Vino Italiano

While we were in Tuscany good wine was so accessible.  Even the supermarket shelves boasted amazing labels: amerone, barolo, chianti, brunello.

And so affordable!  At a restaurant here I recently paid $30 for a half litre of a red because it came from San Gimignano. I'm sure there it would have been less than ten euro for the entire bottle.

I don't think I'll ever forget the tasting we went to at the farm Tenuta Torciano to sample the featured local vintages: white Vernaccia San Gimignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Brunellos, Super Tuscans, Vin Santo, and a balsalmic aged for thirty years.

While there we picked up a few bottles to bring home, including a Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico Geneste.

I'll be sharing a bottle of the Montalcino at the Winter Solstice wine tasting this year.  Just sent the invites off to the Book Babes and I'm already looking forward to it!  The theme this year is, of course, Vino Italiano......

Point and view

One of the best things we packed for our recent trip to Italy were the binoculars.  I thought I'd be using them to do a bit of bird-watching, but they turned out to be invaluable for sight-seeing overall.

Light and easy to carry, the 8 x 25 magnification was more powerful than the telephoto lens we had for the camera.

So the binocs were great for checking out the Tuscan hills in the distance and scoping out fishing boats in the water on the Amalfi coast.  But they were also an amazing tool for the interior of churches, the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel and for viewing the tops of beautiful buildings like the Duomo.  Not bad for stargazing, either!

These will be added to my packing list template - I won't leave home without them - at least on a vacation.

Fall of Man (Sistene Chapel)

facade of Duomo in Florence

Uffizi

Going through the Uffizi was dizzying. There were so many old masters to see and I was greedy to see them all, so tried to get through each and every one of the 45+ rooms.

It is not overstating things to say this is one of the most important collections of art in the world:  Leonardo Da Vinci, Durer, Boticelli, Michaelangelo and so many others.  (Funnily enough, we missed Caravaggio's because they were on loan to Canada).

Rosso Fiorentino - Musician Angel

Sculptures from the time of the Roman Empire.   Works of religious art through the centuries, which after awhile seem to blur.  Portraits of the Renaissance - famous patrons and beauties.  Later periods showing Henry the Eighth and his wives.

Familiar faces everywhere!  The portrait of the Musician Angel was hung high in a corner, jostling for attention.

One image that has stuck with me is the naked image of a dwarf and the expression on his face.  I listened in on an English tour where the guide was elaborating on the unique two-sided painting.  The mannerist work was produced to prove that painting could rival sculpture in depicting the true nature of its subject.  On one side, the dwarf is young, on the other, he is an old man.  The artist Bronzini made a strong case for his argument that painting could present the passage of time, where sculpture could not.

[The dwarf may have been a favourite of the Grand Duke but he was also a source of entertainment:

The second half of the sixteenth century seems to have been a particularly populated time for dwarves at the Medici court. Morgante’s case was no exception. Records testify that he was often mortified, and even had to fight, naked, with a monkey. Rosella Lorenzi]

I circled back when I'd realized I missed the room with the Rembrandts, and stood to admire the works of the Dutch master.  But this was after more than an hour and a half, and my brain and eyes were having a hard time digesting all the riches.

Rob and I thought we couldn't possibly take in any more, but on the way out we were captivated by a multimedia exhibition that brought to life how the Uffizi itself was built, block by block, starting in 1540, through the ingenious use of pulleys.  Projectors enlarged the images, and we were transported to a construction site in Renaissance Florence, listening to the banter of workmen and the creaking sounds of ropes straining under their heavy load.

If I can't go back in person soon, at least I can return for a virtual tour of the Uffizi

Villas and B & Bs

Booking the accommodations for our trip to Italy via the Internet in advance, I was hoping the photos and descriptions lived up to their promises. Luckily, everything we booked was even better than I imagined.

PRAIANO

Calanteluna looked straight out onto the Mediterranean, with Praiano just below us and Positano winking not too far away.  

