Man, do I love the bad puns in my titles or what? Probably about as much as I love posing rhetorical questions to my readers…
Roughly twelve days ago, I was as proud of myself as Arvind Mahankali when he successfully spelled knaidel to beat Pranav Sivakumar and secure the championship title during the 86th Scripps National Spelling Bee (apparently, this particular Indian-American knows a thing or two about Jewish comfort food). Why was I so pleased with myself, you ask? Well, I thought that I had finally caught up with our stories on the blog. And then a whirlwind of activity commenced in a flash as Jen’s sister arrived for a visit with her boyfriend. We had such a nice time traveling and eating with them (really, is there anything else you would want to do in Italy?) that now I have a ton more to write about. Additionally, we left them to their own devices while we embarked on a rewarding road-trip, which I cannot wait to tell you about. So, now once again – I am behind the times again faster than you can spell prosciutto.
An accurate portrayal of me as I struggle to keep up with the blog
When I was looking ahead toward the next 5-8 posts, I realized that I would be remiss not to step back and mention our visits to Pisa and then Massa in northern Tuscany. When I last wrote, I detailed our trip to Lucca (HERE). During the drive home we detoured to marvel at the Torre pendente di Pisa (Leaning Tower of Pisa) before getting back on the road. We hadn’t traveled too much further when our perfectly timed Italian stomachs told us it was time for lunch (at first I thought our three stomachs growling in unison was a tractor-trailer honking furiously at me). I was more in the mood for a leisurely lunch than a quick stop at an AutoGrill (picture a rest-stop along the NJ Turnpike with better food and espresso). I turned to my trusty “TripAdvisor” cell phone app and searched for a restaurant near us. I discovered Il Fatty (yeah… you guessed the translation; The Fatty) in the city we were approaching. With a name like, “the fatty” – how could you go wrong?! I took the exit toward Massa and headed into the center of town.
Torre pendente di Pisa – Leaning Tower of PisaJulia strikes a poseWork on the tower began in 1173 and took 199 years to completeJulia photographs me in front of the towerBattistero di San Giovanni (Pisa Baptistry) and Primatial (Pisa Cathedral)
You may not have heard of Massa (we hadn’t), but if you’re a fan of interior design, than you’ve definitely heard of the province in which Massa is located, Carrara. Carrara marble is the fashionable stone of choice for kitchens counters the world over. The stone has been mined in this area for centuries (Carrara marble has been used since Ancient Rome). Upon exiting the highway, my mind was set only on lunch with no expectation of discovering any real beauty; the area is heavily industrialized. Like a naval shipyard or factory park, the landscape is blanketed with large machinery, billowing factories and tractor trailers transporting thousands of pounds worth of the white stone.
Massa and Carrara are sister cities in the Province of Carrara
However, we were surprised when we got away from the mining equipment and approached the center of town. The city itself was clean and beautiful. It became obvious that Massa has prospered as a result of the local product. The town is well designed and perfectly maintained. Even the street curbs and park benches are made of Carrara marble! After a delicious lunch at Il Fatty we wanted to discover what the city had to offer. There seemed to be a surprise around every turn. We found orange trees and large piazze (town squares), ancient buildings and ample shopping. We were pleasantly surprised to see how much is available to tourists, although the place is happily devoid of the map-reading, fanny-pack wearing, crowd-shoving sightseers (by the way, I’m not casting stones; that is usually us in a nutshell, less the fanny-pack).
Il Fatty’s “signature” sandwich – Panino LamprodottoPanino salsiccia e rapiniHomemade torta di riso, proudly made by the owner’s son, AlessandroThe interior piazzaSome of the colorful buildings of MassaGreat statue in the center of the main piazzaGovernment building in the main piazzaThere were orange trees everywhere
There is even a wonderful 15th century castle perched high above the town. We took the narrow and windy drive up the hill, only to discover the castle was closed for repair. Oh well, I was able to get a couple beautiful panoramic’s of the city and neighboring sea.
