Last Day in Italy

Dan and I had been to Florence before, so we didn't plan on stopping there on this trip. But when Nick and Laura mentioned that they were headed there before our flight just to grab a sandwich, we were intrigued. They said they still dream about the sandwich they had last July. You know me, I'll travel far and wide for good food. And since Florence wasn't too far out of the way to the Pisa airport, it was decided. Plus, it gave us the chance to grab some more gelato. Ha!

I realize that I sound like an incredible jerk for saying I literally went to Florence for sandwich and an ice cream. I am really living the dream. 

We were on a mission. With only around an hour, we managed to grab three gelatos and a life-changing sandwich from All’Antico Vinaio! I have never seen such amazing toppings for a freshly baked focaccia: artichoke cream; truffle spread; roasted veggies; every variety of cheese you can imagine; plus insanely gorgeous meats. I don't eat pork, but this gave me pause. Look at that crackling!

I recommend asking them to choose your ingredients. They know their products inside and out and are great and knowing what works.

Of the three gelatos we quickly inhaled, my favorite by far was from Gelataria Santa Trinita. It might be the best gelato I had on the whole trip. We chose fig and marscapone; and melon. The first was really interesting and very different. The melon was like biting into a really ripe and juicy canteloupe...heavenly! I was enjoying it too much to snap a photo. But here's a cute photo of the babies playing together in front of the Ponte Vecchio.

Read more about this trip:
Cinque Terre Day 1
Cinque Terre Day 2
A Night in Chianti
Wine Tasting in Tuscany
A Taste of San Gimignano

Wine Tasting in Tuscany

One of my main objectives for my time in Tuscany was to visit Montepulciano, a town famous for their wine. I am not a wine connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. How perfect that we will be so near to the town where my favorite wine comes from, I thought. Funny story though. It turns out that Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is actually made in Abruzzo, which is three hours south of where we were. Montepulciano, the town, uses Sangiovese grapes to make their famous wine. At first I was a little bummed, but how sad can I really be when looking at these views?

The good news is I like Montepulciano wines too! Just past the gates in to town, there is a shop that does incredible tastings of all of its products. The owner gives such a soft-sell that at first you think he's just a terrible businessman. He gave us a variety of bruschetta and a generous tasting of wine. Then, when we inquired about buying the products, he told us to come back later. He knew we'd have to come back that way to exit the town, and he gambled that we would come back for more tastings and to buy something. Turns out, he knows what he's doing. On our way out of town, we stopped back in and sampled the heck out of everything. We had several kinds of wine; tons of cheese; and local olive oil. I bought a little jar of sweet pumpkin jam that paired wonderfully with pecorino. Nick and Laura bought some wine. 

We did another wine tasting further in town and got to see the massive barrels where the wine is aged.

Montepulciano is full of charm. I loved walking the cobbled streets and peering down the tiny alleys that hinted at its medieval history. We followed a Rick Steves walking tour, which led us to the most delightful coppersmith, Cesare Mazzetti. We approached his workshop just as he was closing up for lunch. When he saw the babies, he couldn't help himself and invited us in for a private demonstration of his work. He doesn't speak a lot of English, and I speak even less Italian, but somehow we managed. He made each couple a beautiful copper medallion with our names and wedding dates on them. His tools were worn down from years of use--they were originally his grandfather's. He hilariously narrated as he worked--"when you two see each other there is an explosion of love." He also predicted that each family would have three more children. I'm not so sure about that one.

The town is bursting with artists. I am still in awe of this man and his mosaics. He was faithfully recreating a Van Gough piece using thousands of tiny rocks. Had each piece not been over $1,000 I definitely would have bought something.

The next day we went to Montalcino, famous for its Brunello. The town was cute, but we didn't have the best weather. It was perfect for doing another wine tasting, and seeing bottles that were worth 2,500 EUR casually laying by the door! Both towns are small, but we spent a lot more time than we thought we would. It is so nice just to wander the streets, grab a gelato and enjoy life.