The view was always changing, depending on the time of day and the weather.   The sea and skies showed us many faces in the short time we we there:  evening sunsets and twinkling lights; midnight blue skies.  On two nights in a row I got up to watch very active electric storms with multiple & simultaneous lightning strikes... white bursts of waves and bolts of lightening opening against the black night.  By dawn, calm returned with mist on the water and fishing boats bobbing on the sea.  Calante luna means 'waning moon' in Italian, and we happened to be there just as the moon was shrinking. Perfetto!

ROME

We booked the B & B through the Bed & Breakfast Association of Rome.  Our original accommodations fell through, so they offered us another alternative, closer to the Vatican.  Better value, same price.

We ended up at La Ciumachella, in the Prati district and just a walk away from the Piazza del Popolo.  Breakfasts were delicious (yoghurt, fresh fruit, pecorino cheese, cafe Americano)!  The room was comfortable and a place to lay our heads; but one of my favourite things about this place was the bathroom.  Well-appointed, spacious, and en-suite.  We didn't want to spend too much time indoors, there was too much to see, so this suited us just fine. A choice of restaurants and cafes in the area offered everything from Michelin dining to pizza sold by the weight.

TUSCANY

I loved everything about Casale Rosanna, but most especially the vista. 

Morning sunrises and the mist lifting off the hills. Late afternoon light.  Afternoons fading into the magic hour.

The hills were so rich in colour and texture.  Such a soft, embracing horizon. When we go sailing the horizon is often so simple, uncluttered.  Here there was such depth and infinite variety.  Looking through the binoculars was like framing works of art.

One morning I watched an air balloon floating over the hills, approaching slowly and soundlessly from the distance.

Nights on the patio here were starry, with very little light pollution.  By this time in our trip the moon was disappearing into the sky, becoming new, and then waxing to a sliver.  There must have been meteor showers because we saw several shooting stars.

The kitchen was great for cooking, the dining table was a generous size, and French doors opened to let in fresh air from the patio, the kitchen, and the bedroom.  

We even got good use of the pool on a couple of hot afternoons, overlooking the towers of San Gimignano and sipping on limoncello. I remember drifting off to sleep and hearing the clanging mechanical sound of grapes being gathered and tossed into the back of a small truck, realizing I was in the heart of Chianti.  The 2011 vintages will always hold special meaning for me!

Giardino - Villa Cimbrone

Returning to Ravello, we were raving about the beautiful gardens we'd explored the day before.  The driver thought we were talking about Villa Cimbrone. What?  There is another Garden of Paradise in this same medieval town?

Turns out Villa Cimbrone was originally built around the same time as Rufalo (11th century).  Two splendid castles like this must have lent themselves to countless intrigues.

While Rufalo was returned to it's former splendour by a wealthy Scottish industrialist, Cimbrone was revitalized by an aristocratic Brit.  He must have plundered the countryside for Roman relics, they are all over the grounds.

Vita Sackville-West was a one-time visitor, although long before she designed her famous White Garden.

Many famous visitors came to the villa during the Beckett family's ownership. It was a favourite haunt of the Bloomsbury Group, including Virginia Woolf, Leonard Woolf, E. M. Forster, John Maynard Keynes, and Lytton Strachey. Other visitors included D. H. Lawrence, Vita Sackville-West, Edward James, Diana Mosley, Henry Moore, T. S. Eliot, Jean Piaget, Winston Churchill and the Duke and Duchess of Kent. The actress Greta Garbo and her then-lover, the conductor Leopold Stokowski, stayed at the villa several times in the late 1930s; (Wikipedia)

We only had an hour or so here, I could have spent the entire day.  Beckett, the wealthy Brit,  died in London in 1917, asked his remains be placed at the Temple of Bachus, overlooking the sea, with this inscription:

Oh what is more blest than when the mind,
Cares dispelled, puts down its burden
And we return, tired from our travelling, to our home
To rest on the bed we have longed for?


Home is where the heart is.

Giardino - Villa Rufalo

Ravello was such a beautiful place. 

