Lucca

We decided to visit Lucca on our last full day in Italy.  The main attraction listed in most guide books is the city wall, which somehow managed to eclipse the cathedral.  It's amazing how many walled cities there are in Tuscany.  I've heard of not trusting your neighbors, but these Italians really took it to the extreme! 

Our first stop in Lucca was at a coffee shop, which amused me because it looked just like a bar with an espresso machine behind the counter (instead of beer taps).  I really appreciate how the Italians stop their activities for just a few minutes to drink their espresso and socialize with the people around them.  It's so different than the American culture of rushing through life with a take-away Starbucks cup in one hand and a phone in the other.  

Italians know how to enjoy life. 

We walked through the tiny streets to an open piazza that used to be an amphitheater (the old seats have been replaced by buildings but the piazza retained its circular shape).  We then made our way to a tower and climbed for a birds-eye view of the city.  

Views of Lucca from the tower

For lunch, we found an awesome restaurant, recommended by Rick Steves that absolutely surpassed expectations with its homemade Italian specialties.  The owner / waitress didn't seem to speak any English, but somehow, we didn't have any problems communicating with her.  We obviously wouldn't have been able to enjoy a deep conversation, but it is really great how the language gaps can be mitigated with some hand gestures and knowledge of a few key words.  Food in Italy has been really good but there is so much less variety than you would find throughout the US and in other European cities like London and Frankfurt.  I'm ready to give up pasta, breads, and sangiovese for a while.  

It's only logical to engage in some activity after a big meal, so we walked towards the edge of town to rent bicycles for the 5k loop around the city walls.  When we arrived, our eyes were immediately attracted to a 4-passenger bicycle.  Knowing that we would look absolutely ridiculous, we also rented a separate bicycle so the 5th person could ride alongside and take photos.  

Maybe we're totally uncoordinated or maybe these bikes are just a little more challenging than they look, but it's not so easy to pedal in unison and pick up any decent level of speed.  The front left rider is solely responsible for steering and braking, while others just mindlessly pedal themselves in whichever direction the driver chooses to take.  We had a lot of laughs throughout the entire ride and, of course, got many stares from the locals as we traveled down the path.  

Here's my view from the driver's seat. 

I'm not sure if Brian was jealous or relieved to be on the solo bike. 

Yes, we looked ridiculous.  

Before heading back to Chianti, we took a detour to the Piaggio museum because Paul wanted to get an authentic helmet for the Vespa that he just bought for the mean streets of Washington DC.  I didn't even know they sold Vespa in the US but I can almost guarantee he will be one of only a few people with a branded helmet all the way from Pontedera, Italy.  

The museum was actually really fun to walk through and it contained a wide variety of Vespa scooters from the past 50+ years, as well as some novelty models.  They even had a "stretch-Vespa", which would be a great idea for Asia (where entire families ride on one scooter).  

Perfect for the high occupancy rides in India and China!

My personal favorite was the cow vespa.  

After finishing at the museum, we had quite the adventurous ride back to Chianti.  Everything was fine on the highway but once we got into the mountains, the road got narrow and was completely pitch black.  Every time another car came barreling towards us, I was ready to have a heart attack.  Adding to that, our gas light was on and, every time the car halted to change gears, I was wondering if we were out of gas. 

Fortunately, we arrived at the restaurant unscathed and I was ready for our much-anticipated final meal: a 5-course steak dinner at a butcher shop/restaurant that is famous for the quality of its meat.  Every night, they only have one seating and everyone is served at two communal tables.  This is more red meat than I usually eat in a month but I was excited for the experience.     

Here's the menu for dinner.  

The chef announced each course as if it was the arrival of a new prince and everyone in the room shared his excitement.  My goal for the night was to pace myself because I'm not good at eating large quantities in one sitting.  By the 2nd cut of beef, I was already feeling satisfied and wondering how I would manage the next 3 courses... 

The chef announces the next meat course. 

Round of applause for more meat!

As the meal progressed, people became more friendly with their neighbors.  Brian was speaking Spanish to the guys on one side, while Paul and I were getting to know the couple on the other side of us.  Meanwhile, the steak just kept coming and coming.  

The most unique item served: Burro del Chianti.  Translated into plain English: lard.  I hate to even admit it, but I really enjoyed it.  I don't think I'll ever spread lard on my bread in the future, but it was all part of the experience. 

I think we ate every part of this cow. 

Officina della Bistecca is such a unique and fun experience that I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling in the region (except, maybe, the vegetarians).  It's not a fancy restaurant and the atmosphere is the opposite of romantic, but it is uniquely Italian.  People dine together and enjoy a well-prepared meal with high quality meats.  It was the perfect place to cap off our wonderful Italian vacation.  

We love red meat!

