Yes, it’s true that I’ve fallen a bit behind on my travel blog. I think Italy is to blame…..all the wonderful food, intoxicating wine, infinite museums, palaces, piazzas and medieval hilltop towns are a bit distracting. And if given the choice between spending my days exploring Italy or sitting in dark, overpriced internet cafes, I think I know which option I’d choose every time.

So Jason and I recently said arrivederci to Italy after 3 glorious weeks. We traveled between Florence, the Tuscan countryside, Umbria and Puglia. The weather for much of the time we were there wasn’t what you would call ideal for sightseeing (it rained quite a bit and was more chilly than we anticipated), but we decided that it was out of our control and to just make the absolute best of it. Florence, or Firenze as it’s called in Italy, is a stunningly beautiful city and is also the cradle of the Italian Renaissance. Because of this surge in artistic, literary and scientific activity, the city is overflowing with evidence of masterpieces from the Renaissance Age. Boticelli, Michelangelo, DaVinci, Raphael, Brunelleschi, Machiavelli, Donatello, Dante…….I could go on and on. Between the mindboggling number of museums, churches, palaces, piazzas and various other tourist attractions, there is enough to see and do in Florence that would keep even the most avid traveler busy.

We rented a great little apartment in an area called the Oltrarno, which literally means the other side of the Arno – the main river that runs through Florence. The Oltrarno is a cool, eclectic, bohemian area full of students, young Florentines and artisans. An area I highly recommend for a visit to Florence because you’re walking distance from the historic center, but also away from the blaring noise of mopeds and crowds of tourists. The Oltrarno is also a fantastic area for good food. There are an endless number of quality trattorias, osterias, ristorantes and wine bars on each and every block. 

Jason and I had the opportunity to visit a former co-worker of mine from Standard Pacific and his wife - Keith and Tania. They moved from Southern California to Italy about 3 years ago and recently purchased a beautiful home at the base of the hill that leads to the medieval town of Cortona (the town made famous in Under the Tuscan Sun). Keith and Tania were amazing hosts and tour guides!

When we arrived in Cortona, we decided that we hadn’t consumed any pasta, steak, pizza, prosciutto, salami or wine in at least 2 hours……so Keith and Tania took us to a fantastic trattoria where we feasted like kings (more like pigs) for a little over 3 hours. We started with a house red wine, an antipasti platter and two amazingly tasty pastas. Our main course was Bistecca alla Fiorentina, a delicious and rather large cut of beef from the locally farmed Chianina cow. It’s sold by the kilo on menus in Italy so we naturally ordered 2 kilos total……roughly 4.5 pounds…..I should probably mention that there were seven of us eating!

During lunch Jason and I mentioned that we’d been dying to go to a restaurant in Panzano, a small town in the Chianti region, which is run by Dario Cecchini, a.k.a. the world’s most famous butcher. They too had heard of this Dante-quoting butcher and Solociccia, his recently opened restaurant. So it was settled…….Jason and I would stay another night and we’d drive the 1 ½ the next day for lunch.

Over the course of yet another 3 hour lunch, we were treated to red wine and seven (yes, seven) meat courses – he is a butcher after all. Lunch was followed by olive oil cake and a selection of 3 different grappas. All in all, the lunch was absolutely delicious and quite the ordeal. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that I didn’t eat again for almost 2 days! By the way, best of luck to anyone who wants to order a big green salad anywhere in Italy…..they’re as elusive as a leprechaun’s pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

A few days later we picked up a rental car in Florence and headed to Umbria, the lesser traveled wine country just south of Tuscany and just as spectacular. We stayed at Locanda Rosati, a small inn just outside of the beautiful hilltop town of Orvieto. Jean Pierro (anyone see the resemblance to Norm McDonald?), the owner of the inn, was by far one of the most gracious and accommodating hotel owners we’ve ever met. We had a family-style dinner each night in the downstairs dining room – Jean Pierro was there each evening socializing, telling stories, and offering sightseeing advice to his guests. Each meal was also followed by his homemade limoncello…..yumm!!!

During our 3 days in Umbria, we explored the picturesque hilltop town of Orvieto and its many Etruscan caves, lovely Civita with only 16 residents, and Pitigliano (the town of Tuffo). The day we visited Pitigliano was the feast of their patron Saint, San Rocco……so the village was very lively and busy in preparing for the evening’s festivities. Just outside of Pitigliano, we hiked into the Etruscan pathways of Via Cava di San Giuseppe. These are ancient pathways carved out of the rock by the Etruscans thousands of years ago. They are carved deep into the rock, so it is almost like being in a cave, but they are open at the top.

All in all, Florence, Tuscany and Umbria were absolutely spectacular. The food, wine, culture, history and sheer beauty make them areas well worth exploring. And, while we enjoyed our time in Florence, I think we were surprised to find that we much more enjoyed the slower-paced life in the coutryside. We’re looking forward to coming back again soon (I hope!) to rent a house for a few weeks in Umbria. There are just so many towns with beautiful cobblestone streets and alleyways to get lost in and discover.

Please keep an eye out for our next posting on Puglia. Until then, click here to view a few photos from our time in Italy. Ciao!