Sunday, October 3, 2010
We had a slow morning in the apartment eating breakfast and packing ready to check out by 11 AM. We walked to the train station and had plenty of time prior to our 12:27 scheduled departure for Lucca. We have been having trouble with the bank machines either because they were not working or because they had a low maximum withdrawal. We need cash to pay for our 2 week stay in Rome. However the bank at Florence train station has a 500 Euro maximum which will give us what we need. In addition to the Canadian bank charge of $5.00 the local bank also has a per withdrawal charge and we have no idea how much it is – so the fewer withdrawals the better.
Our train was scheduled to depart on time and we found the first class carriage. The luggage fit better than it does on the Eurostar trains so we had lots of room and a comfortable ride. The Tuscan countryside is very green and we passed through plains, hills and mountains. We had to change trains at Pisa after about an hour. This train had no first class but it was not crowded so again we had plenty of room to spread out. It was about 25 minutes to Lucca. When we arrived at Lucca it had been raining but was clearing and we didn’t need raincoats. We walked from the station through the gates in this walled town and followed the map to find our accommodation. Ostello San Frediano is actually a youth hostel in an old convent. It is very spacious with many sitting areas interspersed among the rooms. Our room is on two levels and would sleep 4 with a lower room with two beds and a TV, which we are using as a sitting area and an upper loft area which is our bedroom and also has the bathroom. They have a restaurant which serves dinner and breakfast.
The ramparts are probably a highlight of a stay in Lucca. The wall is high above the surrounding open and green countryside and has a wide paved pathway that is
used intensively by walkers and bikers. It is around 4km right around. Along the way we passed a hall with a sign outside saying “funghi” and “free admission”. Inside was a show of mushrooms all from the Lucca area. There must have been 40 feet of table length covered with plates of different types of mushrooms marked with a red, yellow or green sticker to indicate poisonous, questionable, or safe to eat.
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| Mushroom Exhibit, Lucca |
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| View from the Ramparts, Lucca |
Tonight we ate at the hostel. They offer a flat rate meal of 11 Euros and wine is available. We had penne with prosciutto and I then had beef with salad and Gloria had pork with salad. Of course we had the obligatory litre of wine with that. The restaurant seems to be a separate operation from the hostel. The woman who operates it did the cooking and waited on tables so it was a one person operation. The service was slow but we were in no rush. Afterwards we spoke to her and learned she is from Cuba so we shared experiences from there.
Tomorrow we will go to Pisa.
Since we don’t have internet access in our room and likely won’t until we get to Rome, I probably won’t be loading photos but will try to keep the blog up to date otherwise.
Before going to bed for the night we called Andrea and she called us back on our cell phone. We had a good chat and Gloria also got to talk to Zoe and Robyn who have not yet received their postcards from Venice.
Monday, October 4, 2010
We woke around 7:45 and were ready for breakfast about an hour later. For 3 Euros each we get a continental breakfast of white bread, jam, biscotti, and about a litre of coffee or tea – much better than coffee we have bought anywhere else – at least in terms of quantity.
By 9:30 we were ready for the 15 minute walk to the bus stop where we easily found our waiting bus for Pisa. We chatted to some people from Seattle who had also checked into the hostel and had found the room damp so moved on. I guess we were lucky – it’s a bit sparse but otherwise comfortable and the whole place has a nice ambience.
We had decided we would not climb the tower as Gloria is having some back problems and I have a little bronchitis so am trying to take it easy for a few days. Instead we took photos of the tower and bought tickets to enter the duomo and baptistery. The duomo, which was begun in 1064, has a beautiful west facade and inside highlights include the pulpit carved by Giovanni Pisano, the tomb of St. Ranieri with his mummified body visible for all to see and some beautiful mosaics above the main altar. Next we went to the baptistery, begun in 1152, which is the largest one in Italy and is circular. It has a visible tilt and in fact tilts in the opposite direction to the tower by about 6 degrees. This has a carved pulpit by Nicola Pisano and in the centre is a huge inlaid marble font for full immersion adult baptisms which were common in the Middle Ages along with four wash-basin sized fonts in the side. In the centre is a statue of John the Baptist. The most memorable feature of the baptistery is the perfect acoustics and every half-hour a guard demonstrates this by singing three notes repeatedly and these echo each for a full 10 seconds.
