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Viva Italia!

September - October 2024
Touring the towns, countryside and cities…Siena, Chianti, Donnini, Florence and Rome Read more
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  • TravelerViva Italia!
    21
    Day 2

    Poggiarelo-Ripa

    September 30, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    After a pleasant, fairly uneventful flight from Toronto-Montreal I arrived in Rome to one of the busiest airports I’ve been in for many years. Thousands upon thousands of people passing through customs and security, but it all managed to work very well. Waited for 3 hours to meet the WestJet flight from Calgary and finally saw the smiling faces of Lisa, Rich and Sharon. After a bit of chaos at the car rental, we were on our way. A 3 hour journey north to Siena, along beautiful scenery that you couldn’t see because of the high guardrails (we figure that’s intentional because you certainly don’t want to have those Italian drivers distracted!!), the winding roads left Lisa and I a little green 🤢 and Rich very happy to stop driving for the day. A quick shop at the local Penny’s store got us a few things for a makeshift dinner that night. We arrived in Poggiarelo-Ripa and were greeted to a beautiful villa overlooking the Tuscany vista, with pear, apple and olive trees, horses, chickens, dogs, roosters right on our doorstep. A hodgepodge dinner and then exhaustion set in and it was off to bed….more tomorrow when we visit Siena!Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    1
    Day 3

    Siena

    October 1, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    We all agreed today would be a quiet day, still getting used to the time difference and a little sleep deprivation. We drove back into Siena which is south from Poggiarello-Ripa. Rick Steeves calls Siena the medieval heart and soul of Italy. A beautiful city with a mix of modern and 14th-17th century medieval brick buildings, including the Torre del Mangia in the Piazza del Campo. The Piazza hosts the Palio twice a year. Quoting from the Palio website - “The Palio is a historical secular tradition strictly connected with the origin of the Contradas of Siena (districts into which the town is divided). The Contradas are spectacular agonistic institutions each having their own government, oratory, coat of arms, appellations, sometimes titles of nobility, emblems and colours, official representatives, festivities, patron Saints, with protectors, delimited territories and population which consist of all those people who were born or live within the topographic limits of the district, according to the proclamation issued by Violante Beatrice of Bavaria on January 7, 1730, at that time, Governess of the town.” We saw many of the flags still hanging from windows and buildings and watched a very exciting film from the last Palio, thousands of people in the Piazza with 10 horses and riders racing for the honour of their Contradas. Lunch outdoors in the Piazza, more shopping, taste tastings (and buying) of Limoncello, olive oils and Limoncello cookies before the obligatory gelato to finish the day. Another quick grocery stop and back to the villa where we never had dinner, still full from our lunch but had a rousing game of Five Crowns before calling it a night. Photos include pictures of the Duomo (cathedral) but will be visiting the Duomo for a longer look on Thursday so more about that later. On a personal note I was able to stop in at the chapel across from the Cathedral and light a candle in memory of my Dad, gone 2 years ago today. Can’t think of a more beautiful place to remember him by.Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    131
    Day 4

    Walled Cities-Road Trip

    October 2, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Today was road trip day, heading out to Monteriggioni, San Gimignano and Volterra. With our trusted driver Rich at the helm, we ventured down outrageous windy, curvy, bumpy, lumpy, narrow and bum rattling roads, until we reached our first stop for the day, Monteriggioni. This Tuscan fortress overlooks the town of Porta Franca, and as far away as Chianti and Val d’Elsa. We climbed the wall and walked along the 570 metres, taking in the incredible, if not very windy, views. The little courtyard was still fairly quiet this early in the morning. Back to the car (I’ve named the GPS Sophia after Sophia Loren) and another 50 minutes off to San Gimignano, Italy’s City of Towers. This UNESCO site was once home to over 70 medieval towers, now only a handful remain. We had an interesting lunch (google Gnudi) and back in the Fiat for another stomach lurching ride to Volterra. This walled mountain top town was lovely, with recent excavations of Roman ruins. Known for the alabaster quarried nearby, we stopped into the Ali Alabastri Lavorati Italiani and viewed hundreds of pieces or art, sculptures and jewelry created from this beautiful creamy stone. This little town had real charm and many excellent restaurants, we wished we had eaten here for lunch. Rich got us all home safely, if not a little sore from all the car traveling and all the wall walking and it was an early to bed for most. Tomorrow is a whole day back at Siena Duomo so get ready for lots of cathedral pics!Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    11
    Day 5

