philly friends recommended eating at the trattoria right next to the restaurant, very small and expect to wait for a table, but the food comes from the same kitchen as the main restaurant at a significantly lower price. This is the first Italian restaurant we’ve visited without pasta on the menu. However, we have soups and a meat course and the food is indeed exceptional.
We are then off to Santa Maria Novella to see more wonderful art, especially the Giotto frescoes of St. Francis. Giotto fascinates me as he is a turning point in western art, painting his subjects as realistic looking people whose faces display emotion, rather than stiff icon-type images. The death of St. Francis is particularly lovely and either well preserved or restored. Blank areas show where a sarcophagus was installed covering up a portion of the fresco for years. How shortsighted to cover this lovely work–but maybe that’s why it’s so well preserved today.
The church closes promptly at 5 and we are ushered out and cannot enter the museum with the Uccello frescoes. We walk down to the Arno hoping traffic will be lighter there, vain hope. Florence is crowded, noisy, and downright unpleasant after our peaceful weeks in the Tuscan countryside. Cars, busses, vespas everywhere and the pedestrian has no right of way. We walk over the Ponte Vecchio just to say we’ve done so and then back through the Uffizi courtyard. Amazingly we have entered a pedestrian only-zone that extends for a block or so around the Uffizi. How pleasant! How civilized!
Ed and Mary Ann have rested this afternoon and plan to attend a concert at a nearby church this evening. We are walked out and just want dinner and an early bedtime. We are treated brusquely for arriving before opening time at Trattoria Belle Donne, and when we return a half hour later, the attitude has not improved. We leave and find our way to the very pleasant Osteria Marione around the corner. At Marione they are smiling and welcoming and we have our last fine meal in Italy, with the best wine bargain in town, 1/4 liter of house red for about 1.30 Euros.
10/24/02 - Florence, Munich, Chicago, Cleveland, at last!
The travel gods do not smile on us today and it’s better we don’t know what awaits when we arise. We arrive at the Florence airport before 7 a.m.–international flight, be there three hours early–but the Lufthansa counter doesn’t even open until 7:15. I check my overnight bag and JC and I are carrying on only backpacks for which we are grateful as the day progresses. Our little plane leaves right on time and we have a clear day and awesome views of the Alps. This time I remember to pull out my camera and take pictures. This is the high point of the day–it’s all downhill from here.We are concerned that we have only 50 minutes to make our connection in Munich, but needless worry! Due to mechanical problems our flight is delayed three additional hours. Naturally we have missed our connections in Chicago also and by the time we claim our bags, go through customs, recheck our bags and get new tickets, wait in a long security line and are all but strip searched (as we were in Munich earlier) we miss everything before the 8:55 flight to Cleveland. We arrive home at midnight to find that the battery on Ed’s car, which he parked in our garage, is dead! AAA arrives at 1 a.m. and Ed and Mary Ann are gratefully on their way home and we are off to bed, after being awake for 26 hours straight.
Final thoughts...
Was it worth it? Very definitely!
Having seen Italy on both a bus tour and an Untour, we prefer the latter. We worked harder this time, what with driving, getting lost and finding our way around, buying groceries, stamps at the post office, medication at the farmacia, preparing many of our meals, etc. But we really felt a part of life in Italy, not separated from it by a bus window. We enjoyed the freedom to decide each day when we would awake, where we would go, how long we would stay, where we would eat. We spoke more with local people in our fractured Italian, and found them generally very kind and helpful. Perhaps the best feature of an Untour is not having to pack up and move on every other day. It facilitates the "slow travel" concept. Instead of rushing from place to place to check off each item in our guidebook, we took time to enjoy the moment and make time for the unexpected.
We are looking forward to our next Untour. There’s still so much more of Italy to experience... will it be Tuscany North? Umbria? We know whatever we decide, we won’t go wrong.