Category Archives: Italy

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A year ago today

Last year we spent November and part of December in the small coastal village of Positano on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Through November the village is winding down. The tourist season has ended and hotels and restaurants are closing up, taking a break until the next spring.

Eden Roc Hotel was our second home. The Casola family who own the hotel also own Villa Greta – our place, and extended the hospitality of the hotel to us. On hot days we could lie by the pool and evenings out often started or ended with a drink in the hotel bar looked after by the lovely Carlo.

Eden Roc hotel closed at the end of November so on the 30th it only seemed right for us and the dogs to wander the 500 metres along the road and say farewell to what had become our “mother ship”.

Everyone at the hotel seemed relaxed and the wine was flowing a little freer than usual. The family patriarch (who had been quite ill but seemed to be on the mend) was in the hotel and insisted on buying us a drink or two or three. It ended up being a big night.

Which explains the photo – taken about 3pm the next day – when all the Mowday girls were sound asleep on the bed, one of them nursing a sizeable hangover.

A year ago today – triumph and tragedy
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A year ago today – triumph and tragedy

It began as a day like all others as the sun climbed over the Crete hills to the east – except that we were up early enough to enjoy the sunrise and completely confuse our girls when we gave them each a pat on the head and departed for Siena. We were cutting it fine and the mood in the car was sombre. There was none of the usual banter as we headed along the SR2 into Siena.

Thankfully we didn’t get stuck behind any of the local autobuses on the way and as we drove through the Porta Tufi and into the old city to park we had 10 minutes left for the walk to the Campo.

It was Rugby World Cup final day. Half a world away two teams were about to go head to head to determine who were world champions – our might All Blacks or the unpredictable and dynamic French.

We arrived at the bar in time to find a seat amongst the small but growing number of New Zealand fans and the far more numerous French fans. We ordered our usual RWC colazione (breakfast) – cappuccino and tea, followed by white wine and birra. The discipline required to start drinking at 8am was something we had mastered over the preceding 6 weeks as we had watched the pool games, the quarter finals and the semi finals. In fact we were well known in the bar and our order arrived at the table the same time we did.

The game was engrossing. What everyone expected to be an easy All Black victory became an arm wrestle with the French doing what they do best – being unpredictable and playing ten times better than they did in the early rounds of the tournament – and with 15 minutes to go the score was 8-7 to the All Blacks. The remained of the match was agonising with neither team able to get in the killing blow.

The tension in that little bar in Siena was palpable. The Kiwis had gone quiet while the French supporters were vocal as the underdogs refused to roll over.

Victory for the All Blacks, when it came, was more relief than triumph.

After congratulations all round we left the bar and stepped out into the sunlight of the Campo. We headed to our usual bar – Al Mangia – to celebrate with a glass or two of Prosecco.

At Al Mangia the talk was not of rugby but of motorcycling. Motorcycle ace and local hero Marco Simoncelli had died after falling off his bike in the Malaysian MotoGP earlier that morning and the bar patrons were noticeably affected. Simoncelli was just 24 years old.

It was, it turned out, a day of triumph overshadowed by tragedy.

In defence of photo albums
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In defence of photo albums

An early casualty of the digital photo revolution was the traditional photo album. During our stay in the UK and Italy last year I took 4,626 photos. Of that vast number exactly none have been printed out.

They are all stored on my iMac, and on two back up drives that sit humming away next to it. If we want to show people the photos we gather around  the television and run a slide show with commentary provided by Jean and I as our guest’s eyes slowly glaze over.

We have lost the tactile fun that is a photo album – and we were reminded of this when my brother and his wife visited last weekend. They had just returned from a trip to Texas and the East Coast of the USA. Upon returning, brother Geoff had taken the memory card from his camera to the local photo printing place and returned with 6×4 glossies. All of which are now in photo albums.

Going through them was a pleasure. All of us huddled around the albums as they were passed around. Fingers pointing at certain shots and describing the situation that went before or after. Turning pages to connect one shot with another. We spent an hour going through them and didn’t realise where the time went.

So here’s the thing. If you’ve got all your photographs sitting on hard drives or CDs of DVDs, go non-digital and print off an album or two. I intend to.

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The book of the blog

I started writing this post as an endorsement of a fantastic service for turning your blog posts into a book – Feedfabrik.com. But I’ve just learnt that, due to problems between the partners, they have stopped taking orders, their website is offline, and it is unlikely to return anytime soon.

I first used Feedfabrik last year to produce a simple black and white book of the first 100 toscanakiwi posts which we had delivered to our cottage in Tuscany. We carefully carried it around Europe on our travels and it’s sitting, slightly battered and beaten up, in the bookcase next to me.

