Journey to Castellina di Chianti

I am in lovely Castellina di Chianti now, having also woken up early (7:30 am, a half-hour before my adjusted wake-up call!) and caught the early train to Florence. (On the way, I finished Dario's book about his tour experiences, which I even read for a bit after we hung up last night . . . have emailed him re a tour for me and am hoping to hear from him today! I am even willing to change my Florence plans if necessary, as I think that a tour of this area with a true local would be unforgettable.)

From Firenze, I connected to a train to CdC--actually, as CdC does not have its very own train station, landed in the nearest Dia-forsaken (see, "Sex and the City" CAN be educational!) place with only one bus a day, which was not to depart for CdC until 2pm (it was then Noon and hot as could be). Was feeling slightly desperate (not to mention sweaty) when I happened upon the kindest inn operator ever . . . he called a (more accurately, "the") cab for me, as I had another 10 kilometers to go to this town, and invited me to share his air conditioning while I waited. I could have hugged him, he was SO nice. Next, I nearly lost my life in the taxi due to high speeds, narrow roads and tight curves, but I guess there are worse ways to go than gazing out at beautiful vineyards in Tuscany. :)

Upon arriving safely in CdC (to my great surprise), I found that my room at the Palazzo Squarcialupi is embarrassingly spacious and decadent . . . as it turns out, this is the one that is 140 Euros, while yesterday's was a bargain at 80 Euros (a fact I learned at checkout). This room's view is also beautiful and there is a garden with cushioned deck chairs below that I may have to experience before my departure.





The room itself is huge, with stucco walls, wood beams on the ceiling, a huge writing desk at which one could certainly write a book if one wanted to do such a thing, a sitting area with 2 (2!) small couches, an earth-sized bed and a very fancy marble bathroom.







I have already explored most of the town and eaten at the best restaurant so far of my visit . . . the tomatoes in my mozzarella and tomato salad were so perfectly red and luscious that I almost had tears in my eyes upon seeing and tasting them. Is that the sign of a food explorer gone over the edge? I adored my waiter, whom I permitted to choose my entire meal for me except the salad . . . he did not let me down, as the chianti (a San Leonardio?) was lovely and the ravioli with local truffles exquisite. We are now fast friends and I think I may even return there for dinner. (postscript: now I cannot recall the name of this place . . . it was off a square on a street above the main street through town, and I believe it may have had "black" and/or "rooster" in its name)

On my walk, I was charmed by this old man and woman:



I set out to find Etruscan tombs and saw some beautiful scenery along the way:









Regarding the tombs, they are set in a mound of earth--these are the various entrances I passed:







And a detail of the many layers that make up this structure:



On my way back to town, I saw some German bikers:



And a truffle hunter:



(This is one of my favorite photos . . . I loved the solitary and determined truffle hunter).

I stopped for a while in a small cafe/bar, which served all manner of treats and drinks. I relaxed, wrote in my journal, read for a bit and dreamed for a bit. I understood not a single word being spoken around me, but I did not feel alone because I was spending time with people who value relaxation and friendly words and contentment.

After a while, I started toward my hotel, picking up some wine, bread and cheese for a small dinner along the way. I also procured a painting (to be mailed to my home) that will hang in my bedroom, to remind me of this wonderful place. The artist depicted a Tuscan farm, with tall, thin Cypress trees guarding it from the wide surrounds of a golden-colored field. The painting is framed with a 3-inch deep piece of raw wood, but a thin and elegant gold leave frame adds a bit of shine between the warm scene of the land and the rough expanse of wood frame surrounding it. I love it.

This woman amused me as she peeked out her window:



And then I stepped into the cool hallways of my hotel, found my way to the back patio overlooking the landscape and tucked in with a warm drink until it became too cool to stay outside. I reluctantly came inside and had a nice chat with some women visiting from the U.S. before returning to my beloved room for dinner and a good read.

Couldn't have asked for a better day . . .

