Jessica left off with a bit on our time in Siena. As she mentioned, e Duomo there is simply unparelleled. Every inch was covered in beautiful sculpture, frescos, mosaics, or other artwork. It was awesome in the true sense of the word, meaning that it inspired awe in those inside. We loved it. We bought a pass that included the Duomo as well as its museum, panorama tower, crypts and some other areas and visited each over three days. Well worth the purchase.
We found a smooth rhythm that included snacking in the main Campo Piazza followed dinner somewhere in the city. Our last dinner came from a recommendation from some folks we met on our tour of San Gimignano with an included wine tasting, which was a very enjoyable experience. But the food is more important. It was what we were looking for as it was simple flavors, but very good. It felt like an Italian grandmother was in the back cooking dinner, which very well could be the case.
Speaking of that tour, San Gimignano is considered one of the most beautiful small towns in all Tuscany, and I can see why. It has about 12 towers that reach into the skyline, a vestige of days where a tall tower meant a wealthy family. Altho there were once 70 or more towers, only that handful remain. Walking through the whole town takes just 15 minutes, it's amazing to think about what used to be packed in there. One highlight was stopping by a world champion gelato place where we tried chocolate with grand marnier, a strawberry flavor, and raspberry with rosemary. The raspberry-rosemary combination was delicious, and I wish I could have more back in the states. Hard to believe, but this gelato was more creamy and flavorful than the once we found in Florence. Don't miss it if you visit.
As for the wine on the tour, it was very good, but the host was the best part. He was eccentric, and somewhat annoying, but very amusing. He had his spiel down, and he wasn't about to let anyone get the group off course the rushed learning process. In the end, though, everyone was laughing, and everyone was buying wine. We weren't an exception, and we'll have some bottles on the way to our house. The best part of the tasting was trying their truffle oil. After tasting it, Jess got obsessed and we made sure to find a little bottle to bring back. Perhaps some wine, cheese, truffle oil, aged balsamic, and flatbread is in order with some friends stateside....
But we're now in Rome staying at a lovely hotel and spending the bulk of our time walkingq the city. The hotel charges for wifi, hence the limited posting since arrival and the brief post right now since I'm trying to stay within our 1 hour acces purchase. Since we've been paying to get into churches, museums, and tours for the past two weeks, we decided to enjoy the free parts of Rome. To that end, we've been able to see the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, Colosseum, Saint Peter's Square, Saint Peter's Basilica, and many piazzas filled with statues and other art. In other words, free Rome ain't bad at all. In order to reach it all, though, we've been walking mile after mile and burning some serious calories. Love it!
Tomorrow we start heading home, so expect some updates via Blogger or Facebook with photos from the trip sometime in the next few days!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Finally I am Posting! -Jess
So there are a lot of random details I would probably have added to Mike's posts, being a girl and all... But I will just focus on my blog for the night and enjoy the personal additives I will include when talking to all back in the states.
Siena... The most gorgeous Duomo ever. Mind you, I have seen a few over the years, but I would recommend anybody coming to Italy to stop and see the Duomo... Kind of a funny note that as Mike noted in Florence you have to cover your shoulders as you enter any church in Italy (I assume)... Well I had a blonde moment in florence and wore a tank top... Big mistake... A walk back to our hotel was in order... In Siena... They give you something to cover your shoulders with and all I could think about was the diffence between Siena and Florence!
Ok now details... Sitting in then square last night was amazing. You spend around $80 for a 3 hour meal and people watching extravaganza... Totally worth it!
Today included a handful of historical sites, me realizing we only have a couple more days in Italy, a siesta :), and a recommended dinner via trip advisor. So, the dinner... It was decent. Maybe I have high standards, but I will say it took them 20 min to bring us the bill after asking and most know how I get:). So let's just say I was a little excited when our wine ended up being 15 euro less than planned.
So I am writing a lot and will stop. Tomorrow of to San Gimignano for wine and food pairing, which I am very excited for!
As mentioned before, if you want anything in Italy, let me know!
Lots of love!