A month ago I ordered two volumes of blog posts (about 200 posts in all) hard bound on high quality paper and in full colour because they produce the pictures that go with blog posts as well as the writing. The books arrived last week and they look absolutely stunning.

It is a real shame that others won’t be able to make use of this excellent service in the foreseeable future.

Our thanks to the team at Feedfabrik.com. We love your work and hope that you’ll be back soon.

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This is a post I’ve been dreading

Yesterday we lost our wee girl Daisy. After fifteen years and seven months her big heart finally gave out and she slipped peacefully away. We will miss her terribly but we will always remember the stubborn and determined, but intensely loyal and devoted little girl she was.

Our lovely vet Laura has, for the last year or so, referred to her as our medical miracle – which she was.

We will think of her simply as our Daisy, our little girl.

Daisy  1997 – 2012.

Daisy asleep in the cottage on our clothes – Tuscany, June 2011

One year ago today

July 12 2011 – we were staying in the lovely Villa Greta in Positano on the Amalfi Coast. It was a scorching hot day with the temperature hovering in the low 30′s (celsius) with hardly a breath of wind. The ideal day to wander down to the beach – in this case our local, Arienzo Beach. “Local” means directly below Villa Greta down 239 steps. All very well going down but an absolute nightmare coming up on a hot day. But well worth it for a lie in the sun and a fine pasta lunch at the beach club.

July 12 2012 – I was sitting in my study in Casa Kainui, Wellington. The sun was shining and I thought about taking a wander down to our local beach – Hataitai Beach. The temperature was hovering in the low 10′s (celsius) with a brisk wind blowing from the south- no, it’s not quite the same.

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A taste of Italy

Every time Jean and I feel homesick for Italy we make the pilgrimage to MariLuca Ristoro. It is owned and run by a friend, Guiseppie, and stepping through the door feels like stepping back to Italy. It’s all warmth and friendliness and excellent Italian food, all in the heart of Wellington.

Bellisssimo.

Note: photos are courtesy of MariLuca Ristoro

An Echo of Tuscany

Every so often, as we sit here in the middle of Wellington’s winter, there is an echo of our time in Italy. Over the weekend we hung a picture on the wall. It was painted by our friend and talented artist Daniele, the partner of Olga our guardian angel in Tuscany.

Dani and Olga gave us the painting when we left Italy last year. It is a watercolor of Tuscany which, for us, summed up the beauty and simplicity of the region. Jean managed to get the painting all the way home undamaged and has had it framed. Last weekend it took pride of place on our wall.

Every time we look at it we think of friends and lazy afternoons sitting in the sun, talking, drinking (a little) and living la dolce vita.

Family advice

My nephew’s girlfriend and her sister are planning a trip to Tuscany in September. We have been asked for some advice on where to stay and what to do in and around Tuscany.

It sounds as if the girls are looking for an authentic experience so rather than staying in hotels they are keen to get closer to the locals and try a villa for a week. They also want to know what to do and see in Tuscany. Here goes…

Where to stay?

Tuscany isn’t huge but basing yourself in the right place makes seeing the sights much easier and cuts down on driving time. We have traditionally based ourselves around Siena or just north of Siena in the Chainti region. This means that Firenze (Florence) is only an hour away to the north, Cortona is a little more to the east and some of the finest Chianti vineyards are on your doorstep.

It’s also an easy drive to the popular villages of San Gimignano to the west and Pienza, Montalcino and Montepulciano in the south.

Pisa is about an hour on from Firenze if leaning towers are your thing. And the eternal city of Rome is only two and a half hours south on the A1.

The villa

Tuscany is full of villas for rent and companies who rent them out. There are big operators like “Tuscany Now” (tuscanynow.com) and “Cottages to Castles” (cottagestocastles.com) who have hundreds of properties on their books. We’ve used both of these and have not been disappointed but our first point of contact will always be “Chiantimania” (chiantimania.com) and the lovely Olga and Francesca who run the business.

They are a small company with a collection of exclusive villas largely located in the Chianti region between Siena and Firenze. The villas feel more like homes rather than rentals and they have villas that can cater for all size groups. Chiantimania can also organise vineyard tours, olive oil tastings and Tuscan cooking classes. Olga found us our cottage last year in the Crete Senesi region just south of Siena. Given our modest budget she really had to hunt to find it but did a superb job.

And when dealing with Olga and Francesca nothing is too much trouble.

