Friday 31 August 2012

Siena and Tuscan Cooking

On our second day at the Cretaiole, we set out for a day trip to Siena, a nearby city (as compared to the tiny towns if Tuscany) to Pienza. Siena is home to the oldest bank in Europe and is rich in history and culture. What continues to amaze us is that cities in Italy that we would consider small (Siena has a population of around 25,000) are divided into smaller districts and Siena is no different. There are a number of districts in Siena, and one's district used to be determined by birthplace. When people started delivering their babies in hospitals, they chose the district that they wanted their child to belong to. The city streets are distinctively marked with flags that indicate what district of Siena you are in, each district being represented by a different animal.

District Crest
In ancient times, the districts of Siena would battle each other in Medieval games, often to the death (Hunger Games, anyone?). This tradition soon evolved into the competition of choice that still exists today, the Palio. In a nutshell, the Palio is a horserace in Siena's main square where 10 out of hundreds of horses from the different districts are chosen to race twice a year, once in July and once in August. Businesses shut for the day so that everyone can attend the Palio. The districts pay jockeys up to $500,000 to ride their horse (and the rules state the winner is the first horse to cross the finish, with or without the jockey!). To stand in the square and picture 25,000 people packed in it in the Italy summer heat all day to watch a perilous race around the outside of the square was quite incredible.

People pack the inside, race goes around the outside!
Our guided tour ended with a visit to Siena's Duomo, which was quite breathtaking. Incidentally, the winning horse of the Palio has such high status in Siena that its jockey rides right into the Duomo and up to the altar during mass. We were fortunate to visit while the floors were uncovered, as normally the Duomo is a working church and they cover the beautiful floors for most of the year to protect them from wear. It was also nice to have a guide to explain the significance of all of the works inside, rather than just passing through and not having any idea what we were looking at.

Following a day and a half of wine tasting, we embarked on another activity that we were keen to while in Tuscany - cooking! Our first class was put on by Isabella, our gracious host at Cretaiole. She taught us how to make pici, the typical Tuscan pasta which looks like thick spaghetti. We watched in amazement as she made a huge crater of flour in the middle of the table and proceeded to pour eggs and water into it, mixing together the dough without having a drop of the liquid spill out of the crater (although apparently that takes some practice, as she had a waterfall of gooey mess spill all over the place one of the first times her mother-in-law was teaching her to make it). We then all took turns kneading the dough and then rolling it out into pici, which was then cooked and served with Isabella's homemade ragu. Her husband, Carlo, grilled up sausages made that day by the local butcher, and ribs that were so tasty (clearly our trip has necessitated more "flex" in our flexitarian diet), and we dined al fresca in the backyard of the agriturismo. Isabella shared stories of the family and the way they live their rural lives in Tuscany, while her father-in-law Luciano, the patriarch of the household, bustled around adding food to people's plates and pouring his famous homemade grappa. It was a truly memorable night for us.

The next day we attended another cooking class, this time hosted by the owner of a restaurant in the nearby tiny town of Rocco d'Orcia. Normally, they do the class in the kitchen of the restaurant, but we had such a large group, they had to move it to the kitchen of her mother's house. Cooking in the actual kitchen of an Italian mamma was an experience all in itself. The wonder of Tuscan cooking is that the dishes use all of the foods that they have at their disposal, letting nothing go to waste. Day old bread is used for soups, to thicken a pasta sauce or stuff peppers. No more throwing out hard baguettes when we get home! We sat down and ate the dishes we made, and I made Dave take a picture of the owner's nonna (grandmother) who brought us our pasta. She was adorable!

Viv and Dave

 

Monday 20 August 2012

Organic Farms, Ancient Ruins, and Drinking Paint Thinner

While in the garden this morning, I met Luciano, who is the patriarch of the family and a fixture of the agriturismo. He is about 70 years old, speaks no english, and insisted that I join him for grappa and vinsanto later in the evening. He also loaded me down with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, and basil to make insalata, then wished me a friendly ciao.

