Friday, 30 November 2012

The past 3 days have been cool, windy, foggy, and rainy.  We have attended our Italian classes, made a few short touring trips to some of the nearby towns,  had a few meals at some of the local restaurants and pretty much stayed in the apartment otherwise.  As a result, the camera has had a rest and for a day or two.   I would try to grab a shot or two here and there but it is darn hard to that while holding an umbrella at the same time.  The result is a series of images captured from around  the towns of Citta della Pieve, San Quirico, Pienza, and Montepulciano.  These are photos of the little things, the details, the people, and the experiences that have made this journey so enjoyable and unforgettable.

I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I do searching them out.

The fog rolled in and the sunshine and the local church dissappeared for a few days.

Even though the fog is rolling in how bad can a day be when it starts with a cappuccino that has a heart on it??

These are some of the roof tiles on a part of the building where our apartment is located.

One of the seven wine producing cellars under the town of Montepulciano.

A break in the clouds, a sliver of space between a couple of buildings and this woman just happened to be in the right spot. The timing was perfect.

These hats must be popular somewhere.

If you were into restoring old Italian motor bikes this “garage” in Citta della Pieve would have been pay dirt!! There were three of them that looked like they had not moved in 40 years. The door was half way up, or down, depending on your point of view, but I could not pass up the chance to duck inside.

On top of the motorbikes was one old fashion pedal powered type.

An archway in the newer part of town.

These little three wheel vehicles are fairly popular in the towns and around farms for delivery and transportation.

Come on in. The 300 year old door is open.

The old water well on the south end of San Quirico.

Even the drain openings have some style.

The leaves are disappearing quickly.

The red ones must be tourists!

At the door to a store.

And on the north end of San Quirico is this well.

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Shopping the afternoon rush in town.

Right place, time, and light. Did that sign at the door really say “No Foto?”

Side of the road shot. I would love to walk out in the plowed field for a better composition but would need hip boots for the mud.

Yes! There is the sun and a rainbow. Way to go Tuscany!!!

This is going to be good. Salami, prosciutto,, wild boar (chingiale), pheasant, duck, and venison! Some killer red wine and a bit of bread. WOW!!

It is time to please the “friends of felines” followers out there.  Since it continues to rain again today I figured I would get caught up with some of my “other topic” blog posts.  You could call all of these subjects small town Tuscan cats, with one or two country cats thrown in for balance.  These have all been captured since our arrival in Montepulciano while we have been out town touring our various daily excursions or during walks.

Psssst!

Just chillin’ on top of this here wall.

This striped coloration scheme is common around here.  Based on the coloration of his nose and whiskers I think lunch was just served of caught.

Laura’s “take me home I want to be your pet” cat. We politely declined.

Do my eyes match the background well enough?

This spot will do for a nap. Now go away and quit bothering me.

Saw this little guy while out on a walk. Keeping the mouse population down in the vineyard.

There must be a witch around the corner.

A mouse’s nightmare! Even during the day time.

What the heck am I doing up here??

OOOOuuuuuuch!!! Second place in a cat fight is not a good outcome.

Hello up there.

What you do not see in this photo is that the cat’s newest and best friend is just to the right side carrying a tray of fish scraps. Oh lucky day!!  That is the “happy tail” pose.

Let’s see. Did lunch go to the left or right??

Yeah we fully realize just how cute we are…..  A cat with a collar and a tag??  Very rare.

The terra cotta variation.

He does that chair warming thing very well. I am certain it is hard work.

Hi. Nice whiskers.

Could you move over right next to the stone wall? That’s great. Thanks. Do they always mind this well?

Wednesday, 28 November 2012

There is no fog but lots of wind and thunderstorms in Tuscany today.  As a result we are sitting this one out in the apartment, doing Italian homework, and catching up on a few things.  I decided to take a few minutes and play with Photo Shop to try something I have been thinking of for quite some time.   I wanted to take some of the images and convert them into black and white scenes just for some fun.  So here is my first attempt.  I hope you like the results and I may try to do a more serious attempt as time allows.