Things to look for in a villa:

  • A swimming pool – September will be hot
  • Air conditioning or insect screens on the windows.

Top tip: villas are rented from Saturday to Saturday. Many shops are shut on Sunday so make sure you visit the local Supermercato on Saturday afternoon and stock up for the next few days at least.

Getting Around

Tuscany is a part of the world that can only really be seen by car, bus or Vespa. There are trains running between some towns but for a truly independent experience a car is the best option. One word of warning, the major motorway system in Italy is superb but beyond that, roads can be a mixed bag. In a number of ways:

1) The quickest way between two points is a straight line – this is not a philosophy used much in the Tuscany countryside. Quite often what may look like a short trip on a map is a winding, twisting road. Generally in the countryside averaging 40km/h is pretty good. Having said that, the locals seem to be able to average twice that on the same roads so maybe it’s just us.

2) A road on the map is not always what it seems – in fact many roads marked on maps are what are called “white roads”.In kiwi speak that would be a dirt road. It’s not unusual but you just have to be aware that sometimes the asphalt turns to gravel and 80% of the time that doesn’t mean you’re lost or about to drive up someone’s driveway.

Of course the other 20% of the time it does.

Places to see

Where do you start? Based on our own experience and comments made by our visitors last year, the places liked most were:

Siena

Take a full day to explore Siena. Places to see include the main piazza in the old part of the city called the Campo ringed by buildings and dominated by the Torre de Mangia (tower). A climb to the top of the torre is a great way to see Siena and the surrounding countryside – but with it being 400 steps, it’s something for the fit and healthy.

It’s only a short walk from the Campo to the Duomo (cathedral) and even the non-religious should take a tour. Siena is also great for shopping which can be followed by a drink a Al Mangia bar on the edge of the Campo. This is a prime spot for that most Italian pass time – people watching.

Dinner choices in Siena are multiple. Al Mangia in the Campo is the place to be seen. The food is good but expensive and the view across the Campo is superb. Our favourite place is Osteria di Bigelli also in the Campo around the northern side (see Siena map). The food is very authentic, beautifully cooked and always a pleasure to eat. The service is friendly and helpful and the staff speak excellent english.

Top tip: parking a car in Siena can be difficult, particularly on Wednesday as that is market day. We use “il Campo” underground carpark (see Siena map). It’s about a 5 minute walk to the centre of Siena through the university grounds – very pleasant.

Florence

Or Firenze as the locals say. Firenze is definitely a day trip, possibly two days if you really want to get the most out of it. Visit the Duomo, the real David in the Galleria Accademia, Piazza della Signora with the other David, the Ufizi gallery, the Ponte Vecchio or as much as you can fit in.

If seeing David is your thing then make sure you book a ticket on the internet in advance to avoid the queues. Standing in line in the hot sun for hours is a sure way to sour a visit to Florence.

Florence is also great for shopping – gold, leather and anything designer. The area between the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno River, and the Duomo is packed with stores. When it comes time to eat we suggest getting off the main streets as the quality of food increases noticeably and the cost reduces dramatically.

On the way into or out of Firenze visit Piazza Michelangelo on the hill overlooking the city for the perfect photo opportunity. It will be you and about 1,000 other visitors to Firenze but it’s worth it.

Top tip: if driving to Firenze parking can be tricky. We always use a garage called Garage Ponte Vecchio at 46 Via de’ Bardi (see Firenze map). It’s a stones throw from the Ponte Vecchio and is located on the left of the road just before the roads become closed to public cars. It is expensive (8 Euro an hour) but it is right in the middle of Florence so saves a huge amount of walking time. There are many other carparks in the city but they can be hard to find and can be a twenty minute or half hour walk to the Ponte Vecchio. That’s a long way on a hot summer day.

San Gimignano – see Tuscany map

The quintessential Italian hilltop village famous for its towers of which 7 of the original 40 remain. It’s about 30 minutes drive from Siena and has impressed everyone we’ve taken there. It’s full of shops, bars and restaurants and is a mecca for tourists. In September the tourist rush is abating so it’s even better.

Top tip: Try gelato from the shop in the main piazza. It has won many, many awards – all displayed around the shop entrance.

Castellina/Radda/Panzano/Greve – see Chianti map

A cluster of small villages in Chianti which are worth a day trip. Traditional Chianti hilltop villages with Greve, built along a river, being the exception. Greve has a large triangular piazza worth wandering around. A must see/smell/taste experience in Greve is Macelleria Falorni, the butcher and deli on the far side of the piazza – look for the pig shaped sign hanging outside.

