Chianti

Ciao Family and Friends!
Last night before bed, we decided to go down to the sitting area in the Villa and ended up having a great visit with two couples from Croatia. We were talking, and I explained a bit to one lady about my plans to enter a Culinary Arts Program in the Fall, (after having worked as a registered nurse for many years). One of the ladies (who is an electrical engineer), was so interested in this. She said, her first love really was baking cookies and cakes. In fact, she opened a small Patisserie at home in (Osijek, Croatia) and called it, "Bonjour!" It wasn't successful, "and after crying and crying", she had to close it and return to her career.
This morning, we awoke to bright sunlight, and were hoping the weather might finally turn around. Oh, and the roosters were out in full force this morning, wandering the property and doing what they do best (around 5:30 am). We went downstairs for the beautiful breakfast that seems to be laid out the very same each day. We've noticed there's one lady who takes care of it all, and is extremely efficient. She marches around with bare legs, black ankle socks, and Birkenstock sandals. She wears a large, pale blue uniform with a little, white hat (you get the picture). Today, she was crashing around moving tables, and tossing silverware loudly into a drawer - all while we were listening to classical music and trying to enjoy our eggs.
Since we planned to tour the Chianti region in a leisurely way today, we decided to stop at the front desk to see if Giovanni could give us any tips.
We started up the Fiat and backed out from our usual spot under the olive tree, and drove out of the orchard (that's where the parking is for the Villa). We drove in the direction of Greve in Chianti (pronounced Grevaaaay). There were lots of bicycles on the winding roads today, which just seems to me like you must be getting ready to throw your life away.
We stopped in the Comune di Greve, at the beautiful, large open market. The first thing we did was find a table to order a cappuccino and watch the activity buzzing all around us. The caffe was called "Lepanto" in the Greve Town Piazza. This piazza (which is triangular, has been hosting the markets for centuries. The most wonderful fruits and vegetables lined one area. The biggest red peppers, and giant mushrooms, and fresh artichokes are common things to buy here. On a large countertop, a delicious aroma arose from a giant, headless, roasted pig (his head was placed beside him, and if you looked closely, you could see he still had his eye lashes). Large pieces of fresh meat were sliced off, wrapped and placed into waiting hands. Samples to taste were freely given out. The vendor hands you the samples with bare fingers here, and for some reason, you just don't think too much about it.
While sitting at the caffe, we noticed an old person sitting at a table with wine and a big dish with peanuts. He handed the dish over the hedge to some children on the other side. Everyone helped themselves, and he then put the dish back on the table. I reminded myself again, it's probably never a good idea to eat the free bowls of stuff that arrive at your table with drinks. I'm sure they take the leftovers and dump them all back into a giant jar labeled "Tourist Jar", and then it's all recycled once again. I could be wrong, though.
We walked over to a food booth called Pollo Allo Spiedo. We bought pork pieces and bread cooked on skewers. This was called Polpepttone Spiedino. It looked delicious, and came with several squares of deep fried polenta. The ladies were so friendly, and when they saw us struggling to communicate, they laughed and gave us different samples to try. We carried on our leisurely journey to a beautiful little town called Panzano in Chianti. Here, there were breathtaking views of the hills of Tuscany. We decided to stop at Il Palagio for a tasting of Chianti wines. We tried two small tastings (Ron talked to the lady about everything but the taste of the wine. Although you are in Chianti, you just have to remain mindful that driving around the twistiest roads you've ever seen just is not conducive to more than a few tastings of wine. The lady there advised we walk to the Historical area of Panzano. We took her advice, and just loved this quaint, little town. We walked uphill along the Via G.Da Verrazannoo to the church called the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, then over to the castle.
While in Panzano, we found out about a "non-touristy" restaurant in the town of Volpaia, high up in the hills near Radda so we thought we'd go there for lunch. We were so happy to have found out about this secret! We enjoyed the drive along the windy roads. It was so quiet and peaceful, and there were lots of rose bushes along the road. There were little stone buildings built within inches of the road in some places.
We finally reached the town of Volpaia, and drove into the Ristorante La Bottega parking lot. At first we thought we were in the wrong place, because the parking lot was FULL. We sat there in stunned silence. Oh well, how could we think there was really a place that was "non-touristy?" We climbed the stairs, and there were only a few tables left. The outside seating was in a garden. I had tagliatelle with porcini (which is becoming a bad habit, and Ron had Ribbolitta zuppa Toscana, (soup). Delicious food with spectacular views. One thing we really notice and enjoy here? You never have waiters coming around and saying silly things like, "How are the first few bites tasting?" Never!
We left Volpaia, and continued on through Radda in Chianti and then to Castellina in Chianti (a municipality) and found it very quaint. We walked around, and a band of children went marching past us, proudly carrying the Italian flag, clanging cymbals, and banging on drums. They gathered in the little town square, and out came the horns, oboes, tubas, and their feature song was "Three Blind Mice". Of course the parents proudly clapped and cheered.
We went back to the parking lot to the car and I vigorously pulled at the door handle. What on earth was wrong with this door? Ron stood by pleasantly smiling. This time, it appeared I was trying to break into a Volkswagen. But since it was silver, you could understand this mix up.
On the way back to San Casciano, we came upon an accident, the second one we've seen. A motorbike going one direction was wedged under the front of the car coming from another direction. There were police, and a crowd was gathered. As we continued, we looked ahead and could see the ambulance driving quietly along in front of us. There's really only one reason for that. When you are a parent, these things grip you. I imagine the parents sitting at home eating supper and talking about their day. Suddenly there is news that will break hearts and change their lives for ever. We've noticed these motorbikes drive at tremendous, wreckless speeds. They are fearless and take huge risks. I can't even imagine how many bikes roared past us, screaming around corners. What I can say is this - I'm glad my sons are safe at home and not on motorbikes in Italy.
Driving back towards Tuscany? Absolutely beautiful. Endless vineyards and tunnels of overhanging trees. We've come to the conclusion that spring is the best time to come to this area if you want to see it in its full, fresh, lush beauty. There is just nothing like this...