Thanksgiving in Italy

The day started just like any other traditional Thanksgiving:  I woke up and looked out the window at the Italian countryside.  Ok, maybe it was not so traditional - but we were certainly prepared to make the holiday as authentic as it can be in the middle of Italy.  

A few of us went to the local grocery store in the morning to search for all the items we would need for the foods that we would be eating if we were at home.  Surprisingly, most things were easy enough to find.  One surprising exception was bread, which all seemed to have a crusty exterior that doesn't quite work for stuffing.  Of course, the most important item for the day (wine) was in plentiful supply. 

Brian and his aunt were well prepared for the lack of turkeys in Italian butcher shops, so they ordered one in advance.  To my surprise, we ended up with a fresh one (so fresh, in fact, that it still had some feathers attached)!   

The centerpiece of our Thanksgiving dinner.

Nick also predicted difficulty in finding cranberries, so he brought a bag all the way from the US.  He was talking about how Massachusetts is a huge provider of the world's cranberry stock, so I did some research and  learned some interesting random facts about the cranberry:
-  It is one of only 3 commerically-grown fruits native to North America. 
- It is Massachusetts' #1 agricultural commodity crop and Massachusetts is home to 40% of all cranberry growers in North America.  (Who knew there was agriculture in Massachusetts?!)

Shortly after returning to the villa with groceries, the cooking activities had begun and the first bottle of wine was uncorked.  I am not much of a chef (I haven't even cooked a meal for myself since August), so I just took the role of prep and support.   

By mid-afternoon, Brian had suggested a hike in the hills around the villa, which was the perfect activity for me.  We hadn't done any physical activity since the marathon (4 days ago), so it felt nice to get outside and actually stretch out my leg muscles a bit.  Our task for the hike was to come back with a "table-scape" (too much influence from the Food Network), so we grabbed some leaves and twigs on the way back.    

Views from our hike

Doing some activity for the first time in 4 days.

Vineyards (post-harvest)

Throughout the afternoon, our kitchen was remarkably efficient.  Emily and Nick took the roles of head chefs and the rest of us stayed busy with various tasks and, of course, more wine drinking.  

Nick and Jason slice apples for the pie

Brian sautees leeks for something (gravy? stuffing?)

Paul prepares some sausage stuffing.

Emily prepares the brussels sprouts

Brian and Paul test the mashed potatoes. 

There was also a lot of hanging around with wine. 

Our Italian neighbors arrived just as the food was finishing and it was finally time to sit down and see if our cooking was up to standards.  It's hard to know whether Italians would enjoy traditional American dishes but I think the flavors are universal enough to appeal to almost anyone.  With a toast of champagne, it was time to dig in.  

Toasting to start the Thanksgiving Dinner

I was pleased to see the Italians not only filling their plates for one course but actually returning to the buffet for second helpings.  They obviously understand how to eat like Americans on this holiday.  

Here's a picture of the entire group at the table

After we finished eating, we even taught the Italians about breaking the wishbone.  The only tradition that seemed to be missing was an American football game, but I guess I can forgive Italian tv coverage for not offering this as an option.

2013 marked the fourth time I have been out of the country for Thanksgiving and, of all four years, it definitely felt the most like being at home.  (Last year in Istanbul, the only thing that reminded me of Thanksgiving was the fact that we were in Turkey).  This year, reminders of home were just what I needed and I'm thankful to my friends for making it happen.  

Wine Tour and Pienza, Italy

It's almost required to visit some wineries while traveling in Tuscany.  With that in mind, we chose to spend Wednesday on a full-day wine tour that started bright and early at 8:15AM. 

We piled into a 12-passenger van while our tour guide took us on a two-hour ride, ending at a small estate on a hill that produced a wine branded as "Il Macchione".  Before going inside the estate, we listened to the winemaker speak a bit about the grapes that surrounded us and some history about his family business.  

Il Macchiato estate near Montepulciano 

I was a little surprised when we entered the estate because it was actually the home of the winemaker.  Yup, we were tasting wine at his dining room table, while bottles were aging in the basement.  Personally, I prefer a more commercial atmosphere but it did feel good to know that we were supporting a small family business.  

Wine tasting #1 in the dining room of the winemaker

After a few generous pours, we were all enjoying ourselves without even pretending to savor the overtones, undertones, or any other tones.  I don't actually remember what we drank.  Everything tasted good but nothing was particularly memorable.  A few of my friends ordered bottles to ship home (I may have bought some as well if I had a home).  With a gracious Italian farewell, we were off to our next destination. 

A few people in the group expressed interest in seeing Montepulciano, which is a hill town made famous by the "Twilight" movies.  Our tour guide agreed to take us on a driving tour through the town but we weren't able to stop.  Montepulciano reminded me of San Gimignano and was, perhaps, even a little more beautiful.  Definitely worth a stop if you're not on a strict wine-tasting schedule.  