    The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta

    October 3, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Today was the Gates of Heaven. The weather wasn’t cooperating in the morning but we were spending the day in Siena so a short car ride. We arrived at the Cathedral just as the skies opened up but got in and bought our tickets for the Gates of Heaven. Viewed the interior of the Cathedral, one of Italy’s most beautiful Romanesque and Gothic cathedrals. The 9th century church was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary and consecrated in 1179. Known for it’s incredible marble mosaic inlay floors, the mosaics are covered most of the year and we were fortunate to visit now with the floors being uncovered. Hundreds of sculptures dedicated to The Apostles and all the Popes from St. Peter through to Pope Alexander III Bandinelli adorn the upper portion of the building. Paintings dating from the 16th century, the Piccolomini Library with it’s frescoes painted in 1508, a collection of stunning stained glass windows and more make this Duomo a must see if you are in Italy. But the most enjoyable was an exclusive tour of the Gates of Heaven. After entering a hidden door near the entrance of the Cathedral, you climb a narrow (claustrophobic), steep staircase that has very narrow steps and winds around and around and around. Needless to say my claustrophobia kicked in about half way and I wasn’t sure I would make it. But reaching the top was well worth it, we were now in a gallery that runs along the inside near the ceiling, looking down on the Cathedral and all the people below. Exiting the interior you are then greeted by an outdoor terrace that takes you to the very rooftops of the church (thankfully mostly covered as there was now significant rain). We finished our tour climbing back down the “ladder to heaven” and made our way to Piazzo del Campo to find somewhere dry to have lunch. We got a great table covered with a huge awning and enjoyed lunch while watching the other tourists dodging the rain. Made our way home (found a McDonald’s and stopped in for a coffee, that was an experience….). Quiet night in playing cards and teaching Sharon and Rich how to play 99. Big day on the road tomorrow.Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    2
    Day 7

    Montelpulciano, Pienza, Montalcino

    October 5, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Renamed the washed out road trip. Started the morning clear and bright, a drive to Montepulciano, Renaissance town of beauty. We wandered the streets, stopping in at many of the wine shops, climbing higher and higher along the switchbacks to the top of the city and the Piazza Grande. The weather was looking questionable and we decided to have lunch in a wonderful outdoor restaurant while we could still enjoy the scenery and all the dogs that were on the patio. Making a quick stop at the Temple of San Biagio outside of the city, we decided to forgo the tour and headed out to
    Pienza, a charming town that was the summer residence of Pope Pius II. Hoping to try the local delicacy of pecorino with honey, we arrived just as the restaurants were closing for the afternoon (restaurants usually close from 2:00pm-7:00pm). We wished we had more time to spend there but the thunderstorms were getting closer and we still wanted to try to get to Montalcino and the Abbey of Sant-Antimo but as we arrived into the Abbey parking lot the skies finally unleashed all its fury and we were stuck in the car for 30 minutes amongst torrential rain, hail, thunder and lightning. The soil from the surrounding vineyards was running in rivers down the hillside, turning everything brown and it was amazing how fast the roadway started to flood. There was no possibility of entering the Abbey so we decided to head home for the day - it was a long day in the car so we stopped at great pizzeria in Siena for dinner, making the ride home along the winding roads a definite adventure in the night. Moving day tomorrow, off to Donnini.    Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    Day 8

    Greve Market and Moving Day

    October 6, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 9 °C

    Today was the day we were moving from Siena to Donnini so it was an early morning packing and getting out of the Villa by 10:00am. There was an open market we wanted to stop into in Greve so we headed there, hoping to spend some time before check into Donnini at 4:00pm. The market was really geared to locals, selling everything from sewing notions, underwear, household goods, shoes, bedding, dish ware, clothing, scarves and pharmacy items like shampoo and shaving cream. A separate part of the market sold fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, cheeses, rotisserie chickens, huge loaves of bread but all geared towards grocery shopping. We saw a nonna with some beautiful leeks in her shopping cart and I bet there were some great dinners being made that night with all that wonderful, fresh food. Lunch in an outdoor setting once again, I had an excellent ham frittata with crostini with chicken livers, Lisa and Sharon had pizza and Rich tried the lasagna. It’s been a lot of pizza and pasta but it’s so different from how we prepare at home, the food here doesn’t leave you feeling overfilled- usually just enough to leave room for afternoon gelato. We left for Donnini, travelling through wine country again and started up the winding hillside to the town. Let’s just say this is an interesting little village. There are two restaurants and a bakery that makes bread in the morning. A small Coop grocery store that opens in the late afternoon and a small courtyard bar. Everyone knows everyone else, the restaurant and bar is the social centre for all residents and their dogs…needless to say, we 4 Canadians really stuck out! The Villa Vania is so eclectic, it will need a post of its own…sadly the temperature this evening has dropped to 9 degrees so none of us will be venturing out for a swim in the pool this evening!Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    1
    Day 8

    Firenze (via treno)

