Tag Archives: Tuscany

Let’s go shopping

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When we headed to Europe in April, we didn’t really expect to be here when the weather started to cool down.  As a result, winter clothes weren’t something we brought with us.

But in the last week, althought the days are still sunny and warm, the temperatures at night have started dropping.  It was clearly time to go shopping for something warmer to wear than shorts and a t-shirt.

The good news is that Italy is a great place to shop for clothes.  So stocking up wasn’t difficult.

For those interested, our new winter wardrobe consists of:

His

1)   Geox winter jacket with fur lined hood

2)   Mid grey coat jacket from Sisley

3)   Wool scarf from Sisley

10) Cream V neck jumper

11) Grey and blue round neck jumpers

12) Hilfiger casual boots

Hers

4)   Knee length cream wool coat

5)   Geox winter jacket with removable fur hood

6)   Max & Co grey top with gold buttons

7)   A long woolen top

8)   Assorted pants including Calvin Klein jeans

9)   Classic cream roll neck jumper

13) Geox sports shoes

14) Black nero boots

15) Fur lined suede boots

Having looked at the photo of the clothes Jean’s comment was “where’s the colour”? So that’s something we still need to add as well as some gloves and hats.  After that, bring on winter.

Heading south – again

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Our stay in Tuscany is coming to an end.  We leave at the end of October but our original plans to head home have changed a bit.

We have decided to chase the warm(ish) weather south to Positano and have arranged to stay for 6 weeks at Villa Greta looking out over the ocean. After we spent two weeks there in July we always said it was somewhere we wanted to return.

So, at the end of the week, we pack up the Renault and head south until early December.

It sounds simple when you say it fast but after 6 months we are quite settled in our tiny cottage in Tuscany.  We have a lot to take with us.  Slightly more, we suspect, than our 3 suitcases can carry.

World champions!

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In a bar full of frenchmen, in the heart of Siena, we watched our boys become world champions. After 80 minutes our french friends quietly left as we watched Captain McCaw lift the trophy. It was a special moment. Well done.

And to Kiwis everywhere, enjoy the celebrations.

Poppie relaxing

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Poppie was sitting on Jean’s knee this morning as the sun was streaming in through the window.  For Poppie this is about as good as it gets.

October rain

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The weather forecast for today was a 70% chance of rain.  And for the first time since June the grey clouds gathered and the heavens opened.

In the distance Siena disappeared as the rain enveloped it, only to reappear a few minutes later.

Around us the rain fell straight to earth as there was no wind (a novelty for those from Wellington) and you could hear every drop strike the parched ground.

We have another keen movie maker in the family

Video

I’ve shot a bit of video in Italy over the last few months but now have to relinquish the crown of family filmmaker to Jean. Prompted by our departure from Tuscany at the end of October she put together a movie about our cottage.

Jean shot it so we had something to remember the cottage by but I thought it was worth sharing.

In using a single handheld shot for the whole movie she follows in the footsteps of great directors such as Hitchcock, De Palma and Scorsese.

Enjoy.

Tuscany in three and a half days – day three

Gallery

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This gallery contains 20 photos.

No trip to Tuscany is complete without a visit to Chianti.  We took the back road from Siena through Castellina to Greve.  We couldn’t resist showing Charlie and Isabel the deli in Greve particularly as Isabel’s business is dairy.  Although … Continue reading →

Tuscany in three and a half days – day two

Gallery

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This gallery contains 7 photos.

When thinking about where to take Isabel and Charlie, we decided to focus on the smaller places.  They had already spent some time in Florence before arriving at our place and we felt that most people equated Tuscany with rural … Continue reading →

Tuscany in three and a half days – day one and a half

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Charlie and Isabel arrived on Saturday afternoon having travelled from north of Florence.  I had suggested they text us when they got close to our place which, in this case, meant texting from the carpark “I think we are here”.  The 3kms of dirt road make you wonder where the hell you are the first time you arrive.