Castellina and Radda in Chianti are what you have always imagined Tuscan villages to be. Narrow streets and open piazza’s with a mix of local merchants and tourist shops vying for your attention. Washing hangs from second story rails above your head and there is always the clatter of dishes, the smell of food and the sounds of families enjoying siesta.

Buonconvento/Montalcino/Pienza/ San Quirico d’Orcia/Montepulciano – see Tuscany map

South of Siena this was very much our “home turf” and a trip through these villages can be done in a long day. This is the typical rolling hills, sunflowers, cypress tree part of Tuscany so take a camera and don’t be afraid to stop on the side of the road for a shot. Pienza is stunning with views over the valley below and is also the home of pecorino cheese – you have to try some. Montalcino is famous for Brunello wine. Expensive but like velvet to drink.

Top tip: if you can be in Buonconvento for dinner then eat at Marios on the main street in the old part of the town. If it’s warm ask to eat in the courtyard out back. The food is simple authentic Tuscan and delicious. Be adventurous – pheasant, quail, duck or local boar are all great.

Cortona

We’ve been to Cortona twice and both times it has rained so we aren’t huge Cortona fans. It has caché from the book “Under a Tuscan Sun” so is worth a visit if you have time. The book also means it is a mecca for tourists – mainly American.

Frances Mayes villa Bramasole is behind the town. Apparently she has sold it because of all the tourists arriving to say hello to her.

Assisi and Lucca

Both these places have been recommended to us but we have not got there yet. Assisi is actually in Umbria but apparently is amazing. In a week these might be a drive to far.

Other stuff

1) Learn some Italian and don’t be afraid to use it, the locals will appreciate it. To arrange for lessons – or even a single lesson contact the delightful Mauro at Saena Aiulia, our language school in Siena.

2) What about visiting a hairdresser in Italy. We have tried a few and they are all artists, doing things with scissors that would baffle most kiwi hairdressers. Our favourite is Salvatore Sangiovanni who owns System Parrucchieri in Siena. He can perform wonders – everyone who walks out looks like a model. Jean swears by him and would fly back for her next cut and colour if she could.

System Parrucchieri is located on Via Giovanni Dupre, 28 – Siena, it’s marked on the Siena map.

3) Try buying meat from a local butcher or deli rather than the supermercato. The experience is fantastic and the meat they supply is a cut and a half above the supermercato.

4) GPS is a miracle. Accept that and use one to get where you want to go. But keep a good old fashioned map handy as they are great for context.

But the best part of Tuscany …

will be the part the girls discover for themselves, and that’s what it’s all about.

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Farewell Renault, hello Fiat

On Saturday we returned our trusty Renault Megane Estate. Its 6 month lease was over and we couldn’t extend the term any further. It has been a fantastic car – reliable, spacious, comfortable, fast, economical, everything you could want. We returned it almost intact to the Renault Depot at Heathrow, just a couple of scrapes on one side resulting from trying to squeeze into a narrow driveway in Firenze.

We will miss its luggage capacity, its start/stop button (just like an Aston Martin) and the way its side mirrors folded in when parked. We won’t miss its cable gear shift which meant that second and fourth seemed to be in the same place, or the cacophony of beeping that greeted any parking manoeuvre thanks to the front and rear parking sensors.

So what car would you get as a replacement for a capacious, comfortable estate car? A Fiat 500 of course.

The irony that all through Italy we drove French cars and now in the UK we drive the quintessential Italian car is not lost on Jean and I. The irony that we have an estate cars worth of luggage and the 500 is about the size of a roller-skate is also not lost on us.

But it’s a Fiat and a really good one at that. It handles like a go-cart, it looks cute and it just makes you, well, smile.

It’s ours for the next two weeks or until Mr Avis wants it back again.

Note: The photo of our Fiat 500 was taken at Woburn Estate just before sunset. I quite like this shot.

And now we turn 200
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And now we turn 200

This is our 200th toscanakiwi post. When we started the blog it was to keep friends and family informed about our little adventure in Italy. But reading back over some of the last 200 entries I now realise it is also a collection of memories for Jean and I. It might be old age or just the passing of time but little things get forgotten and one adventure gets confused with another in our minds – but the blog is always there with the real story.

In September 2011, post number 100 was sent from our cottage in Tuscany. At that stage around 4,800 visitors had read the blog since it’s launch. As of today that figure has increased to 11,541.

A huge thank you to all our lovely readers. Your feedback is always welcome and knowing that our adventures are providing a little interest and entertainment is all that we can ask for.