We emerged from the baptistery around noon into rain which was heavy enough to require our rain jackets and umbrella. After a morning of sightseeing we felt we had earned lunch so we walked up to a commercial area near the tower and in a backstreet found a recommended pizzeria. We both ordered pizzas, Gloria with Salami and me with mushroom. I had a ¼ litre of red wine and Gloria had a diet coke. We were seated outside but under an awning as the rain intensified into a downpour for most of the time we were eating. The pizza was good – not really comparable to our North American pizzas. It has a light crust, lots of tomato paste, a little mozzarella and a small amount of salami or mushroom.
We finished at the restaurant in time to catch the bus back to Lucca just after 1 PM, and then returned to the hostel for an afternoon nap.
Monday, October 5, 2010
We decided that today we would pick up an audio guide from the tourist information office and do the walking tour of Lucca. The tour provides good directions and a fairly detailed map, so we had few problems knowing where to go next. We were able to take our time, resting from time to time so it made for a fairly relaxing day. The first part was a walk along the rampart back to the church of San Frediano which is attached to our hostel, a former convent. This church was built in 1112 and is decorated outside with a colourful mosaic. The most memorable part inside is the mummified body of St. Zita which has been there since 1278. She was a local girl who worked for a nobleman. She felt sorry for the beggars and used to take out kitchen scraps in her apron to feed them. One day her master caught her leaving and asked her what was in her apron. She said it was flowers and when her master demanded to see them she opened her apron and the food had changed into flowers. It’s not clear how long she lived or how she came to her end, but at some point this miracle was recognised and she was elevated to sainthood. 
The next stop was the anfiteatro which was developed into its present form in the early 19th century. It is a unique place which keeps busy with its restaurants and tourist shops. Some of the original Roman stones are built into the current buildings. We passed by a variety of churches and palaces and spent some time in and around the cathedral. From here we left the tour for a while as this was the closest point to the train station and we need to pick up tickets to Siena for tomorrow. We have tickets leaving Lucca at 10:42 tomorrow morning via Pisa and Empoli. The total trip will take about 2½ hours but as we only have 5 minutes to change trains in Empoli I’m sceptical! 
At Siena we joined a line for a taxi but it was very slow moving so we decided to cross the road and take the bus. It was a longer trip than we expected into town and when were dropped off at Piazza Gramsci we fairly easily found our way to our hotel – Alma Domus – a former convent. The room here is very basic but clean and we have a balcony that will hold 2 chairs and a view of the cathedral.
Before dinner we went to the bar across the street where they offer internet access and I was able to download email and update my blog. We each had a glass of wine and some complimentary antipasti. We returned to the hostel for a while and around 7:30 went out for dinner. Tonight we went to the Piazza Anfiteatro – the redeveloped amphitheatre – which is lines with bars and restaurants. It was threatening rain but still warm so we found a restaurant with outside tables and large umbrellas. Since we had a large lunch of Pizza earlier at Pisa we opted for a single antipasto and a primo piatto of pasta, along with a half litre of house red. Since mushrooms are in season and apparently abundant here, i opted for the mushroom penne in tomato sauce.
We decided that today we would pick up an audio guide from the tourist information office and do the walking tour of Lucca. The tour provides good directions and a fairly detailed map, so we had few problems knowing where to go next. We were able to take our time, resting from time to time so it made for a fairly relaxing day. The first part was a walk along the rampart back to the church of San Frediano which is attached to our hostel, a former convent. This church was built in 1112 and is decorated outside with a colourful mosaic. The most memorable part inside is the mummified body of St. Zita which has been there since 1278. She was a local girl who worked for a nobleman. She felt sorry for the beggars and used to take out kitchen scraps in her apron to feed them. One day her master caught her leaving and asked her what was in her apron. She said it was flowers and when her master demanded to see them she opened her apron and the food had changed into flowers. It’s not clear how long she lived or how she came to her end, but at some point this miracle was recognised and she was elevated to sainthood. 
The next stop was the anfiteatro which was developed into its present form in the early 19th century. It is a unique place which keeps busy with its restaurants and tourist shops. Some of the original Roman stones are built into the current buildings. We passed by a variety of churches and palaces and spent some time in and around the cathedral. From here we left the tour for a while as this was the closest point to the train station and we need to pick up tickets to Siena for tomorrow. We have tickets leaving Lucca at 10:42 tomorrow morning via Pisa and Empoli. The total trip will take about 2½ hours but as we only have 5 minutes to change trains in Empoli I’m sceptical! By now it was lunch time and we found a place selling sandwiches which I enjoyed with an Italian beer. More palaces and churches followed. We reached the square which has a seated Pucchini outside his family home and decided it was time for a gelato, which we enjoyed seated at an outside table, watching the tourists go by. It was a short distance back to the information centre where we dropped off our audio guides and returned home for our afternoon naps.