Jess
Siena... The most gorgeous Duomo ever. Mind you, I have seen a few over the years, but I would recommend anybody coming to Italy to stop and see the Duomo... Kind of a funny note that as Mike noted in Florence you have to cover your shoulders as you enter any church in Italy (I assume)... Well I had a blonde moment in florence and wore a tank top... Big mistake... A walk back to our hotel was in order... In Siena... They give you something to cover your shoulders with and all I could think about was the diffence between Siena and Florence!
Ok now details... Sitting in then square last night was amazing. You spend around $80 for a 3 hour meal and people watching extravaganza... Totally worth it!
Today included a handful of historical sites, me realizing we only have a couple more days in Italy, a siesta :), and a recommended dinner via trip advisor. So, the dinner... It was decent. Maybe I have high standards, but I will say it took them 20 min to bring us the bill after asking and most know how I get:). So let's just say I was a little excited when our wine ended up being 15 euro less than planned.
So I am writing a lot and will stop. Tomorrow of to San Gimignano for wine and food pairing, which I am very excited for!
As mentioned before, if you want anything in Italy, let me know!
Lots of love!
Jess
Bye bye Firenze, Hello Siena
Yesterday marked our last day in Florence, but we spent our last few hours there well. We finally had the opportunity to head up the road a bit to the Galleria dell'Academia, more commonly known as the home of the statue of David by Michelangelo. In that setting, the statue is massive and as impressive as one would hope. In addition to the David, additional works by Michelangelo such as the four prisoners were also on display. In those sculptures, he attempted to evoke a feeling of the soul being trapped in the flesh, and though the statues are incomplete, the results are still intriguing to look at.
The Galleria is not just a tribute to Michelangelo, however, so we also the opportunity to enjoy works by many other extremely talented artists. An exhibition of the work of sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini was on display that included finished pieces, preparatory drawings, and the plaster models he used in preparation for some of his best work including a statue that now rests in the piazza by the Duomo in Florence. Most cool.
Following the Galleria, we visited the central market, which is a large building in the basilica style that houses numerous produce and meat shops. The streets around the market are lined with hundreds of booths selling crafts and clothing, of which the most common type was leather goods. Seriously, if you're ever in Italy and want a leather jacket, this is your destination. There were so many vendors selling leather items that in many places the street simply smelled like a leather factory.
With our time in Florence up, we collected our bags and took the bus to Siena, an easy 1.5 hour trip. Whereas our first hotel was up in the hills above town and our second was right at the heart, this one is slightly removed from the city center but still within a comfortable 15 walk. We took that walk yesterday evening, snapping photos of the main piazza, the Duomo, and some of the other sights. After making reservations for tonight's dinner, we headed back to the piazza and grabbed a seat at one of the many restaurants. Like good Italians, we relaxed, ate, and drank for a few leisurely hours while watching the clouds and crowds drift by. The food was simple and decent, but the company was perfect.
As a historical aside, the Piazza del Campo in Siena inspired the red brick and segmented nature of Red Square at the University of Washington. I knew I learned something in college!
A borrowed photo of the piazza:
The Galleria is not just a tribute to Michelangelo, however, so we also the opportunity to enjoy works by many other extremely talented artists. An exhibition of the work of sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini was on display that included finished pieces, preparatory drawings, and the plaster models he used in preparation for some of his best work including a statue that now rests in the piazza by the Duomo in Florence. Most cool.
Following the Galleria, we visited the central market, which is a large building in the basilica style that houses numerous produce and meat shops. The streets around the market are lined with hundreds of booths selling crafts and clothing, of which the most common type was leather goods. Seriously, if you're ever in Italy and want a leather jacket, this is your destination. There were so many vendors selling leather items that in many places the street simply smelled like a leather factory.
With our time in Florence up, we collected our bags and took the bus to Siena, an easy 1.5 hour trip. Whereas our first hotel was up in the hills above town and our second was right at the heart, this one is slightly removed from the city center but still within a comfortable 15 walk. We took that walk yesterday evening, snapping photos of the main piazza, the Duomo, and some of the other sights. After making reservations for tonight's dinner, we headed back to the piazza and grabbed a seat at one of the many restaurants. Like good Italians, we relaxed, ate, and drank for a few leisurely hours while watching the clouds and crowds drift by. The food was simple and decent, but the company was perfect.
