Cortona

Wednesday, May 3

Here we come Cortona!
We were so looking forward to today's destination "Cortona" made famous from the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" and you can be assured it did not disappoint.  Amazing! and definitely another place Steve and I would like to back to and spend some more time in.  It was a great place to wander and do a little shopping as well as find a few ceramics treasures in Tuscan colors. We hit the farmers market to grab a few things for the cook off, toured the cathedral, walked up and down the brick laden streets, and visited the famous fountain from a scene from the movie.








Lunch was on our own and so much fun.  As we were walking through the streets looking for places for lunch, "following our nose"as Rory puts it, we ran into a few from our group.  They had a spot picked out at one of the little cafe's just off the Piazza so we joined them.   I think we kind of stunned the waiter a bit as we started pulling all but one of the outdoor tables together,  I think he got over it once we ordered just about one of everything off the menu  Our meal was great and plentiful to say the least. We enjoyed the company, the atmosphere, and the whole experience!


After lunch we met up with the rest of our group (15 minutes late, but we called to say we would be tardy) and headed back to the villa via a route that gave a view of the lake.  Our driver had suggestion and took us to a little town call Passignano that was right on the lake.  That had the cutest little Gelati shop and walkway overlooking the lake.  Beautiful views, cute town,  and wonderful surprise for all of us.



The day's activities weren't finished quite yet, it was one of our group members birthdays today so we headed back to the villa to celebrate with Stephanie. A bottle of Champagne from Bonfi (thank you Norman), small gifts bought from the different towns we have been to (from members of the group) followed by a fabulous "forno" grilled fish, panzanella salad, lemon tart, Wine, Wine, Wine and a beautiful reading from Rory!

Getting ready to celebrate!

Rory and George always prepared

Our birthday girl!

Cheers!

Our amazing group


Dinner almost ready1

Yummy!



It's going to hard to top this day and we are all wondering what Michael will do to top this birthday "Under the Tuscan Sun".

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pienza and Montepulciano

Image
Saturday, May 6 Today we drove to two villages, Pienza and Montepulciano.  Both were amazing and a must see  if you come to Tuscany. Pienza is a tiny village high a top a hill in southern Tuscany overlooking the beautiful valley cal Val d'orcin.  It has been said that this city was "born from a thought of love and from a dream of beauty" (Giovanni Pascoli) according to the will of Pope Pius II.  The village is located about 20 kilometers east of Montalcino and a few kilometers west of Montelpulciano amidst gentle undulating hills and wonderful natural landscapes.  It's a superb example of Renaissance architecture with all main monuments located in the town center, Piazza Pio II.  The cathedral is the tallest building on the square and is beautiful inside and out.  For 2 Euros you can go beneath the cathedral to the crypt and view archeological findings as well as images and diagrams of the rebuilding of the cathedral foundation. On either side of
Read more

Orivieto

Image
Sunday, May 7 Orivieto Here we go! Funicular Our last full day in Beautiful Tuscany.  Time to pack and then off to the town of Orivieto for the afternoon. The city, in the Umbria region, is one of the most dramatic in Europe, rising above the almost vertical faces of tuff cliffs.  We parked below the old town and took the funicular to the top and entrance to this amazing medieval town.  The streets were lined with cute little shops, cafes, bakeries, and cobblestones.  Hard to choose which way to turn your head, amazement in every direction. After a quick stop at a small cafe we headed toward the remarkable Duomo, built in 1920. The Duomo is one of the most ornate Italian cathedrals inside and out we have ever seen.  The outside face is striped in white travertine and greenish black basalt in narrow bands.  The front of the cathedral is striking and has some remarkable sculptures and ornate detail.  Inside the cathedral was just as amazing with frescoed walls and c
Read more

Arrival in Tuscan and Start of a Cook's Tour

Image
Saturday, April 29 Today week took the train from Rome to Chuisi which is in Tuscany where we are meeting up with our group for the week. The culinary journey begins here…. We arrived at our villa La Bodoile in Vialiano through the Vineyard laden hills and were greeted by our host and chef Roby Farrow and her husband George. I must say it reminded a lot of that scene in the movie under the Tuscan sun when Diane Lane first sees the name of the villa on the sign on the brick wall outside the gate.   The villa is absolutely beautiful and the views are spectacular.   Our view! Not a bad view! City of Valiano in the distance. Our Verenda A bowl of wonderful lentil and bean and vegetable soup was waiting for us along with a little wine and homemade cookies, just the start you can be assured.  Introductions commenced as the group continued to arrive followed by touring of the grounds, room assignments, and settling in. We all had a little fre
Read more