My FAVORITE place

Wine Casks in a Montepulciano cellar

Tuscany is the most incredible place I have ever been. If Matt and I could drop everything right now and retire (or if we won the lottery!), I think we would probably move into a villa in the rolling hills of Tuscany. I haven't quite decided if I would want olive trees or grape vineyards as my accoutrement to the rolling hills, so I think I might take both. Inside our villa, we'd host dinner parties, have cooking classes, and entertain all our friends and family. It would just be so splendid.

Last May (2006), Matt and I rented a Ford Focus C-Max Diesel and headed south to Italy for an incredible 2 week vacation. We've both wanted to go to Italy but knew that we couldn't just go for a weekend...we would need over a week. Flying would have been easier and cheaper, but one of the main reasons we wanted to go to Italy was to get lost in the tiny, remote towns throughout the countryside sipping some of the best red wine this world has to offer. A rental car could have done the job, but after sipping all the wines we knew that we would want to bring as many of them home as we possibly could--something an airline would prohibit (we would only be able to bring home as much as we could carry). So, the C-Max became our 'mobile' home for our fantastic journeys through Italy.

Our first stop after crossing through Switzerland was Cinque Terra (or 5 lands). Cinque Terra sits on the north west side of Italy up at the top of the peninsula on the Ligurian Sea. It is made up of 5 different cities (hence the name 5 lands) which vastly contrast one another. Several of the cities offer beautiful beaches and others don't have a beach at all. Regardless of the 5 lands, the region is immensely rich in culture and cuisine. The Ligurian's take credit for creating pesto (the basil and garlic paste that you slather on pasta, crostini, or sandwiches) and focaccia bread (the flat, hand pressed bread that is flavored with anything from fresh herbs to meat and olives) and have a cuisine of incredibly fresh seafood. Matt and I stayed in Cinque Terra for a night and had the opportunity to go pesto and focaccia bread hunting. We ended up finding some of the most delicious pestos and the most delicate and aromatic focaccia in the world. It was amazing. The picture on the left was taken from our room's balcony and the one on the right is of Vernazza, the town we stayed in.

From Cinque Terra, we ventured further south to Pisa and then down to Rome. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was quite underwhelming, as we we expecting to see a HUGE 'tower'. Instead, we found a small 'tower' that was as advertised, leaning. It was neat to see, but we were glad we only stopped for about an hour.

When we arrived in Rome, we fully understood why people tell you not to drive in the city. It is chaotic, littered with little one way streets, and overpopulated with scooters. After finally finding our hotel, an active convent, we took off on foot to discover one of the most historic cities in the world. The convent was a random yet great idea as we wanted to try to be as 'local' as we could and we really enjoyed staying with the sisters.

Rome is so rich in culture and history--it's amazing. From the Colosseum and the Forum to the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, and the Vatican, our 4 days there were jam packed with adventure. The Colosseum made both of us want to see the movie, 'The Gladiator,' yet again and it was so surreal to think of all the 'entertainment' that once took place there and of all the important people who once stepped foot inside the stadium. Aside from the Colosseum, we ventured to all the famous Plazas, museums, and ruins that litter the city. In between all the walking and sightseeing, we also managed to find some great food and gelato (we seem to be pretty good at the food hunting!). Roman food isn't our favorite, as the city is better known for its history, however, we did sip delicious red wine and fill up at some of the best hole-in-the-wall local eateries.

From the top, the pictures are of the convent we stayed in, the Forum, the inside of the Colosseum, the Pantheon, a view of the Colosseum from the Forum, and the inside of one of the local dives we found.

After staying in our convent located in the central part of Rome, we drove over to the western side of Rome to the stay at another convent in Vatican City. Although we're not Catholic, we figured that staying at an active convent in the mecca of Catholicism was a once in a lifetime experience. We waited in line for over 2 hours to get inside the Vatican (it was the LONGEST line we have ever and probably will ever stand in) to eventually make it to the Sistine Chapel. The masterpieces painted by Michelangelo are one of the most beautiful and awe inspiring sights the two of us have ever seen. Words can't describe how phenomenal the chapel is, although we both wondered how bad the cricks in Michelangelo's neck must have been. After leaving the Vatican, we headed next door to St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica to see the 'supposed' burial spot of Peter's body. Vatican City, full of Swiss Guards dressed in jester outfits, was a great place, but since we're not Catholic, it was not as 'phenomenal' as everyone else there thought it was. These are pictures of us in St. Peter's Square, a view of St. Peter's Square from the terrace at the top of the dome on the Basilica, pictures of the Sistine Chapel (on the left is Michelangelo's depiction of Creation and the Garden of Eden and on the right is depiction of the Last Judgement) that Matt illegally took, and a picture taken from inside the dome of St. Peter's Basilica looking down into the cathedral.

Since our time in Italy was limited, we decided that we would only venture around the northern parts of Italy and only go as far south as Rome...leaving the rest of Italy for another trip.

