Tuesday 14 August 2012

Taste of Tuscany


























































You simply cannot visit Italy without taking in the charm and flavor of the Tuscan region.  We recommend the various tours offered by Viatour.com.    They offered exactly what we wanted at better rates than the cruise line.   We opted for the Taste of Italy Food Tour to Chianti and Umbria from Rome as it worked with our schedule.  It did not disappoint!  

We were met bright and early in the lobby of our hotel by the shuttle who picked up all of the travelers and brought them all to the main station in Rome where we met our gracious host, Stefano and boarded the air-conditioned tour bus along with our fellow guests.   Stefano is an incredible tour guide.  He spoke no fewer than five languages and was very eager to share stories of his homeland in a way that not only enhanced the journey, but truly made it a pleasure.  He made a point to move about the bus and speak with each group of people individually, changing easily from German to Portugese to English.  The 2.5 hour drive across the Tiber Valley to the quaint town of Cortona was ripe with swaying fields of sunflowers and rows of olive trees.  It seemed that we passed one wall-encased hill-top town after another until we finally came to rest at the base of Cortona.  Cortona, for those of you who don't know, was one of the scenes of the film "Under the Tuscan Sun" and is everything one expects to see in Tuscany.  The town is built on a hillside and there are many steps and steep inclines to maneuver as you make your way throughout this lovely town.  We arrived on the day of a local flea market in the main piazza which was absolutely delightful.  On this particular day there was a bit of a breeze, but it was definitely welcomed as we seemed to climb higher and higher.  Every time we turned a corner there was yet another photo op.  The alleyways in Italy are truly works of art ~ nothing at all like we are accustomed to here in Canada.  The aged patinas that grace each and every building, the carved wooden doors and the flower-hugged windows all tug at the passing traveler urging them to photograph this simple beauty to enjoy over and over again at home.  There are lovely shops selling local wares like leather purses for a price that I never saw duplicated anywhere else in Italy.  I purchased a whimsical leather purse trimmed with a tulip-shaped edging for just over 20 Euros ~ an absolute steal!  At the base of the town there is a little shop selling cappucinos, etc where you MUST stop and order an espresso crema.  This comes from a machine at the entrance of the store that resembles a slushee machine.   It is like a very thick espresso milkshake served in a shot-sized cup with a straw.  Very rich....but also very refreshing and delicious.   I would be remiss if I didn't mention that there are actually outdoor escalators at the back entrance of this town for those of you who don't feel up to the climb.  We did not know about this, but having returned home we were quickly advised by good friends who have stayed in Cortona for several years in a row.  They had actually lugged their baggage up these steep cobblestones several years in a row before ever being advised of this ingenious secret!  Apparently since the movie was shot here there has been renewed interest in this area by tourists, so the town accommodated by putting in this handy outdoor escalator for the vertically challenged....

After spending about an hour exploring the nooks and crannies of Cortona, we once again met up with our tour group and boarded the bus to our next stop ~ Montepulciano.  As we passed through the Lake Trasimeno region we stopped briefly to take in the beauty of the lake.  My husband and I spotted a local flea market and we were off!  It's such fun wandering around a local flea market that isn't intended for tourists, but for the locals.  We became so enthralled that we almost didn't hear the bus driver shouting for us as the bus pulled up closer to us, but eventually we snapped back to reality and we boarded the bus slightly embarrassed by the 'shame on you' looks of our fellow passengers.  Not too long after, the bus came to a stop at an adorable farm-style restaurant.  We were treated to a tasting of bruchetta with various spreads that were made on location ~ mushrooms and truffle pate was wonderful.  Here you could purchase various oils, wines and spice mixtures to be used at home in your own pasta creations.  From here we are ushered into a quaint restaurant with several long tables where we were served by a lovely gal with perfect English.  The meal was fabulous.  It started with a lovely homemade cream of mushroom soup, followed by fettucine alfredo with chicken, all washed down with local wines.  Dessert was a limoncello ice and it was just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth and cleanse the palate.  Now that our bellies were full, it was time to head further down the road to Montepulciano ~ home of of the area's finest wineries.

Montepulciano is a gorgeous, medieval town perched atop a mountainside in the fertile Chianti region.  Once we passed through what once was the wall surrounding the town, we quickly exited the bus and headed to the local winery for a scheduled tour.  The tour of the winery is both interesting and tasty!  You will proceed down stairs into the first area which houses large barrels of wine taking their time and enjoying the aging process.  Next you will be brought even further down into the wine cellars to an area that was originally a tomb and even larger Barrels of the treasured Riserva.  This area was once below sea level and you can actually see seashells embedded in the ceilings and walls of the cellar.  If you touch the walls they feel like wet sand.  The minerals in this soil most certainly has aided in the growth of these glorious chianti grapes.  After the tour, we were treated to a tasting in the Trattoria Della Talosa upstairs.  The shopkeeper was friendly, knowledgeable and generous with the samples!  We indulged and purchased a bottle of Nobile Riserva for 19 euros.  I can only say it didn't last long!!  After our tour, we proceeded to explore this lovely town on our own.  This town was one of the film locations for the Twilight Series and the medieval feel of the architecture certainly lends itself to that genre.  Now that we had exhausted not only ourselves, but the space on our cameras and our appetites, it was time to once again board the bus and start our journey back to Rome.  We dozed in and out as we watched the lovely scenery lazily sailing by and the sun starting to lay it's head down in the fields of yellow sunflowers.  Tuscany had stolen a piece of our hearts.  It was everything that we had expected and so much more.  Tomorrow, we take a train from Rome to Civatavecchia to board our cruise ship.  Won't you join us as the adventure really begins? 

1 comment:

  1. Your photos and commentary already have my head spinning as I begin to plan our next trip back...the memories are countless and there was always a new find around every corner...never afraid to explore a dark alley there, as it may open onto a sun filled square with flowers spilling from windows and the warm stone walkway under my feet... or perhaps someone singing an aria from an open window...(yes that happened!!) La manco l'Italia!

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