    October 6, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Today we left the car at home and took the 30 minute ride into Florence by train. No more winding roads for the near future. Once we arrived, we made our way through the town to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in the Piazza del Duomo. Our planned destination for the day was the Palazzo Pitti, home to Florentine banker Luca Pitti in the 1400’s, now home to 5 museums - The Treasury of the Grand Dukes, The Museum of Russian Icons, the Palantine Gallery, the Imperial and Royal Apartments, The Gallery of Modern Art and Museum of Costume and Fashion. On the first Sunday of every month, most museums and galleries throughout Italy offer free admission, as long as you are willing to wait in line for tickets and access. Florence is a massive city and the streets were teeming with thousands of people. We poked our heads into many of the exclusive stores and some of the prices were really beyond our budgets, but it’s always fun to look at expensive clothing, handbags and jewelry. We got to the Palace, only waited for a brief time to get tickets and entry. To say it’s overwhelming, well that’s the only word that kept coming to mind….it’s impossible to show the rooms, the halls, the ceilings, the walls, the floors- every inch of this 344,445 square feet, three floor museum is covered with art, statues, frescoes, furniture, not including the 111 acres of the Boboli Gardens. It took us a few hours to view just a small portion - Lisa, Rich and Sharon toured the Gardens while I opted for the Museum of Costume and Fashion. We all agreed the Modern Art was our favourite. After leaving the Palace we spent some time in the Piazza de’ Pitti enjoying the sunshine and taking photos and people watching…so many people! Late lunch at a fantastic outdoor restaurant with a view of the Cathedral and it was back on the train to Sant’Ellero and home to Donnini.Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    1
    Day 9

    Down Day and Florence Market

    October 7, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    I decided today to take a down day. I stayed in Donnini, went for a walk, visited the bakery, grocery store and pizzeria and got some desperately needed nap time, my sleep has been minimal at best over the last week. If it had been a nicer day I could have gone for a swim in our pool but it’s been terrible weather off and on with Hurricane Kirk playing havoc in France and Germany. Lisa, Rich and Sharon decided to take the train back into Florence and found a great indoor market with amazing vendors featuring hundreds of varieties of meats, poultry, fish, cheese, breads, pastas, balsamic vinegars, olive oils, limoncello, chocolate, fruits, vegetables, gelato and so much more. There was also a cooking class taking place and the upper level was a massive food court featuring everything from homemade truffle pasta to sushi to Smashburgers to pizza and every kind of dessert possible. When they returned home we went out for dinner at Pizzeria Cacciatore in town to celebrate Lisa’s birthday.Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    Day 10

    It’s All About David (and the rain)

    October 8, 2024 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    This day was all about David. We trained into Florence in the morning and went back to the indoor market because the weather was getting bad. Spent some time wandering and having lunch before the crowds got too big. Walked over to the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze for our 1:45pm ticketed entrance to the museum. The skies opened up and it was a steady, heavy rain and there were literally thousands of people standing in various lines, with umbrellas threatening to take out any unsuspecting eyeballs. We found out the timed entry was delayed by almost 45 minutes so hunkered down under a store awning until we heard our time called and got in line. Once in, you are subjected to the X-ray screening that is now common in all the larger galleries. The museum is fairly small, and although featuring many paintings and statues, the main reason to visit is David. Created by Michelangelo in 1501-1504, the statue stands almost 17’ high carved from a single block of stone called “the giant” by previous sculptors who tried to sculpt it without success. David is shown just prior to his battle with Goliath, with the stone in his right hand and the sling over his left shoulder. It was a long day battling crowds and bad weather so we caught the train home and had an early night.Read more

  • TravelerViva Italia!
    Day 11

    Arezzo (via treno from hell)

    October 9, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Our train trip to Arezzo turned into a bit of a frustrating fiasco first thing this morning. A rail breakdown less than a kilometre from the Arezzo train station left us sitting on the train for 2.5 hours. The train returned to Ponticino but didn’t actually go to the station so we sat there, as they (the train people) promised it would be no more than 30 minutes….right (sarcasm). After finally arriving in Arezzo, we walked up to the walled city, which is very charming, and after the craziness of yesterday with David, almost free of tourists. Arezzo has 3 piazzas, the Grande being the location for the Roberto Benigni movie, Life is Beautiful. The main place of worship, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Donatus, has been my favourite Duomo so far on this trip. Quite simple on the exterior, we walked in and it was such a surprise to see how stunning the interior was. Built in 1276 by order of Pope Gregory X, it has had an extensive history of additions, upgrades and renovations through to 1914. We walked to the park and back down through the town, stopping for lunch in the Piazza Grande. The train was on time (yay!) and it was another quiet night of peanut butter sandwiches, potato chips and licorice.Read more

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