Castellina in Chianti

On the advice of our friend and landlady Donatella, on Tuesday the 16^th , Karla, Joan, Angie and I took a trip to the Medieval town of Castellina in Chianti.  Like Impruneta, Castellina is in the Chianti district of Tuscany and is only a half hour drive south of where we live.  The city's origins go back to Etruscan times, but it came under Florentine control in the 12th century due to its strategic location between Florence and Siena  A classic hillside town, Castellina features a main street flanked by another street on its higher side, and a long tunnel on its lower side.  The centerpiece of the town is it’s Castellina, or small castle. 

Our first stop was to the lovely Hotel Albergo Palazzo Squarcialupi, owned and operated by Donatella’s good friend Monica.  The overlook off the rear patio of the Tuscan countryside below is wonderful.  During the renovation of the building years ago, Monica kept as many of the original wall paintings and architectural designs as possible.

Monica’s husband Tommaso runs the family winery and olive oil enterprises.  The wine shop is next door to the hotel, and its wine cellar dates to the 1,400’s.

 Its bountiful wines come directly from the sprawling vineyards behind the wine shop.

The tunnel that parallels the main street on the low side of town was originally just a wall used by the guards in Etruscan times to defend the town.  It was later covered over by the expansion of the town, and provides covered passage from one end of town to the other with breaks were people can actually live. 

The tunnel is has a variety of shops, and most importantly contains the Restaurant Sotto le Volte.  That’s where the four of us elected to have lunch and it was wonderful.  I split a 1.3kg Bistecca alla Fiorentina (traditional Porterhouse) and it was fabulous.  

Initially completed in 1192, the Castellina (small castle) was reinforced and expanded in the 1,400’s and offers a tremendous view over the town and surrounding countryside.  Today it is used as the meeting place of the town council.

Castellina in Chianti is a lovely town, everything that Donatella said it would be and a trip well worth making! 

Civita di Bagnoregio– 7/09/2013

On Saturday July 6th I sadly took Alex to the airport and we said our goodbyes as she embarked for home.  Afterwards I went to the gym and hung around the city of Florence a bit to before making my way back to the airport for the arrival of our friends Joan and Karla.  It was Joan’s second visit this year and Karla’s first time to Italy, and I ferried them to our apartment to begin their 11 day stay with us at Casa la Vite.   

One of the more interesting road trips we took together was to Civita di Bagnoregio.  Civita (che-VEET-a) is not your run of the mill 2,500 year old Etruscan founded village-turned medieval hill town; it is il paese che muore - The Dying Town.  One look at the picture below and you will understand why:

In the first several centuries A.D. Civita was a model of striking architecture and innovative construction.  Unfortunately the entire town had been built upon porous volcanic rock with underlying layers of loose clay.  In 1695 an earthquake shattered the countryside and started the crater-like erosion of the land around the city.  Both the town and its inhabitants have slowly disappeared as the shifting sands of time have literally fallen away from the town, taking walls, homes, and livelihoods with it.  The land erosion accelerated in the 1,800’s and today there are scarcely 100 inhabitants left to manage the summer tourist season.  There are fewer than a dozen inhabitants in winter.

The walk up to town is via the strada pedonale, the modern pedestrian footbridge that is the only connection from the city to the surrounding area.  As you can see, it is a daunting walk!

Over the centuries Civita remained true to its medieval heritage, with little influence of the Renaissance. The facade of the church was remodeled during the Renaissance, but the remainder of the church and the city are otherwise entirely medieval.

Its seems like every new town Angie and I explore is somehow, impossibly, more charming, more interesting, with more beautiful vistas than the last, but a visit to Civita di Bagnoregio is a truly unique experience.

Alex Arrives in Italy!!

Following the usual series of crazy connections and exhausting flights to Florence, our daughter Alex joined us in Italy on June 27!  Yay!!













She spent her first two days just catching up with Michael and exploring the Tuscan countryside.

On 7/3 Alex and I headed to Florence  for some of the more interesting sights of the city.  

We went through the Pitti Palace, trekked through both Piazza Signoria and Pizza Repubblica, and finished our day out at Piazza Duomo.

On Monday July 1st we drove the 3 hour road trip from Impruneta to the magical city of Venice.  After parking the car on the mainland, connecting with the shuttle to Piazza Roma, and then taking the hour long water ferry over the leisurely sea route to Piazza San Marco, we at last set foot on the island. Using my Android phone’s GPS we navigated the narrow canals and side streets to the Hotel Locanda Canal.  The building on the right with the two white signs is where we stayed.

 It was great fun exploring the torturous, winding routes of the city, and the bridges necessary to cross each canal to a new destination.

On Tuesday we spent our morning exploring the Doges Palace.  Pictures are not permitted of the beautiful rooms and frescos inside the palace home, however, we were able to take pix of the outside as well as inside the courtyard. 

