A Week of the Good Life in Montepluciano

“Travel is glamorous only in retrospect.” – Paul Theroux

I promised a short and sweet post about our week in Montepulciano and I'm finally able to deliver. It has been almost three weeks since we arrived in Montepulciano but they have been so full I haven't had time to blog.

I can not think of a better place than Tuscany for recharging the batteries. We did not do justice to this beautiful part of the world. Hiring a car and touring around would have been lovely but after more than six weeks of travelling we were in serious need of some down time.

Life is good in this part of Tuscany, on the edge of the val d'Orcia, the food is delicious, as is the vin Nobile red wine and there are lovely towns to visit, if you can drag yourself away from the pool. I think perhaps life is not so good at the moment financially for those living there as we had many interesting conversations with locals about the state of the economy but I promised to keep it short and sweet and so I will move on.

The weather has been most unusual this year, apparently a real problem for the grapes, with a very wet and mild summer. We were very lucky and had perfect weather, around 25 degrees every day, one evening thunderstorm and no other rain.

And so the weather was perfect for relaxing by the pool, Rob and the kids swam for hours every day and are brown as little berries. I got a lot of blogging done and enjoyed a week of home cooking. The Thermomix got a workout making daily batches of banana and strawberry ice cream. Our Italian neighbours in the Agriturismo when offered ice cream straight from the mixing bowl said "ahhh Bimbi" which is what they call them here.

Our Agriturismo, "Nobile", could not have been better it had everything we needed and the owners were kind and helpful. They came to pick us up from Chiusi railway station, about half an hour away and dropped us off in Perugia, over an hour away, at the end of the week and charged less than return taxi fare to Chiusi.

While we only visited Montepuliciano once, being able to sit in the garden relaxing or doing some yoga with the view of this beautiful town was sensational.

 Agriturismo Nobile sits in the shadow of Montepulciano and we took advantage of the free shuttle there on one day and enjoyed visiting the town. We were able to sit in the main square, which I recognised from one of the Twilight movies, whilst being entertained with beautiful classical music coming from one of the buildings on the square.

Pienza

I have to say that our visits to Pienza, also courtesy of the free shuttle, were a real highlight. We enjoyed everything about this little hill town very much, feeling like we had stepped into a Renaissance painting.

XIVth Century Frescoes in Church of San Francesco

The views from the town walls are of cyprus lined roads wending there way through farmland, olive groves and grapevines.



We loved everything from the best gelato in Italy;

Gelateria Toscana

lovely medieval houses converted to shops selling artisan goodies including leather work and wrought iron, all wonderful for window shopping;

and the grand Piazza Pio II. Pope Pius II is the towns favourite son, having transformed his home town based on a model of renaissance perfection.





We took a walk outside the walls of the town, it was lovely, shaded easy walk past farm houses with spectacular views as we made our way downhill away from the town.

The Parish Church of Corsignano was exceptionally beautiful, not in the manner of a Gothic Cathedral but due to its Romanesque and pre- Romanesque serene simplicity. The façade includes ancient symbols of fertility and has a cylindrical bell tower that was built in the tenth century. Inside the church the kids explored a little crypt off the where reliquaries of saints were once stored. 

We marvelled at the ancient baptismal font where in 1405 Pope Pius II was baptised  as a baby when this was the parish church of the town.

On the advice of the most helpful lady, Anna, in the small tourist office by the town gates we continued our walk straight down from the church along a gravel road, past ancient fruit, nut and olive trees.

We stopped when we reached this classic view, you might recognise it as Mel Gibson's home in the film Gladiator filmed here.  

From here our uphill hike back to the town was not as easy going but we had to keep an eye on the time. Arriving back in town we just had time for delicious takeaway wood fired pizzas sitting in the shade waiting for our lift. We really enjoyed our dip in the pool that afternoon.

On our last night we organised to have our dinner in the Agriturismo dining room. For very little money we enjoyed a range of antipasti, various bruschetta, home made picci pasta, roast meats and ribs and the richest chocolate mousse I've ever tasted. The wine and Vin Santo were also superb.

We left Montepulciano feeling rested and revitalised and ready for anther busy week, this time in Perugia. So perhaps this post was not so short but life is certainly sweet. 

