A Month in Italy

[R_M_Kriete]

Been meaning to post our travelogue from our (my wife and I) recent month in Italy. Basically, what better was to celebrate 40 years of marraige than to spend a month in Italy. Nothing like a different language and culture to stress a marraige We journaled every evening, taking turns. My wife kicks off the first day. Our main focus was visiting churches and drinking wine! Hopefully someone may use this when making travel plans for our favorite place to visit.

Wednesday March 13
The day started off beautifully in Viera, FL. A real Chamber of Commerce Day with clear skies and 60 degrees. We began our morning with a walk knowing that a long day of travel was ahead. Our friend drove us to the Melbourne airport, and we checked in without any issues as we began our 28-day journey.

We arrived in Atlanta and immediately made our way to the AMEX Centurion lounge to discover there was a power outage in the International terminal…. a long line to get in had us backtrack to the Delta Lounge. (OK, First World problems ) We enjoyed a glass of wine and prepared for the overseas flight.
Despite the power outage, we felt secure that our bags were on the plane after Delta notified us that they were indeed loaded on board. (We also placed air tags in our baggage for peace of mind. Italy trips have burned us before.) Unable to utilize facial recognition due to the power outage, Delta boarded us the old-fashioned way with tickets. Once seated, a glass of champagne kicked off the flight. The wine flowed, the dinner delicious, and soon we both drifted off to sleep. Somewhere over the Atlantic, an announcement abruptly interrupted our slumber. The crew was looking for medical personnel to assist with a patient. My husband dutifully answered the call and was informed that a gentleman had fallen, hit his head, was confused and on a blood thinner. When he arrived at the “patient”, there were at least 15 people already there and he was told, “never-mind”. However, he was sure the plane would be diverted and was unable to sleep the rest of the night…just waiting for the plane to be diverted. Luckily this never came to pass, but “diversion” was not yet eliminated from our future travel.

I slept great and was awakened to a warm cloth and yummy breakfast (which was being served at 2:00 am my time). We landed in Amsterdam right on time with 2 hours to find our gate. After a productive, but tired wander through a very large airport, we made our way to our KLM City Hopper flight. However, Amsterdam had its own power/IT issues…. unbeknown to us. We boarded on time but had to take a l o n g bus ride to our plane (I kid you not- at least a 5-minute tour of this airport.) We took our seats, and the Captain explained a slight delay due to waiting for a ‘push back’ from a utility vehicle. It took 20 minutes, but we had nowhere to be and took it in stride. I commented to my husband that it was so nice to see that that all baggage was covered while exposed on the tarmac. Very thoughtful since rain was forecasted. After the slight delay we were off to Florence on a 2-hour flight.

The flight and service were lovely, and they served a breakfast that neither of us really wanted. However, international travel is tricky, and you eat when you can. We forced down some coconut yogurt, rosemary granola and fruit. Once we get our car in Florence, who knows when we will eat or drink. Anyway, about 1 ½ hours into the flight, the captain announces that the winds are too high to land in Florence and we have been re-routed to Bologna! Whaaaat? How does this work? Not horrible but Type A personalities don’t love surprises. Test #1. I am handling it surprisingly well. KLM says they will bus us and our luggage to Florence. Ok- slight inconvenience, but we can make this work. We thought about getting our rental car in Bologna, but this turned out to be too complicated so, we will take the bus. Meanwhile, our luggage? It seems our luggage was left in Amsterdam. We know this because our air tags show our luggage still sitting on the tarmac in Amsterdam (probably on one of those nice, covered carts next to our plane. Damn!) Test #2
I am still hanging in their because we have 27 more days…however, Italy and lost luggage… not ok. The Bologna airport lost luggage attendant took all our information and filed a report, but since we will not technically be in Florence when the luggage hopefully arrives (our plan is to drive from Florence to Assisi), she says it may be delivered, but maybe not for 4 days. That is IF the luggage makes it to Florence (high winds and all) and is not diverted to Bologna. Mama Mia!

So, we take the bus to Florence with 100 new friends. We arrive at the airport while our friend and travel agent helps along the way with logistics etc. I actually spoke to a KLM person on the phone, and she said, “If the air tag says it is on the tarmac, it will be on the next flight”. Forgive me if I am dubious. Our travel agent says the KLM flight scheduled to arrive in Florence at 4:20 has a chance of having our luggage. We decide to get our rental car, park at the Florence airport and wait. We have “due caffe con zucchero”, watch to see if our air tags move, and catch up on our Duolingo. Of course, the flight is late, and the air tags do not seem to change at all. The Florence airport lost luggage department finally confirms our bags are on the flight! PTL!

We finally receive our luggage at 5:30 and make our way to Assisi- 2 hours away. Despite the insane drivers on the Autostrada (A1), we arrive safely to beautiful Assisi and our lovely hotel Palace Fontabella. It is in the city center, and we have a gorgeous view from our room of St Pietro Church (first church built in Assisi in the 900’s).

Now, we are starving, but due to our late arrival, we had to cancel our previous dinner reservations. So after checking in to the hotel, we went downstairs for a panini and glass of wine. The cuoco, at the hotel made us the most amazing sandwich with veal, fresh truffles, some greens and bread to die for! Donna Elena was the local wine… a blend of Merlot/Sangiovese and was the perfect table wine to finish the day.