For dinner we went to Vecchia Trattoria Buralli, recommended by Rick Steves. Gloria had deep fried chicken and deep fried vegetables which she said was very good and not greasy. I had the bruschetta with tomatoes and lardo (which was translated as lard and I didn’t believe) and the wild boar with deep fried vegetables. And of course a ½ litre of vino rosso. The lardo was bacon fat! The wild boar tasted like beef stew and was OK. Overall it was a very good meal at a reasonable cost.
Tomorrow morning we leave for Siena.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
We were up and ready to leave after breakfast by about 9 – an hour earlier than necessary. However we decided we could likely catch an earlier train so headedfor the train station. A train was leaving for Pisa at 9:42 from platform 6 so we hauled our luggage down the stairs, along the tunnel and up the stairs and got on the waiting train. 9:42 came and went. There was supposedly a ten minute delay. Then 9:52 came and went. Then there was an announcement and everyone got off the train, hauled luggage down the steps, along the tunnel, and up the ramp to platform 1 where another train was waiting. This one was due to leave at 9:12 and actually did leave soon after. Once in Pisa we found a train scheduled to leave for Empoli shortly so we caught that and from Empoli we caught another crowded train to Siena. We were almost at Siena when we realised we were sitting in 1st class with 2nd class tickets (the ticket agent had told me there was no 1st class on the train we were booked on) but fortunately no-one checked our tickets.
We went for a late lunch at a nearby restaurant – I had penne with gorgonzola and nuts and an Italian beer and Gloria had spaghetti with sausage which turned out to be purple, though we are not sure why. After lunch it was time for our naps and when we got up a little after 4:00 we went for a walk to Il Campo, the main Piazza in Siena. Il Campo is dominated by the town hall and its 330 foot bell tower. We wandered around the piazza, which is lined with restaurants and tourist businesses, took a look at the carvings on the fountain, checked with the information office to see if they have a self-guided walking tour of Siena (they do not), and eventually settled on a restaurant where we could enjoy a glass of wine and watch the world go by. After that we decided to check out the main shopping street which is nearby. Mostly it was small expensive boutiques but we found a grocery store where we bought wine and eventually we found Upim which is a department store and has some good merchandise at reasonable prices. I bought a T shirt for 6 euros. Fortunately I tried it on and found a large was too small so I bought an XL. Either their sizes are smaller than ours or I have to cut back on the pasta. We also bought a dress for Robyn.
It was after 7 so we returned to the hotel to drop off our purchases and went out for dinner at a nearby restaurant – Osteria la Chiacchera which was recommended in our guidebook. We ate outside. They have no tables for two so you are seated at a table for 4 with two other people who were a German couple. They drove from Germany and are staying for 10 days near San Gimignano. At the next table were 3 20-something Americans from Seattle and we exchanged travel stories and information with them. This was probably the cheapest and one of the best dinners we have had in Italy. We both had crostina, veal with potatoes in a tomato sauce and ½ litre of wine for 21 euros.
We returned the few steps to the hotel and I checked my email on the hotel computer as there is no WiFi connection for my laptop.
We also wanted to go to Piazza Gramsci to check on buses to San Gimignano as if it is an easy trip we may go tomorrow. We found there are regular buses from the Piazza and it takes just over an hour.
From here we walked to the Duomo arriving at the back of the cathedral in front of the baptistery and at the foot of about 50 stairs leading up to the entrance. It was a clear, warm, sunny day so we sat for a few minutes on a wall opposite the facade admiring the view. We bought our tickets and there was no line-up to get in so we were soon inside. Again we opted for the audioguide and this time we were able to use our ear buds with a single unit. The guide was better than some and we only lost our way a couple of times, mostly due to areas that were under restoration. The highlights include yet another beautiful carved pulpit by Nicloa Pisano (the father), the Piccolomini library which has Frescoes on three sides as well as the ceiling, a stone carving of St. Paul by Michelangelo, and the inlaid marble floors which were uncovered, although it was explained they often are covered for protection so cannot always be viewed.
Around 4:00 PM we were up again and decided to walk the block or so to the church of San Domenico which was begun in 1226 and is named after St. Catherine. It contains her preserved head and her thumb. Somehow I missed the “no photos” sign here and so have captured them digitally.