We then went to lunch at a restaurant that didn't even look open until we awkwardly peered into the windows and were about to drive away.  We each ordered a pasta dish and a glass of wine (of course).  My black truffle raviolis had so much truffle that it crunched as I bit into it.  The flavor of the truffle was more muted than I am used to, but the volume made up for it.

After lunch we stopped in Pienza for the obligatory "shopping stop" at a pottery shop that was embarrassingly amateur in quality (why do tours always make people stop at horrible touristy shops?).  Most of us just stood outside rather than pretending that we had any interest in the merchandise.  The only cool part of the shop was the entrance to an old tunnel system that connects the city as an evacuation route.  The tunnel was blocked many years ago when people realized they could break into each other's homes, but it's a cool idea otherwise. 

We walked through Pienza a bit, stopping at the duomo and enjoying the views of the surrounding countryside from the perimeter walls.  Pienza is the birthplace of Pope Pius II and it benefitted from significant investment when he was pontiff because he wanted everything to be rebuilt as the ideal renaissance town.  Although Pienza is one of the first examples of urban planning, it didn't seem all that much different than the other two hill towns we had seen.    

The (tiny) piazza in front of the church in Pienza

This statue looked sad, so I decided to keep her company. 

The perimeter walls of the town had fantastic views of the countryside. 

Before our visit was complete, the tour guide took us to a cheese shop for some tasting (and buying).  The cheese piqued our interest a lot more than hand-painted pottery.  

Our final stop was to another winery for some Brunello tasting. I had never heard of Brunello before this trip but it is essentially just a fancy name for Sangiovese with a very specific aging period.  (Wine enthusiasts are probably cringing right now).  This tasting was also in the home of the winemaker but at least we stayed in the front room, which was designated specifically for tastings. 

Wine tasting #2 - Brunello!

I really enjoyed this wine and would have definitely bought some bottles if I had anywhere to ship them.  Fortunately, my friends more-than made up for my purchasing deficiencies and sent several cases back to the US.  

The ride back to our villa was very quiet, as most of the group slept in the van.  I'm not sure if returning home sober would constitute a successful wine tasting trip but I certainly enjoyed the day. 

San Gimignano and Siena

On Tuesday morning, our group split up. 

The early car went wine tasting, while the late car (which I was in) started the day at San Gimignano.  Driving from our villa in Greve was an adventure in itself because the roads are extremely windy and hilly.  I'm glad I was in the front seat or I would have been carsick after the first ten minutes.  On the bright side, views of the Tuscan countryside were gorgeous.  

One aspect I find amusing about driving in Italy is the sheer number of signs at every intersection.  I'm not sure who thought that a multitude of signs would be helpful, but the law of diminishing returns would certainly apply in this situation.  How can anyone read all this while driving?!?

Vast amounts of information at each turn

I attempted to be the co-pilot (aka: sign reader) from the front seat, while Brian consulted the map on his phone.  It turns out, I'm a completely useless co-pilot in Italy.  Sometimes, the highway we wanted wasn't listed at all, while other times, the sign was pointing in a different direction than what Brian's map suggested.  We decided that this must be be Italy's way of messing with tourists, so Brian's map always prevailed.  

Both directions lead to Siena!

Eventually, we saw the beautiful towers of San Gimignano in the distance and I started getting excited (mostly, just so I could get out of the car).  We parked outside the walls of the town and ventured in.  Without cars, billboards, or traffic lights, it was really easy to imagine ourselves in another century.  We meandered our way through the cobblestone streets and into the main square, where we noticed a well that the residents must have actually used as a source of water back in the day.

Entering San Gimignano

San Gimignano town center

Nick also noticed a condom vending machine on the wall of a building, which must have been installed in a later century. :)

It really added to the ambience. 

I can't imagine many young people living in the town these days, simply because there is nothing to do there.  It is obvious that the economy is driven by tourism, but we were lucky enough to have the place to ourselves.  The whole town looked like a postcard and it seemed like every shop sold meat, cheese, and wine.  Seriously, do Italians do anything besides eat?  

Based on the suggestion of a saleswoman in one of the specialty food shops, we stopped for lunch at a really cute restaurant.  The owner explained all of the day's specials with so much passion and we even had the added bonus of focaccia bread, which was such a nice change from the typical salt-less breads that most restaurants in Tuscany provide.  I never realized how much I appreciate salt in my bread before this vacation! 

San Gimignano is most famous for its towers, which were built in the 13th century as a result of family rivalries.  Most towers are closed to the public today, but we did find one that allowed us to climb.  The view from the top was incredible and it provided such a great perspective over the town.  