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Sunday, 25 November 2012

Another day on fog world around Montepulciano!  We pulled up the weather report for the town of San Gimignano and it was predicting sunny skies.  We crossed our fingers, plotted a course, gassed up the car, and hit the road.   San Gim is a bit northwest of Sienna which made it about an hour and a half drive.  Keeping a watch full eye out the window for some atmospheric improvement we were quite pleased as we went past Sienna that indeed the sky was up there and it was mostly blue!

The town of San Gimignano is best known for its skyline of 14 medieval towers that still survive from the original 76 that had been built.  Situated about half way between, and just a bit west of Florence and Sienna is both a blessing and a curse for the town.  There are LOTS of tourist euros in close proximity, and the town has lost  some of its inherent authenticity chasing them.  The main street is lined with ceramic shops, clothing stores, and restaurants.   Again, we were glad that we were here in the slow season and could make our way along at a leisurely pace without any crowds to deal with.  We climbed to the top of one of the towers and were able to get a great view out over the countryside.  We were hoping that we could be in position at the top for the bell ringing on the hour, but apparently these bells are not used.  We clambered back down, had some lunch while seated in the main piazza and watched some of the locals and a number of tourists go about their Sunday morning stroll and picture taking.  We did find a fantastic gelato shop just before we left town and were glad to have a mid day sweet treat.

Our trusty guide book itinerary suggested the nearby and much less visited towns of Colle di Val d’Elsa and even smaller Moteriggioni.  We headed south to see them in that order.  d’Elsa is definitely the more authentic of the two.  The narrow streets are clean but not polished and the town is quiet with a few museums and churches. I wandered the streets with my camera but Laura decided the warm sunny car and book were a better option for her for this town.

Moteriggioni is a quite small town about the size of a city block back in our neighborhood in Houston.  It sits on a low hill top surrounded by vineyards and olive groves planted on the floodplain of a nearby river. Approaching the town from the west  late in the afternoon we found the fortress like walls and series of towers lit up by the sun.  The town began in 1203 and was converted to a garrison town 10 years later to house troops to fend off the pesky Florentine army since this was the territory of Sienna.  There are a few shops, a couple places to eat and only 3 ‘streets’ to wander.  The main attractions are the setting and the view of, and from, the walls.

Enjoy the towns and the people.

Still foggy in Montepulciano. That makes it a road trip day

San Gimignano is a town of arches, stairs, and towers.

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Looking down over the town from atop one of the towers.

The Piazza Della Cisterna. The strands of lights will be lit in December and this will probably get us back here some evening.

It might have been pretty loud if they had been ringing.

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There is an iron grate over the well opening in the piazza. This little guy figured it was a good place to play.

Surveying his kingdom.

With red suction cup tipped arrow in the crossbow this guy is hunting the pigeons in the piazza.

Missed again. I love the tongue sticking out.

Death of a pomegranate. This is what happens when your tree overhangs the walkway 20 feet below.

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A nice welcoming entrance to the town of Colle di Val d’Elsa.

You do have to dodge the traffic.

Can you imagine how dark this was before the electric lights???

I poked into any open door I could find.

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The walls lining the street side in the old part of town. I never did see the new side of town.

Out for an afternoon sit on the steps.

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Big sister explaining the rules of the game.

Either getting ready for Christmas or everything shrunk!!

One of the towers at Porta Nuova built in the 15th century.

I told you Monteriggioni was small.

Rooms with a view.

Nice light and color.

Even with hardly anybody around it can still take a while to get a shot without any bodies in the scene.

Still a few leaves around.

The view along the inside of the walls.

The town square complete with water well.

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Heading home.

Friday, 23 November 2012

It was a dimly lit, grey foggy morning.  The air wrapped itself onto your shoulders like a heavy blanket……..