I hadn't heard of this gem on the Amalfi Coast until I was leafing through a brochure at our villa in Praiano.  There was a photo of an orchestra with the audience facing a stage that overhung the sea.  What an incredible sight!  I decided I wanted to see a concert in that spectacular setting, but it wasn't to be, the season was over.  But the city had cast its spell.

The trip to Ravello from Amalfi was like climbing into a green heaven.  Liz and I had hopped on to one of those open air tour buses, and it drove almost vertically up the side of the cliffs, with the Mediterranean in full view off one side, and garden-terraced cliffs on the other. I couldn't help but think how difficult it would have been to build this city, founded so long before a bus ride would have made it an easy climb.  The year 840, in fact.

Not having heard of Ravello, I hadn't heard of Villa Rufalo either.  What a wonderful surprise...  Because this wasn't a planned destination and it wasn't on the original itinerary,  it felt like I'd discovered new territory.

The Villa itself was exceptional, with its graceful arches and curves and columns.  Towering palms and umbrella pines and cypress. Green, green, green. 

Liz and I wandered together and Rob joined us a bit later.  We loved Ravello so much we went back the next day...

click to enlarge photos

Grazie Mille

view from the villa patio

What a busy two weeks we had. It was fantastic to be able to share it all with Rob and our good friends Liz & Darcy. It feels more like a month, really.  Four nights on the Amalfi Coast, three in Rome, and then seven nights in Tuscany. 

It is all such a blur right now! Just back today, suitcases still to be put away.

enjoying a chilled limoncello on a hot sunny afternoon

Such sights.  Information and sensory overload. 

The natural vistas are so BIG.  Huge skies, majestic hills, vast Mediterranean sea.

The time on the Divina Costa seems so long ago.
 
Exploring Rome on our own and at our own pace was great fun.  Walking through piazzas and town squares, so many fountains.   Rediscovering the Pantheon. One civilization eclipsing another (Etruscan, Roman, Christian).  Indulging in tours through the Vatican Museum, Sistene Chapel, the Colliseum, Public Forum. Peeking into green courtyards tucked behind the concrete street fronts, exploring the Villa Borghese park.  And over 300 churches...so impossible to see everything we wanted to see in Rome in just three days. 


I absolutely loved the week in Tuscany.  The weather was perfect, with daytime temperatures in the low eighties and evenings just cool enough to toss on a pashmina.  After touring the Chianti hills and exploring towns and villages we drank in the views from the villa patio.  It was off the beaten path, but close enough to head into San Gimignano in the evenings after the tour buses had left for the day. Casale Rosanna was located in one of the most picturesque spots in all of Tuscany, and we enjoyed misty sunrises and starry nights there.

detail on the Duomo

A full day in Florence, obviously not enough!  I could have stared at the Baptistery doors or gazed at the Ponte Vecchio for hours.  Although I'd seen photos, I wasn't prepared for the sheer scale of the Duomo, the Bell tower, or the tomb of the Medici.  Big places with such endless detail that could take a lifetime to properly contemplate.  I brought some binoculars and put them to good use to see the detailed carvings and frescoes.  It must have been amazing to see these monuments built and sculpted.  What must it have been like to see Bruneschelli's dome or Michaelangelo's sculpture of Dawn unveiled?


The Ufizzi Gallery!  The Botticelli room, the Rembrandts, the hundreds of sculptures and religious paintings.....

We spent a few days just driving through the Chianti hillside.  Plenty of medieval castles and ruins dotting the landscape, and time enough to explore towns like Volterra, Grieve in Chianti, and Casole d'Elsa.

The wine was fantastic!  Especially memorable was a tasting Rob and I enjoyed together at a Chianti farmhouse cellar (Tentute Giachi), where they served white Vernaccia San Gimignano, Chianti, Chianti Classico, two Brunellos, a couple of Super Tuscans, some Vin Santo and balsamic aged for thirty years. All the while the grower giving the back story, "gold medal winner and 93 points from Wine Spectator..." 

Nice moments, like the one afternoon we went for a drive and packed a picnic of pecorino cheeses, Tuscan salamis, grapes and pickles.