Read more about this trip:
Cinque Terre Day 1
Cinque Terre Day 2
A Night in Chianti
A Taste of San Gimignano
Last Day in Italy

A Taste of San Gimignano

After an amazing time in Cinque Terre and Chianti, we geared up for the second half of our Italian adventure. We met up with our friends Nick, Laura and baby Genevieve to explore Tuscany. They've been a few times, and recommended basing ourselves in Pienza. First though, we checked out San Gimignano.

San Gimignano

My parents raved about this medieval town, saying that it was home to the world's best gelato. It wasn't just them saying this: a gelateria in town (Gelateria Dondoli) actually won a few Ice Cream World Championships. How could we miss that? Let me cut to the chase. We spent around four hours in the town and ate a total of four gelatos; two were from Dondoli, and two were from the competing gelateria next door, Gelateria di Piazza. Don't judge us. We were conducting research to see which store could actually claim world's best gelato. Our conclusion: mixed results. I vote for the Gelateria di Piazza, with their out-of-this-world chocolate and pistachio flavors. Dan votes for Gelateria Dondoli. I certainly wouldn't pass up either of them though.

In between gelato, we had a fantastic meal at Peruca. The truffle gnocchi we had was incredible, as was the ravioli with pear and pecorino. The place was tiny and the chef used fresh, local ingredients. So delicious! The town itself is gorgeous with amazing views. We walked around the wall and were treated with a lovely recitation of Dante's Divine Comedy by a man dressed in period-costume who was accompanied by a woman playing the harp. It was surprisingly beautiful.

That evening we met up with Nick, Laura and Genevieve in Pienza. We had a great apartment right inside the city walls. It was a perfect base for exploring some of the nearby cities, including Montepulciano and Montalcino. More on that in the next post!

Read more about this trip:

Cinque Terre Day 1

Cinque Terre Day 2
A Night in Chianti
Wine Tasting in Tuscany
Last Day in Italy

A Night in Chianti

After a great couple of days in Cinque Terre, we moved on to a different region: Chianti. I didn't know anything about the region other than I like their wine. Turns out, that's all you need to know.

On the way to our apartment near Greve in Chianti, we stopped in the town of Lucca. We had heard good things about the town from several friends. It was an adorable walled city that grew the biggest lemons I've ever seen in my life!

In Chianti, we stayed in the middle of nowhere, nestled amongst the vineyards and olive groves. We drove to tGreve to explore the tiny town. I really loved the huge butcher shop with the hams hanging from the ceiling and the cheese-aging cave. 

We stumbled upon a really cool wine cellar. You load a card with money and then sample as many wines and liquors as you like. Each wine is priced for a tasting, a half-glass or a full-glass. Prices ranged from a few cents to a couple of Euros for a tasting. We managed to taste nine different wines/limoncello for 10 Euro.

It was a nice, relaxing day in a beautiful setting. Next up: Tuscany!

Read more about this trip:

Cinque Terre Day 1

Cinque Terre Day 2
Wine Tasting in Tuscany
A Taste of San Gimignano
Last Day in Italy

Cinque Terre Day 2

Day 2 of Cinque Terre was even better than the first. The plan was to explore the remaining three towns: Vernazza, Corniglia and Manarola. Due to delayed and canceled trains, we had to skip Corniglia. As they say, two out of three ain't bad. The two towns we saw today were my favorites. It didn't hurt that the weather was absolutely perfect. I cannot get over how the sun sparkles in the turquoise Ligurian Sea. Stunning!

The towns themselves only take a few minutes to walk through. Generally there is a main street with a bunch of restaurants and gelatarias. There is also a church and maybe a town hall. Not too much to see. The real action is in the landscape. We wanted to walk from Vernazza to Corniglia, but unfortunately the easier trail was closed. We accidentally found ourselves on an expert-only panoramic hike, which was not at all appropriate for a woman in a sundress and a man with a baby strapped to his chest. We had to very carefully work our way back to solid ground, but not before capturing some great views.

We took the train to Vernazza and walked on the path toward Monterosso. You have to pay to walk the path, but we just went a few hundred feet to look at the view. Along the way, we saw the aftermath of the flooding from 2011. Today you would never know anything happened in the towns themselves, but it was a devastating flood that nearly destroyed Vernazza and Monterosso.

To get back to Levanto, we decided to go by boat and I'm so glad we did! The views cannot be beat. I loved seeing all five towns lined up like little pastel jewels along the coast.