Massa on the road to Malaspina CastleView of Massa from aboveThe position of the city is well situated between the coast and the mountains
If I can borrow a page from the Michelin Star guide-book, I would rank Massa with a full star (out of three). One star denotes a very nice place worthy of a visit (but not a place to go far out of your way to see). If you do visit, tell Alessandro at Il Fatty that we said hello. However, be weary of his suggestion to try the local favorite, Panino Lamprodotto. It’s basically just tripe (cows stomach) on a bun – not my favorite Italian food. Of course, I would be lying if I told you I left a single bite behind.
If you read the title of this post with your best impression of an Italian accent, then you probably nailed the pronunciation of one of our new favorite Italian towns. Lucca has been on our bucket list to visit for quite some time and now we can happily say we’ve been.
Lucca, Italy viewed from the Torre GuinigiAnother angle from Torre GuinigiLucca viewed from the city walls
The city is renowned for many things, not the least of which is the giant annual gathering of comic book nerds and fantasy film geeks. Lucca plays host to Europe’s version of Comic-Con, the Fiera Internazionale del Fumetto (International Festival of Comics) or as it’s commonly referred – Lucca Comics and Games.
Some participants of Lucca Comics and Games. Photo courtesy of Francesco Petrucci
For those of us that don’t have any desire to put on a Superman costume (yes, I’m just enough of a geek to know the term cosplay), there is more than enough to do in Lucca, which I will detail below. Thanks very much to some free press bestowed on me by Italia Living, I have recently picked up a few new readers (benvenuto a Sipping Espresso) and so I’m going to treat this post a little differently than in the past. As opposed to running through our little vacation part by part, instead I will opt to go a bit more “mainstream” and simply highlight the featured attractions of the city. Of course, I haven’t boiled it down to a “Top 10 Things To Do In Lucca” just yet. I like to hear myself talk far too much!
Piazza del Giglio near our hotel
During Medieval and Roman times, it was quite common to fortify entire cities behind massive protective walls. Today, Lucca is a preeminent example of such fortification and one of the few cities left in Italy with her ancient walls fully intact. It is a wonderful experience to drive your car through the same gate that was quite possibly used by Julius Caesar himself. Of course, in this scenario, I’m simply the chauffeur and my own little Julia is the royalty riding in the back of the chariot. Even though I can’t positively date the existing walls as far back as Caesar, I can place him in Lucca for the well documented Lucca Conference, along with Pompey and Crassus in 56 BC. The origin of the city itself date back as far as 180 BC. Eventually Lucca rose in importance to the Roman empire and achieved immense wealth and status in the 11th century, thanks to the silk trade. The result of this wealth is evident today; the city is very well maintained. Nearly every street features an ancient church boasting a façade clad with expensive marble. Well designed piazzas are now the gathering places for tourists, street performers and restauranteurs. Streets lined with charming shops and wonderful cafes full of patrons keep the vibe of the city humming well into the night.
The ancient walls completely enclose the cityYou can find many fine examples of sculpture and statues along the top of the wallsThe walls are wide enough for cars to pass along the top, but it is solely pedestrianOne of the many churches that can be found on nearly every corner in the city
Our reason for being in Lucca was to visit our good friend, Beth (although here she goes by, Elizabeth which is better understood in Italian). We had an amazing time when we stayed at her home in Tuscany last year, which I wrote about HERE and HERE. She hosted us once again, but this time it was in the Bed & Breakfast she recently purchased, Le Violette. The place matches her personality perfectly; warm and inviting with an extra pinch of charm. I’ll write a full review of her B&B in an upcoming post. After we unloaded our bags in the room, Beth started our tour of the city beginning with the walls, which were widened centuries ago. In fact, not that long ago they used the walls for racing cars. Today, they are purely pedestrian.
View of the main bell tower of Lucca from on top of the wallsWe made our way to the walls several times throughout our tripJulia wanted to walk on her ownJen and Julia stop for a photo on the wall
We hopped off the walls and strolled through the city, enjoying Lucca as only a pedestrian can.