OK.  Enough of that.  We awoke and gazed out the door onto a scene which resembled flying just above the cloud tops.  The valley bottom to the west of the apartment was totally obscured in a thick fog, above which, a few of the closer hill tops appeared.  Sight seeing might be a bit dicey on this day.  Based on the recommendation of Laura’s Italian teacher we decided to roll the dice and drive over to the town of Cortona which was about 30 miles to the northeast.  The entire drive consisted of more turns through 75 yard visibility than I want to do again any time soon.  Things were still not looking good.  Following the “blue dot” on our iPhone map app we eventually made our way to the foot of the town.  At least according to the map.  We continued up the switchbacks until just below the base of the town walls we broke out into sunshine and blue skies. It seemed as if Cortona were floating along on an ocean of white foam.  It just might be a good day after all.

For some reason I had the idea that we had visited this town on our first trip to Italy over 25 years ago.  I thought I had recalled reading an entry in our journal from that trip that referenced the town.  But, as we walked around there was nothing that looked familiar or jogged my memory.   I will have to pull that journal out when we return and take another look at it.

We hit most of the highlights in the tour books which entailed church peeping and a fine little art museum along with an Etruscan civilization museum.  While this may not be the most picturesque town in all of Italy it most certainly has a bustling center  and a nice mix of local reality with just a “touch of tourist” to make it less challenging.   Laura was thrilled that a soggy, bad hair day was dodged and we eventually made it home in the dark and in the fog.

Things are looking a bit dicey out the door at Montepulciano.

Here it is. Photographic proof that we do not have our heads in the clouds all the time. The town was literally 100 feet above the top of the fog.

You had better know exactly where you want this chair once you place it. It is made of room radiators!! I am sure it is REAL comfy!

Life goes on in Italy.

Bronze detail on a statue base.

No statue looks this good!!

Interior of the main cathedral.

Altar detail.

Looking back toward the light.

I remember seeing a photo of this painting while in high school and was amazed by it. After all this time it is quite fulfilling to see it in person.  Thank you Mr Kavesky.   Fra Angelica. 1428

Wing detail.

This is San Francesco, the second Franciscan church ever built. It dates to 1245 but has undergone numerous renovations which have covered over much of the early frescoes. The first altar on the left has now been “opened” to show what may lay behind the balance of the interior.

The exposed frescoes.

I had just a moment to grab this shot of this gentleman and his aged tools being loaded into the back of a car after a day of work. The focus is off a bit but I think it captures the years of work of this man and his implements.

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It never cleared all day. This is a view looking down onto a cemetery outside of town.

The interior of Santa Margherita. No, not the frozen type in a salt rimmed glass. A wonderfully decorated church situated high above the town and dating to the mid 1800’s.

Ceiling detail.

Found this on a little street in the back corner of town.

Etruscan funerary urns.

Much of the artifacts in the Etruscan museum came from a series of large domed burial structures located on the lowlands below the city. Portions of the historical city fortification walls are built atop Etruscan aged walls. People have been on this hill top for a long time.

Another wonderful sunset as we head back to the car.

Thursday, 22 November 2012

It was Thanksgiving day and we decided to take a drive north.  We wanted to make a stop at the hotel where we, Claire, and Alessandra would be spending a few days at Christmas.  The Hotel was recommended to us ten years ago on a previous trip to Tuscany and we had seen the grounds at that time but had never stayed or eaten here.   We introduced ourselves at the desk, were warmly welcomed and encouraged to look around and enjoy ourselves.  So we did!  After a few photos outdoors we agreed that it was just as beautiful as we remembered and stayed for lunch.  A nice table for two right in front of the fireplace and a few glasses of prosecco sealed the deal.  This is going to be great.  http://www.amorosa.it/en/gallery

From here we continued north to the Monte Oliveta Maggiore Abbey.  http://www.monteolivetomaggiore.it/lang1/   The monastery was begun in 1320 and finished by 1344.  The setting, on a thickly wooded hill, is calm, quiet, and isolated from the rest of the Tuscan region.  Being here in the non tourist season added to that atmosphere as we were the only people around for much of the time.  There was only one other car in the parking area.  It was late in the day so we did not have a lot of time to wander but thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

We wove our way toward home through the never ending twisting roadway of the local landscape.  At one point Laura called out to look out her side of the car at the sky.  The clouds were lit up in a neon red as the sun was dipping below the horizon.  We were lucky since nobody was behind us.  By luck we came almost immediately to a road into an olive grove where  I could slide to a stop.  We bailed out, sneaked past a few rows of trees and took in the wonders of yet another Tuscan sunset.  Within 90 seconds though it was over!  It went from glowing red to grey in no time.  If we had continued and looked for the next driveway we would have missed the entire show.