It is not a large building but the walls on either side of the sanctuary are painted with frescoes – on the left with scenes from the Old Testament and on the right from the New Testament. For 2 Euros they offer an audio explanation from a machine near the back of the sanctuary. 
We decided we had earned a reward so sat at a table at a gelato shop facing the Duomo. It is another warm day and probably in the mid-20s in the sun. We enjoyed watching the tourists go by while we enjoyed large gelatos topped with whipped cream. From here we continued our walk up the main street and a little further up turned off for a walk to a park and olive grove on a hilltop. It was about 50 large steps up to the top and another 25 to the top of a small tower, but well worth the effort for a view of the towers of San Gimignano and the surrounding countryside. On the way down a German couple asked us to take their photo with the view in the background, and they did the same for us.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
We were up around 8 AM and ready for breakfast around 8:30. The hotel includes a good continental breakfast buffet with croissants, cereal, various pastries and spreads, yoghurt, bananas and coffee with or without hot milk. This morning we were planning to visit the Duomo – about a 10 minute up and down-hill walk from the hotel. First however we booked a tour at the hotel desk for Saturday to two Tuscan hill towns – Montepulciano and Pienza.
As we left we visited Santuario e Casa di Santa Caterina – the home of Siena’s patron saint which we look into from our room. The home has many chapels and paintings depicting her life. She found religion at a very early age, became an ascetic and at some point had a vision in which she became the wife of Christ and received the stigmata from the cross. She was noted for persuading the pope to move the papacy back to Rome from Paris.
From here we walked to the Duomo arriving at the back of the cathedral in front of the baptistery and at the foot of about 50 stairs leading up to the entrance. It was a clear, warm, sunny day so we sat for a few minutes on a wall opposite the facade admiring the view. We bought our tickets and there was no line-up to get in so we were soon inside. Again we opted for the audioguide and this time we were able to use our ear buds with a single unit. The guide was better than some and we only lost our way a couple of times, mostly due to areas that were under restoration. The highlights include yet another beautiful carved pulpit by Nicloa Pisano (the father), the Piccolomini library which has Frescoes on three sides as well as the ceiling, a stone carving of St. Paul by Michelangelo, and the inlaid marble floors which were uncovered, although it was explained they often are covered for protection so cannot always be viewed.We emerged from the Duomo a little before 1:00PM into bright sunlight. We decided to head up towards the hotel to get some lunch since prices are significantly more reasonable away from the Duomo and Il Campo. We noticed the bar across from the restaurant where we ate last night has a good lunch menu and has free Wi-Fi so I went back the few steps to the hotel for the laptop and we ate there and downloaded email. I had pasta with 4 kinds of cheese and mushrooms and an Italian beer and Gloria had prosciutto tortellini. Then we returned to our hotel for our afternoon nap.
Around 4:00 PM we were up again and decided to walk the block or so to the church of San Domenico which was begun in 1226 and is named after St. Catherine. It contains her preserved head and her thumb. Somehow I missed the “no photos” sign here and so have captured them digitally. From here we walked over to Piazza Gramsci and I bought bus tickets for San Gimignano to save time tomorrow morning. Gloria bought a couple of scarves and we bought a piece of local cheese to have with a glass of wine back at the hotel. We checked out a sitting area at the hotel which also has a selection of books then returned to our room to write our journals. I sat on the tiny balcony with a view of the Duomo and to the right, a glimpse of the hills of Tuscany.
For dinner we went to the neighbouring restaurant where we ate lunch yesterday. Our waiter yesterday was Bangladeshi and I learned that he had been to Meghalaya where I visited two years ago, so we had chatted about that. We had the same waiter again tonight. I wanted to order the house wine but he told me there was no house wine and bottles were around 15 euros. Instead we each ordered beer. Gloria had a rice and vegetable dish and I had veal scaloppini and a side dish of spinach which we shared. The food was very good as usual .
Friday, October 8, 2010
Today we are planning to catch a bus at 9:35 to the hill town of San Gimignano, a little north-west of Siena, in or close to the Chianti region. We had our OK breakfast at the hotel were at the bus stop by about 9:10. It was comforting to see our bus listed on the departures board along with the general area from which it would be leaving. Almost at 9:35 a bus that had been sitting in the area all along lit up indicating San Gimignano and we all piled on, validating our tickets in the yellow machine and almost filling the bus. We left a few minutes late for the 65 minute trip.