And simple pleasures enjoyed on the patio.  Watching the olives ripen from green to black over the course of the week; sampling a glass of chilled home-made limoncello on a hot afternoon;  catching shooting stars in a starry night sky.

Bella, bella.  Grazie mille!

Vatican Frescoes

Brain anatomy.

Being able to tour the Sistene Chapel before the crowds arrived was a pleasure.  Gazing at the walls and ceiling without being elbowed and jostled, and being able to hear the guide without the babble of the crowds meant there was little to disturb the connection.

Standing in the midst of a room that has spoken to generations of Cardinals as they voted in the next Pope,  I couldn't help but wonder what these figures spoke to their consciences.

Michaelangelo didn't even have a specialty in fresco before the Pope summoned him to Rome. He went unwillingly.  He struggled with technique, perspective and ego as he worked to complete the masterpieces.  Between 33 and 37 when he painted the ceiling; and between 59 and 64 when he painted the Last Judgement.  Almost ten years of this genius' life, poured into wet plaster.

Michaelangelo dissected corpses to gain deep insight into the muscles and body, and likely dissected a few brains.  Neurosurgeons have confirmed that in the creation panel, the depiction of God and angels is an accurate representation of the cross-section of a brain. The green scarf is modeled after a brain stem.

Michaelangelo in the foreground of Raphael's painting.

As Michaelangelo was hard at work in the Chapel, young Raphael was busy in adjoining rooms, painting the Pope's personal quarters. R. snuck in behind M.'s scaffold and was amazed to see the human figure revealed with such raw power and intensity; it was groundbreaking. R. went back and painted M. into the foreground, copying his technique. In the same painting, higher up on the steps, you can see another master, Leonardo da'Vinci, depicted as Socrates with a long grey beard.  Raphael's own self-portrait is to the far right in the black hat.

Michaelangelo's self-portrait in the flayed flesh of St. Bartholemew

Michaelangelo's self-portrait is presented in the flayed skin of St. Bartholemew in the Last Judgement.  The genius was brilliant, but not particularly happy.  He spent much time alone and not a lot is known about his personal habits, loves or personal tastes.  One of the guides was heard to say he was a depressive and wore boots to bed... but maybe that is just idle gossip.

If M. was depressed, maybe it was because he knew that not long after his death, his students would be called in, to paint strategically placed scarves and garments over the naked flesh that many found so unsettling.  Imagine the religious debate that preceded; repeated in recent history when the 20th century saw restoration work carried out to the ceiling.  Figures could have been returned to their original, yet only a few were fully restored to their original splendour.

photo credit Sistene Chapel
photo credit Last Judgement
photo credit Raphael Room

Divina Costa

The view from our balcony at night was molto bene!  We were staying in Praiano, so got to see the twinkling lights of Positano in the distance.

The stars above were on full display on the clear nights, but we did have 2 nights of wicked lightning storms.  This was the first rain Praiano had seen for months.

During the day we toured surrounding territory.  Positano, Amalfi, Ravello.  Many of the cars you see on this coast are scraped along the sides, either from passing traffic or the cliffs.  We chose  taxis and buses so we could enjoy the scenery.

In Positano at Le Tre Sorelle,  we lingered at the table out of the hot sun and tasted a memorable meal at the beach. Lots of shops here and no shortage of ways to spend money.  Plenty of luxury hotels with stunning views. 

Amalfi was gorgeous too, but the highlight for me here was the Cathedral.  A place of beauty, repose and faith, it welcomed deep contemplation.  Liz and I wandered the back steps and streets together and emerged again at the foot of the cathedral and in the town piazza. Come to think of it, it is likely all the streets eventually wind up somewhere near.

on the tour bus to Ravello

Ravello wasn't originally on the itinerary, but what a breathtaking spot.  Higher up in the cliffs from Amalfi, it was originally settled when rebels ('revel') broke with the Duchy in the 800s.  I loved exploring the gardens of Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone.  Resting in the cool of the Duomo.  The open air bus tour that climbed to our destination at the top of  the cliffs had us gaping in awe.