Via del Fosso has a canal running through the centerVia Cenami is one of the main shopping streetsBeth helps Julia take a drink of waterJulia takes a picture with me in Piazza San FrancescoThe old market building where vendors would set up their stalls
Most Italian cities feature outdoor markets one-two times a week. We made our way to one of the fabulous Lucca mercato (market), which is held every Wednesday and Saturday.
Vendors set up for the market twice a weekWe discovered that we accidentally strolled outside the walls by following the long line of vendorsBeautiful flowers are just one of the many things you could buy in the marketI catch Jen for a photo in the marketThe markets can get crowded but they are a great place to pick up a picnic lunch
While in Lucca, you will want to position yourself in a vantage point that will command a view of the entire city, valley and mountains. You can choose to scale the Torre delle Ore (Clock Tower) or the Torre Guinigi (Guinigi Tower). We opted for the later, because it is the only tower in the city that has trees planted on top. But the ascent is not for the faint of heart; it’s a steep 230 steps until you get to the top. Compared to other similar towers, I found the €6 entry fee a bit steep, considering you don’t get anything other than the view (many similar sites also feature other historical items – this was purely just the tower). I quickly reversed my position on the fee when I actually took in the view. Breathtaking might be an appropriate word to describe the panorama.
The final staircase ascending toward the top of the tower (shooting from below, looking up)I lost my cool when I thought this was the top and I would have to view the city through a cage. When I calmed down, I realized there was a door and simply pushed onView of the city with the prominent Cattedrale di San Martino in viewMore of the city and Torre dell Ore (clock tower)Lucca is a beautiful city set with a backdrop of luscious green mountainsPanoramica da Torre Guinigi – I just noticed that almost this exact shot is in the Lucca city guideI noticed a few groups of school children; Lucca is a popular destination for Italians
You will certainly want to pay a visit the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, a Roman amphitheater that has been reconstructed into a piazza compete with charming shops and cafes. We sat and enjoyed a few drinks while Julia enjoyed running around with Beth’s son, Indi.
Panoramic of the Piazza inside the amphitheaterJulia and Indi play inside the Piazza AnfiteatroJulia loves chasing pigeons!Outside the Lucca Amphitheater you can see the remains of the original Roman structure
Of course, no trip to Lucca would be complete without a visit to the Piazza San Michele and a tour through the Chiesa di San Michele in Foro.
Chiesa (church) di San MicheleThe Romanesque architecture is clearly demonstrated in the façade, which was built in the 13th centuryThe wealth of Lucca is demonstrated by their larger churchesThe piazza hosts some performers that loved playing American 90’s rock (primarily Nirvana)Julia can’t hear the words of Kurt Cobain without being moved to tipJen and Julia in Piazza San MicheleJulia pushes Beth’s son, Indi across the piazzaPlaying in the piazzaChiesa di San Michele at night
I hope you enjoyed our tour through Lucca together and consider adding it as your next Italian destination. Below are a couple more pictures to temp you even further…
Buccellatio di Lucca is a typical bread that is eaten year roundWe constantly commented on how clean and well maintained the city isJulia enjoys some gelato after dinner one night“Come along for an upcoming post all about a couple restaurants in Lucca!”
I have no proof that when my sister, Michelle came to visit with her husband and daughter (David and Elsa) that he was the tallest man in all of Italy… but I’d say there’s a good shot! When I picked them up at the airport, I simply looked for the tallest/shortest couple combo possible (he’s a hair over 6’8″ and she’s a modest 5’2″). I spotted them instantly and helped them get some caffeine before taking them home for our big Italian lunch.
David, Elsa and Michelle – he’s crouching down to make it in the frame
Julia’s younger cousin, Elsa was her newest obsession and she had been excited all week leading up to their visit. She would wake up every day and scroll to some of the video’s or pictures we had on our iPad and scream “ELSA!” When the real thing walked (or rather, crawled) through the door – she was like a kid on Christmas. She couldn’t stop hugging and kissing her. Although, she had an awkward way of pulling her in by the neck – so much so that we dubbed Julia the, “Scranton Strangler” (you “Office” fans will get the reference).
