Here wo go... My oh-so exciting trip to Tuscany.
It was not exciting, which was just fine by me.The leasurly strolls through the hill towns were quite enough rushing around for me.
You know it's the little things that make the big differences when going somewhere new.
Once we got in to the vila saturday night, I soon discovered that we had to make sure we got any groceries we needed that night because the stores would be closed sunday.
With half an hour to spare I grabbed mom and had her take me into Torrita De Siena to a local co-op grocery thingy where the people were apparently fed up by the tourists, according to my great uncle and his wife.
We got enough food for my sisters, One sister's friend, one sister's boyfriend, my mom and myself for one day then came right home and slept.
I spent the entire second day chasing lizards and eventualy getting a sunburn. The UV index must not have been as bad there as it is here because I was out there for hours before I got anything and it was just the tops of my shoulders. Though they were pretty red.
At 3:30 was the wine tasting.
We were on a hill that was at one point several farms which had since been bought up by one family. One of which was a 17th century bishop for the area's summer residence. The houses of which had all been restored and turned into summer villas for rental. WHile the fields were used to famr grapes and olives for wine and oil.
They also produced their own honey.
So we got a tour of the bishop's residence which was also where they made and stored the wine.
The upper floor which was actually where the bishop lived was in the process of being restored for people to rent.
We tasted everything they had to offer. First was a white wine, which I could tell imediatly was going to be my souvenier for the trip.
I dont't really like white wines that much but this wine contained the distinct flavor of the air off the landscape. I got quite sentimental when I tasted it.
Next with the 'Vino rosso' I think it was called. The Bishop's wine. It was a red that only had to age for a year before bottling. Apparenly the bishop couldn't wait for it.
After that was the Vino Nobile. The good stuff. It had to age two years before bottling. All kinds of restrictions on producing a wine with the Vino Nobile designation.
it was a good wine and while I tend to be more fond of red wines. The white was still going to be the bottle I took home for my self.
After that there was a desert wine. Very sweet, for dipping biscotti. It was nice but not my glass of wine.
I chickened out on the grappa becasue the last time I had it it tasted like licorise which I hate. I took a sip of my sister's and I actually found it palletable.
Then we got to buy. i got a white for myself. A bottle of olive oil and a jar of honey for The Girl's mom and a 1999 bottle of the vino nobile for gun-buddy.
They had been serving us 2000, but they did have a couple bottles of 1999.
I think it was the next day when we went into the town of Montepulchiano. It was pretty touristy. Lots of chochka shops, I forgot my camera so I don't have any pictures of it.
it was a little hill town with a nice market square. I have a feeling the area we were in was sectioned off intentionaly to keep the tourists roamign around that one part of town while other roads in would have lead to the residential areas.
That night after dinner we heard some kind of bird making a ruckus behind my sister's cottage. We figured it wounded like a mother bird pretending to be injured to lead a predator away from the next. As I made my way over I saw a cat come out from behind the cottage. A scronny little thing that made an appearance every night and we started to feed and water. She even began to look a little healthyer by the end of the week. But she was probably full of worms.
The next day was Chiusi. Another hilltop town with an Etruscan history museum. Very small. The highlights were the erotic pottery and the cermic penis. But they also held tours of some ancient tombs just outside the city. One of which had a painting of a monkey in it which was pretty odd considering this was Italy.
We went down the the lake after the tours and saw a guy reel in a very large carp.
That night i decided it was beer for me rather than wine so I got some Moretti Rossa and somehow had lots of energy by the time we got back to the villa. I picked up some Octopus Salad and cooked the sturgeon we had bought at the store over the fire.
Earlier, my uncle had gone to the vegitable garden which we were told we oculd walk to and pick vegitables. But Diana, the property dog had followed them back.
I spent the entire night hanging out with her after dinner while everybody was chatting. Turnedo ut she spent the enitre night outside the villa.
Off to Siena we went. Diana was still hanging around when we left. She seemed to get along well with the cat.
A larger hilltop toen like Montepulciano, also very touristy. Cheap airsoft gunsfor dirt cheap at all the little souvenier stands for some reason. we were able to find some less tourist-frequented diners to eat at which was nice to do. Knowing we could communicate enough to order lunch and not piss off the store owners.
I took lots of pictures here. It was a nice town.
On the way out it occoured to me I should have bought one of the cheapo electric airsoft guns and take out the motor. I could have brought the mechanism back on the plan no problem then made a model gun for it here. Maybe learn to upgrade it enough to be useful in a real airsoft game.