Just as we left the Divina Costa we stopped in at the Herculaneum to wander the ancient ruins and get some context for our next stop - Roma.

More details later.... caio caio

Ravello photo credit
Positano at night photo credit

O my!

Rob gave me a nice Brunello for my birthday this year and I was  saving it for a special occasion.

What am I waiting for?

Six months of anticipation and now we are on the cusp of our journey. Tonight I am packing for my long-awaited trip, tomorrow we will be on our way.

Alex and my brother Dave will hold the fort at home; water the cat and feed the plants.   I don't think I've ever gone this long without seeing Alex and it will be a bit odd, I'm going to miss him...  We decided to take my laptop so we could Skype each other.  I've backed up all the data, just in case the laptop disappears somewhere along the way.  It would be a shame to lose all the photos.

This wine is exceptional.  I've long been a fan of this big-red-berry flavour and I'm so excited to think the next Brunello I sip may very well be in Montalcino!

I can't believe how much I'm dithering over luggage.  I did a practice pack the other day and managed to fit everything into  a carry-on very nicely.  Should I bring the extra-sized bag so I can shop and carry home... or do I travel light?  And what about my yoga mat?  I'll be bringing that, but does it count as a purse or carry on?  Can Rob carry on the laptop and the yoga mat as his purse? If I am bringing a laptop, do I need to print the itinerary?  Plans A, B, C and infinity... So many important matters to sort.

A nice surprise!  I found 55 euros & change I stashed since our Mediterranean cruise.  I forgot about it being in my purse, I'd tucked it into a pocket and then never quite got around to exchanging it.  Now it's tucked into a sleeve with my passport.  When I unfolded the bills I was surprised by their stocky dimensions (so much shorter and wider than I remember). Now instead of exchanging this for Canadian dollars I will exchange it in an Italian market to buy some bread & cheese & olive oil.  So much more suitable a use for euros, don't you agree?

Buona Notte

Buona Notte!

Last year we went on our Mediterranean Cruise and it was our first cruise as well as the the first time to Europe.

We were scheduled to stop in Naples and were so looking forward to the Amalfi Coast, but the port wasn't able to accommodate the cruise ship.  It meant an extra night in Venice, but still, it is an understatement to say we were disappointed.

So this year, Positano is on our itinerary.  And Capri.  I can already hear the ocean waves!

Looking forward to seeing the lights at night.  That was the one serious drawback of the Mediterranean Cruise last year - boarding the ship at the end of the day and missing out on the night life and the stars above.  This time, we're scheduled for three nights and four days.  Time enough to explore...


Positano from pierrelord on Vimeo.

Stendhalismo

"Florence is so full of art that travellers risk falling prey to the condition known as Stendhalismo, a term attributed to the writer Stendhal, who was so mesmerized by the beauty of Florence that he almost fainted.  A type of travellers nervosa, Stendhalismo mostly strikes visitors who have difficulties prioritizing a visit."  Michelin guide to Tuscany

Recommended:

Piazza del Duomo

Galleria degli Uffizi Primaver
just think of the 27 Botticelli including The Birth of Venus and the Springtime or the Doni Tondo by Michelangelo, the Annunciation by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Palazzo Veccho

Galleria dell'Academia

hmmm.... according to this frank Trip Advisor comment:
  Galleria dell'Accademia does not worth a visit unless you are desperate to see the original of David and have the eye to distinguish it from its copy....There are more interesting museums in Florence (Pitti, Bargello, Galileo,...) I don't understand why L'Accademia is this much popular  

San Lorenzo and the Tombs; from the tomb of Lorenzo Medici

 Museo di San Marco showcases Fra Angelico's works
  Peter Preaching with Mark, 1433

... and  Fra Angelico's The Last Judgement...

Albero

Cypress and stone pines

Albero is Italian for "tree" and the word should come in handy in Tuscany, which is the most densely wooded region in all of Italy. 

When we were driving through the Tuscan countryside last spring on our way to Cinque Terre, the guide was pointing out the straight, raised Roman roads and the "open and shut umbrellas" that dotted the landscape.