We were about 15 minutes getting out of Siena then we were passing through the green hills of Tuscany, periodically with ploughed fields or fields of grape, many heavy with the fruit and with most leaves removed. We made several stops along the way, picking people up or dropping them off. This is the local transportation system and children use it to go to school, adults to go to the market etc. We arrived at San Gimignano at 10:40 as scheduled and were dropped at the town gate. There is very little traffic allowed – just taxis, delivery vans, and an occasional local bus.
Our guidebook referred to a walking tour audio guide available at the tourist information centre so we decided to head straight there. However, they told me they no longer have the tour so we reverted to the guidebook. We were in the Piazza Della Cisterna which has a large well to one side and is the heart of the old city. The well is now covered with wrought iron but that doesn’t prevent tourists from throwing in coins for luck. We moved on to the Piazza del Duomo – the Cathedral Square. We decided to go through the Duomo but not the adjacent museum so we bought tickets and entered.
We decided we had earned a reward so sat at a table at a gelato shop facing the Duomo. It is another warm day and probably in the mid-20s in the sun. We enjoyed watching the tourists go by while we enjoyed large gelatos topped with whipped cream. From here we continued our walk up the main street and a little further up turned off for a walk to a park and olive grove on a hilltop. It was about 50 large steps up to the top and another 25 to the top of a small tower, but well worth the effort for a view of the towers of San Gimignano and the surrounding countryside. On the way down a German couple asked us to take their photo with the view in the background, and they did the same for us. We continued our walk and ended up at Piazza Saint Agostino. The Church was closed since it was after noon, but a recommended restaurant was open so we stopped for lunch. We both ordered a Mediterranean salad with cheese and i had a ¼ litre of house wine while Gloria stayed with water. The salads were huge and consisted of all kinds of fruit chopped up on a bed of various kinds of greens with tomato, cucumber, olives etc. A nice change from the pasta and pizza we have been having for lunch lately.
The next bus to Siena was at 2:40, more than an hour away, so we strolled back the way we came looking in some of the many stores as we passed by. We were still early when we got to the town gate and the sun was hot with little shade, so we went into a nearby church – very small with seating for about 25 – and rested for a while. Then we passed through the gate and sat in the shade of the bus shelter for the 20 minutes until our bus was due. The trip back was 75 minutes and after alighting in Siena we came back to the hotel for our overdue nap.
For dinner tonight we went to one of Rick Steve’s recommendations, about a 5 minute walk from the hotel – La Taverna Di Cecco. The first person we spoke to asked if we had a reservation and scowled when we said no, but found us a table anyway. We ordered a plate with a variety of crostina and both ordered chicken breast with mushroom in a white wine sauce. There were very generous portions of crostina, most of which we could not identify, and the chicken was excellent. We shared a half litre of wine. The food today has probably been the best so far.
Tomorrow morning is laundry day and in the afternoon we have booked a tour to a couple of hill towns, including wine tasting.
After lunch we returned briefly to the hotel and it was time to leave for Piazza Gramsci and our afternoon tour. After a short wait our tour guide, Manuele, appeared and pointed out the bus and soon we were on our way. There were 19 people, a nice sized group and we got to know each other a little. There were two from India (one now living in New York), and others from Finland, another from Australia and most of the rest from Italy. 
Our next stop was the neighbouring hill town of Pienza – developed by – and named after – Pope Pius II. The Pope and his architect had a master plan for the town but only the square with the town hall, bishop’s palace, Duomo and the Pope’s family palace were completed in his lifetime. While the rest of the town was subsequently developed it did not follow the master plan as the pope and his architect died in the same year. 