If I had a buddy with me it would have been worth buying a couple guns to plink around with for the week they were so inexpensive.
Now to Firenze/Florence. The big shopping trip. I had not spent much money on things to take home until now.
I imediatly found one thing I was looking for. A BBQ apron that made me look like Michelangelo's David. Igot two. One for me and one for mom's boyfriend.
Once we got deeper into the markets I saw them again for more money.
I found a stand that was selling some nice linen shirts with standing collars. I got two for about 21 euros each.
I don't think it was too bad a deal. I like the shirts alot.
I found an army surplus stand too. The guy was trying to sell me the US stuff, and I don't know what made him think someone as obviously north american as myself would be interested in north american camo. I think he just had too much of it adn was pushing it off on anybody.
I did like the italian O.D. pants he had for 30 euros. but I wanted to think about it. I had no idea if I was getting a good deal or not. I eventualy decided I did want them and hoped we could stop back on the way out of town. I split off with my sister and her boyfriend and went to Santa Croche where Michelangelo, Galeleo (Well, most of him anyweay.) and Machiaveli were entombed.
Then to the science museum where they had Galeleo's middle finger for some reason and a couple of his telemascopes.
After that we met up with the family outside the Ophitsi (SP?). I found a small jewelry shop that had a spiffy rubber ad metal bracelet like the one I almost bought from my boss. But this was steel instead of gold so it only cost me 15.00.
Then to the PonteVechio. A bridge lined with jewelry shops. Supposedly the 'best goldsmith in the world' has his shop there. I think it was the one that had the aquamarine the size of my fist in the window. I found another bracelet I was quite fond of. Very mechanical looking.
By then people were about ready to go home so we made our way out of town. I was satisfied that I had my italian souvenier so ididn't care that we didn't make it back to the army surplus dealer.
I wanted to spend our lasd day relaxing. After the trip to the outlet mall of course. They had some damned nice shirts at the one store. I bought like 6 of them in various styles and colors plus a pair of pants. More linen shirts for much less, 8.90 this time, regular price 16.00 so I didn't do too badly in the market in florence.
All with standing collars, one laces up. Really hot.
The jewelry store had another bracelert like the one I got in florence but this time with no diamond in it for 17.00 instead of 45.00. I got one for The girl as well as another interesting steel bracelet for another girly friend of mine. I'm going to let Corvus_9 pick two of these shirts when he comes over on the 12th. they'll be his present from Italy.
Now like I said I wanted to spend the day relaxing, but no. Sis and her friend had to update their travel blog with pictures. so they spent a couple hours resizing them first then we finaly got on the road back to Montepulchiano where there was an internet cafe. I had to go wherever mom went because I essentialy had all the money for the trip and my sister wasn't able to sign to be a driver for the rental car.
It wasn't so bad. I was a little frustrated but I didn't mind a bit more time around Montepulchiano. Especialy since the girls there couldn't seem to keep their eyes off of me.
Every night we'd have a big communal dinner wiht my great uncle and his wife's family. There were about 15 of us in the end.
At one point on a trip to the grocery store in search of wine we saw they had huge 5 liter bottles of wine for 5.00. In awe and desire to fill my nalgene bottle with wine I purchased one.
Turns out it was pretty darn good. We all polished it off at dinner that night then the next day we bought one and found that the group staying in the lower half of the central vila bought two more. from then on we finished one every night acompanied by a few other standard sized bottles.
Had I noticed them on any day but the day before we left I might have bought one of the more expensive 5 liter bottles of wine.
We ate out one of the nights. I think thursday and I may have missed a couple days inbetween things there. I can't remember. But they were probably just quiet days spent chasing lizards.
The birds were very obnoxious and would make the most aweful sound at 5:00 in the morning. My sister eventualy took to throwing rocks at them whenever she saw them sitting in trees and I was really starting to wish I had bought one of the airsoft guns.
I'm back now and we have a new laminate floor in the living room. My dragonfruit plants are huge and the cats are happy to see us. Well Digger is. Widget has been a little freaked out all week and seems to be quite resentful.
Mom's not feeling well. Her boyfriend just took her to the hospital. There is fear it might be a kidney stnone but it might have just been nausia.
I'll have to do a bit of a fasion shoot at some point to show off the pretty clothes and jewelry.
But I'll leave you with a few random pictures taken during the trip.
Please excuse any spelling mistakes. I'm not terribly jetlagged. But I'm quie tired. I might try to edit this tomorrow.
I really like that bracelet on top in the fourth picture. It's very unusual.