The open umbrellas were of course, umbrella pines;  the shut ones were cypress.   Umbrella pines are also known as stone pines and have been cultivated since ancient times for their edible oil-bearing pine kernels.

Also abundant are sweet chestnuts. The Mugello region has whole groves, and the European Union recognizes Marrone del Mugello as the territory which is specially adapted to the cultivation of this fruit.  First news about this chestnut dates back to the Roman age.
  

October is the month they ripen, so we may be able to  taste some of the early harvest.

It is here that the fruit, as well as being a precious source of income, has been long used by the local population as the basis for much of its local cuisine, so much so that the chestnut is often referred to as the albero del pane (the bread tree). The harvest of this fruit is still carried out by hand due to the steep, hilly location of the many centuries old chestnut groves, making it impossible to harvest using machinery. - The marroni of the Mugello

This region is definitely a spot to stop for lunch or dinner.  In addition to the famous chestnuts, the area also produces oil, wine, high quality meats, cheese, honey, saffron and potatoes, various types of mushroom, and the white truffle, which grows in the woods and chestnut groves of the surrounding valleys.

Mugello is supposed to be great for nature walks, but I have a feeling we'll be better able to get the guys interested in visiting because the roads are the site of the Autodromo (Formula 2 and Motorcycle Grand Prix racing circuits).

Olive Grove

And the trees I remember being everywhere in the Mediterranean- the olive.  First cultivated by the Etruscans in 4th century BC, these evergreens can live for hundreds of years.  They look the same as they do elswhere,  but there are many different, prized cultivars that can only be identified by olive experts, who study the pit and leaves to determine the varietal.  Although there are countless varieties, the olives themselves are either green or black (the black ones start out green and change colour as they ripen).

Olive oil is one of the first things I want to pick up at the market. With fresh bread.  And pecorino cheese, some parmesan & balsalmic.... mmmmmm

45 days to Tuscany!

Casale Rosanna details

Just paid the balance on the villa in Tuscany for September!

Poking around with some online Italian lessons, the one from the BBC is fun and interactive.

Also reading Every Day In Tuscany, by Frances Mayes.  I love it so much I will likely pick up the other titles:  Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany.  The memoir is a great slice of life with lots of details about food, gardens & wine.

My copy is all dog-eared:

image credit

• I'd like to stand up and quote Cesare Pavese:  "A gulp of my drink," he wrote, "and my body can taste the life/ of plants and of rivers." (p. 31)
• The brilliant yellow lemons rival the beauty of the dangling orange persimmons, kaki, in many gardens,  Before the first hard freeze of November, back the pots go into the limonaia... I learned to mend my vase...   I thought it was the ultimate in thrift when I saw huge lemon trees in pots held together by wire.  Even small geraniums on steps would often be wired (p.60).
• I miss the balcony when the jasmine, lemon, and tigli, linden, scents collide and seem to emanate from the moon. (p.61)
• I don't need a celestial paradise; I'll take my immortality here. (p.62)

Casale Rosanna - Sleeps 4 in 2 Bedrooms | San Gimignano | Tuscany | Italy

Booked it!

Casale Rosanna - Sleeps 4 in 2 Bedrooms | San Gimignano | Tuscany | Italy

September seems a long, long time away.....

Brunello di Montalcino

Brunello.  Tasting note:  lovely, lovely, lovely!

Sipping a 2005 vintage from Mastro Janni and trying to figure out where to stay when we visit Tuscany in September (fingers crossed).  What a long week it has been, a long day. So to come home and explore the Tuscan countryside is such respite!

I love the colour.  The photo at left doesn't really do it justice.  In the glass, the colour is vibrant.

The aroma is reminding me of digging into the earth in late spring, triggering my limbic system with  memories of future possibilities.

The taste is all of that and more.

As for after-taste, this stirring finish might last until Sunday morning.

If I was in an MRI right now there would be fireworks on the imaging screen.

Hey, maybe that is why wine is served at Communion at Catholic mass.  Although it has been a long, long time since I drank from that cup.  But that's another story.

Happy Friday.