The girls all reunited – Julia just wanted to kiss Elsa all the time
“Is my cousin trying to strangle me?!”
Michelle and David have a high-paced, action-packed lifestyle in Chicago and they were looking forward to a couple weeks of unplugging from their demanding jobs that they both do so well. We were happy to accommodate and show them a slow-paced trip filled with lots of good food and wine. We spent a couple days in the area, taking it easy. We visited the local park with the girls, we walked around downtown Como, we drove through many of the smaller lake towns. I showed David my favorite 5k loop and we went running together nearly every morning. Michelle cracked up one day after her privacy was invaded by our little Julia, somewhere in the beginning stages of potty training. She barged in and saw Michelle on the “potty” and declared to her, “Michelle… potty… YAHHH!”
The girls playing at the park
Jules sporting a pose in Como
It was drizzling when we went to Menaggio
Getting close to the ducks
Elsa fell in love with Italian food – especially risotto
“Mom, why is Julia always all up on my grill?!”
The day we spent driving around the lake was not the most cooperative of days – the temperature was pleasant, but the views were impeded by a haze and a constant drizzle dampened our tour. We stopped for a coffee and a leg-strech in one of our favorite towns, Menaggio before two fussy babies told us it was time to get home. On our way back, the constant drizzle gave us a wonderful gift – a double rainbow! This was something I’d personally never seen and only heard about in the internet-sensation youtube video.
We pulled over and took about 10,000 photos. Below are my favorites.
You could really see both rainbows so clearly
The “inside” rainbow landed directly on Bellagio
All the girls
Family photo
David shooting the rainbow
The original plan for Michelle and David’s vacation was to spend a week with us and another week exploring another part of Europe. We convinced them that it was much easier to just stay with us, making our place the home-base. So a few days into the trip, they planned to go to Cinque Terre. Jen and I had plenty to keep us busy around the house so we sent them off exploring on their own.
Levanto (David’s photo)
Cinque Terre is a beautiful gem in the Italian Riveria. The area consists of five rural fishing villages (the name means, “five lands“) that are interconnected via a pedestrian walkway. I first discovered this not-so-well-known destination 10 years ago during a study abroad and instantly fell in love. Today, the popularity of the place has reached stratospheric heights and tourists from all over the world come to see the uniquely beautiful terrain. While the change in visitors has altered the local landscape and flavor, it does not deteriorate the beauty of the villages themselves. Michelle and David selected a beautiful B&B in a town just outside Cinque Terre, Levanto which offers beautiful panoramics of the area. They had such a lovely time that they extended their trip by an extra day to really soak it all up. I borrowed a few of David’s photos in order to post them.
Momma with her baby
Elsa, the little adventurer
When they returned from their road trip, we spent a few more days locally (the seemingly endless rain kept us close to home) before embarking on another trip, this time all together. The destination – Tuscany. The specific area – open ended. Tuscany is probably the most well known region in Italy. What many people don’t realize is that it’s quite large with a lot of wonderful places to see. What you can’t do is pick a bad area, so I was confident that my internet search would yield a choice that was at least suitable for us. I underestimated just how perfect a location we would discover. A search across many of my favorite websites for this type of thing (trip-advisor, booking.com, agriturismo.net, etc.) lead me to a B&B in the Chianti region of central Tuscany. Borgo Sicelle was the perfect place. The location (midway between Florence and Sienna) offered us a chance to embark on great day trips. The property (originally an old farmhouse, carefully renovated) allowed us to rent a small apartment with individual rooms and a kitchen. The owners (Franco and Silvia) were so hospitable that we had everything we could want and more (including pack-n-plays in each bedroom). I don’t usually use this blog as a forum to recommend places to eat, see or stay (at least not intentionally) – but I will in this case. If you find yourself in Tuscany, stay at Borgo Sicelle!
