Tuscan Food Tour

This was a full-on day, so I'm going to split it into two blog posts. This post covers the shopping, the next will describe the cooking. My sister and I both agree that this day was one of the highlights of our trip.

We left home early, taking the bus from Le Cure (Allesandro Volta) to San Marco and walking to Via Vinegia 23r (behind the Palazzo Vecchio). As usual, we got a little lost but soon found our way. At the Walkabout Tours office, we checked in and then took photos of ourselves on the Vespas and with the Fiats there. (They hire these out and conduct tours with them. We spoke to some who had done this and they raved about it.)

We met our guide, Julian, who was born in Florence to an Italian father and American mother. He has spent half his life in each place so is multi-lingual. We also met Gloria, who was taking another small group. We were told that we would all meet up later, on the bus to the venue for the cooking lesson.

Good Italian meals require fresh ingredients so our tour began at 9:45 am with a stroll through the streets of Florence to the markets, learning little bits of interesting history as we went. We heard about the floods of 1966 and saw the markers indicating the height of the water. Julian also pointed out the little wine doors (Below)and told us their history, which is fascinating. If you want to know more, go to www.ricksteeves.com.

We also stopped at a church that had once been a grain market. The loggia had been filled in with walls and pictures and stained glass windows added, but the chutes the grain passed through were still running down the inside walls. 

We strolled by a spice shop (below) and inhaled the lovely aromas. One side of the window contained jars of spices, the other was more inclined to medicinal. 

From there, we walked onto a greengrocers, where Julian (below) purchased tomatoes and basil for the bruschetta we would make later.

Then we continued on towards a coffee break. Before we got there, Julian explained the different coffees one can order. He told us he preferred a macchiato in a large cup. He then took our orders. Of course, most of us wanted a coffee in a large cup. In the cafe/bar, we could also order a sweet treat (and pay for ourselves, the coffee was complimentary). I didn't want to spoil lunch so settled for the coffee. Much to our surprise, the coffee in a large cup was just that, the usual esspresso (a couple of teaspoons of strong coffee) looking lonely in the bottom of a large cup! 

Before we left, Julian bought some bread to take with us, for our bruschetta. We then set off for the Central markets. Along the way, we heard the history of the San Lorenzo church, and also a little about the central markets themselves. Apparently, the downstairs section is now for all fresh produce, and the upstairs is a food hall, which generally comes alive at night.

At the Mercato Centrale, we purchased cheese (Mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano) and examined all the other varieties on offer, including a taste of Parmigano regiano. 

It was then time to buy the meats. We needed ground beef (mince) for the ragu sauce, and port for the roast. The beef was chosen and minced twice as we waited. While that was happening, one of the butchers cut the bone from a rack. He then rolled the pork and tied the wedge back onto it with twine. The idea is that one can stuff garlic and herbs between bone and meat for more flavour. It also makes it easier to remove the bone to slice the meat once the roast is ready.

We ended our tour through the markets with a look at what else is on offer, from the usual to the gross! There were chickens and ducks, plucked but with their feet and heads added back to make a neat package. Italians cook every part of a carcass! There was also every kind of offal you could think of. One stand was very popular, especially with tourists from Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam and China. There, an ancient custom is continued, with the 4th stomach of the cow cooked, then sliced very thinly. To this is added a paste of herbs and spices and the result is heated and served on fresh bread rolls.

We left the markets and walked to Santa Maria Novella station, where our bus was waiting for us and for Gloria's group. We then crossed the Arno and drove up into the hills behind Piazzale Michelangelo, to where our cooking class and the feasting would be held. 

Isle of the dead

The slightly cloudy morning cleared to a lovely day as we walked to the English Cemetery at Piazzale Donatello this morning, a half hour 1.8km stroll. 

The cemetery was established for the Swiss community and was situated in the countryside outside the Porta a Pinti. It came to be used by other nationalities (and Protestants) as well.As the city of Florence expanded, the gate and that section of wall were dismantled. A number of major roads entered the city at this point and they were constructed around the Cemetery, which became an island, hence it is now known as 'the isle of the dead'. Cars, buses, trucks and foot traffic sweep around the cemetery daily - it's a very busy place. 