Our first activity of the day was a tour of a nearby organic farm. The farm is a government subsidized venture engaged in a more traditional way of producing grains and dairy products. According to Sandra, the owner, the government is alarmed by a recent trend of obesity in Italian youth and attributes this phenomenon to increased gluten consumption as well as synthetic food products. Sandra and her pet donkey gave us a comprehensive tour of the facilities, then treated us to an organic lunch. She did not sing "coombaya" or chant "ohm" during any part of our visit; she is simply a staunch believer in a more natural way of living and eating, and offered some very refreshing insights on modern nutrition. After overcoming the shock of learning that Vancouverites don't have a monopoly on vegetarian, Gluten free, organic eating, I was immediately taken with Sandra's fundamentalist nutritional philosophy. None of the livestock are fed any antibiotics or steroids, and pesticides are not used in any of the crops. In keeping with the gluten-free ideal, the farm grows Farro, an ancient grain, as opposed to the genetically modified wheat common in industrial operations.

Sandra showing off a huge wheel of delicious pecorino cheese
Did I mention that the farm featured kittens?
After visiting the farm, we returned to Cretaiole for some downtime. This was enforced relaxation time because of the extreme heat in the afternoon hours. Temperatures border on 40 degrees celcius and our host Isabella told us that this was the hottest August in over a decade.

After our relaxation time, we joined a tour of one of our host family's properties, which is an ancient ruin site believed to have been a burial ground for Etruscans, then later repurposed as a hermitage by medieval monks. The site was a bit spooky but fascinating from an anthropological perspective. One culture's burial ground can be another's place of worship!

A carving of Jesus cut into the rock of the ruins
We ended the day in Pienza at the lovely "Latte de Luna" restaurant, where I had the greatest gnocchi ever and Viv enjoyed a fantastic eggplant parmesan.

My bruschetta appetizer. I finished the gnocchi before Viv could get the camera out.
Well, we thought we ended the day that way. At about 10:30, there was a loud banging on our door. Sure enough, there was Luciano, a bottle of grappa in one hand and a bottle of vinsanto in the other, inviting us over to the common room to drink with him (I think that's what he was saying). He rounded up some other people from the agriturismo, got the music going, and danced with all the ladies while the men drank his home made concoctions. Grappa is a spirit distilled from grape skins which have been cast off after the wine making process. It is clear in colour, 40% alcohol, and definitely an acquired taste. Vinsanto is a sweet red wine that tastes like ice wine. Both are drunk out of shot glasses. We finally retired, for the second time, at 12:45 on the promise that we would drink with Luciano again tomorrow.

Dave

Sunday 19 August 2012

Directly Under the Tuscan Sun

Just a quick note to say that we reached our Tuscan agriturismo, just outside of Pienza. There are many of these agriturismos along the winding roads, farmhouses converted into bed and breakfasts for travelers wanting to visit the surrounding towns for wine and olive oil tasting. It is picturesque here, and extremely peaceful. A nice change from city life. But along with leaving the city, we have also left a constant wifi connection. The wifi connection is located in the common room of the agriturismo and is as slow as we have been moving in the heat, so we may get more behind on blogging than we already are. Trust us when we say we are having the time of our lives and will document our adventures soon!

Ciao!

Vivian

 

Saturday 18 August 2012

Climbing the Firenze Duomo and Travelling to Tuscany

For our last day in Florence, we decided to climb to the top of the Duomo, the largest cathedral in the city. There are over 460 steps to the top, mostly through very narrow halls and spiraling staircases going around the outer edge of the Duomo. Not ideal for the claustrophobic, but luckily Dave and I aren't bothered by the confined areas, or the height.

About halfway up, the path brought us out from between the walls and into the cathedral, giving amazing perspective of the ceiling frescos and the ant-like people below standing on the floor or the Duomo.