 

La Bella Firenze: 48 Precious Hours

"Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” – Freya Stark

There are some places that are perfect for relaxing, others that are filled with wonders to behold, yet more jam packed with people and others that are rare hidden gems..and then there is Florence. Florence is a city where all this and much much more is possible. It is a city that has won my heart completely and despite three visits it leaves me wanting more. And so I'm giving you the lot in what may be a very long post, but I want to make sure I have a record of every precious moment.

In Florence I can relax and wander without feeling the need to have to visit anything. On our honeymoon we visited no galleries or museums and simple wandered the streets. We soaked up the atmosphere and I got my art fix eating gelato sitting in the Piazza della Signoria and gazing at the amazing open air art gallery around me rather than joining the long queues when we had only one full day in this marvellous place.

Of course I must admit to having needled Rob a few times over the years about not having visited the Accademia, which I had not visited on my first trip but have always wanted to. This of course, coupled with my desire to share this special place with the children gave us a perfect excuse to return for a visit dedicated to exploring the renaissance as a home school topic and for the love of it. I only wish it could have been for longer.

This trip we managed to avoid the crowds and find the hidden gems very easily using a very simple strategy.  As soon as we arrived we dropped our bags off at our hotel and made straight for the Uffizi. Walking up to the head of the very long line at door 2 I said to the security guard "Amici Degli Uffizi" and he smiled and opened the barrier for us and we walked straight in.

There we met with the nicest lady who helped us complete our family membership forms and we became annual members of this very worth while non-profit organisation. It cost 100euro for our membership that will last until the end of the year, a lovely excuse to return perhaps. She did caution us that with only 48 hours in Florence and free entry for the kids in any case we might not get value for our money but I would not be swayed. Why not? Because members can return as often as they like without needing to queue, so should the children have seen enough and I want to see more I could always come back, and come back I did.

Of course it is not just the marvellous Uffizi gallery that you enter for free and without queuing but also most of the wonders of Florence are included and we filled our 48 hours full to over flowing and could have continued in this manner for some time more.

Leonardo's angel on the left, his teacher Verricchio's Angel on the right

Uffizi Gallery

Seeing we were already inside the Uffizi we started there and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon. Florence is a gem for home schoolers and the Uffizi is the best classroom in the world. The kids had learnt about Leonardo da Vinci in France when we visited his final home in Amboise and we were fascinated by his marvellous inventions so Emma in particular enjoyed seeing his paintings in the Uffizi. I bought her a book about Leonardo's life which we all really enjoyed once we had a weeks recovery time in Montepulciano.

Both Emma and Julian loved the Madonna paintings by Lippi and Raphael. It is not hard to understand why Waldorf schools have a Raphael Madonna painting in the classrooms, these images truly resonate with children.

Our poor little Uffizi's were really hurting by the end of the day

I could have burst with pride when, as I was enjoying the amazing views of the Arno, Emma started to recognise and name the portraits high on the walls "Mum isn't that King Charles, and there's Henry VIII".

Julian "that's me Mum, really bored"

But of course the time came when the kids attention waned and rather than getting frustrated we simply left. Well not so simply actually because leaving the Uffizi can take some time. We made a plan for Rob and the kids to visit a swimming pool the next day so I could come back and spend more time.

How I felt by the end of our first visit to the Uffizi

Il Duomo - The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

It was nearing the end of our first day, or half day as we had travelled from Venice in the morning. I realised that the kids had not yet seen the Duomo and Giotto's Campanile yet so we decided to wander over that way before heading back to the hotel.

Unfortunately the Baptistery was covered in scaffolding, but as soon as the kids saw this marvellous trio of buildings they were keen to go in at least one but the Duomo had closed for the day and I was not climbing the Campanile after walking all day. A small group of people were gathering to go in for six o'clock mass through a side entrance. Emma immediately wanted to join them and we thought why not.

The kids found the outside of the Duomo far more exciting than the inside, so simple and pure compared to the stunning mosaics of San Marco in Venice.   I find Brunelleschi's amazing Dome beautiful both without and within. Within a few minutes of sitting and waiting for mass to begin Julian began fidgeting and asking how much longer before it had even begun.

We made a quick exit before anyone noticed and decided to exchange mass with an evening stroll over to Oltrarano via the Ponte Vecchio. On our way the kids found the Stickhouse, their favourite icecream shop in Venice so we were already making plans for the next day to include a visit.

We did stop off to visit the Fontana del Porcellino on the way and they kids even spotted a carousel in the Piazza delle Republica so it took some time to eventually arrive at the Ponte Vecchio, where window shopping held us up even more.