Venice isn’t only all about the tourist highlights you read about online.  Along the way you encounter quiet piazzas in the heart of the city like Campo Santa Maria Formosa, thankfully absent of the crowds of San Marco.

When traveling either from or back to the train station at Piazza Santa Lucia, there is no mistaking where on earth you are as your water taxi takes you through the canals.

Our time in Venice with Alex was wonderful!!  With so much to see and do here, we are looking forward to our return visit with our friends Janet and Joe when they arrive at the end of the month!! 

The Cinque Terre

On Sunday June 23, Michael, Angie and I drove two hours up to northwestern Italy to the city of La Spezia, where we parked the car and caught the train to the Cinque Terre.  The Cinque Terre (CHINK-wah TEAR-a), literally translated as the “Five Lands”, is a series of 5 walk-about villages  clinging to a remote stretch of mountainous Mediterranean Riviera coastline – yes, the Riviera coastline.  This lesser known region of Italian Riviera is adjacent to and crosses into the more famous French Riviera, in a part of the Mediterranean known as the Ligurian Sea. 

Going to the Cinque Terre is a beautiful, rugged, seaside excursion, and the region is a true Mecca for experienced hikers.  It was one of Mike’s “must do” things during his visit with us, as well as for Angie and I since we had never been there.  The five towns (from south to north) are Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso.  We elected for a two night stay in a studio apartment in Manarola, which proved to be a truly charming seaside fishing village.

Manarola was perfect for us - not only did it offer challenging hiking opportunities to Corniglia and beyond, it had good access to the sea despite its rocky coastline.  

 After our room check in we spent the afternoon exploring around town, getting a bite to eat, and hiking up the limited open portion of the coastal route for a different perspective on the town.

The next morning it was Boatmix for breakfast and then we were out the door heading to the top of town where we picked up the trailhead for trail 6. 

 Because of the horrific mudslides of 2011 there are still a few hiking trails closed, most notably the easy Via Dell'Amore ("Love Walk") between Riomaggiore and Manarola, and all but the first few hundred meters of the #2 coastal trail from Manarola to Corniglia.  Nevertheless, the #6-6d-7 trail complex that goes from Manarola up into the mountains and then down to Corniglia is open, and its vistas down to Corniglia, and back upon Manarola, are staggeringly beautiful. 

#6 is a moderate to difficult route for experience hikers – because the trail is scarcely a foot wide at times with steep drop offs, good hiking boots are required and trekking poles are helpful.  After two hours of serious hiking we started coming down into the town of Corniglia.

The three of us paused for a caffe americano in Corniglia, after which Mike decided to take some time on his own to explore the town.  Angie and I found the trailhead for the #2 coastal route, and pressed on to the next town of Vernazza.

The #2 coastal route is open all the way from Corniglia to Vernazza.  This is a bit more of a moderate route that can be done in sneakers but there are still plenty of steep steps.  The views and vistas of the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea are just breath taking.

An hour and a half later we came into sight of the tiny jewel of a town, Vernazza. 

Vernazza is a bit smaller than Manarola with a smaller harbor too, but it is every inch as charming if not more. 

 By this time Angie and I were ready for a proper late afternoon lunch, but the Ristorante Castello that overlooks the sea at the tower in Vernazza was still closed for renovation (scheduled to reopen July 1).  Luckily the outstanding Ristorante Belforte was open and it has tremendous panoramas over the sea.  We were fortunate to get a table on the small “front porch” balcony.  Though upscale and a bit pricey, their food and service were excellent. 

Like so many restaurants in the Cinque Terre, Belforte specializes in seafood.  We both ordered Gilt-head sea bream cooked with tomatoes, potatoes, and olives and it was just awesome, however, I could not resist a picture of one of the restaurant’s other specialties!

After lunch we took the train two towns south back to our hotel in Manarola.  The trains are the best connector between the five villages, but during the summer they often run behind schedule and are impossibly crowded during daytime.  Nonetheless, Tuesday we took the train north for a beach day at the northern most town, Monterosso.  

Monterosso was the fourth, and the biggest of the towns we visited.  Although Manarola and Vernazza have water access, Monterosso is the only town that has a real beach.  This means it is the most crowded with tourists, and unfortunately the town has been forced to trade off some of its authentic Italian fishing village charm to provide resources and infrastructure for all of them.  Although I would not choose to stay to Monterosso, it is fun to go for a day and take a relaxing swim in the Mighty Med.  Speaking of which, the allure of the Cinque Terre really resonated with Angie and I, and we plan to go back later in the year when the heat and the crowds subside. 

Michael, Angie and I returned home from Cinque Terre Tuesday evening 6/25.  Friday the 28th was Mike's last full day with us, and it was Alex's first day with us.  We celebrated our first time together in over 7 months with a wonderful dinner at Ristoro l'Antica in Tavarnelle.