You know that you are getting close to the top when the walls start to curve to follow the shape of the dome. A few more flights of vertical staircases leads to the final destination and 360 degree views of Florence. It was well worth the climb!

The next day, we set out for Tuscany, specifically the Agriturismo Cretaiole just outside of the small town Pienza, which we would call home for the next week. This leg of the trip we are doing by car, so we hit the road in our little Ford Focus hatchback that miraculously fit us and all of our bags. Leaving Florence on a Sunday turned out to be very lucky, as the roads were much quieter than during the week and finding our way out of the city was not too scary.

I feel way too at home driving in Italy. Most times, I can't keep up with the pace of traffic (though I try) and the winding roads are pretty fun in a tiny vehicle. We've seen some interesting manuevres, including cars passing on single lane roads when there is clearly not enough time to beat oncoming traffic, resulting in the narrow road being expertly shared by three cars across the two lanes. Who needs amusement park rides, just come drive in Tuscany!

We have learned that the Tuscany area is extremely large, and not all of the valleys look like the typical landscapes you would see in pictures symbolizing Tuscany. We are in Val D'orcia, home to many towns including Montalcino and Montepulciano, known for their wines. This valley does look like the Tuscany that we know from the movies, but it apparently started out many years ago as hills of clay that were not ideal for farming. The people of the Val D'Orcia have spent decades cultivating the land and take great pride in their work. This summer has been unusually hot for many areas in Italy, including the Val D'Orcia, which has unfortunately been tough on their crops and vineyards.

The Agriturismo Cretaiole has been owned by one family since the 1960s. Originally an uninhabitable farmhouse, the agriturismo has been transformed into a multi-unit dwelling for travellers. Agriturismos are very popular in this area, as the rental income supplements the owners' farming income (where margins are shrinking and government grant assistance is commonly needed). When Dave first suggested staying at an agriturismo, I was admittedly skeptical about staying on a farm for a week of our honeymoon. I'm happy to have been proven wrong on this one, as the accommodations and ambiance of the agriturismo are a great change from our last two stops in major cities.

A fast sense of community grows amongst the guests (about 18-20 in total at any given time) and the family who owns the agriturismo are warm, gracious hosts who have helped all of us arrange activities throughout our visit. With "light" internet access only available in one room of the building, this is truly a place to unplug and decompress, to get back to simpler things.

Vivian

 

Thursday 16 August 2012

Uffizi, Bisteca, Accademia

Entry to Italian institutions is governed by a system reminiscent of Vancouver's Roxy night club. There are always three lines: the regular, "forget it you're never getting in" line, winding like the Amazon down the block and out of sight, the "VIP" line, which is slightly shorter but confers only a modest benefit, and the "elite" line, which involves the transfer of considerable sums of cash and promises immediate admission. Unlike at train stations, airports, and grocery stores, Europeans respectfully defer to this line system. Depending on the nature of the institution, clip-board bearing Priests, guards, or scholars patrol and keep order.

The Uffizi museum is the most famous in Florence. It tops all 'must see' lists, and is a prime example of this tiered line system. We sprang for the "VIP" line, which was only an extra 6€ and carried a twenty minute wait. This seemed an intelligent expenditure, as the regular line featured the skeletal remains of several visitors who had arrived in the mid-70s.

The Uffizi has two main floors. The upper, second floor is devoted to Italian art and contains a grand hallway lined on both sides with ancient sculptures. This hallway branches off into numerous gallery rooms. The galleries feature mostly medieval and renaissance religious art and portraits. Botteceli's Birth of Venus is the highlight of the collection, but the list of distinguished works is long.

We were exhausted after the Uffizi and returned to the hotel to cool down and collect ourselves. Our hotel concierge had helpfully advised that the Accademia, home of the original David sculpture, was open for free on Thursdays starting at 7pm, and that it was an ideal time to visit because few people were aware of this.