Meanwhile, we meet a group of Americans on pilgrimage from Houston, TX. The priest introduces himself and asks if we are with a group. We start chatting and he is good friends with Father Luke Millet!!! Seriously! Their tour director, Laurie, also is darling and has adopted us into her group. She invites us to join them for an English Mass on Saturday at the Basilica in a small side chapel. God is good! The day has ended and we are alive, thankful, grateful, and still married.

[R_M_Kriete]

Friday March 14

Today we are up after a nice sleep and feeling much refreshed. A quick breakfast at the hotel (Friday during Lent, so no usual Italian breakfast with cured meats ). We meet our tour guide, Maura, at 9:00 am and we are off!

-First stop, to St. Mary Major. This is the church St. Francis stripped away his clothes and denounced all of his worldly goods. Inside is the body of Blessed Carlo Acutis (teenager who lived from 1991-2006) who was to be canonized on April 27, but postponed due to the death of Pope Feancis. “Eucristia la mia autostrada per il Cielo” (The eucharist is my highway to Heaven).

-Next, down to the valley below to Santa Maria di Angeli. This is a Papal Basilica (meaning a church funded by the Pope) built from 1569-1679. This church was completely built around St. Francis’s “Porziuncola” (little church) which was originally located in the midst of woods and marshes. This is where the Franciscan order began. Also, where he threw himself on rose bushes as penance for his sins, only to have Jesus and Mary appear and remove the thorns from the bushes.

-Next, the church of San Damiano. Here, St. Francis heard a voice descend from the cross and say 3 times, “Francis, go and repair my church which, as you see, is all in ruins”. St. Francis originally interpreted this as the actual church needing repairs, but eventually realized it meant the entire Christian Church. St. Chiara (Claire), one of the first followers of St. Francis, established a convent here. She also turned back invaders here and saved Asissi by presenting the Monstrance from her upper window.

-We then went to Basilica Di Santa Chiara. (BTW, the difference between a Basilica and a Cathedral is that a Basilica contains holy relics). St. Chiara’s body is displayed here along with many relics of both St. Chiara and St. Francis

-Next, up the mountain to Eremo delle Carceri di San Francesco. A hermitage complex of caves at 2600 ft built into the side of the mountain where St. Francis would often come to pray and contemplate in nature. Still inhabited and cared for by 5 Franciscan brothers.

-Back down to Assisi to Cathedral di San Rufino. Built in 1140 and now contains the heart of Carlos Acutis. (Italians love to show off dead body parts ) The church was built on top of Roman ruins which you can see below glass panels throughout the church.

-Walked our way all the way down through the city to the Papal Basilica of St. Francis. Construction began immediately after his death in 1227 and was completed in an astonishing 2 years. Right after it was finished, Pope Gregory didn’t feel it was quite grand enough and so had ANOTHER Basilica built right on top of the first (lower) Basilica. This upper Basilica was consecrated in 1257. Both filled with incredible frescos and architecture…how did they do that???

-At 3:00 pm we bid Maura goodbye and grab a quick sandwich before heading back to pick up our car (which was still parked at the top of the city). Then back to the hotel room to rest up before dinner. Driving in Italy (and parking) is always an adventure.

-7:30 pm dinner at Nonna Nina. Once again, Lent, so no meat. They had a Capellacci di bufalo arancia (mozzarella stuffed ravioli with orange juice and beets) and a Tagliatelle with Limone and Gamberetti (lemon and prawns) that were fantastic. Had some Aperol Spritz (of course) and a bottle of white wine (Saio Colderba Bianco Umbria-Chardonnay, Grechetto, Viogner, Vermentino) that went great with our non-meat dishes. No guilt…we had 15,492 steps and 48 flights climbed today

-Back to the hotel. We made plans to meet up with a group on pilgrimage to attend an English Mass at the St. Francis Basilica (lower) tomorrow. Bravo!

Wine of the Day: Saio Coldeba Bianco Umbria

[R_M_Kriete]

Saturday March 15

Today we started our day by joining a Mass with the pilgrims of Texas (who were staying at our hotel) at the Basilica of St Francis! The Mass was in English with Father Nolan Lowry- it was beautiful and present. The friars in black (as opposed to those in gray or brown) opened the windows to let in fresh air for Mass. No music or song accompanied Mass, just the song birds outside! So holy and beautiful (and Franciscan )

We left the group and headed to the lower church of the St Franciscan Basilica, which was commissioned by Pope Gregory the 9th . We happened upon the reliquary which was not opened when we were there yesterday. The relic clothing was impressive, especially the tunic of St Francis that was pieced together by mere rags.

After Mass, we found a lovely shop and purchased amazing pottery. The owner spoke very little English, I said “ Hai una scolta?” He said, “write it on your phone”- I did and it was the same …he said “Italiano e’ molto dificile”. Yes I know! I asked how to mail it. “Ahh the udiffico posto e’ destra”…Ok to the right and down. We go to the Post Office, but the woman there says “we have no stamps and cannot mail your box!! Whaaat? We go to our hotel and and tell the concierge – the post office has no stamps and cannot mail our package, can you help?? She says -“WHAT? They have no stamps at the post office? That is their job!” Government workers are the same everywhere Luckily she takes our package and offers to mail it for us.

We then head to the top of the town and visit the Rocca Maggiore Fortress. We trek up seemingly endless stairs but are rewarded with amazing views of the town of Assisi and the entire valley.