As a historical aside, the Piazza del Campo in Siena inspired the red brick and segmented nature of Red Square at the University of Washington. I knew I learned something in college!
A borrowed photo of the piazza:
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
L'Opera
Last night we had reservations for an opera in Florence. Although not very hungry, we knew we would be waiting until nearly midnight for the chance to eat again, so we wandered the streets in search of a light dinner. We came across a cute place with sidewalk seating on the Piazza S. Spirit next to a basilica by the same name. Per usual, we opted for wine, but in a drastic change from tradition did not order a caprese salad. Jess went with a penne pasta with pesto, tomatoes, and spring onions. I opted for a pizza with black olives, artichokes, onions and salami. Both were exactly what we hoped they would be. As a backdrop to dinner, a concert was in the works. Before the singer took the stage, however, we were treated to the sweet melodies of the Backstreet Boys playing over the speakers. It was hilarious.
The opera itself was alright, though we only stayed through the first act. It was held in St. Mark's English Church, which was beautiful though in need of repair. Our main issue was that it was simply too hot for comfort, and even if the performance had been of very high quality, we would not have been able to really enjoy it in that atmosphere. Instead, we cut our losses and took a stroll through Florence at night, enjoying the view of the Ponte Vecchio reflecting perfectly off the river. It was perhaps the most beautiful scenery of the trip thus far.
Not our photo, but here's what it looked like:
The opera itself was alright, though we only stayed through the first act. It was held in St. Mark's English Church, which was beautiful though in need of repair. Our main issue was that it was simply too hot for comfort, and even if the performance had been of very high quality, we would not have been able to really enjoy it in that atmosphere. Instead, we cut our losses and took a stroll through Florence at night, enjoying the view of the Ponte Vecchio reflecting perfectly off the river. It was perhaps the most beautiful scenery of the trip thus far.
Not our photo, but here's what it looked like:
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Wine Country
As mentioned in the last post, we had some issues with getting a rental car. The solution was to switch our reserved wine and food tasting to today and take the bus. We were told to call the winery this morning to learn if they could accommodate us with the change of dates. Through the morning, calls were either unanswered, received busy signals, or reached only non-English speakers. We finally made progress at 10am and learned that they had rebooked us. We quickly walked to the bus station and paid 7 Euros for a 10:30am bus to Greve in Chianti, stopping at Greti.
Due to traffic in Florence, we arrived in Greti at around 11:35. The winery bus instructions told us to follow the signs and walk up the hill to the Castello di Verrazzano, which would take 20 minutes. This was a dirty, dirty lie. If you've ever seen a postcard or movie clip with a Tuscan villa high in the hills above a town, that's what we had to climb. It was steep, hot, and dusty, but we made it up only a few minutes after 12:00 and caught up with our tour group.
The tour was enjoyable, and we got to see the vineyards, olive groves, the Castello itself, and learn about the specifics of Chianti Classico. At least for me, the most interesting part was seeing the barrels they use. Instead of the classic barrel, theirs are 6-8 feet in diameter, are used up to 15 times, and can hold upwards of 4,000 bottles worth of wine. Jessica liked seeing the old wine bottles from the early 1900's in their museum. But for both of us, the best part was the tasting.
We got to sample their Rose di Verrazzano, Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, a single vineyard Chianti Classico Riserva, their Super Tuscan, and their Vin Santo white dessert wine. With that, we had bread with their own olive oil, many different types of salami and proscietto including head cheese (like salami, but made from meat and fat from a boar's head), penne pasta with a delicious tomato sauce, white beans, green salad with olive oil, ham, and finally a cheese plate dessert. With the cheese, we received a small spoonful of 10 year old aged Verrazzo balsamic to add. It was heaven.
We were also encouraged to dip biscotti into the dessert wine, which we found accentuated the alcohol flavor. Without the biscotti, it tasted more like a port wine. We found that preferable. In the tour, we learned that the Vin Santo dessert wine was made by hanging the grapes and letting them dry for three months after picking. This concentrates the flavor and sugar, leading to the high alcohol wine that is on par with fortified wines.
