Category: Italy
-
Closer to Italy
Giovanna picks us up where we’ve parked our car, below the Tuscan hill town of Pari. She assures us that we should not drive our rental car the few miles to her farm. She’s right. Deep ruts scar the roads where tractors have traveled all summer. We speed along in a tattered truck dipping and…
-
Casina di Rosa
There are about 500 citizens, and half that many friendly cats, who live in Civitella Marittima. The city sits up on a hill in the heart of Tuscany. There is a post office, a small clinic, a school, 2 bakeries, 2 cafés, 1 butcher, a small store, and 1 restaurant. Except for the restaurant and…
-
sanh jee-meen-YAH-noh
Despite the dreaded label “tourist trap” that some attach to San Gimignano, it’s a perfect halfway point for lunch. From Florence, our wheels roll toward Civitella Marittima. If you were eavesdropping earlier this week, you would have heard us speak of san jim-ig-NANU or some other nonsense. Now, we take turns saying the name correctly.…
-
Peeping Dome
Tomorrow we pick up a rental car – yes, from the same agency in Florence – to drive to Civitella Marittima, a small Tuscan village of 500 citizens. When I think of Florence, I’ll remember many things: the exhibit that I found unremarkable until I saw a woman so moved that her tears moved me, the…
-
A Few Hours in Siena
We made a difficult choice, when planning our trip, to stay in Florence rather than Siena. Today we spent almost as much time on the train as in the city, but had to have a glimpse of what we missed. We saw enough to know that we’d love to come back. Maybe you’d like to…
-
Bistecca Fiorentino
Florence is famous for Bistecca Fiorentino. Cut from the short loin, it’s similar to the United States Porterhouse. In Florence, the steak traditionally comes from a Chianina cow – the largest and one of the oldest breeds in the world. It’s simply prepared – aged, rubbed with olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper,…
-
David and the Dome
I remember feeling disappointed when I saw the Mona Lisa. It seemed small and was guarded by such thick glass that it was difficult to see. Today we visit two famous Florence sites, the Duomo, and, at the Galleria dell’Accademia, the statue of David. On our way to the museum, I fear that, again, my expectations are too…
-
Florence Revival
Since yesterday and moments like this… …we’re feeling revived. Here’s why: 1. A peaceful night’s sleep. 2. Successful return of our rental car. 3. A quiet Florence neighborhood and a great circa 1600 apartment with a garden. 4. Replacement sandals. (nod to www.endless.com for refunding my money with only photos as proof) 5. Glimpses of the busy…
-
A Bump in the Road
Our drive in to Florence did not go well. Mid-morning, we left Levanto and stopped in the town of Lucca for lunch and a stroll. Lunch was delicious and Lucca charming. Our plan was simple – drop the car at the rental agency and roll our cases over the bridge to our little apartment. But…
-
Porto Venere by Sapphire Sea
You can’t get to Porto Venere by train from Levanto. So at 10am, we boarded a ferry, and in just over 90 minutes we were there. Levanto’s ferry terminal. This is not a pool. Remember the towns of the Cinque Terre? Would you like to see their pretty faces from the seaside? These are just…