We’ve arranged a wine tasting at 1:00pm at Bibenda Enoteca, so we have to scurry down. What a fantastic find! The owner, Nila, is Ukrainian by birth, but Italian now and hopes that America will help achieve peace. We were there from 12:30 pm until 4:00 pm with 6 open bottles for us!! Bene e No Bene, Beautiful local Italian wines to taste, but we have to walk back to the hotel and have a much needed nap.

We drag ourselves out to dinner (such sacrifices) and have a great meal? (details now fuzzy, likely due tomore wine with dinner). Time to head back to the hotel. Buonanotte!

Wine of the Day: Custodi Belloro Orvieto Classico

[R_M_Kriete]

Sunday March 16

Up at 7:00 to pack up and get ready to move to Pienza. At breakfast we run into a new pilgrimage group. The religion teachers and the local priest from St. Thomas Aquinas in Kansas City are taking their seniors students to Assisi/Florene/Rome. Today they are heading to an English Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis. Well, thank you very much, certainly we will join you! (We are getting pretty good at glomming onto the activities of other pilgrimage groups ). There were 9 priests, presiding from all English-speaking countries. Our music ministers were transplants from England who chose to move to Italy in retirement. I understand- ho capito!

After Mass, we trek back to the car and head to Perugia for a quick visit on the way to Pienza. We park and head up to a series of escalators before emerging in the underground Roman ruins, Rocca Paolina. Pretty cool. We grab a quick lunch, a Torte al Testo. In Umbria (which is where Assisi and Perugia are located), this regional dish is essentially a thick slice of pizza crust that is split in half (upper and lower). Then it is stuffed with any combination of meat/cheese/vegetables you want. It’s the Umbrian version of a Subway sandwich, without Charles Barkley. Pretty darn tasty. Next, we head to one of the multiple chocolate shops found throughout the city. Who knew Perugia was famous for its chocolate? We made a few selections to take back to the States, but I seriously doubt they will ever make it out of Italy.

Finally, we head back to the parking garage for our periodic game we like to call, “How the heck do I get out of an Italian parking garage?” As we walk in, I set the over/under at 15 minutes. A quick check of the ticket we got upon entering provides no useful information. The signage shows coordinating arrows, indicating the exit, “Uscita,” and a mysterious ‘Cassa”. At the actual exit, a sign indicating “Casa” points to the left. OK, I guess we missed it. A total of 3 complete circuits of the garage fails to demonstrate any trace of the mysterious “Cassa”. Our hopes are briefly raised by a welcoming green glow in the dead center of the garage, but then dashed with the realization that this is simply a charging station. From a distance, we catch a glimpse of a car leaving the garage and the gate opening. “Did you see him pay at the gate? I didn’t see him pay. Maybe it’s “no-charge” on Sunday?” Alas, our attempt at freedom is dashed when we scan the ticket and are informed that we must first pay 4.40 euro. The gate doesn’t open, and we make new friends with the people in the car we have now blocked directly behind us. Back up and begin circling the garage yet again in search of our elusive prey, the “Cassa”.

Finally, I get out and walk 100 meters down a ramp before I turn a corner and spy a payment machine (at no point do I see ANY signs that say “Cassa”). I scan the ticket and pay 6.70 euro…. because it has taken that long to find the darn payment machine! We head to the exit, scan the ticket, and experience rapturous joy when the gate opens! If you bet the “over”, you win.

We leave Perugia, after circling the outside of the parking garage twice (thanks to some suspect advice from Google Maps) and head to Pienza in Tuscany. Sure enough, as we get close to the town, the gorgeous views you always get in the movies/TV shows when they are in Tuscany, begin to appear. We check in to our hotel, La Bandita Townhouse, and feel we have arrived at our spiritual home! Our WIFI even remembered our beloved La Bandita from the last time we stayed here and logged us right in. A short 20-minute nap refreshes us, and we are on the way for a Spritz in our hotel before cena.

We decide to walk to the Val d’ Orcia to view the sunset in this magical place. As expected, even though it was cloudy, the views did not disappoint. My wife gets a phone call from Italy which she immediately dismisses as spam…however, they call directly back, and she answers. “Hello, this is the lost luggage department in Bologna. We think we have located your luggage in Genoa.” What the heck?! She replies, “we picked up our luggage in Florence” (who made us sign our life away behind a cloistered door in order to collect our bags.) The caller says, ""oh- now we can close the case. Yes, indeed you can! Italia!!” 3 days later!! Mamma Mia!

We head back to our hotel’s commons area for a long awaited Spritz only to encounter a US family preparing for a bike ride through Tuscany!!! Having done a bike trip through Tuscany in years, past, we are immediately impressed. However, we hear they are using E-bikes and immediately lose respect .

Finalamente, we sit for the most amazing dinner with a humble local Rosso di Montalcino which pairs perfectly with our dinner…the wine of the day. Ironically, the only wine today! Fino a domani!

Wine of the Day: 2021 Sesti Rosso di Montalcino

[R_M_Kriete]

Monday March 17

Buongiorno
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! No green beer here however, we learned that St. Patrick was actually the son of a Roman Empire diplomat who lived in England…who knew?

We started our day as the only people in the hotel having breakfast. Due (two) cappuccino and uova con pomodori and of course a torta di fregola (the best tasting pop tart ever, without all the chemicals). We have discovered that there are very few tourists this time of year, even with the Jubilee pilgrims. Pienza’s streets are empty, and we love it. All the beauty and none of the noise.