Borgo Sicelle from the road
Inside one of the courtyards, showing some of the apartments
Another apartment with their own outdoor tables
One view from the property – the large open patch is a vineyard
Directly across is a small trattoria (restaurant) and next door is a church
Our “front yard”… at least for a few days
The upper terrace
When we arrived, Franco gave us the lay of the land. He also gifted us a bottle of wine made by his brother-in-law (a Chianti, of course) and helped us get settled in by touring us around his amazing property (complete with several private apartments, infinity pool, multiple terraces, a playground, rec room and more). He also explained that many of the local restaurants were participating in a pseudo “restaurant-week” where they were offering pre-fix menu’s at discounted prices. Silvia helped us call and make a reservation at a restaurant, La Torre in Castellina in Chianti, one of the main villages in the area. We arrived on time for our 7:00pm reservation and didn’t leave until all six courses had been served and we’d had our grappa. It was close to 11:00pm by the time we got home and got the girls in bed.
Outside the restaurant
Night fell while we were inside
The Rocca of Castellina at night
Another angle of the Rocca
Julia was exhausted by the time we got home
The next day, we all took our coffee outside before setting out on an excursion Franco helped us script. We visited a few of the nearby villages, including a stopover for lunch in Volpaia – a medieval village that is as rich in history and beauty as it is in quality wine.
Coffee on our patio
Exploring Volpaia
We had a wonderful lunch here
After lunch Julia took a stroll
David tried to keep up
The girls had fun together
Julia calling out to the people below
Looking cool with mommy
A street scene in Volpaia
Another street
In the center of town
At the end of the day, we pulled together a nice selection of food (meats, cheeses, olives, sardines, etc.) and dined outside while the sun set behind us.
Rustic dinner we threw together to dine al fresco
About to sit down to dinner
The girls were quick to finish eating so they could play
We loved the sunset
The Tuscan hills came to life with such vibrant colors
The following day we went to Siena, a short 30 minute drive from our hotel. Siena was settled by the Etrucans between 900 – 400 BC. Today, it stands as one of the most visited locations in Italy. The city center has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Besides the rich art, architecture, museums and cuisine – the city is famously known for Il Palio, a horserace held twice a year in the main square, Piazza del Campo.
Julia and Michelle made matching braids for the day
Inside Piazza del Campo
Teaching Julia how to use the camera
I took her for a walk in the piazza
Michelle with her hands full
Julia ate all of my mint gelatto
At the end of the day, we swung back by Castellina in Chianti to visit the Macellaio (butcher) and pick up some fresh fruit and vegetables. We had seen Franco using the BBQ the night before and David and I couldn’t get it out of our mind. Our first choice to grill… a big hunk of cinghiale (boar), a specialty of the Tuscan region. Unfortunately, the only boar he had in that day was in a salami (which we got – delicious). For the BBQ, we opted for another Tuscan speciality, bistecca (steak) and salsiccia (sausage). As David and I approached the grill, we admitted to each other that it had been a while since either of us had grilled using charcoal (hedging in case either of us made a critical error). We were further handicapped by the fact that the charcoal provided wasn’t the posh, self-burning American kind – but rather some hard-to-light wood variation. Finally, we both had the gnawing image of Franco’s perfect coals glowing like small pillows delivered straight from Hades the night before. We managed to get enough of a fire going to grill meat – our manhood was in tact and we delivered perfectly cooked steak and sausage to the family. Thousands of years of genetic programing proved to be successful.
The butcher wielding his tools
Julia helped us pick our fruit
We had some of the antipasti in front of our “house” before the grilling commenced
Salami (boar salami on the left) and bread
Jen helping us stoke the fire
Our steaks!
A finocchio (fennel) salad
We had learned that we were a “three-bottle” family
Eventually, our time in Chianti came to an end (even after extending an extra day) and we headed back to home to Como. Sadly, Michelle and David’s visit to Italy had also come to an end and we helped Michelle pack for her flight home the next day. What about David, you ask? Well, he must have liked us so much that he stayed an extra night and flew to London the day following day on a business trip. We were thrilled to host their little family, Julia loved having Elsa and we will always remember that trip to Tuscany as something truly special.
