Tuesday May 16, 2006

8:25 pm – Italy – Day 4 – Hiking, Figline, the pool and a Winery

 

Hiking to the ruins

 

Print photo at homeToday, in anticipation of tomorrow's trip to Florence, we decided to take a scouting trip to Figline to scope out parking for the train station and to do a little more grocery shopping for tonight's dinner.  Before we left, however, Charles, a Canadian paleontology professor by trade, invited all that wanted to accompany him on a hiking expedition to an ancient (Etruscan?) ruin nearby.  He was taken up on his invitation by Sue, Beth, Elizabeth and I.  After a sometimes arduously steep, but mercifully short, climb up the hill, we reached what was probably a fort or lookout from what was highest point overlooking the nearby valley.  Print photo at home I didn't really quiz Charles on it (who would undoubtedly know), but I would guess that the remaining stone walls dated from somewhere around 1000 C.E. 

 

After taking the requisite photos and admiring the view, we clambered back down the steep terrain needing to use some tricky maneuvering to avoid slipping on the loose stones at our feet.  While we neophytes thought this a rather demanding  little trail, Charles casually mentioned that such a well marked path would be cherished in his work as he many times has had to hack his way through dense areas with little guidance.  I certainly would have faired better with some appropriate hiking boots, but that was something we had to foreswear for the sake of space when deciding what to pack.

 

Print photo at homeAlong the walk back, we noticed some enticingly beautiful flowers along the road and all the camera bugs stopped to record them for posterity.  What a marvelous time machine a still camera is, freezing, as it does a two-dimensional representation of a moment in space and time (or space/time for you special relativitists), for us to enjoy at a later date (in the space/time continuum, if you will). 

 

 

The trip to Figline.

 

Figline is a short 8 kM from the villa and I was the designated driver this time, possibly to the chagrin of Beth, Lesly and Gary, as I managed to violate a number of local traffic laws (u-turns, wrong way on one-way street, etc.) during our venture.  The highlight of our jaunt was the trip to the post office where we had some disorienting moments maneuvering automatic double sliding doors.  The inner door does not open until the outer has securely closed behind you, leaving you momentarily trapped between the two.  Enterprising Italians will sometimes join you in this small cubicle in what is, at least for an American, an uncomfortably close encounter.  Beth somehow managed to have a minor panic attack when neither of the doors would allow her to exit for what seemed an inordinately long time. 

 

Lounging at the pool

 

Print photo at homeUpon our return, the four of us joined Elizabeth, Charles and Sue (and later, Brian) at the villa's invitingly beautiful pool.   Beth served one of the Long Island wines we brought with us (a pool-side Channing Daughters rosé) with some warm focaccia.  I was the one who tested the pool and found it refreshingly brisk.  Other's seemed to choose adjectives more along the lines of "freezing" and "numbing."  Well, it is still May, not August. Genuinely, lying under the Tuscan sun (hmmm, that phrase!), I finally relaxed and found myself thinking that Beth and I are finally on a real vacation.

 

Print photo at homePoppy photos

 

With Beth being the only one of us with a command of the Italian language, we had her call the closest local winery to see if we could stop by for a tasting.  They were affirmative, but we decided to first go on a quick photo shoot in a poppy field that Lesly spotted earlier on our way back from Figline.  What a sight we must have been to locals wading in with our tourist cameras trying to get the best angle on what was, admittedly, a very beautiful field of wild flowers. 

 

 

 

The winery

 

Print photo at homeOur next stop was Carpineto vineyards.  For you observant folk, you will have noticed that this is the maker same wine we so enjoyed last night at Locanda Borgo Antico. Our hostess, Francesca, turned out to speak perfect (and I mean perfect) English.  We learned she had studied at the University of California-Davis (although, fascinatingly, not in any aspect of wine, for which Cal-Davis is the pinnacle) and lived for a number of years in Los Angeles.

 

Francesca led us through a tasting of five very interesting wines, three of which we are bringing home with us: the Chianti Classico we had at the restaurant, a Vino Nobile Riserva from Carpeneto's Montepulciano region and a "super Tuscan" made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes as opposed to the almost exclusive utilization of Sangiovese that is used in most wines in the Chianti region.  I believe everyone purchased at least two bottles of the tasted wines. She gave a gratis bottle of Molin Vecchio for our dinner tonight.

 

The meal!

 

Tonight was our (and in my case, I use the term extremely loosely) turn to prepare the meal.  Beth was in charge of first course and prepared a Polenta with mushrooms and tartuffa that when served disappeared from Brian's plate before I noticed he was served.  Just an excellent dish.  She also prepared the Pazarella salad that contained the most succulent tomatoes you can imagine.

Print photo at home

 

Meanwhile, our master chef Gary was grilling lamb and vegetables (beautiful Portobello mushrooms and sweet peppers) on a fantastic old outdoor stone grill out by the pool.  I told Gary at a later time that it was without a doubt the most tender and best tasting lamb I had ever eaten.  We are truly blessed with such talent along with us on this trip.  Of course, we polished off the Carpeneto Molin Vecchio and few other choice wines, but managed to stay at an under-the-record 8 bottles for the day, including those at lunch.  C'mon, that’s for the entire day, so we're being good :)

 

Tomorrow - off the Florence!

 

 

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