After breakfast we journey to a winery in Montalcino, Franco Pacenti, a third-generation family winery with a very small production of just 10 hectares of vines. The grandfather started in 1962. Subsequently, the son and now 3 grandchildren, continue to run this winery. In fact, they live in the house adjacent to the fermentation room (which used to be the stables). Their 93-year-old nonna lives upstairs in a small apartment on the property …we could hear her “fussing” at someone- added to the ambience and authenticity. Now, to the wines.
-One new venture is a Rosato of Brunello…. smelled of apricots and peaches, but a very clean and fresh flavor. This was the grandchildren’s idea (they are all adults probably our kid’s ages).
-Next, we had Rosso di Montalcino 2022…bright, earthy, cherry, fresh, tart -lovely
-Brunello di Montalcino 2020…darker in color, garnet, less fruit but some spices that are apparently characteristic of the north side of Montalcino
-Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2019 – This is an entirely new beast, rich in color, complex with no food required. A contemplative wine

All of these wines were the perfect representation of this special area and grape.

We said arrivederci and drove to Capella Vitaleta della Madonna. It is a sweet chapel that was “chiuso oggi” (closed today) Lots of things are closed on Monday in Italy. However, that did not stop us from enjoying breathtaking scenery, while listening to the birds sing with absolutely no one around!!! A St. Francis moment. The last time we were here it was hot and teaming with people.

Now, back to our hotel where we get to encounter a familiar foe, parking. Apparently, the hotel was charging 30 Euro a night, but if I use the parking app “Easy Park” it is only 15 Euro. So, we are giving that a try…I fear a parking ticket in our future. Now, it is 1:30pm and we decide to get some lunch. Alas, Pienza is a small town and everyone closes around 2:00-2:30. A walk-through town leaves us empty handed…Ok, early Aperitivo then.

We check TripAdvisor and the best place for an aperitivo, Illyium ….is closed on Mondays. OK, we’ll go to an Enoteca and drink Brunello instead. Head there, it’s closed. As we walk back to the hotel we pass Illyium, and it’s open. Welcome to Italy…We stay for over an hour, but are the ONLY people there…awkward! OK. now it’s 7:00 pm and we are starving! Off to our pre-selected, TripAdvisor highly rated, open on Mondays, restaurant. Unfortunately, no sign of life.

We begin a desperate search for “Cibo” (food). Every doorway with light grabs our attention. Alas, each and every restaurant is closed. As panic sets in, we stumble upon an alley way with the definite aroma of FOOD! We push our way into the crowded dining room where the owner, in thick Italian, lets us know in no uncertain terms, “No pasta, no Bistecca, no pizza! We have zuppa and bruschetta”. Sounds edible, so we’re in. He shunts us away from the downstairs dining room where the Italian patrons are dining, and we are relegated to the UN dining room upstairs. We find ourselves amongst Chinese, Mexican and Spanish diners all with one thing in common…we have found the only restaurant in Pienza open for business on a Monday night. The owner turns out to be very personable and lively and very proud of his pasta fagioli.

After a surprisingly delicious meal of rustic Tuscan dishes, we head back to our hotel where we run into the “biking family” from yesterday. They look hale and hearty after their bike trip, but once again, e-bikers!
We stop for a final glass of wine at the hotel restaurant where the Scottish manager, Mikey, regales us with off-color jokes before sending us back to our room with a bottle of wine. Italy ican be complicated, but sooo good

*Wine of the day- no competition, Franco Pacenti Brunello Riserva 2019.

[R_M_Kriete]

Tuesday March 18

We awake with every intention of being healthy today. Pull up YouTube on the computer and take a Pilates class. Why doesn’t my body bend like hers? Oh, well, time for breakfast!
Afterwards, into the car (which has successfully not been towed overnight due to our newfound mastery of a Parking App) and off to Montalcino. The sky is spectacular without a cloud in sight. We marvel at the scenery as we climb to the summit of this hilltop town.

We successfully park (this is now too easy) and head up out of the parking lot to the top of the city. We eagerly anticipate some amazing views when we pop up above the parking area and “Holy Mother of….” It is FREEZING cold. A 28-mph wind makes the wind chill in the low 30’s. My wife gloats about her new parka purchase that I had made fun of.

Quick calculations show that we need to kill 45 minutes until our 11:00 am tasting appointment. OK, let’s duck into a café and grab an espresso. Except, there are no cafes open. In fact, nothing is open. It’s 10:15 am and we can’t find a single store to kill time in. Over the next 30 minutes we channel our inner homeless self and dart from doorway to portico searching for warmth. Always moving on the sunny side of the street. Eventually we elect to give up any concerns about appearing to be alcoholics and just show up 15 minutes early for our scheduled wine tasting. We’ll take warmth over any judgmental enoteca owner.

We sit down and settle on a tasting of 6 different Brunello di Montalcino wines from a variety of locations and vintages. Say what you will about “snobby wine people”, but we do enjoy each other’s company as the owner senses our interest and enthusiasm. My is curious as to what one of the wine’s name is translated into English. “Scopa per Cavalli” …she thinks it is horse’s something…She starts typing in Google translator and scopa means “F$%k…WAIT- no!! F the horses. We politely ask the shop owner, and he laughs, “I know what you are thinking. No, it means horse’s brush to sweep the horses hair.” This is why Italian is so difficult!