You're not allowed to take photos of David, so here are some cats instead
Before the Accademia was the matter of McCormick v. Bisteca Fiorentina. For those unaware, Florentine steak is as renowned for its size as for its flavour. We went to a restaurant near the Accademia and ordered a set menu featuring Bisteca at the end. I started getting nervous when the waiter advised that the minimum portion for two was a 1.2kg steak, and that we should avoid eating any bread or supplemental entrees. The steak was comically large; something out of the Flintstones. The waiter looked on skeptically as we struggled to finish half of this thing, and was overtly disdainful when we admitted defeat at the three quarter mark.

So much meat...
After steak came the Accademia, and the David. The sculpture is the most incredible piece of art I have ever seen. We sat awestruck in the empty gallery and counted ourselves lucky to have seen such a masterpiece.

Dave

 

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Forza Firenze

For the Italian leg of our trip, I plan to do the following every day:

1) complain bitterly about the heat (in true Vancouverite style);

2) eat gelato;

3) drink wine;

4) talk with my hands; and

5) emphasize the second last syllable of every word.

On to our first full day in Florence. Our hotel offers free breakfast every morning. This is presided over by Roberto, a gregarious and emotive Florentine full of tales from his former life as a sailor. We formed an instant connection over the time he spent in port at Vancouver and Victoria, and further bonded over his disdain for the dreary Prince Rupert.

After a very satisfying breakfast, we set out for the hop-on, hop-off tour bus as a means of exploring the city. Given the scorching heat, we focused on the former and heavily de-emphasized the latter. The bus took us just out of town and up the hill to nearby Fiesole, which offers a charming view of Florence and a welcome reprieve from the heat and crowds of the city (did I mention how hot it was? God, it was so hot). After lunch and some exploration, we hopped back on to the bus and rode back into the city.

The view from Fiesole
Wandering the streets of Florence was a surreal experience, and there were a number of arresting moments as we came upon the Duomo, the Piazza de Santa Maria (where the David used to stand and which now houses a replica), and the Palazzo Vecchio.

Cosimo Medici looking consternated by the volume of tourists in his Piazza
That's not actually Florence in the background
We tried to eat dinner at Gusta Pizza, one of the many reccomendations we received, but discovered it was closed through August and selected a nearby restaurant with a lively terrace instead. The hostess seated us at a communal table and we were soon joined by an English couple who encouraged us to shun the Uffizi Museum in favour of a museum dedicated to British antiquities. They enthusiastically reported that the museum was completely empty when they visited, and that they had a lovely time away from the crowds and all that Italian business, thank you very much. We duly noted their recommendation.

Despite being a random selection, our dinners were excellent. We began with julienned vegetables and fresh mozarella, then had a quattro stagione pizza and spicy spaghetti.

Our after dinner gelato, purchased from an equally random shop on our walk home, was also excellent. We arrived back at our hotel and as we collected our room key, I wished the front desk attendant bue-na-NOooo-tte with a two-handed flourish for emphasis.

A very small part of the Duomo at night
Dave



Tuesday 14 August 2012

ORY-->BCN-->FLR



Our travel day to Florence started very early (by Paris standards) so we were a bit bleary eyed when we arrived at Orly. While I thought I had adjusted to the speed of service in France, waiting to check in for our Vueling Air flight was a test of patience that Dave would say I certainly failed.

After a brief stopover in Barcelona, we arrived in Florence and were instantly greeted by overwhelming heat. The temperature has been in the mid-30s every day since we arrived. There was one brief period of rain, the first in 4 months according to locals, then blazing sunshine the rest of the time. We are enjoying the weather, but are thankful that the narrow Florence streets provide a shady refuge from the sun.