Here's the tower we were able to climb - right next to the church. 

Almost at the top!

Views of the tuscan countryside from the tower

Looking down on the town square.

After a great morning in San Gimignano, we decided it was time to venture over to Siena, where we met up with the other half of the group.  I was particularly excited about seeing Siena because it was so beloved by my Aunt & Uncle during their honeymoon that they decided to name my cousin after the city.  

Siena only allows residents to drive in the center city, so we parked in a nearby lot and took a series of escalators up to the Duomo.  I must admit that although I enjoyed the ease of the escalators, it didn't get me in the "medieval mood" like I felt as we passed through the walls of San Gimignano. 

As is the case with most Italian cities, the Duomo is the must-see landmark.  Before we could enter, we had to get a free ticket from a nearby ticket office.  It seemed strange to me that they would hire someone just to print and distribute free tickets, but it's Italy so I didn't question anything!  

As we waited to pick up the tickets, we could see an outer wall that still stands as a reminder of a partially-completed addition from the 14th century, which would have doubled the size of the cathedral.  The Black Plague permanently halted the construction, but it's cool to imagine how massive the structure would have been if it were completed.  Personally, I think its current "small" size is just right.

Here's the exterior of the beautiful Siena Cathedral

This cathedral is the most unique I have seen in Italy, with alternating black & white horizontal stripes across the walls that reminded me of Sephora.  I learned that black and white are the symbolic colors of Siena, representing the black and white horses that belonged to the city's founders.   

I was digging the black & white stripes.  

I know the pictures may look like any other beautiful church in Italy, but to appreciate the detail of the craftsmanship requires a closer look: 

Details, details. 

Even the mosaic floor was designed with incredible detail.  Although most of it was covered to protect the marble, one part depicting "The Slaughter of the Innocents" was exposed and provided a hint of the ornate images throughout the floor.  

Here's the small piece of the floor that was exposed. 

After visiting so many cathedrals, it would be easy to not appreciate the breathtaking design of the architecture.  This cathedral, however, forced me to take notice.  

We then walked to the Piazza del Campo to meet the rest of the group.  I would have loved to be in Siena during famous horse races, but unfortunately, it was a quiet night.  We walked around a little more, took a group picture, and returned to Greve for dinner. 

Our group, together again, in Piazza del Campo, Siena

People often say that there is a rivalry between Florence and Siena. My guess is that the rivalry exists more among residents because, as a tourist, I found the two cities to be completely different.  I think that there is a lot more to do and see in Florence, while Siena is more enchanting in a subtle way.  Both cities are absolutely worth seeing but very difficult to compare.  

Florence, Italy

The city of Florence has held a special place in my mind since a long-weekend trip I took there during undergrad.  One of my friends was studying in Florence for the semester and I just remember thinking that the entire city was like living art.  I was excited to refresh my 12-year old memories with another visit to one of my favorite cities in the world. 

Our Monday morning involved some grocery shopping for the villa, so we didn't arrive in Florence until lunchtime.  Our search for a good meal brought us to a food truck, which served the most incredible sandwich I have eaten in a long time.  Surprising?  Not in Italy.  All of the ingredients are so fresh and full of flavor that even a food truck can be satisfying.    

Brian completes his transaction at the food truck

Our first real destination for the day was the Mercato di San Lorenzo for some leather goods.  I was in a mood to spend money, but nothing really appealed to me.  My traveling lifestyle requires me to think about everything carefully before making a purchase because I am forced to transport everything multiple times before returning home.  This extra effort means that only the best things make the cut!

We started getting cold from wandering through the outdoor market, so we stopped at an inviting bar for a drink.  or four.  The bar actually reminded me a little of Spain because it had some free tapas items on the bar to accompany the beverages.  We spent a few hours there and eventually decided that dinner was in order (although I would have been perfectly happy skipping dinner after all the tapas).

Any walk through Florence will inevitably take you past the Duomo

Passing the Duomo (again).  This time at night. 

Side note: After a few glasses of wine, everything is funny - including this statue, which looked a little too much like Renaissance porn.  The shadow cast on the building was also pretty entertaining...

Statues in the middle of Florence. 

For dinner, we found a random place in a random part of town that just happened to serve more excellent food.  Honestly, I think that you can go into almost any restaurant in Florence and get a high-quality meal for a very reasonable price.  This restaurant made the smart choice of seating our group in a separate room so we would not disrupt anyone else.  

Enjoying our private dining room

On the way out, they even gave us a free glass of limoncello as if we had not already drank more than enough.  Reflecting on the day, it seemed like our sightseeing was for the sole purpose of passing time between meals.  At least we can use the excuse that we just ran a marathon yesterday!

Cheers to a fun day in Florence!