The owner notes our enthusiasm and starts bringing out different wines for us to taste, then a plate of food for us to eat. We are enjoying ourselves, but we are also slightly apprehensive about having to eventually go outside. After stalling as long as possible (and testing the patience of our up-till-now friendly wine shop owner), we crack open the door and head out into winds not seen during the filming of “The Wizard of Oz!” Regretting that we haven’t learned any Italian curse words (except that new one), we nonetheless expel a torrent of English obscenities, as we rush out of the shop and back to our car.

Back in Pienza, we visit the 13th century Church of San Francesco while admiring its altar comprised of enormous blocks of stone. Afterwards, we brave the winds to take in the view of the Val D’Orcia from the city walls. It’s particularly impressive today because we have lots of sun!

One of the most charming aspects of our hotel, is the “library”, where guests gather to play record albums, share an aperitif, and entertain fellow guests with stories of their Italian day’s adventure. This evening, a cute young couple from Alabama was at the tail end of their 11-day European trip and they were headed to the restaurant Sette, which is where we ate last night. We shared our favorites. Everyone is so friendly.

As we head out the hotel, our restaurant manager friend asks if we are joining him at the restaurant tonight. We say no and ask his opinion of the restaurant at the end of town where we have a reservation. “I don’t know, I’ve never been there. It always looks closed to me.” We head out into the night and oh joy, our good friend Mr. Wind is still blowing (31-degree wind chill! We are Floridians for goodness sake). We put our heads down and eventually arrive at an alarmingly dark restaurant. Sure enough, closed! My wife pulls out the cell phone and shows me the email confirmation for tonight’s dinner. Someone’s not getting a good TripAdvisor review today

Brave the winds, run back to the hotel and sheepishly ask the manager for a table. Success…we will eat tonight. At dinner we run into a German couple. He was born in Ecuador on a banana plantation; moved to Rome at six; spent college years at both Boston University & Boston College; built a business in Berlin; and now vacations at his circa 1300 house in the town center of Pienza. As we are leaving, we run into a couple from America who turn out to be ex-pats living on the Isle of Madeira. Well this calls for more wine at the hotel library. After exchanging stories it’s off to bed and get some sleep before our big move to Florence.

Wine of the Day: Cupano 2020-Brunello di Montalcino (which the enoteca owner affectionately called “Mamma Mia” wine)

[R_M_Kriete]

Wednesday March 19

Today is the day we move to our apartment in Firenze…what could go wrong?? It is Italy of course!

We sleep very well and slowly wake up to say farewell to peaceful picturesque Pienza. We enjoy our last breakfast with the sweet Italian donna that helps me with my infantile Italian. Nonetheless, we understand each other, and we say Arrivederci! We take one last walk around the walls of this beautiful city before stopping at the Pienza Cathedral of Santa Maria Assumption. This church was built between 1459-1462 by Pope Pius II with a travertine façade. The frescos are amazing and the church so tranquil. Fun fact, there are 4 churches in this town for a mere 2000 residents. Not sure how they survive.

Allora, now it is time to check out. Having already experienced (survived) the Autostrada, we choose the “scenic route” to Florence, only 30 minutes more than the fast-track! Or as my husband endearingly calls it, the “how strong is your marriage" route. The skies are clear, and we traverse through the Chianti region making our way by Siena. The scenery is so incredible. We decide to stop for gas and a bite to eat…why is it so hard to get gas in Italy? However, the food at Auto Grills throughout Italy is spectacular and the bathrooms are clean—I guess it is similar to Buc-ee’s? After a lunch for 10 euro for both of us, we are off to Firenze Car Rental return.

As we approach the airport/rental car area, the signage and Google maps are not clear. We journey around the airport like the Griswold’s stuck in the roundabout in London in “European Vacation”. Seriously, it took 4 spins of the same route until AI finally found the correct passage. You can only imagine the colorful language echoing in our car. We gratefully return the car and share our frustration with the car return attendant. He agrees it is a big problem finding the location. Mamma Mia- are you kidding! Good news, the car had NO damages, and we leave a little less stressed and relieved to be rid of this potential liability.

We hail a Taxi and say “Parla inglese’” He smiles and happily says – No. He is the only taxi present, so we hop in and practice our Italian. He was helpful and shared some information about the area- 75% understood. Most importantly, he got us safely to our apartment. Our apartment is on the second floor – no elevators. No problem, however, the 2nd floor in Italy really means the 3rd floor, because they count the ground floor as zero. Not too bad, if you don’t have luggage . The apartment is beautiful, spacious and will be our delightful Italian home for the next 3 weeks. Plenty of room for guests!

We unpack, assess our grocery needs and walk to the local supermercato. We bring a travel grocery bag, and we appear as locals. (We think anyway). We gather supplies for a simple meal and head home. We cannot resist stopping for an aperitivo. We are now living “la dolce vita” Our simple dinner was radicchio, valerian (lambs’ lettuce) ,Parmigiano Romano, olive oil, lemon and fennel …topped with porchetta. Accompanied by some fresh warm bread from the market and a generous helping of olive oil. Of course a bottle of wine-a non-descript Chianti from the supermercato.

We already feel at home. Wash some clothes and hang them to dry…simple beautiful life. Off to bed – buona notte!