Well, we didn’t run into Edward Cullen, Bella Swan or that creepy little girl that can induce pain in people’s mind (I suppose the world’s largest and most powerful coven of vampires was in hiding) during our visit to Volterra in Tuscany.
Now this is Tuscany!
For the Tibetan monk that has been living in isolation in Bhutan… and my sister, the only two people in the world that haven’t a clue who Edward or Bella are – I am making a playful reference to the Twilight Series. Buddhist monk and Michelle, listen up – the premise of the fictional story is simple. Girl falls in love with boy. Boy happens to be a blood-sucking vampire. Girl also falls in love with another boy. Boy happens to be a shape-shifting werewolf. Love triangle ensues. They all get in trouble when the Volturi (fictional Vampire royalty from the non-fictional town of Volterra, Italy) get involved. Giant battle rages. Extend story over five books. Produce six movies and collect hundreds of millions of non-fictional dollars. You know – your classic love story.
Julia reading in Volterra
Julia’s new pose while strolling
While we didn’t see any vampires (darn), we did find something better in Volterra. We found an amazing city with an incredible history and beauty worthy of a hundred stories – let alone a few blockbuster movies.
Street scene
A government building in the main piazza
In the main piazza
Torture museums are popular here
Jacob??
“Come take a load off”
Another street scene
Remains of Etruscan-Roman Acropolis
Rooftops
I call this… “lonely albero“
Love the roofline
About to break into a run
I love this little peanut
We were given the opportunity to see Volterra with a local, Beth – whom we had recently re-connected with via Facebook. We stayed with her family in their amazing farmhouse for a long weekend that began with a wonderful party you can read about HERE. The first day of we partook in the festivities of Festa della Liberazione. The next day, we woke up and enjoyed our coffee and breakfast in true Tuscan style – piano, piano (slowly). I drank my coffee in Beth’s amazing backyard and watched Julia play while soaking up the scenery.
Beth and her son Indi
Beth’s backyard… what a yard!!
I could spend all day soaking this up
After lunch, we ventured to Volterra and spent the day strolling through the wonderful city. I was particularly interested in the large castle, Medicean Fortress perched at the main gate of the city. We decided to visit the caste and include this large fortress among the many we plan to see this year. I was greeted at the gate (and then turned away) by an armed guard. That seemed odd. Then I noticed armed guards on the roof. And industrial-size surveillance cameras. Boy, these Italians take the preservation of their historical treasures seriously. Or maybe the Volturi do exist…
Medecian Fortress in Volterra – no vampires living here as far as we could tell
Beth told us that there was a prison in Volterra, but we all agreed that it didn’t seem to make sense to convert a 14th century landmark positioned in the center of a tourist town into a prison for hardened criminals. I just discovered (thank you internet) that we were wrong. The castle was converted into a high-security prison for criminals that are serving sentences longer than seven years. I have also learned another interesting fact about the prison – there is a restaurant inside that serves gourmet food. This was part of a rehabilitation project and has been highly publicized. The food is prepared and served by inmates and the restaurant is open to the public (provided you pass a security clearance, don’t mind eating with plastic silverware and have some stones of your own). I think I’ll have to make a reservation next time we visit – my kind of joint.
Another angle
One of the main city gates
The drive from Beth’s home to Volterra was simply amazing – we got to see some of the incredible Tuscan country-side. Beth explained that there are essentially “twelve colors of Tuscany” throughout the year. A painter had once told her that the look of Tuscany changes each month with the growth of new plants and flowers each month. We must have come during the most vibrant green month – because the scenery was just stunning.
Julia and Indi ready to go
Vibrant green hillside
Tuscany in spring is a dream
Incredible scenery
Couldn’t wait to make a panoramic photo
We picked up some cheese, salami and sott’olio (“under oils” which are a variety of vegetables stored in olive oil) and headed back for a late dinner. Andrea (Beth’s husband) arrived home just as we were setting out the food and we all ate and drank until we crawled into our beds.