Scribblings from Cortona

I am in lovely Cortona today . . . it felt significantly less friendly than Orvieto until I had lunch, which was delightful (see below). My arrival involved the as-yet not experienced on this trip "Lisa moment" in which I boarded a bus from the train station to the hotel (trying for once to be frugal and save the cost of a taxi), only to learn that my very fat suitcase would not fit through the narrow aisle. I learned new things about the strength one acquires in an emergency situation as I had to lift the thing over a few seats so that an old lady could leave the bus. Then I had to de-board myself in order to procure a ticket from the newspaper stand! All of this was under the watchful yet unsympathetic eye of a curmudgeonly bus driver. Ugh.

On the bright side, I arrived safely and found my hotel, the Hotel San Luca:



The hotel room is exquisite, or at least the view is . . . a sweeping view of the valley below from a balcony onto which wood framed glass doors open. It is breathtaking!







I also love my room, which is like a little jewel box and even has a built-in wooden armoire that reminds me of a ship for some reason (I'm not sure why, as I have never taken a cruise).





Also, the hotel has a lovely patio downstairs with a similarly splendid view, from which I plan to watch the sunset with a glass (or two) of wine.



Anyway, lunch was at a place near the local theatre (in which this internet place, strangely enough, is located, along with a pool hall), and I had nice German and American lunch companions, one of whom had a small dog in a carrier that reminded me of my law school roommate's dog. (One thing to know about me on lengthier trips is that I go through extreme missing of my own dogs, which translates into me trying to pet nearly every dog that I see). For the first time, I tried a local white wine (it seemed appropriate, given the warm and sunny weather), which was excellent. This was accompanied by a nice tomato/mozzarella salad and thin pasta noodles with bits of duck woven in (you may be detecting a theme here . . . ) I also saw the largest pepper grinder ever . . . it must have been 3 feet long--yes, it's true!



Additionally, a waitress there had the most jarring yet infectious laugh I have ever heard! Here she is:



Now I am off to some museums, although I am really in the mood to while away the day in a comfortable chair, gazing out at the view and soaking up the sun. (I now am well on my way to being a tanned blonde from Tejas!). So I will probably keep the museum visits fairly brief.



Museum entrance:



View from small courtyard across from museum:



Entrance to a nunnery I stumbled upon:



Which had interesting art:





And a courtyard:



And beautiful walkways:



I strolled around town and had the good fortune to see beautiful sights, even with the rain:









Road to my hotel:



Sunset:



The next morning:



Will have to update you later on my yesterday, which was spent in lovely Orvieto . . . a wonderful place!

But first, one of my favorite photos:



Arrivederci!

J'aime Orvieto, Italy

From Rome I travelled to Orvieto, an altogether delightful place. I arrived by train and took a taxi to my hotel, the charming Hotel Palazzo Piccolomini. You must check out their web site, as I failed to take any photographs, due mainly to my awe the gorgeousness that surrounded me. I did manage to take one photo from the window of my small but comfortable room:



I immediately immersed myself in the city, strolling first to the town's central square:



A somewhat rundown-looking church sits on this square, but its interior surprised me:







I passed this flower vendor:





And some interesting architectural details:



Until I caught my breath upon seeing this vision ahead:



I realized it was no illusion, despite the somewhat misty appearance, as I drew closer:



Not only are those spires stunning, but the exterior is quite unusual as well:





I stepped inside and liked what I saw:











I left the cool and echoing church and returned to the square:



Where I spied this place that looked like a perfect stop for lunch:



And it was . . .

. . . there is nothing quite like the taste of a cold Italian wine on a warm day, contrasted with a lovely pasta mixed with duck. I met some nice Englishers on holiday over lunch . . . we had an enjoyable visit and I helped them with their photos.

After whiling away a relaxing lunch hour, I explored the remainder of the square, dodging school children here and there, until I found this quiet spot a few hundred yards away:



I thought the contemplative look of this man was just as interesting as the view:



More later on my walk through Orvieto . . .