We eventually enjoyed dinner at a café overlooking the Palazzo Pitti and Julian wanted to go in immediately. We assured him we would visit another day and we caught the bus home to Hotel Jane, which was further from the centro storica than I would have planned but it turned out to be a great little place, especially as we weren't there much with so much to see and do in Florence.

Accademia 

The next morning we started early and got a bus that took us to the Convent of San Marco, a short walk from the Accademia. We were worried that we were not early enough as quite some queue had already formed. We had been told at the Amici office that our pass would not entitle us to jump the queue here so Rob got in the line while I got in the ticket office opposite.

When I got to the head of the queue five minutes later (the office you go to collect prepaid tickets not the other which has a two hour wait) the lady told me I would get a ticket inside and we should join the queue for people with reservations. Originally there had been no one in this queue and now there were quite a few but it still only took a few minutes and we were in.

The Accademia was wonderful and it was the perfect sized gallery for kids. We started with Michelangelo’s Slaves which gave the kids an insight into sculpture and how a sculptor can look at a slab of stone and see the person within. We talked about this for some time and Julian still asks if the Slaves are still stuck in the stone.

We next returned our attention to his magnificent David, who had distracted us since the moment we entered his hallway. There were few in the gallery so we were able stand right at the glass screen and get a really good look at him. I really enjoyed telling the kids the story of David and Goliath and we talked about how Michelangelo had captured David at the moment before he loosed his stone that felled the giant.

We considered his look of concentration and how his tense muscles, engorged veins in his hands and full lungs show how nervous he must been. I asked the kids where the giant was standing in relation to David? What must David be thinking as he rolled the stone in his hand? These are the special conversations that make any inconveniences of a year of travel fade into nothing.

The other highlight of the Accademia was the Museum of Musical Instruments where we looked at wonderful old instruments. There the children could see how a piano worked and they enjoyed bashing on the piano key with exposed workings. The noise attracted more children and everyone was making a polite level of noise, which is a relief to the kids are the quiet atmosphere of other museums.

Convent di San Marco

I asked the kids if they had  had enough as I planned to visit the Convent of San Marco to see Fra Angelico’s frescoes. But they were keen to see how the monks used to live and so off we went. This is one of those hidden gems away from the crowds and so very special.

We were the only people at the ticket desk and as we entered the cloisters I felt embraced by the feeling of peace that permeates the place. After climbing the staircase to the monks cells we were immediately faced with Fra Angelico’s beautiful Annunciation.

The kids were off and racing from room to room and as there were few visitors this gave us the chance to slowly appreciate each cell. The children were quick to observe that not all the monks were equals, with bigger rooms and more varied frescoes for the more important monks.

We saw the room occupied by Savonarola and some of his relics including his hair shirt and scourge. This gave me the opportunity to share an abridged version of the life of Savonarola, the Bonfire of the Vanities and his effect on the Renaissance. The kids were horrified at the idea of Botticelli burning his own paintings as they really enjoyed his gigantic paintings in the Uffizi.

Palazzo Davanzati

Having seen how the monks lived we decided next on the agenda, after a quick lunch, would be the Palazzo Davanzati, the home of a wealthy Florentine family during the renaissance. Again I was surprised that when offered the opportunity to head off for a swim the kids voted to stay and see more. Have I mentioned how proud of them I am?

We only had half an hour in this museum, another hidden gem that is only open for a short time, I assume because everyone is heading to the more famous museums and galleries. The Davanzati was really lovely, from the moment I entered I had the feeling that I was on the set of Romeo and Juliet. It was so interesting to see how a medieval tower, built for defence, had in the renaissance been converted into a beautiful home.

I enjoyed seeing the frescoes on the walls of the bedrooms, which easily have been mistaken for wallpaper. Of course the kids were obsessed by the toilets, toilet humour seems to appeal to all children and our kids are no exception.

Leaving the Davanzati I told Rob and the kids I wanted a second look in the Uffizi and they decided that the swimming pool sounded wonderful so off they went. This left me with four free hours on my own in Florence, so many things to see and so little time. Half of my time was taken up with hunting for a birthday present for Julian and an anniversary present for Rob. But I still had two hours for the Uffizi.

I started by retracing my steps until I came to the point we had left off the day before. Then I was able to take my time through the areas I hadn’t seen, the pre-renaissance artists which have moved from their normal home temporarily and the French, Spanish and Dutch masters.