We also enjoyed meeting the other three couples around the table. As it turns out, all three had driven by us in our hike up the hill, and all three offered us a ride back down. We took one couple upnon the offer. Towards the end of the meal, I went to go pay, and the lady with whom we would soon be enjoying a ride down the hill presented us with a bottle of wine as a honeymoon gift. It was incredibly nice of her and her husband, and we plan to enjoy it in Siena.
Due to traffic in Florence, we arrived in Greti at around 11:35. The winery bus instructions told us to follow the signs and walk up the hill to the Castello di Verrazzano, which would take 20 minutes. This was a dirty, dirty lie. If you've ever seen a postcard or movie clip with a Tuscan villa high in the hills above a town, that's what we had to climb. It was steep, hot, and dusty, but we made it up only a few minutes after 12:00 and caught up with our tour group.
The tour was enjoyable, and we got to see the vineyards, olive groves, the Castello itself, and learn about the specifics of Chianti Classico. At least for me, the most interesting part was seeing the barrels they use. Instead of the classic barrel, theirs are 6-8 feet in diameter, are used up to 15 times, and can hold upwards of 4,000 bottles worth of wine. Jessica liked seeing the old wine bottles from the early 1900's in their museum. But for both of us, the best part was the tasting.
We got to sample their Rose di Verrazzano, Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, a single vineyard Chianti Classico Riserva, their Super Tuscan, and their Vin Santo white dessert wine. With that, we had bread with their own olive oil, many different types of salami and proscietto including head cheese (like salami, but made from meat and fat from a boar's head), penne pasta with a delicious tomato sauce, white beans, green salad with olive oil, ham, and finally a cheese plate dessert. With the cheese, we received a small spoonful of 10 year old aged Verrazzo balsamic to add. It was heaven.
We were also encouraged to dip biscotti into the dessert wine, which we found accentuated the alcohol flavor. Without the biscotti, it tasted more like a port wine. We found that preferable. In the tour, we learned that the Vin Santo dessert wine was made by hanging the grapes and letting them dry for three months after picking. This concentrates the flavor and sugar, leading to the high alcohol wine that is on par with fortified wines.
We also enjoyed meeting the other three couples around the table. As it turns out, all three had driven by us in our hike up the hill, and all three offered us a ride back down. We took one couple upnon the offer. Towards the end of the meal, I went to go pay, and the lady with whom we would soon be enjoying a ride down the hill presented us with a bottle of wine as a honeymoon gift. It was incredibly nice of her and her husband, and we plan to enjoy it in Siena.
Monday, September 12, 2011
It was the Best of Times...
Yesterday we did some urban hiking up the steps of the Campinile, which is part of the Duomo's complex of buildings. After paying our 6 euro, we took the first of 414 steps to reach the top. Luckily there were 2 landings to rest and enjoy the view at along the way, or I might have died. It was steep, and the further up one goes, the narrower the stairs get until at points you are winding up stairs to short to fit a whole foot on, and so tightly wound that you can only see 6-7 steps ahead. Still, it was worth it. The view from the top was incredible. Sadly, all those photos are on the camera, not the iPad, so they'll be posted sometime down the road.
After working our way down, which was easier though slightly difficult for me due to a fear of heights, we wandered over to the main line for the Duomo. Upon reaching the front, we learned that the exposed shoulders Jess was sporting by method of tank top wouldn't fly. No big deal since our hotel was 2 minutes away and the line only took us a few minutes to get through. Redressed, we returned and entered successfully. We took in the towering frescos, the beautiful marble floors, and the incredible dome. Though large, the Dumomo is not filled with artwork and did not take a ton of time. We actually spent more time next door at the museo dell'opera del duomo, which holds much of the original artwork and sculpture from the duomo complex. I loved it, and there was finally something in English to read so I would know what I was looking at!
Later in the day, we decided to double check the car rental situation as we plan to drive from Florence to Siena. It turns out that Florence has an automatic transmission deficit. My 2 disparate weeks of practice on manual transmissions with my brother's car in high school and Jessica's one practice session with a friend won't cut it in this crazy traffic. We're working on alternatives.