A number of notable people are buried here, including Elizabeth Barrett Browning (below). There is also a large monument for a past King of Prussia (above). We spent an hour wandering the paths and reading those inscriptions that were still legible. There are a variety of interesting headstones among what one usually sees from earlier centuries. One was a large anchor and rope, which surely indicated that the person resting there was a man of the sea. There were also some grotesque statues, including death with his scythe. 

The cemetery no longer accepts interments, we read, but memorial stones are allowed. 

We signed the visitor's book as we left through the gatehouse, but could not see a donation box anywhere. We thought this odd as the graves and grounds are maintained by volunteers.

We enjoyed a short break in the little park across one of the roads that ring the Cemetery, people watching, before going on our way. We walked back a lightly different way and stopped off in a little caffetteria for tea/coffee and a pastry.

At Via Alessandro Volta, we continued straight ahead to Le Cure, where we dropped into the Coop to collect a few things for the apartment.

Piazzale Donatello

There were blue skies and no wind today, so we decided to walk to Piazzale Donatello, which is near where the Porto Pinti used to be. This gate was demolished early in the 1900s. It's only about a 2 km from our apartment so we were looking forward to it. It was an interesting walk, taking us on roads we hadn't been on before. (One thing we had puzzled over when walking the streets here was the numbering system the Italians use. The numbers are on a little plaque set into the walls near doorways and we could not understand how these did not appear sequential. Lindy googled for more information and discovered that there are two sets of numbers - one is for residential apartments, and the other for businesses. One is outlined in blue, and the other in red. Once we understood that, it was simple!)

As always when we walked in Florence, we laughed at the way drivers park their cars hre. There's a pedestrian crossing in the way? No problems, they just park on it. Space too small for the car? No worries, just put a wheel or two up on the footpath and angle in! Cars huddle around corners, parked on two streets in some cases, or are just left in any available spot, regardless of lights or intersections. The cars pictured below were parked!

After one mis-turn, and directions from a florist, we found the Piazzale, passing a cemetery on the way. Its gates were locked so we continued on. We wanted to look at the English Cemetery, where Elizabeth Barrett Browning and other notable people are buried and which we had read was at the Piazzale Donatello, but when we arrived there we were disappointed to find it closed. The sign said it opens on Mondays so we'll go back tomorrow.

We sat in a little park alongside 'the island of the dead' and watched the traffic swoop around it. There were little self-serve petrol stations around the perimeter too, but all the activity didn't worry the dead - they slept peacefully on, under the trees.

The little park we were sitting in had some very fancy light poles set along the paths. A few people strolled through with dogs, and a couple of joggers ran by. It was very peaceful, the first place we'd seen in the historic centre of Florence that actually had seating for tired walkers.

We set off to go back to our apartment for lunch, passing an open supermarket on the way, so we stopped there to buy a few supplies. While in the store, we were amazed to see a man with a large dog (a skinny Alsatian) on a lead, accompanying him as he did his shopping! We both wanted to take a photo but thought the man - and maybe the dog - might be offended.

Back home, we did some washing and spent the afternoon reading, writing our diaries and resting up for another trek tomorrow to see the English Cemetary.

Lazy 'at home' days.

In between our trips around Tuscany, we've tried to include days at 'home' so that we don't suffer from an overload of sights, sounds, impressions and the hordes of people doing the same sightseeing. Resting up also means that we won't be in need of a holiday to recover from our trip when we return home.

We spend our time 'at home' catching up on diary entries and email, sorting photographs, washing clothes, reading, (and in Lindy's case, napping).

Here are a few photos of the artwork that surrounds us in the lovely apartment we are renting here in Le Cure, which is on the edge of the historic centre of Firenze. We're only a 45 minutes walk from the Ponte Vecchio, but far enough away so that it's quiet at night.

Fiesole

We can see the small town of Fiesole from our apartment in Le Cure and, according to our research, we could walk there, but it's uphill so we elected to take the bus.