[R_M_Kriete]

Thursday March 20

Today’s Episode: Getting to know your Italian Apartamento. We get up after a great night’s rest. The bed was comfortable, and there were no disturbances from noisy neighbors. Time for a nice hot shower! Well……The wife turns on the shower, waits for it to warm up and in she goes. Suddenly, I hear screams coming from the bathroom. I rush in where I find my her yelling that the water is scalding hot. She quickly turns the temperature down and within 10 seconds, she’s now screaming that its freezing cold. She turns the temperature back up, but not quite so far. After 30 seconds, its scalding hot again, but before she turns the temperature again, down it cools off…. way off…. freezing cold. We eventually realize that no matter where the faucet is placed, we will get approximately 15 seconds of boiling water, followed by 15 seconds of warm water, but then followed by 30 seconds of freezing cold water. After a few minutes, we have learned to jump in the stream of water as it is heating up, then quickly jump back out before our flesh begins to peel off our body. While waiting for the subsequent artic waterfall to subside, soap up and try and time the “warm up” jump or rinsing. Great fun. We fire off an email to the property management team. Time will tell.

Well after the bathing fiasco, we could use a nice cup of espresso from our fancy espresso maker. Fast forward 30 minutes and after three YouTube tutorials on our machine and $5 worth of ground coffee, we can only produce a watery blend of a “coffee flavored” liquid with the substantial chewy component of coffee sludge. Mmmm. Just like at Starbucks.

After leaving the apartment and getting a proper espresso at an authentic Italian café, we stop by Basilica di Santo Spirito. It was completed in 1487, a few years before Columbus sailed for America. But now, time for a mission. Our apartment kitchen has wine glasses only appropriate for Lilliputians. This is intolerable! My wife has located a department store (Upim), but of course it’s located all the way across town, but we make the trek there. We purchase 6 glasses and they put them into a box best described as quite generous. As we return through the crowded streets of Florence, I get repeated angry glances from citizens who suspect I am bumping into them with the coffin of a small house pet.

We head back to town center in search of the famous sandwich shop La Antica, which has 4 store fronts each with exceptionally long lines. People are everywhere sitting on the curbs to imbibe this beast. We find a lesser known, but equally delicious shop, Le Fettunta. It is on the same street, but we opt to go inside and share a humble “beef stew” (which is really similar to osso bucco), some warm focaccia and the house vino rosso. Delicious.

After a satisfying meal, we head back to the grocery to get supplies for this evening’s dinner. Our friends decided on Tuesday decide to throw caution to the wind and book a flight to come visit!!! They left Wednesday and arrive this evening. We are so impressed by this spontaneity. I do hope we have the shower situation under control. We arrive home and await the arrival of our new houseguests!

They arrive uneventfully. (As we know, in Italy that is a unicorn event). We get them settled and quickly go to our favorite place, Enoteca Pitti. We celebrate their arrival with a flight of Sangiovese wines. We tasted and bought some of our favorites to have with our simple dinner …La dolce vita! Sweet and simple.

Wine of the day: 2019 Castello Tricerchi Brunello di Montalcino
Close 2nd: Retromarcia Chianti Classico 2022 in barrel for 3yrs and bottled for 3 years…almost a Riserva. Why not? I am not sure….

[R_M_Kriete]

Friday March 21
Proof there is a God…we were able to take showers today with consistently warm water. Much thanks to our Italian handy-man, Marco. Moreover, even though we have admitted defeat in making espresso, we were able to master making coffee-ish morning drinks using a “Moka”.
We all attended Mass at Santo Spirito and discovered that Santo Spirito houses Michelangelo’s only piece of art carved from wood… a simple and elegant crucifix that he created at age 18. The Basilica was ornate and gorgeous! We were scolded for taking pictures by a very harsh attendant.

After touring Santo Spirito, we headed across town to the Church of the Nativity of Christ and St. Nicholas. This is a Russian Orthodox built in the late 1800’s for Florence’s Russian community. It apparently is quite beautiful, but we wouldn’t know. After trekking back and forth (of course Google Maps is as dodgy as ever) we arrived at the Church’s entrance only to find it locked up tight. We quickly pivot to visiting the nearby Basilica of San Marco only to find that it had just closed. However, it would reopen at 3:00. So what better way to kill two hours than to go to Enoteca d’ Guisti. We enjoyed a great, relaxing meal and bottle of wine, before heading back to San Marco. As we entered, we realized they had just started Mass. What another Mass? Within seconds, we realize that we can understand almost everything they are saying. I knew these Italian lessons would eventually pay off! Then my wife pointed out the Mass was in English…. until the Priest read the Gospel in Japanese. As he finished and started his Japanese homily; we surreptitiously made our exit.

As we headed back to our apartment, we met up with an Italian fashion designer, Fillipo, while looking in shop windows. Very personable and when he finds out we are from Florida, he shares that he is a big Ron DeSantis fan (who knew), and he insists that we head to his store. The ladies seem to be enthusiastic (who knew) and soon they are trying on multiple jackets. The designs are elegant, unique, and very Italian. We see cashmere, antelope, sheep, and chinchilla. Fillipo was funny and enjoyed giving his opinions on fashion. My wife points out her favorite jacket, and he immediately says she has good taste…uh oh! I am in trouble.
After an undisclosed sum of money was spent, I manage to extricate my wife form the store.

Needing some alcohol to settle my nerves, we hit a local 'off the beaten path" wine bar before heading back to the apartment. On the way we gather supplies for a simple dinner and head home. This has been a 12-hour day of walking (and shopping). We prepare a lovely bread salad and bottle wine finishes the day. We fall asleep watching classic rock on You Tube (the only English we can find). Buona Notte.

