September 26, 2009 – Greve in Chianti, Italy
I am sitting here at our “cucina” table in our apartment named Sambuca at Poggio Asciutto in the middle of the Chianti region; Italian music is playing on the iPod, Luigi is “creating” at the stove: spaghetti aglio-olio, fried zucchini (including the zucchini blossoms) and our “expensive” wine (3 bottles/10 euro) is on the menu. Besides Chef Luigi’s creations, we have also enjoyed two very “tuscan” style suppers cooked by Massimo and Eva here at Poggio Asciutto: Braciole alla pizzaiola…which translate into “helluva” amazing freshly made “tuscan style” pizza sauce with thinly cut beef…so mouthwatering…Chef Luigi needs to get the recipe!
Thursday we went to view the towers…all 13 of them remaining from an original 46 in yet another medieval town called San Gimignano. We did not have to worry about looking like a tourist in this town…it is crawling with them…every single one with a camera. The town does have an interesting “tower” history dating back as early as 1150…when towers started popping up all over town…families competing to see who could build the best (and highest). The original “twin towers” are still here…a family who, because of the height restrictions built TWO towers close to each other so the “sum” of the two beat the “Jones’” (Talk about thinking outside the box!). After a few hours of dodging tourists and trying to capture the “Kodak” moment we cooled off with a gelato (Yes, Carmen…we DO “sample” gelato in every town, and lots of it… ) and headed home to enjoy another “tuscan” meal with Eva and Massimo….Arista con prugna…mmmmm.
Friday was one of the toughest days…horseback riding through the Chianti vineyards….swimming in the pool…. but I hear the crickets singing, the tuscan moon calling…never mind a drop or two of Lemoncello…