Before I leave Cinque Terre, I must tell you about one of their delicious specialties called farinata. It is a thin chickpea pancake that is absolutely delicious. I could eat my way through this region. I mean, I did eat my way through. Between the creamy, refreshing gelato; the salty and flavorful pesto; and the endless pastas...let's just say it's a good thing I was only here a few days.

Read more about this trip:
Cinque Terre Day 1
A Night in Chianti
Wine Tasting in Tuscany
A Taste of San Gimignano
Last Day in Italy

Cinque Terre Day 1

Italy is one of my favorite countries in the world. It has everything I am looking for in a destination: good food, beautiful landscape and a rich history. Dan and I honeymooned in Italy and knew we'd come back one day. I can't believe it took us so long!

For this trip, we explored new territory: Cinque Terre, Chianti and Tuscany. We found cheap non-stop flights to Pisa and rented a car to get to Levanto, a town just outside of Cinque Terre. We decided to stay outside of the main towns for a couple of reasons. We wanted a car so that we could visit smaller, harder-to-reach towns in Chianti and Tuscany; and we wanted a bigger space with a kitchen and a place for Zoey to sleep. We found the perfect place: Agriturismo Constaletta. It is a working farm with vineyards and olive groves that sits overlooking the Levanto valley. It was stunning!

The first town in Cinque Terre we hit was Riomaggiore, which we reached via train from Levanto. Riomaggiore, like the other four towns, is pretty small, but really packs a punch in terms of beauty. The views from the cliffs are incredible. I absolutely love the combination of pastel buildings with turquoise water and green hills.

We had a fantastic lunch (with great house wine!) at Trattoria La Grotta. The region is best known for its anchovies and pesto. We made sure to eat copious amounts of both. I couldn't believe how fresh and delicious everything was. Of course, we couldn't leave Riomaggiore without sampling their gelato. This was our first, but by no means the last of the trip. We were definitely living by "Rome Rules" and had an average of two gelati a day. I don't regret a thing.

We meant to explore the towns in order, and go to Manarola next. However, the train we jumped on apparently skipped a few towns and went straight to the fifth town of Monterosso. Oops. This town had more of a beach vibe, and is split into the old and new city. Unfortunately, it started pouring and we had to seek cover in a cafe. The town was nice, and the water was beautiful and warm, but I preferred Riomaggiore.

The next day we planned to visit the remaining three towns. Unfortunately, trains in Italy are not always reliable, and due to some canceled and delayed trains, we had to miss Corniglia. Fortunately, Manorola and Vernazza more than made up for it. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Read more about this trip:
Cinque Terre Day 2
A Night in Chianti
Wine Tasting in Tuscany
A Taste of San Gimignano
Last Day in Italy

Color Me Rad

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a huge fan of running. I completed one 5K last year, and ran a bit through my pregnancy, but it's generally not my go-to exercise. However, there was always one type of race that looked so fun that even I wanted to join. I'm sure you've seen these too...color runs! This is a race that is purely about having fun. It's not even timed.

Participants wear white shirts to start, and through the course of the race get pelted with various color bombs so that by the end they are covered in a rainbow of colors. The bombs are made from cornstarch, and are completely safe for all ages. Since the race is just for fun, we decided to bring along Zahara and make it a family outing.

We could not have asked for a more perfect day on the spectacular grounds of the Harewood House. We put on our brightly-colored sunglasses and temporary tattoos and made our way to the starting line. The plan was to have Zoey in the stroller with the rain cover on. Around 1K into the race, she decided she did not want to be in the stroller but wanted to be held instead. Good thing the race wasn't timed! There was very little running while carrying our 20-pound baby up giant, grassy hills!

The color stations were set up so that you could avoid the color if you wanted. Dan and I took turns running through the gauntlets, and then bringing Zoey to the edge of the color station so she could get a little bit without it getting in her face. She loved it!

By the end of the race, we were covered in purple, orange, green, yellow and pink. At the finish line, we got blue and red color bombs to throw on ourselves or each other. That was pure chaos! It was an orgy of colors, and we were covered head to toe. 

It was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again when I'm back in the States.