Wine of the Day:
-Il Bacco 2022 Verdicchio Fattorria Coroncino for lunch
-Brunello di Montalcino 2019- at the enoteca tasting

P.S. The package we attempted to mail 4 days ago in Assisi…is still in Assisi. Apparently they now require every bit of information possible and my next grandchild… It will be a miracle if those gifts ever make it to the USA.

[R_M_Kriete]

Saturday March 22

Today begins with the threat of rain….but the skies are dry when we wake up. Thank goodness, as we have plans to climb the Duomo Bell tower at 12:45. We have plenty of time to get ready, so we have a leisurely breakfast at home of eggs, cornetto, and blackberries.

Making good coffee is still an issue- but I think this is the plan…to force us to go to a café each morning to support the local businesses. Which is exactly what we do….and now it is raining! So, we go to Santo Spirito piazza, hit a cafe and grab some coffee to wait until the rain slows down. Our temporary roommates visit the Santo Spirito market and end up with a great deal on a cashmere sweater.

Onward to the Duomo despite the rain. We arrive, but are a tad too early. And it is raining. Eventually our timed entrance to the Bell Tower finally arrives and we begin to climb. OMG… 415 medieval stairs up----oh boy! Made it up to the top and what a view!!! WOW! From this vantage point, it’s easy to get our bearings and figure out where we are in this large town! After the tower, we head underground to St. Raparata, the original 5th century church (which the Duomo was eventually constructed on top of).
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It’s time for a lunch break! We head to an enoteca (of course). Enoteca Allessi and we are hungry- it is 2:30pm. We are treated to a lovely bottle of wine and a charcuterie board to die for!!

After the spectacular lunch, we head to the Baptistry which was consecrated in 1059. Next stop, the Museum. The incredible statues, relics, and masterpieces of art are too numerous to comprehend. Our minds are overwhelmed, and our feet are tired, so we make the trek to our next stop- Spritz!

This restaurant, Gamberini, serves a tower of food with the spritz…for a mere 2.50 Euro. With stuffed minds and bellies, we make the walk home. (but not without the mandatory Googlemaps diversions. We find our apartment, but send the boys out for some wine to close our night.

Wine of the Day: San Donatino Chianti Classico 2021 (An unsuspected surprise- because we could not get the wine we actually wanted. What a blessing!)

[R_M_Kriete]

Sunday March 23
Today started early…very early. Or should I say, Saturday took a while to end. Our neighbors decided to party all night long. They were pumping the jams until 2:20 am. we turned on two white noise machines, but they could not drown out the driving beat of “We Will Rock You” and assorted other stadium anthems. After rising, we head off to Mass at San Marco

Immediately outside of the Church, there was a Sunday Market. Apparently, it is mandatory in Italy for women to shop and purchase clothing items, regardless of how much money they have previously spent during their trip. Wallets lighter, we head for breakfast, but my wife feels our shared breakfast meal is anadequate and heads across the street for “breakfast gelato”. RFK does not approve! However, all the ingredients are natural and with no preservatives.

We have a brunch Spritz across from the Ponte Vecchio. Then a stop at the Pornicello Market for, wait for it, more shopping. We manage to escape without additional purchases. However, I must hold my breath as the women insist we check out the hidden discount jewelry market, COI, that the damnable Fillipo recommended. Unbelievably, we get out of there with no financial damage and I begin to ask where one might purchase a lottery ticket.

Back across the river, we stop at a cheese shop run by a couple who were featured on an HGTV show where they renovated a Tuscan farmhouse. We exchanged pleasantries, posed for pictures, and purchased take away cheese and wine before heading up to Basilica San Miniato al Monte Florence. This church stands atop one of the highest points in the city. Turns out that St. Miniato was an Armenian prince serving in the Roman army before being denounced as a Christian. He was brought before the emperor who ordered him to be thrown to the beasts in the Amphitheater, but they refused to eat him. So, he was beheaded, but was alleged to have picked up his head and walked up the hill to where the church was eventually erected before the 8th century.

We arrived to find a common sight for us…the church we are visiting is under renovation. Nonetheless, the view from here is spectacular as it is even higher than the famous Piazzale Michaelangelo. Here we eat our cheese and drink our wine while enjoying beautiful weather. We make a quick descent to Piazzale Michaelangelo and listen to a musical group serenading the crowds who have gathered to witness sunset over Florence. Then we make our way back down to our home in Oltrano.

Of course, this requires a mandatory stop to purchase wine. On a whim, we stop at a restaurant across from the Pitti Palace, Osteria Le Pietre. We elect to try the Bistecca Florentine. We are a bit worried about the minimum purchase of 1.1 kg (that’s 2.2 lbs. of meat), but decide to throw caution to the wind. The waiter then brings out the steak before cooking and announces it is 2.0 kg (4.4 lbs.). Sensing our concern, he tells us he has faith that we can handle it. After 10 minutes, the amazing steak arrives and we have absolutely no difficulty finishing every last bit. The night is topped off by finding out that the Gators have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and on cue, a group of Gator fans walk by our window seat. We all “Chomp” with glee. Global “Gator Nation!”