For dinner, we found ourselves at Acqua ai 2, a quaint restaurant that focuses on sampler plates. You can either order specific dishes, or samplers of salads, cheeses, pastas, and/or meat dishes. We decided to each start with a house salad. I know what you're thinking, "Jessica didn't get a caprese salad?". Not to worry, the house salad is caprese. Following that, Jess had the pasta sampler and I got a steak with a blueberry reduction sauce. Her pastas included fusili with porcine mushrooms, macaroni with gorgonzola creme sauce, rigatoni pomodoro, penne with broccoli creme sauce, and finally a pasta with bell pappers. Sadly, we didn't think about her aversion to mushrooms and blue cheese, but I found them all delicious so we shared plates. The steak I ordered was the real hit, however, and currently ranks as the best tasting dish I've had in Italy. If you're in Florence, don't leave without ordering it. Fully stuffed, we stopped for gelato and then turned around to call it a night.
After working our way down, which was easier though slightly difficult for me due to a fear of heights, we wandered over to the main line for the Duomo. Upon reaching the front, we learned that the exposed shoulders Jess was sporting by method of tank top wouldn't fly. No big deal since our hotel was 2 minutes away and the line only took us a few minutes to get through. Redressed, we returned and entered successfully. We took in the towering frescos, the beautiful marble floors, and the incredible dome. Though large, the Dumomo is not filled with artwork and did not take a ton of time. We actually spent more time next door at the museo dell'opera del duomo, which holds much of the original artwork and sculpture from the duomo complex. I loved it, and there was finally something in English to read so I would know what I was looking at!
Later in the day, we decided to double check the car rental situation as we plan to drive from Florence to Siena. It turns out that Florence has an automatic transmission deficit. My 2 disparate weeks of practice on manual transmissions with my brother's car in high school and Jessica's one practice session with a friend won't cut it in this crazy traffic. We're working on alternatives.
For dinner, we found ourselves at Acqua ai 2, a quaint restaurant that focuses on sampler plates. You can either order specific dishes, or samplers of salads, cheeses, pastas, and/or meat dishes. We decided to each start with a house salad. I know what you're thinking, "Jessica didn't get a caprese salad?". Not to worry, the house salad is caprese. Following that, Jess had the pasta sampler and I got a steak with a blueberry reduction sauce. Her pastas included fusili with porcine mushrooms, macaroni with gorgonzola creme sauce, rigatoni pomodoro, penne with broccoli creme sauce, and finally a pasta with bell pappers. Sadly, we didn't think about her aversion to mushrooms and blue cheese, but I found them all delicious so we shared plates. The steak I ordered was the real hit, however, and currently ranks as the best tasting dish I've had in Italy. If you're in Florence, don't leave without ordering it. Fully stuffed, we stopped for gelato and then turned around to call it a night.
Did I Mention the Food?
In Sorrento, we were treated to daily to a fabulous breakfast buffet. My favorite item was the tomatoes with basil, which were incredibly sweet and flavorful. Jess was never without the fingerling potatoes, which were in the same pan as the European style bacon and absorbed some of those flavors. Overall, the flavors were simple but good, an approach that seems to be consistent in Italy.
Thus far, Jess has opted for caprese salads (tomato, basil, mozzarella) whenever possible and has become a connoisseur of the dish. Her favorite thus far was in Sorrento has was a half tomato that had been cut such that it held together at the base but opened like a flower. Diced mozzarella and basil had been sprinkled across the top and then lightly drizzles with olive oil. It was fantastic. In fact, as a rule, the tomatoes here are always tremendous. Once or twice the caprese has fallen flat, but she usually rectifies the situation by adding salt and pepper and then drizzling the plate with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Today she went for the caprese panini on focaccia, which was another winner.
In order to keep trip costs down, we've stopped by markets and bought our own supply of smoked mozzarella, salami, crostini, and other snacks. Most importantly, we also discovered the Charles Shaw of Italy, a wine in a carton and have kept that stocked as well (photo below) It's not good, but it's not bad either. It is refreshing, though, after walking the city.
