Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Tuscan Seduction - Day Four - Tuscany - Chianti

On to the next phase of our Tuscan Adventure - the countryside! We rented an Audi A3 and packed up our things and headed out of Firenze on the SR101 towards San Gimignano and our overnight destination, Castelina in Chianti. Driving in Italy is an adventure but a pleasant one - I loved it! The key is to keep your eyes on the road and not be distracted by all the gorgeous rolling hillsides and stunning views around every corner. Be sure to read the signs carefully as you go through the "roundabouts" since there is often more than route to the same destination. Basically there are two main highways South of Florence - the Siena Highway is more local and it loops to the West (to Siena) and the other, the A1, is an Autostrada (no speed limit) and it goes all the way to Rome. Both routes intersect just North of Montepulciano so you can use either one but we wanted to visit San Gimignano so we stayed to the West. It was a short ride - about 45 Kilometers - so it took less than an hour to get there. The car was fast and it handled like rally racer. Nice!



Tuscan Seduction - Day Three - Florence

On our third day in Florence we did all the touristy stuff and enjoyed it immensely. We visited the Accademia and saw the incredible David by Michelangelo - a truly awesome sight, nothing one can anticipate.


To stand in the presence of that statue is to be truly awed by the majesty and transcendent mystery of great art. It was worth the wait in line (not too long) and pricey ticket.

Steph and I wandered through the street markets checking out leather goods and found the most amazing little Wine Shop called the CASA DEL VINO (click for link) right off the Piazza Medici Riccardi. This place was a real revelation. First, it is tiny - no tables just a few seats but they have an amazing local selection of wines and the prices are great. I had a glass of a recommended local "Rosso" and it was outstanding. Complex, fruity, full-bodied, intense - and it only cost me 2 Euros which is very inexpensive. What a place! This was a turning point for me as a wine drinker - up until now I must have been drinking the wrong varietals for my palate - I had never experienced the joyful pleasure of discovering a terrific wine. The scales fell from my eyes (and my nose and tongue) and I was on my way.


This picture is from their website so there are no patrons but it was filled with about a dozen people - all Italians - when we arrived.

We enjoyed the comraderie of some American tourists back at the hotel happy hour buffet. I think this was the night Steph and I went looking for a place to dance and we ended up wandering up a multitude of steps to the Plaza Michelangelo where there is a small reproduction of the David and lots of young Italians come to hang out, play music and "make out" overlooking the river. It turned out the dance place was closed for a private party but we had our usual fun wandering the streets, talking to various Italians and visiting a local bar for a glass of wine. We snuggled in every little corner we could find. The weather in October is just terrific in Florence - warm during the day and cool enough to wear a jacket at night.

We chose an unusual option for dinner this evening - Sushi! There is an appealing looking upscale sushi restaurant right across the street from hotel David called KOKO (click to link to website) and we gave it a shot. The food was excellent and so was the service. And afterward it was only about a fifty foot walk to our hotel - Belissimo!



Tuscan Seduction - Day Two - Florence


(Steph to write about this day)


Monday, August 8, 2011

Tuscan Seduction - Day One - Florence

I had always wanted to visit Italy and I am glad I waited until I could go with someone who could truly appreciate the beauty, antiquity, lifestyle and attitude of the wonderful region of Tuscany. The day after our wedding, Stephanie and I boarded an AlItalia jet at LAX and flew non-stop (16 hrs) to Florence, Italy. it was a long but comfortable flight - overnight (an excellent decision) - and we arrived in Firenze at dinner hour - took a short taxi to the lovely HOTEL DAVID, an intimate boutique hotel on the south bank of the River Arno and settled into our new digs.


The Hotel David is a beautiful 19th century building with antique furnishings, large clean rooms with huge comfy four poster beds...


...a friendly bi-lingual staff, complimentary happy hour food and wine every night and a fantastic sit down hot breakfast every morning with meats and cheeses and eggs and fresh espresso and cappuccino made to order - we were delighted to say the least. I cannot imagine a better place for a honeymooning couple within 15 minutes of all the major sights of old Firenze.

Steph and I enjoyed the complimentary wine and cheese buffet at the hotel before heading out for our first real Italian meal.



I had heard about a great Pizzeria in Florence on this side of the river and after asking the hotel staff determined that it was only a few blocks away so off we went (I found out later that it was not the the correct place but that is another story we will write about later). We walked along the beautiful Arno River looking at the ancient roman Obelisks and other centuries old structures - we had a great view of "La Dome" and all of Old Florence from this vantage point and the Ponte Vecchio and other ancient bridges were arrayed in front of us just like a postcard.

We found the restaurant and had our first real Tuscan Pizza - it was excellent (but was just a hint of how AMAZING the food would be on this trip).






We were tired from the long trip so we only had a short meal - and I soon learned that the "tip" is included with the cost of the meal so I didn't have to leave additional Euros (a mistake I did not make again) and on the way back to the hotel we enjoyed the beautiful moonlit views of the river and city.