Wine of the day: Nipozzano Riserva 2020 Chianti Rufina, Frescobaldi with our Florentine Bistecca

[R_M_Kriete]

Monday March 24
Another day, another adventure. After breakfast, we all head to the Basilica of San Lorenzo. This church was consecrated in 393 AD. While waiting in line to buy tickets our previous tour guide and friend, Christina, walks by with a client. We have not seen her since 2021, but she immediately recognizes us– “Oh my! Buon Giorno!” We exchange pleasantries and part until we see her again soon (our friends have booked a tour with her later in the trip).

Now, back to the church… it ended up being the parish church of the Medici family and underwent multiple refurbishments over the ensuing centuries. In short, it is spectacular. We all agree that it is our favorite church so far. We tour the church and the associated museum before heading for lunch and the obligatory bottle of wine.

After lunch, the women become enamored by a street artist who has not only beautiful ,but reasonably priced art of Italy. Take a guess, they found something to buy. Then, we head over to the Duomo where we want to enter through the front doors of Santa Maria dei Fiori (it’s a Jubilee year and we can receive plenary Indulgences by walking through the front doors). But no, the front doors are closed in preparation of the Annunciation tomorrow. We skulk in through a side door and alert God to the intransigence of the Florence Diocese (we need to get credit).

Off to Santa Maria Maggiore also known as San Quinoa. Make your own associations (there was a quinoa restaurant out the side entrance.) This church started in the 8th century, which coincidently is the birth year of the homeless gentleman camped on the doorsteps. We manage to get inside and marvel at the difference between this church and San Lorenzo as said homeless gentleman joins us and walks throughout with a ‘’cigaretto’ hanging out of his mouth.

As we head back to our apartment, there he is…our own fashion designer…. Fillipo (who sold my wife her antelope giacca and made fun of my lack of fashion). Our flatmate immediately tries to impress him by pointing out that he is wearing a scarf. Fillipo is unmoved. My compatriot points out that today, I am wearing a hat. Fillipo responds, “I can see that. I’m not mentally deficient”. We press the issue and are adamant that the hat demonstrates our newfound recognition of the importance of fashion. Fillipo is unmoved. “What, that’s my fault? Get a Speedo and move to Napoli!” I secretly vow to return to Florida and wear only flip-flops and Tommy Bahama shirts just to spite him!

For dinner, we head to Enoteca Pitti where we have a wine pairing dinner. The wife opts for the Truffle option while I bite my tongue as our guests order the “Classico” option (which includes tripe). Unsuspectedly they have no idea that tripe is. The food turns out to be fantastic and the wine pairings sublime. Our friends seem amazed taht they have traveled so far to eat a diet primarily of made up of chicken liver pate and cow gut!! A great end to a great day!

Wine Of the Day: San Donatino Chianti Classico Riserva 2016

[R_M_Kriete]

Tuesday March 25

Today we celebrate the Annunciation- Mary is told that she would be the Mother of God. Coincidentally, it is also Florence’s New Year. It is exactly 9 months until Christmas. See the significance? Florence actually celebrates New Year’s Day on March 25 until 1750. Allora, this means it is a holiday- school is out, some businesses are closed, and many museums are free…. which means it is BUSY for a Tuesday. The weather is gorgeous…perfect for walking.

We start the morning off at Santo Spirito, our neighborhood church, for Mass. The local mass attendees have noticed us as daily communicants as well. A sweet little old woman, about 4’8”, walks over and begins speaking to us in Italian. She wants us to participate at the Easter Mass. I quickly tell her I only speak a little Italian, but we are only visiting – she smiles, and I say thank you for asking…I am grateful I knew enough to understand a little and be polite. Mass was beautiful and we venture out.

Of course, Piazza Santo Spirito has their daily market vendors (who change daily by the way.) Our friend cannot help herself- she finds the most gorgeous pants made by a designer who has passed away- she got the “last pair”. Her husband is very becoming very concerned about space in his luggage for the return flight home with her many purchases We buy some veggies for tonight’s dinner, but I have not eaten breakfast yet and I am getting hangry… I need food! We find our cute little café’ and it is packed! No room, but we belly up to the bar and settle for a pastry…pistachio cornetto and a doppio Cappuccino. The calorie infusions cures my developing hangriness.

Now, we head to Santa Maria Novella Church, run by the Dominicans… and spend the next 2 hours reading and wandering…overwhelmed with beauty and history. This nice attendant took a liking to us and shared some special notes about paintings like the Last Supper painted by a woman who mimicked famous painters-Leonardo perhaps?? Stunning. Of course all of this has worked up our appetite (yet again) and so we head for the Mercato Centrale. The flavors sights and smells are amazing. Our friends get to see what tripe looks like in uncooked form and surprisingly reject it for lunch today. We head to the 3rd floor and have a lovely lunch. We head to the markets on the 1st floor and gather supplies for a light dinner and begin to journey home.

But wait…the Duomo’s front doors are open today! We need to walk through the doors to receive plenary indulgences and the line is short! We appreciate the detour. As we head home, great luck- no Fillipo sightings. We are almost home, and I remember the wine window in the Oltrano neighborhood. Despite it being the “touristy” thing to do, we’ve never tried it on any of our previous visits to Florence. We ring the bell and have a quick glass of wine watching the people walk by. Gotta love a new experience.

Our friends have to leave very early in the morning,so we have a light dinner (and wine of course before getting to bed at a relatively early 10:00 pm. We are so blessed to have good friends who are happy to "roll with the punches! " These experiences always turn out fantastic.

Wine of the Day: 2022 Felsina Beradenga Chianti Classico (although way to young to drink)