So from Rome, we headed east to the town of Civita di Bagnoregio in the Umbrian region. Civita Is a small town that perches on the edge of a cliff where it dominates the wide desolated valley made up of Calanchi (big clay formations). The town's isolation is the result of continuous erosion caused by two streams flowing in the valleys below and by the action of rain and wind: thus it is crumbling away, slowly but inexorably. The ancient town was founded by the Etruscans about 2,500 years ago and was an important city for its position along an ancient road connected to a dense network of trade routes. Today, Civita is an enchanted place, home to only 15 residents (all in their 80s and older) where time seems to have stopped. Across from the Belvedere, linked to the world by a single, narrow bridge 300 meters long, stands Civita, set gently upon its summit, with its tuft of medieval houses. It is known as the 'dying town,' due to the erosion that is slowly destroying what is left of the town. The complete absence of cars makes the atmosphere inside Civita even more unreal and we were grateful that we were able to visit it before it disappears.

After our time in Bagnorigio (we stayed at a great Bed and Breakfast run by a chic 60-something year old Italian woman, Pucci), we jumped back into the car to head to the rolling hills of Tuscany. Tuscany is unlike any other place on earth. It is beautiful, peaceful, and full of spectacular villas that overlook the rolling vineyards. To the left is a picture of the Tuscan hillside.

For our first night in Tuscany, Matt and I stayed in an apartment on an Agriturismo (working farm) in a beautiful Tuscan town. We sipped the farm's wine and olive oil, and managed to buy a few bottles to bring home. It was great. From the Agrituismo, we drove to Montepulciano and Montalcino, the homes of our favorite Italian wines, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. These two cities were breathtaking, not to mention meccas for the wine, olive oil, and cheese lover. I think we purchased the majority of our wine in these two towns and also some great pecorino cheese and a few gallons of olive oil (seriously, gallons). On the right is a picture of the ancient church in Montepulciano and on the bottom left is a picture of the view from Montalcino.

From Montalcino, we headed further north to city of and region of Chianti. Like in the other cities, we sipped our way through the country roads and discovered some delicious Chiantis. Chianti is the other place where we managed to literally pack the C-Max to its full capacity. With the C-Max's tail almost dragging, we made our way to Florence, Italy's home of the arts. While in Florence, we stayed yet again at another convent. It was great and really affordable. This convent actually gave us a double bed instead of two twins, so it was nice to have someone to put my cold feet on at night! During our 3 days in Florence, we were able to see the famous 'David' statue at the Accademia, visit some beautiful museums, see some timeless art, leather, and textiles, and eat more amazing food. The Medici Palace and Duomo were unbelievable as were the Ponte Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery at night. The picture on the left is of the Duomo and the one on the right is of the Uffizi Gallery. I was in heaven with all the beautiful shops and designer clothes...not to mention Italian paper stores and cooking shops. Matt let me buy a pasta machine at one of the cooking shops so that I can make homemade pasta at home. We've already used it and it's wonderful. The pictures on the right are of (the top pic) the Arno River that flows in the middle of Florence and of the Uffizi Gallery. On the left are pictures of the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio.

The highlight of my trip to Italy was the gift Matt arranged for me for my birthday. Before heading down to Italy, Matt signed me up for a private cooking class in a Tuscan villa on the outskirts of Florence. The two of us participated in a day of Italian food preparation (we made homemade pasta, fresh carchofi (artichoke) lasagne, pizza, several different sauces, sea bass, and panna cotta) and had an absolute blast. It was one of the best birthday presents ever (the best was our engagement in 2003!) and Matt did an incredible job with all the planning. If I won the lottery, I would open up a Tuscan cooking school in a heartbeat! Here are pictures of the villa where the cooking class took place and a picture of us with our Italian cooking school chef.

After our days of wine tasting in Tuscany, it was time to head back towards Germany. I couldn't return home without stopping in one of the richest cooking regions of Italy, so Matt was kind enough to let me stop in Bologna for a night. Bologna, located in the Emilia-Romana region, is the home of Bolognase sauce, lasagne, and many 'al forno' Italian dishes. Together, we had a great time searching for the best Bolognase sauce and lasagne in the city. If only we could get paid to do this!

Bologna was fantastic, but it was time to really head home. Luckily, RyanAir (a cheap airline here in Europe) flies into Bologna, so Matt said I am free to return there whenever I want. On the drive out, Matt let us stop in Parma and also Modena. Parma is the home of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto di Parma ham, and Modena is the home of balsamic vinegar. After all the eating we had done in those 14 days, we managed to have room for one of the most amazing meals in Italy. The 4 table reservations-only restaurant called Hosteria Giusti, located behind its butcher shop, served us gourmet Italian food with an amazing homemade Lambrusco wine. It was our most expensive meal in Italy, but well worth it. After the meal, the restaurant even let us take part in a private balsamic vinegar tasting. It was beyond amazing. Matt put his foot down at my idea of purchasing their 30-year old balsamic vinegar--it was only 3 ounces and cost over 100 euro. It was absolutely incredible though. Below is a picture of the dining room of Hosteria Giusti.

If the C-Max wasn't already full enough, we managed to fit about a kilo of aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese found at a local cheese market in Parma and a few bottles of balsamic vinegar from Modena into the tiny crevices that remained in the car.

Loaded to the limit, Matt and I made our way back to our house in Germany well fed, well versed in olive oil, red wine, and balsamic vinegar, and well travelled. We had a wonderful time together (we had a GPS in the car!) and look forward to returning to Italy as soon as we get another chance. Despite the lack of punctuality the Italian's possess, Italy is a beautiful country filled with beautiful people, breathtaking views, and absolutely delicious food. If you haven't already been, it is a place you have to visit before you die. We guarantee you won't be disappointed (and if you are, just drink some Chianti--it makes everything better).