First, a quick stop in Montepluciano at the market.

What happened???

Around the grounds at del’Amorossa. This place dates back to a hamlet in1300 and has its own church, barn, stalls, and associated buildings. Many have been beautifully renovated into a hotel and restaurant. Merry Christmas! I hope Santa finds us.

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Lunch is off to a good start.

Some of the agricultural landscape just before the Abbey

We have not figured out what these red buildings are for on the roadsides.

The interior if the church at the Abbey.

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Thirty seconds too late.

Two minutes later it was a study in grey tones

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

The Italian weather gods continue to just knock it out of the park!  Today was beyond perfect!!  In the mid 50’s, just a slight breeze and nonstop sunshine all day.   This was planned to be a visit to a formal garden and little towns, or paesino, in Italian.  Anybody can do the major sights but we tend to like the back roads.  With map in hand off we ventured.

First stop was Monticchiello.  An absolute post card of a town about 6 miles away.  We parked just outside the wall and walked into a small piazza with a war memorial statue off to one side.  An elderly lady was cleaning the fallen leaves out of the hedge bordering the statue and sweeping them into neat small piles.  Just beyond  there was a sweater shop open, and the gentleman proprietor was an amateur opera singer.  After a bit of color comparison and modeling, another grey sweater joined Laura’s collection.  In town we discovered several colorful doors, a Fiat, scooter, and numerous manicured houses.  After about an hour it was time to continue the day.

We had been told that the formal gardens at “la Foce” were not to be missed, but that they were only open on Wednesday afternoons this time of year.  Not a problem.  Our timing was working well.  We arrived at 1 and could not find anyone around.  But, the gates were unlocked.  Assuming this was a dose of Italian hospitality we decided to give ourselves a garden tour.  The descriptions did not lie.   Even though it was fall and blossoms were definitely in short supply, the gardens are exquisite.  Boxwood hedges that appear to have been manicured with a laser form the largest expanse.  Beyond, are beds of roses and a 50 yard long pergola that is covered with wisteria that has main trunks which are a foot in diameter.  They must be stunning in the spring when they are in full bloom.  After approximately an hour a gardener caught our attention and asked if we had permission to be there.  Ummmm, no.  We were informed that the guided tours would start in 45 minutes and where we could buy tickets.  Trespass number one.   We had seen anough and had been the only people in the place.  It could only go down hill from here.   http://www.montepulciano.net/la_foce_iris_origo.htm   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjvtNdis-2c

Time to get back to the drive.  The area is surrounded by a nature park and the road was empty except for us.  The next place that caught our eye, and the brake pedal, was an olive grove and oil manufacturing facility.  Get all thoughts of industrial out of your mind.  Replace it with post card Tuscany.  We parked in the designated area where there were other cars.  Following the rules this time.  Looked all over for someone to show us around but had no luck.  Sooooo..  Trespass number two.  Things were going quite well until I saw and heard two rather large dogs coming across the lawn barking.  Oh this could end badly.  Nice doggy???  Oh yeah they were.  Still nobody showed up.  A few more photos and we decided to keep moving.

The road did not get any better.  Signs advising of 15% grade for the next 2 kilometers.  Not a problem.  At least the road was on the map.  Onward we went and came upon Castiglioncello di Trinoro.  This teeny tiny place has been inhabited off an on since 400 or 500 BC!  The whole place is about 200 yards long and 80 yards wide.  We have found out that the entire town has been purchased by someone in Cincinnati who is redeveloping and restoring it, which was obvious during our visit.  There was one group of three guys mixing cement and rebuilding a stone wall.  A small hotel was been configured and a pool with views that extend for miles was completed.  BUT, you better like your peace and quiet once you get here.  Onward.  http://monteverdituscany.com/

As we drove down the deserted road I looked over to the left into the middle of a field and spotted a couple of abandoned buildings.  Hit the brakes and grab the camera!  But it sure would be better if I were a bit closer.  Look left and right.  Over the fence I go.   Trespass number 3.  Well worth it though.  Sometimes you just have to.  Besides there were no signs that said I couldn’t!!