No trip to Italy would be complete without Gelato. We've been three times thus far and sampled flavors such as toasted banana, raspberry, lime, ginger, and orange creme. All were very good. We did visit one gelato shop in Florence listed as the best ice creme in the world according to one of our guidebooks. It seemed a sizable claim to make, but they may have earned the distinction. We'll be going back (hopefully daily) while here.
Jess has had a worse luck than I when it comes to ordering food. Both a spaghetti with meatballs and a fettucini alfredo dish came with a lack of flavor. The Sorrento dishes generally were lightly sauced and had a minimum dose of salt, both crimes deserving of death sentences in Jessica's book. Even though I prefer lightly salted dishes, I still agreed that the spaghetti in particular tasted like a college student's first try using canned tomato sauce and nothing else to season the pasta. With the spaghetti, the waiter did ask in a typical Italian accent, "You no like my spaghetti?" Jess feigned being full and left still somewhat content given the perfect caprese starter.
On the other hand, I've made out well on the food front. My first meal, spaghetti and clams from the hotel restaurant, was very good and had more clams than I knew what to do with. A few days later I followed the theme with linguini ai frutti di mare and was again rewarded with a flavorful dish well stocked with the sea's finest delicacies. With the second dish, we were sitting outside in a cute alleyway that belongs on a postcard, and the meal would have been perfect save for the spaghetti fiasco. Luckily we were rewarded for our continued efforts in Florence (photo of Osteria del Porrellino below) with a series of solid dishes in a wonderful atmosphere that made us feel like we had finally found the Italy everyone talks about.
Ciao, and here's to gastronomical exploration!
Thus far, Jess has opted for caprese salads (tomato, basil, mozzarella) whenever possible and has become a connoisseur of the dish. Her favorite thus far was in Sorrento has was a half tomato that had been cut such that it held together at the base but opened like a flower. Diced mozzarella and basil had been sprinkled across the top and then lightly drizzles with olive oil. It was fantastic. In fact, as a rule, the tomatoes here are always tremendous. Once or twice the caprese has fallen flat, but she usually rectifies the situation by adding salt and pepper and then drizzling the plate with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Today she went for the caprese panini on focaccia, which was another winner.
In order to keep trip costs down, we've stopped by markets and bought our own supply of smoked mozzarella, salami, crostini, and other snacks. Most importantly, we also discovered the Charles Shaw of Italy, a wine in a carton and have kept that stocked as well (photo below) It's not good, but it's not bad either. It is refreshing, though, after walking the city.
No trip to Italy would be complete without Gelato. We've been three times thus far and sampled flavors such as toasted banana, raspberry, lime, ginger, and orange creme. All were very good. We did visit one gelato shop in Florence listed as the best ice creme in the world according to one of our guidebooks. It seemed a sizable claim to make, but they may have earned the distinction. We'll be going back (hopefully daily) while here.
Jess has had a worse luck than I when it comes to ordering food. Both a spaghetti with meatballs and a fettucini alfredo dish came with a lack of flavor. The Sorrento dishes generally were lightly sauced and had a minimum dose of salt, both crimes deserving of death sentences in Jessica's book. Even though I prefer lightly salted dishes, I still agreed that the spaghetti in particular tasted like a college student's first try using canned tomato sauce and nothing else to season the pasta. With the spaghetti, the waiter did ask in a typical Italian accent, "You no like my spaghetti?" Jess feigned being full and left still somewhat content given the perfect caprese starter.
On the other hand, I've made out well on the food front. My first meal, spaghetti and clams from the hotel restaurant, was very good and had more clams than I knew what to do with. A few days later I followed the theme with linguini ai frutti di mare and was again rewarded with a flavorful dish well stocked with the sea's finest delicacies. With the second dish, we were sitting outside in a cute alleyway that belongs on a postcard, and the meal would have been perfect save for the spaghetti fiasco. Luckily we were rewarded for our continued efforts in Florence (photo of Osteria del Porrellino below) with a series of solid dishes in a wonderful atmosphere that made us feel like we had finally found the Italy everyone talks about.
Ciao, and here's to gastronomical exploration!
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