Fiesole is of Etruscan origin, as may be seen from the remains of its ancient walls, and was probably founded in the 9 C BC. One possible reason for the prosperity of Etruscan and Roman Fiesole could be its location near a ford over the Arno close to where Roman Florence (Florentia) would rise. Fiesole's location also made it strategic for travellers on all the main roads between southern and central Etruria to the south of Italy (covering large parts of present day Tuscany, Umbria and Latium) and the Etruscans in the area around the Po valley to the north of Italy. 

The Romans conquered Faesulae, as Fiesole was then known, in 283 BC. Under Roman rule, it became the seat of a famous school of augurs, and every year twelve young men were sent here from Rome to study the art of divination. Rome typically drew heavily on the Etruscans for priests and augurs. Sulla colonised it with veterans, who afterwards, under the leadership of Manlius, supported the cause of Catiline. Near Fiesole, the Vandals and Suevi under Radagaisus were defeated (405) by hunger rather than by the troops of Stilicho. A considerable number of interesting finds from the Etruscan period - urns, bucchero, clay and bronze statues - together with other objects from Roman times are to be found in the Museum near the archaeological zone. 

During the Gothic War (536-53) Fiesole was besieged several times and in 539 Justinus, the Byzantine general captured it and razed its fortifications. In the early Middle Ages, Fiesole was more powerful than Florence in the valley below, and many wars arose between them. In 1010 and 1025 Fiesole was sacked by the Florentines, and its leading families obliged to take up their residence in Florence.

Christianity was introduced to  Fiesole by St. Romulus, a disciple of St. Peter. The fact that the ancient cathedral (now the Abbazia Fiesolana) stands outside the city is evidence that the Christian origins of Fiesole date from the period of the persecutions. The earliest mention of a Bishop of Fiesole is in a letter of Gelasius I (492-496). A little later, under Vigilius (537-55), a Bishop Rusticus is mentioned as papal legate at one of the Councils of Constantinople. The legendary St. Alexander is said by some to belong to the time of the Lombard King Autari (end of the sixth century), but the Bollandists assign him to the reign of Lothair (middle of the ninth century).

After reading all of that, we got off the bus in the main square and headed straight for the ancient Etruscan and Roman ruins. We wandered through the amphitheatre and took heaps of photos. 

Aside from the sights of interest within and near Fiesole itself, on a sunny day, the view from the Fiesolean hills out over Firenze (Florence) is spectacularly beautiful and this was true of the restaurant at the entrance to the ruins. We sat and enjoyed the views as we ate a simple pasta lunch.

After lunch, we strolled through the streets of the little town and then sat in the Piazza for awhile before we took the bus down to Piazza San Domenico. From there, we walked further down, taking photos of the stunning views as we went. 

We walked past numerous fine villas, obviously owned by the wealthy of Florence. We hopped on a bus a little further down the Moutain and returned to Le Cure, where we called into the Coop for a few groceries before going back to the apartment.

Pisa and the Leaning Tower

Our last stop for our Best of Tuscany Tour was Pisa. It was an hour and a half drive from San Gimignano, which gave us some time to rest after our long day. Many of us had a little nap along the way, but not until after we'd come down from the mountains as the drive through those little country roads was wonderful. There were photos opportunities at every turn, but of course, not possible from the bus.

I had been to Pisa before, and had been disappointed so wasn't particularly looking forward to this part of our tour. But Lindy had never been and you can't come this close to it and not see it.

When we got closer to Pisa, Elise told us a little of the history of the leaning tower (it's a bell tower and unusual, not just because of the lean, because most bell towers are square, where this one is round) and some of the other buildings. She told us that the tower is unique also because it always leaned. The building of the tower began in 1173 and even when just 3 of its 8 stories were built it was already sinking on one side. Over the next 180 years, architect after architect attempted to straighten it or continued building successive stories at an angle to compensate the tilt. As a result, the tower is slightly banana-shaped, and of course, it is still leaning!