On that note, navigating the small Florence streets is even more challenging than finding one's way in Paris. People passing on the sidewalks often have to turn sideways to accommodate each other, so pedestrians often just walk in the actual street, that is until a vespa or tiny Fiat comes roaring through with only one warning honk, if you're lucky. It is potentially hazardous to your health to try to consult a map to figure out where you are, unless you have your back firmly planted against a wall so that there is no chance that a motorized vehicle (or even a cyclist) can mow you down. No pictoral example for this post, as we left our camera at home for the first night, but will include one soon.

We are staying at the Hotel Globus, a recommendation from Kiki, and they have been so welcoming and helpful from the minute we walked through the door. I think it helps that we are friends with such a VIP of the hotel! Anyone coming to Florence should stay at Globus, we feel like we are staying with friends here.

After getting settled, we set out to wander a bit and get acquainted with the city. We had our first apertivo, which is a very popular pre-dinner custom in Florence and throughout Italy. Bars put out a free spread of food for patrons to enjoy while they have their drinks, similar to tapas in Spain. We then sought out Mamma Gina's, a restaurant recommended to us by a family friend. Dinner consisted of a caprese salad and pasta, a great first Italian meal. The diners beside us ordered a bisteca fiorentina, a large (the usual minimum size is 1kg) typically T-bone steak cooked Florentine style, perfectly seared on the outside and medium rare on the inside. While we have not eaten much meat in many months, we agreed that we could not leave Florence without trying the bisteca (mostly because our friends would never let us live it down).

Finally, our first night in Florence included our first gelato. There are gelaterias on every block, but some are superior to others. We have been spending our time (and calories) looking for the best of the city. Every flavour tastes so much like the actual food it represents. My limone gelato was refreshing for the walk home, as temperatures still remain high even late into the night.

Vivian



Monday 13 August 2012

Last Day in Paris

Our last day in Paris was largely spent running around shopping, so of course Dave is letting me write the day's blog post. We set out to pick up some distinctly Parisian gifts, plus a few things for ourselves :).

We started at Galeries Lafayette, one of the large department stores (grand magasins). The main department store is typically all women's clothes, shoes, accessories and beauty and there is a separate building for the men. So Dave would have to be patient as I browsed through every floor, then it was his turn. We worked up an appetite browsing and hit the food floor of Galeries, which is another thing I love about Paris department stores - ample food right in the building. After a lunch of assorted Mediterranean style salads, I had to pick up an Eric Kayser mini pain au chocolat. Perfect dessert.

For Christine, checked one off the list!
The next stop was probably my favourite of the day - Maille for gourmet mustards. Who knew a store full of mustard could be so beautiful? Of course, we can buy Maille at IGA, but only the traditional regular and dijon. The store had about 50 different flavours, from blue cheese to cognac, and the displays were perfect. At Aude's recommendation, we also picked up a traditional mustard but it is dispensed from a tap at the store into a clay pot, then sealed with wax paper and a cork!

If there was ketchup on tap too, we would have brought hot dogs
Viv coming out with a lot of reasons to make sandwiches
Again, shopping made us hungry (anyone see a theme here?) and we had planned at the beginning of the day to conduct falafel test #2 post-shopping. We made our way back to Rue des Rosiers for L'As du Fallafel. An inviting (read: slightly aggressive) gentleman welcomed us to eat in the restaurant rather than curbside.

Guy on far left = Maitre d'
Once seated, we were lured into straying from the traditional falafel by the plates passing by us. We ended up ordering one falafel plate and one schwarma plate.

Lenny Kravitz was right, this place rocks. While we did not make it a head to head battle with Chez Hanna because we ordered different things, I think we both agreed that L'As du Fallafel was better.

Thanks, Lenny
Our last day in Paris was complete with one last scoop of Berthillon before turning in. It was an amazing second trip to Paris. We got our bearings in the city much quicker than our last trip, and explored new arrondissements that brought more sights to be hold and delicious food to enjoy. We never feel that we have enough time in Paris though, and will certainly be back. Until then, au revoir, Paris...buongiorno, Florence!

Vivian