Ciao

Graeme and Jean

Looking back at 2011

Last year was quite a ride for Jean and I and the girls. We started it in our home in Wellington, New Zealand, doing what we have done for the last 20 years and ended it in a pub in the English countryside doing what we enjoy most – celebrating with friends.

In between we rented our house, quit our jobs and moved the family halfway around the world to spend 9 months in Italy. Going through some of the 3,915 photos I’ve taken since leaving New Zealand brings back memories. Here are a selection covering the full 9 months. Some we’ve used in previous blog posts but others are new. Enjoy.

Through the Alps

Our trip north meant a trip through the French Alps. We originally planned to travel through Torino and then north to the Mount Blanc Tunnel but this route was closed the day we were travelling. We travelled to Torino and then headed northwest towards France and the Fréjus Road Tunnel which runs under Col du Fréjus in the Cottian Alps between Bardonecchia in Italy and Modane in France.

The tunnel is 13 kilometres long and was opened in 1980. It is the fifth longest road tunnel in the world and cost just under €2 billion to build. The French and Italian governments are clearly attempting to recover this cost with the impressive €35 toll charge.

Either side of the tunnel we had spectacular views of the Alps which our photos don’t really do justice too.

As we were driving Jean was shooting video of the trip.

Cenobio del Dogi in Camogli
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Cenobio del Dogi in Camogli

On the way north we stayed at Cenobio Del Dogi, the same hotel on the Portofino Coast as we did heading south in April. Our conclusion after a second visit was much the same as after our first visit.  This is a grand hotel in the spirit of the 1950s or 1960s and it’s easy to imagine Sophia Loren or Marcello Mastroianni sweeping down the main staircase on their way to drinks and dinner. The owners have resisted the temptation to modernise the hotel and have maintained (at considerable cost I suspect) that wonderful historic feel of a classic grand hotel.

We had drinks and dinner in the bar, surrounded by persian rugs and big easy relaxed armchairs. We had breakfast in the formal dining room with hand painted friezes on the walls and full length windows that showcased the view along the coast. We left wanting to return and spend longer than a night – a week would be a good start.

When in Rome …

We arrived in Rome late in the afternoon and were welcomed by Hotel Barocco with a cheerful smile – nice – and a room upgrade which was even nicer. The room included a terrazzo which only dog owners will understand is a bonus. We had two tired puppies who immediately took to the bed and settled in for a sleep.

Staying in hotels with the girls has a strict arrival routine:

  1. Paper down in the bathroom for doggie toilet if necessary (not so needed with the terrazzo but a safety measure)
  2.  Towels onto the bed to protect the beautiful white linen
  3.  ”Do not disturb” sign on the door so housekeeping doesn’t walk into a cacophony of barking
  4.  Doggie food into the fridge which usually means some drinks coming out – some to drink because we really needed a drink after the drive and some to make space for bags and containers of food
  5.  Dog bowls into the bathroom along with doggie fork and knife ready for dinner
  6.  Time for that drink and to watch some english language TV shows.

After settling in we all went around the corner to La Baita for a drink. The temperature was about 10 degrees but the addition of heaters to the bar meant we were toasty warm. The bar is located at the bottom of Via Veneto and looking up the street you could see the Christmas lights adorning the hotels. There is much time and effort put into decorating the area for Christmas – all very much appreciated by this kiwi contingent.

The next day we went to the Trevi Fountain and, for €2 thrown over our left shoulders, we ensured our return to Rome. Even in winter the fountain attracts visitors but there isn’t the absolute human crush of summer. We could actually sit and enjoy the sights for a few minutes.

That night we dined at the restaurant Trip Advisor rates as the 71st best restaurant in Rome from the 3,400 it rates. It happened to be about 20 metres from our hotel and was called Osteria Barberini. We were greeted like part of the family and the service throughout the meal was a delight.

The food was simple Italian fare but superbly done. We had entrees – one was a mix of bruschetta, the other fresh (really fresh), locally made mozzarella with rucola and pomodoro (rocket and tomatoes) followed by classic prima piatti – Spaghetti Carbonara and home-made Lasagne, all washed down with an Italian Chardonnay. Desserts of Pannacotta and Creme Brulee were followed by complimentary Limoncello and a wee stagger back to the hotel.

All up the meal cost €55 which was unbelievable value. If you go to Rome you have to try this place. If you’re not visiting soon, read the Trip Advisor reviews to get a flavour of the place – ours will be there soon.

The next day we repacked the car to the roof – much to the amusement of the porter at Hotel Barocco  and headed to our next stop. It was Chianti for lunch with our friend Olga and then on to the Portofino Coast for our next overnight stop.