At the end of the 20th century, the tower was a scary 4.5 metres away from being upright so an 11-year restoration was begun. A pit was dug on one side and filled with concrete, bringing the tower back to the position it would have been 200 years ago.

She also explained that the car park was some distance from the tower, but not to worry, we wouldn't have to walk. We would travel from the car park to the square in a little train that ran on the road, not on tracks. This train would also pick us up later and take us through the streets of Pisa, and she would tell us more of the history of the town of Pisa.

The driver of the train came along to each door of the two carriages - one at the end of each row of four seats - to check and be sure they were shut securely, which made me think we were on a ride at a fairground. As soon as he took off, that's what it felt like and we laughed as he flung the carriage around corners, threatening to fling his passengers out into the streets and the traffic at each turn. Easy then to see why he had checked the doors. He paid no heed to the shouts, blowing horns, or rude fingers he received from the other road users and pedestrians, who had to leap for their lives.

Much to my surprise, we arrived at the 'Field of Miracles' intact and uninjured. There our guide left us to wander and take photos, to visit the Duomo, or to sit and have a coffee. Some of our group had purchased advance tickets to climb the tower and others lined up to buy them there. We had no desire to do this so we walked around the tower, the Duomo and the Bapistry, taking photos in the fading light, and then elected to go and have a coffee. Lindy ordered a tea and to her joy received a whole pot!

Back at 'the train' we were driven through the town centre, a maze of quiet medieval streets and piazzas. We learned that Pisa is also on the Arno River (we crossed it) and that it is a university town. Its university, one of the oldest in Europe, is still one of the most important institutions in Italy. Pisa's most famous son, Galileo Galilei was a professor at Pisa University. More than half of the inhabitants of Pisa are students, which makes it a young and vibrant city. The train rattled and bumped its way over the rough cobblestones roads, shaking us awake as we arrived back at the bus, where Mauro was waiting to take us back to Florence.

We were both tired by this stage, but I was very glad I'd re-visited Pisa because I'd learned a lot more about it, and had seen places I hadn't been to on my previous visit.

San Gimignano

San Gimignano, which we had glimpsed in the distance as we had lunch, is one of Italy's best preserved medieval towns. It is nicknamed 'the Medieval Manhattan' because of its silhouette on the skyline. 

We had a bit of a walk from the car and bus park, up to the main gate - Porto Giovanni - which helped us walk off our 'light lunch'!

The street (Via San Giovanni) which leads up from this gate is lined with colourful shops selling Tuscan ceramics, leather, and typical food such as wild boar salami and Tuscan cheeses. The street is narrow and paved, and the stone walls of the building line it, soaring up over our heads. Many of these buildings had fancy wooden doors, with elaborate door handles and door knockers.

Via San Giovanni leads to the Piazza della Cisterna, San Gimignano's main square. Here we found the Gelato shop our tour guide had told us about, the award winning Gelateria Di Piazza. This shop won the title of World Champion for their artisan-made gelato. (There is another Gelateria nearby which sports a sign saying it is 'the best in the world' but we were told that they are just being cheeky.) Despite the fact that we'd not long eaten a huge lunch, Lindy and I had to try a gelato. I had a small cupola (cup) - not the smallest, but small - with a scoop each of blueberry and caramel. Lindy ordered a fancy cone, the top of which was covered with chocolate and nuts, also with 2 scoops.

After this second dessert, we continued climbing up a slight incline to the Piazza Duomo, where the town hall and the former Duomo, now known as the Collegiata, face each other. We elected not to go inside, although we read that its plain exterior belies the interior, which is filled with colourful frescoes. We also decided that we could not face a climb of 150 steps, up through the Torre Grossa, despite the promise of 360-degree views. I'd San Gimignano twice before, and the surrounding Elsa valley this time, so that was enough for me.

The climb to La Rocca may have been possible, but we were running out of time. There were a couple of shops we'd seen in Via San Giovanni that we wanted to stop at on our return to the bus, to buy a couple of souvenirs, so, reluctantly, we began our walk back to the car park.