The following day was particularly exciting for both me and Andrea. You see, Beth is a vegetarian and so he relishes any opportunity to cook meat. I happen to love meat and so a match was made in heaven. He was particularly excited to try a new lamb recipe and was particularly excited to be his guinea pig (having grown up loving lamb). The women prepared for the feast and tended to the children while the men asserted our male dominance and hunted for the meat…at the local grocery store. We were triumphant! Andrea set to work preparing the lamb and I was eager to assist him. I gathered some rosemary from the yard – and evidently snapped a living branch in the process. He casually brushed it off, as he had “only been growing that plant for three years”. I felt awful – they were kind enough to laugh. Andrea selected a great bottle of wine they had been saving for the right occasion. I took this to mean that they liked having us and we hadn’t yet worn out our welcome. The meal surpassed all my high expectations! But we made a critical mistake – eating that much meat had put us in a food coma. We needed grappa (Italian alcoholic drink used to aid in digestion) – stat! We drove to a local pasticceria (pastry shop) for some sweets and grappa. Eventually, day turned into night and we each fell into bed, sleeping quite soundly.
Andrea preparing the rosemary
Andrea was excited to make a meat dish
Baby swap – feeding the kids early
Beth shows Julia how to twirl like she’s “up in the club”
Andrea showcases his cooking skills and great taste in wine
Full-bodied, flavorful Tuscan wine
The table is set…
…with copious amounts of succulent meat…
…and the best roasted potatoes we’d ever had!
The gang’s all here
After lunch, Andrea played some music for the kids – both drums and guitar. He had an instant collection of groupies (I’m including Jen in that lot).
Andrea lays a beat
And has a collection of fans
Julia had to get in on the action
Somehow we had already arrived at Sunday and our magical weekend in Tuscany came to a close. We enjoyed our morning coffee and some of Beth’s homemade muffins (Jen borrowed the recipe) and hit the road. We had such a nice time with Andrea, Beth and their son Indi – we hope to host them in our home in Como soon.
Facebook is great for a lot of things. First of all, it’s a wonderful time killer. It is a spectacular medium for sharing funny videos about cats. The site is also great for shameless self-promotion of your unimportant blog (ahem). Facebook keeps me and Jen apprised of popular youtube videos and trending pop-culture stories we would have otherwise missed living in another country. But perhaps best of all – it helps reconnect people after many, many years.
This is how you “like” a post on Italian Facebook
This was recently the case when my wife re-connected with a high school friend of ours, now living in Tuscana (Tuscany). Beth traveled to Rome in 1999 to study abroad. There, she found her love and has been living in Italy ever since (to clarify, I mean a man – not just a love of the country). While they enjoyed living in Rome together, they eventually moved back to his hometown in Tuscany, a short distance from Pisa. It was here that Beth and Andrea started a family together with the birth of their son, Indi. We were thrilled we got to spend some time with them in their amazing home and had the opportunity to reconnect with Beth while getting to know Indi and Andrea (whom we both loved).
Beth and Indi
Beth’s “front yard”
Still in the front
More views from the front – ridiculous, I know!!
Jen and Beth had been exchanging Facebook messages about getting together (we’re roughly 3 hours apart) almost since we moved to Italy this past January. And then, the timing seemed to click perfectly. The 25th of April is Liberation Day in Italy. Festa della Liberazione is a holiday that marks the end of Mussolini’s Social Republic and the end of the Nazi occupation in Italy in 1945. Today, this holiday is celebrated with the closure of nearly all business, which affords the people a good reason to get together and do what Italians do best – eat wonderful food, drink amazing wine and trade passionate stories.
Congregating after lunch
As we soon discovered, Beth lives in an incredible 500 year old farmhouse and her neighbors were having a party for the holiday. There was to be a big lunch outdoors, with music, kids and plenty of wine. She invited us for lunch and extended the invitation through the long weekend. I don’t know anyone that would turn down such an amazing invitation – and we were no exception.