I particularly enjoyed a temporary exhibition, Pure, Simple and Natural, where beautiful works for 16^th and 17^th century Florentine artists have been set up in the dark with lighting to let them stand on their own. For some reason no one else was visiting the exhibit while I was there and I’m not complaining, it was even more special.

For dinner we walked around the corner to Osteria Cocotrippone and enjoyed a standout meal. We chatted some time with the owner who had great pride in his place. Rather than a lengthy menu they had a small menu and he talked us through a couple of dishes of the day made with fresh seasonal produce. We asked him to suggest some dished for us to share, also saying we had found it hard to find get enough vegetables to eat every day.

So he brought us melanzane parmigiana, sformato di cauliflower with ragu and béchamel, homemade tagliatelle with pistachio and gorgonzola, a huge plate of grilled vegetables and the best plate of spinach cooked with garlic and dressed in oil I can ever remember.

We were fighting over the food it was so good. Perhaps the Gorgonzola was a little rich for the kids but that left more for us and we all had plenty of food. We haven’t been eating dessert in Italy, preferring our daily afternoon gelato fix. But we could not resist home made ricotta cheesecake and for me cantucci biscuits dosed with Vin Santo in a bowl of the freshest whipped cream. If you go to Florence avoid the tourist menus and come here or at least seek out Osteria’s.

The next morning we got off to an incredibly slow star so we contacted our Agriturismo to arrange for them to pick us up from Chiusi after six o’clock that night to save having to catch a bus, meaning we could stay longer in Florence. We checked out and stored our bags at the hotel and finally made it to Giotto’s belltower at midday.

Giotto's Campanile

Here I left the rest of the adventurers to climb the bell tower which gave me an hour for last minute present buying. So for this one I will need to leave the commentary to Emma and Julian: Emma:“it has a lot of stairs, it was very steep and it was fun”.

Julian had more to say..”I could see the Pitti Palace (Rob: “it was the Palazzo Vecchio”)… I could see the queue and it was really big and when you go down you have to stop for everyone to go up… Emma looked at her watch and said we might hear the bells and we didn’t hear the bells when we were up and we stayed up a very long time..we saw lots of gardens with pointy bits (Rob’s translation: roof gardens with shade structures).

After a lunch that wasn’t memorable , except to say that I tried Pici pasta for the first time, we made our way over to the Pitti Palace, via the Stickhouse icecream shop just near the Ponte Vecchio.

Pitti Palace

The Pitti Palace is filled with wonderful museums and we did not have time for them all, though with our Amici card we could visit them all for free. The tickets for the museums are packaged in groups, one ticket for one group of galleries and another for the rest plus the Boboli Gardens, but no mixing and matching so we collected tickets for the lot.

We first visited the Palantine Gallery, which we had been warned by the lady in our hotel was jammed packed to the rafters with painting without any sort of organisation. She told us to skip it but I’m really glad we did not follow her advice. For someone like myself who has next to no knowledge of art when I visit a gallery rather than looking for particular painters or periods instead I look to see what I like.

What was not astonishing is that while we wandered about, practical by ourselves, certain paintings would leap off the walls and when we would read who it was painted by it was generally one of the great masters. We then made our way into the Royal Apartments, which is what the kids had been looking forward to. Emma in particular likes palaces with furniture, but I assure you she is not developing delusions of grandeur, she tells me she doesn’t need to be a queen she is quite prepared to be a lady in waiting.

We visited the Costume Gallery, hoping for clothes from long gone days but instead found ourselves in the 20^th century so we were a little disappointed. We whizzed through pretty quickly being conscious of the time and made our way outside into the Boboli Gardens.

Every time I have visited these gardens it has been to escape the heat in summer and yet there is not so much shade but there are amazing views. Sadly we didn’t get to spend more than a short period as we were getting close to the time we would need to leave Florence and sadly too my camera had run out inside so I was unable to capture the amazing views from the gardens.

View from the Palantine Gallery

And so, after waiting for a bus that didn’t come we went at double quick time to the taxi rank at the Ponte Vecchio and got the taxi driver to wait for us while we collected our luggage and then off we went to Campo di Marta to catch our train. We were off for a week of rest and relaxation at an Agriturismo in Montepulciano..and if you thought this post was much too long I promise the next shall be very short indeed. But I’m sure you will agree that Florence is much too special for a short highlights package.