The winery was Abbadia Ardenga-Poggio at Torrenieri. It is on land that was owned by the family of Pope Pius II and is now run by an 81 year old man and his family. We were shown around the oak barrels and lead down a tunnel with a low ceiling and then back up again into a tasting room. We were sat at a long table with paper place-mats and three wine glasses at each place. They started out with Ardengo – a wine that is aged for one year in oak and should not be kept more than a couple of years, next an older wine much more full bodied. Next we were given a generous portion of 2005 Brunello di Montalcino - this one is aged for 5 years in oak. At this point the owner arrived and told us a little about the wines and platters of prosciutto sandwiches and bread with olive oil were brought in. We were then given a generous serving of Brunello di Montalcino Vigna "Piaggia" 2005. Next we were given a glass of grappa which we were instructed to swallow in one gulp – 1 -- 2 – 3 and down. By now everyone was very jolly with lots of banter back and forth in several languages. The owner returned with bottles of 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna "Piaggia" which he proceeded to pour into our glasses – just to show that the wine is good enough to drink at any time – even after grappa.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
We began the day with a trip to the Laundromat located close to Piazza del Campo. While the laundry was washing we went for a walk around the Piazza and looked in some of the tourist shops. We returned to the hotel and spent an hour or so sitting on the hotel patio which has tables and umbrellas and a view of the Duomo. We caught up with some reading and writing. For lunch we went back to Zest Bar which has Wi-Fi. The owner explained they are operating the Wi-Fi illegally and they could be shut down any time. Internet access is restricted and visiting users are supposed to show their passport and have their usage recorded for government inspection. This explains why there is so little free Wi-Fi available here. For lunch we both had a vegetable quiche with salad.
The bus was not the best - most of the windows to the back were fogged up and the others could have been cleaner, so it was fortunate it was less than half full. We rode through the Tuscan countryside for about an hour. Many of the fields were ploughed and bare waiting for seeding in the winter. Others were covered with ripe sunflowers waiting for seeds to be harvested, while others had rows of grapes, some harvested and some loaded with purple fruit. We arrived in Montepulciano where we had about 40 minutes to look around. We climbed along the main street passing numerous tourist shops and eventually arrived at the Piazza where there is a Duomo and a town hall reminiscent of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. I was able to climb to the upper terrace for photos but the tower was closed.
On the way back we had a quick walk through a winery, Contucci Cantina, where the award-winning wine Vino Nobile is made. I had thought this was where the wine tasting would be but there was no time and we headed back down the hill where after a few minutes the bus arrived.
On the way back we had a quick walk through a winery, Contucci Cantina, where the award-winning wine Vino Nobile is made. I had thought this was where the wine tasting would be but there was no time and we headed back down the hill where after a few minutes the bus arrived. 
Our next stop was the neighbouring hill town of Pienza – developed by – and named after – Pope Pius II. The Pope and his architect had a master plan for the town but only the square with the town hall, bishop’s palace, Duomo and the Pope’s family palace were completed in his lifetime. While the rest of the town was subsequently developed it did not follow the master plan as the pope and his architect died in the same year. Pienza is famous for sheep’s cheese and we bought about 500g which the vendor assured us will keep for months without refrigeration. From the edges of town there were some beautiful vistas. We had about 40 minutes to explore – not enough time for a guided tour of the popes family palace – so we walked around town browsing in the shops and admiring the views.
So far the tour had been a disappointment – not really enough time to relax and enjoy the places we visited or to buy a ticket and tour the sights. We felt we would have been better off taking a bus from Siena and visiting one or other of the towns on our own. However now it was time to visit the winery in a rural area – something we could not have done on our own and things were about to change.
The winery was Abbadia Ardenga-Poggio at Torrenieri. It is on land that was owned by the family of Pope Pius II and is now run by an 81 year old man and his family. We were shown around the oak barrels and lead down a tunnel with a low ceiling and then back up again into a tasting room. We were sat at a long table with paper place-mats and three wine glasses at each place. They started out with Ardengo – a wine that is aged for one year in oak and should not be kept more than a couple of years, next an older wine much more full bodied. Next we were given a generous portion of 2005 Brunello di Montalcino - this one is aged for 5 years in oak. At this point the owner arrived and told us a little about the wines and platters of prosciutto sandwiches and bread with olive oil were brought in. We were then given a generous serving of Brunello di Montalcino Vigna "Piaggia" 2005. Next we were given a glass of grappa which we were instructed to swallow in one gulp – 1 -- 2 – 3 and down. By now everyone was very jolly with lots of banter back and forth in several languages. The owner returned with bottles of 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Vigna "Piaggia" which he proceeded to pour into our glasses – just to show that the wine is good enough to drink at any time – even after grappa.This part of our tour ended an hour later than scheduled – everyone had a good time and the winery visit alone was worth the cost of the tour. It was around 8 PM and we all returned to the bus and were back in Siena in 40 minutes.
Although we still felt full from our winery visit we decided we should have something to eat so went to our neighbouring restaurant – Osteria la Chiacchera. The service was very slow but eventually we each ordered a chicken dish and a ¼ litre of vino rosso. Soon we were back at the hotel packing ready for an early start on Sunday.
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