Back in the car we headed a bit further south to the town of Radicofani at the foot of an oddly shaped hill that is visible for miles around.  The imposing fortress built above town was closed so we decided to take a pass on yet another major uphill hike so late in the day.   The construction in town had a very unique look to it because the major building material was grey and black stone block interspersed with red brick.  A closer look showed that the stone was all volcanic in origin which then explained the rather large conical shaped mountain we could see a few miles away.  Volcano!!  We finished the day with a couple glasses of wine in a local establishment which meant commenting on the baby in the stroller in the place and Laura conversing, in Italian, with the grandma who came downstairs for a few minutes.  Too much fun.

Enjoy.

The lady cleaning leaves is on the far left with the red scarf.

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When we get home our grapevine is coming out of the pot and going in the ground.

Nice rosemary crop.

These will definitely will not be needed today.

It would have been a perfect day for a long bike ride.

I don’t know where this guy found the color. But no problem finding his house in town.

Which came first??

I could put 8 of these in my garage at home.

On to la Foce gardens.

Every good garden needs a tool shed.

Right next door to a cool old house. 

How do they trim them that straight??? Maybe I need to watch that video link.

I guess croquet is out of the question? 

Pretty classy.

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Wisteria. Enough to make you want to come back in May.

Classic Tuscany.

Olive oil “factory”. Pretty cool place.

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I am just going to keep shooting stuff like this until all the leaves fall. Sorry.

Buy a small town and fix it up Everybody is doing it!!

Google Earth view of the village. The yellow line is 200 meters long.

Quiet. Real quiet.

Trespass #3.

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Down to Radicofani to end the day.

The cat on a hot tin roof had it easy compared to this guy!

This town had a totally different look to it.

No day is complete without a stop in a church.

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Monday & Tuesday / 19 & 20 November 2012

Both of these days were a little short for touring as we had Italian language classes on both mornings from 9 until 11.  We went back to Pienza on Monday and did some cheese shopping for the various Pecorino cheeses that are the local specialty.  The variation in flavor and texture due to differences in aging and packing is quite remarkable.  We have gotten quite fond of cheese with honey or various marmalades.  Either go quite well with a glass of wine.  But then, almost anything goes well with a glass of wine.  Pienze  is a beautiful and spotless town that is overflowing with terracotta flower pots.  Without exaggeration there are thousands of pots lining the streets, hanging from walls, spilling over balconies, and nestled around door openings.  Let’s not forget the ones on the tops of walls either.

Tuesday was Brunello wine day in the town of Montalcino off to the southwest.  We first stopped at the Abbey of Sant’Antimo just to the south of town.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_of_Sant’Antimo  This beautiful building sits in a valley surrounded by vineyards and olive groves.  The visit was made all the more special as we happened to be there during an afternoon, Gregorian chant, prayer service.  As the kids like to say “It was pretty legit!!”  We made it up to Montalcino late in the afternoon had “lunch” and stopped in a few wine shops trying to make heads or tails out of the hundreds of Brunello wines we found.  Darn if we didn’t find some to purchase and bring home!  There is a grand terrace on the west side of town which was the perfect setting to watch and photograph another spectacular Tuscan sunset.

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You really need to have a little drool cloth in your pocket as you shop around here.  The sights and smells make you hungry.

Flower power all over Pienza.

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The skies just will not let you down.

The clouds that made the sunset so nice had left some rain behind but that just made the streets glow with lamp light. I’ll take it.

I love details.

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The Abbey Sant’Antimo.

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You know you are some place special when scenes like this do not even make the guide book pages!

While “one of everything” is tempting. It just isn’t practical is it? Maybe?