We ambled out with the dogs and found them looking around wondering if this was our place or the home of some local family.  Either way they would have been made to feel welcome.

Dinner that night was at our local Pizza restaurant Le Campannia (other summer visitors will know this restaurant) which does excellent pizzas and provides endless free entertainment watching the antics of the locals.

Next morning was the All Black quarter final game so the entire team headed to the Campo at 9am to watch the game.  Clearly word about our World Cup venue is getting out as there were already two holidaying kiwi couples waiting for the game – and with us that meant the crowd swelled to a record eight people.  Nine counting an elderly Italian gentleman who joined us to support the French. He was a day late but still enjoyed the game.

Ninety minutes later it was “job well done” by the lads.  Well sort of well done as there is still some work to do before meeting Australia – and a chance for a wander around Siena before lunch in the sun at Osteria del Bigelli which, once again, did not disappoint with the food.

Jean made her famous kiwi roast pork with gravy for dinner and we washed it down with a very nice Chianti courtesy of our guests.

Rugby, beer, wine, sightseeing and roast pork with gravy.  A top day and a half.

Autumn in Tuscany

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Spending Autumn in Tuscany was not something we were particularly looking forward to.  After the heat of summer the thought of going from the mandatory shorts and sandals to Autumn’s jeans, shoes and socks filled us with loathing.

But Autumn has been a pleasant surprise.  The weather is settled and the days are warm.  It’s an ideal temperature for getting out and seeing things.  Mornings are crisp and sometimes misty but the day warms up enought for an al fresco lunch and a gelato in the afternoon which can be eaten before it melts – something simply not possible in the height of summer.

The countryside has taken on a yellow and orange hue as the trees prepare for winter and the days have got noticeably shorter.  All this has meant is a new and exciting series of sunsets to capture on film.

Autumn sunset

Tuscany in three and a half days

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Arch in Monteriggioni overlooking Tuscan countryside

Gentle readers, you may have noticed a brief pause in posts to toscanakiwi.  We have had visitors from home staying at our place and have taken the last few days to show them some of Tuscany.

We have revisited some places we went with others and explored some places that are new.  Old favourites like San Gimignano have impressed and new places like Monteriggioni have surprised.

Autumn is an ideal time to sightsee as the days are still warm, but not too hot. In summer you sit in the shade at cafes avoiding the sun, but in Autumn you sit in the sun and savour the last of the good weather.

Pictures and stories of our travels will be added over the next few days.

For sale – requires some work, excellent DIY project

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Just up the road from us there is a villa (well what was once a villa) which commands a great view of the area and, in it’s day would have been a grand place to live.

It has an internal courtyard and part of a roof.  As with many old villas it has no real foundations so would require a rebuild from the ground up.  But, given the laws around older villas, you couldn’t change the design during the renovation – or even add in any doors or windows that aren’t already part of the structure.

This type of property, as is, on a couple of acres of land around here – about €500k.  Any takers?

Visitors from home

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Next week we have visitors. Friends from New Zealand are dropping by our place as part of a mixed holiday/business trip to Europe. Isabel and Charlie live in Melbourne but have spent the last couple of weeks travelling from Paris south and we are expecting them to arrive on the 8th. Isabel has a conference to attend in Parma (home of the famous ham) on October 12 so we will have a couple of days to show them the best of Tuscany.

Tuscany in three and a half days. Where do we start?

Last of the summer wine

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As summer turns to autumn, every week there are less and less visitors staying at our place. The days are still fine, sunny and hot – unusual weather the locals say.

From the height of the season when there would be kids, adults and inflatable toys everywhere around the pool, today there was just us. Bliss.

Washday in Siena

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Despite all the advances in the modern home, some things are still best done in the old way.

Clearly very few apartments in Siena have dryers so Saturday mornings the streets are lined with laundry.

Given this washing is hanging over a major road out of Siena I guess nothing says clean and fresh like the lingering odour of “Eau de Two Stroke”.