The farmhouse Beth and Andrea share (the building in back)
Their home
Another angle
Building used to store hay – now used for parties
The plan was to arrive just ahead of lunch – the real start of the party. It was to be a typical Italian lunch, with all the courses and dishes we love – but, quite literally Under The Tuscan Sun and with some regional favorites we were eager to try. I would not allow our typical tardiness out the front door get in the way of this epic meal. So, I fibbed and told Jen we needed to be on the road earlier than we really did. Then, I budgeted an extra 30 minutes for typical trip delays (over an hour buffer in total). If you know me, you’ll know this was the type of meal I would not want to miss!
Everything was going according to plan until we neared Milan some 40 minutes down the road. Traffic got a bit thicker. By the time we got on the Autostrada toward Tuscany, we were stuck in stand-still traffic, moving 0 km/hour. That converts to 0 mp/hour. I watched the GPS arrival time creep later and later. 11:30am turned into 12:00pm and before you knew it, 1:00pm. I tried a short cut that just added to the time. By noon (and an estimated arrival of 3:00pm) we sullenly threw in the towel. We pulled over and ate panini at the AutoGrill. I swear as the day is long – I’m getting depressed all over again just typing this. The sandwiches were good – but nothing like what we were missing. Thankfully, we kept our spirits high and pulled into Beth’s house by 3:30 (a seven hour trip).
The remnants of the meal we missed
Since everyone had eaten, we jumped right into the party. Beth has some spectacular friends and we had a wonderful time. It came as no surprise that everyone was so warm and inviting. They talked to us as if we had been friends for 15 years and took to Julia as if they had watched her grow up. We drank wine, fresh mojitos and swayed to the beats of the DJ spinning outside. We spread our toes in the Tuscan grass and ate some fresh food off the grill.
Relaxing together
Julia loved playing with Indi
DJ spinning great music
My kind of speaker set-up
Part of the party
Say “formaggio!”
This nice kid fired up the grill for us
At one point, a big blue tractor showed up and it almost sounded like some of the male partygoers were arguing with the man driving the tractor. I recognized a few words and hand gestures usually only reserved for a type of heated debate. After a few minutes, the arguing died down and the guys walked with the tractor driver to the bar area to get a drink together, laughing like they were best friends. It didn’t seem to make any sense until Beth explained.
What’s this guy doing here?
The land we were on (including the farmhouse, all the structures and ten more homes nearby) belonged to the Marchese (Marquis). The Marchese is a man of noble decent who carries his title and rules his lands as if he were still in power. In reality, he has no more power than you or me. That is – if you or me had a noble bloodline, hundreds of acres in Tuscany, a mansion, dozens of employees and a several properties on our land. In 1948, the newly adopted constitution of Italy refused to recognize all noble titles (the Republic of Italy replaced the Kingdom of Italy in 1946). So, the Marchese (whom I was fascinated to learn loves the aristocratic pastime of hunting with dogs) “rules” his lands and everyone is just sort of happy to let him go on thinking it. He had “ordered” this man to drive up the hill in his tractor to tell us to lower the music. At home in the States, I can imagine a property manager (at the behest of the landlord) banging on someone’s front door to tell them to lower the music would be greeted with a bit of disdain. He would certainly not be invited in for a drink and food. But this is Italy. After a couple glasses of wine together, we lowered the music and the man drove back down the hill having successfully completed his task. But not before letting Julia drive his tractor – quite literally, he let her steer unaided for about 10 meters (until she almost put him into a field).
Only a small portion of the Marchese’s house can be seen here – it was huge
He let Julia drive
She was ready to GO!
After some time, we decided to go in and feed the kids and make a proper meal. Beth’s time in Italy was definitely evident, as she “whipped up” on the best pasta dishes we’ve had since arriving here. We paired with another wine and settled in for a relaxing weekend in Tuscany.
Dinner is about to be served – LOVED the charm in her home
Wonderful Tuscan dinner
Baby Indi munching on his mom’s wonderful cooking
More to come about this amazing weekend in Tuscany in a subsequent post…