The only thing missing was a nice fire and a comfy chair.

Time to pull out the iPhone and AutoStitch a panorama. The file is pretty good size so click it and enjoy the view.

Thursday 22 November 2012

That translates to Happy Thanksgiving.  We just want to take a moment and say good morning and hello to all of our family members and dear friends who are following us via this blog.  There is so much to be thankful for in our lives that has brought us happiness.  This journey is just a small part of it.  Our two fantastic daughters are such a large part of it.  Thank you to everyone who has been with us, stood by us, helped us, cooked with us, eaten with us, laughed and cried with us.  We love you all.

Happy Thanksgiving from Tuscany.  Michael and Laura

The kitchen window is fairly small and not in a scene capturing position. But if you stood on your toes and turned your head it was obvious Thanksgiving was off to a good start.

We found these guys, with some others, in the animal yard behind a small farmhouse while on the “Full Monty” hike. I am not certain how popular turkey dinner is over here. If we go for another walk we might be able to tell. I have my heart set for some rabbit or wild boar for dinner tonight. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

The hike from one Monte to another Monte!

Sunday’s weather marked the end of our string of gorgeous, sun drenched days in Tuscany. The sky was cloudy, and temperatures were about 10 degrees cooler (52), and we seriously thought about abandoning our plan to walk across the valley from Montepulciano to Montefollonico, the next hill town to the west. Our proprietor had suggested the walk, and told us it was about 7 kilometers each way, but we had no clear idea of the vertical dimension…how far the valley descended from our starting point, and how steeply it would climb as we approached the next town, how hard it would be. One thing was sure, if the walk proved too much or too long, there was no taxi service to shuttle us home!

Nevertheless, we decided to give it a go, and what a happy choice that was. Our route followed little used gravel roads, and led us through a beautiful and quiet tour of rural Tuscany. First treat was a tiny farm house and barnyard, right at the roadside. This guy had everything: three geese who honked a lively alarm when we approached, a small herd of sheep, chickens, turkeys, ducks, a Shetland pony, and a big pink pig that we smelled before we saw! The farmer himself was standing on a ladder against one of his olive trees, harvesting his olives. We passed several quintessential Tuscan villas and acres upon acres of vineyards, and eventually reached the creek that marked the base of the valley. The walking was very easy, as it was all down hill!

The ascent to Montefollonico, however, was challenging, and was punctuated by repeated stops to remove our layers of cold weather clothing. We were passed by three mountain bikers at one point, on the steepest leg of the hike. These guys were powering up a slope of about 15-20 percent, moving barely faster than we could walk. It was impressive.

Slowly and steadily, we made our way up to our destination, and were gratified not only by the accomplishment, but also by the charm of the town. Of course, there was a fine little restaurant with an amazing wine collection in the “centro storico” (historic center). What a great way to reward ourselves for the morning’s work…far better than the water and granola bar that most hikers get! We were recharged for our hike back to Montepulciano.

The whole walk ended up taking about 4 hours, excluding lunch. Not so bad at all. And the memory of walking hill town to hill town, a concept so out of the ordinary for these two flat-landers, was worth every bit of effort.

Hike from the southeast to the northwest. And back.

That is our destination on the right hand side.

The sheep, with shepherd and their dogs going out to pasture in the morning.

Fall color is still hanging in there.

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These are not blueberries. Well, not the type you eat at least.

Making us look bad. They were working pretty darn hard at this point.

For a guy like me who has to have a project to work on these abandoned farmhouses are a magnet. Oh the possibilities.

Might need some new paint on the doors.

Love it.

This will be the garage.

What are ewe looking at???

This one is either too far gone or just a bigger challenge.

Ta!! Da!! We made it.

Everything is 11 Km away. This must be the center of Tuscany.

Um?? Anybody seen the olive pickers???

You could never grow a vine this well and natural looking. Don’t move a leaf.

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Heading back home. Our apartment in in the little knob of dark trees just to the right of the church.

The sheep are heading back up the lane for night also.

Oink!

Fresh eggs in the morning.