pisa and tuscan countryside

when i woke up this morning, i looked out a little low window in our room and saw a big garden. later found out it was a fancy public garden next door. while jj slept in, p and i went to breakfast across the way – orange juice, cappucino, italian croissant (less buttery but better for the diet) and the whole breakfast was 3 euros each. it was a special deal with the hotel. we had an extra cappucino for 1 euro!
it was empty out on the streets. it felt great. then we got jj up and got her breakfast. we waited for a free walking tour that was supposed to meet at our hotel, but after ½ an hour of waiting, we gave up. we went straight to the shops next door, where we had seen some good stuff. i bought 4 leather bags for presents and a handmade something for a christmas present. (so unlike us to be thinking so far in advance) it was made by the storekeeper and we had him sign it. i gave him a postcard of one of my paintings and he had me sign it. we put our things into the car and then went to the tower. by now, 11:00, it was– very, very crowded. they only let a certain number of people into the tower at a time. they recently stabilized it because it was leaning so far it was going to topple over and then they’d lose their biggest tourist attraction. so we had to wait to go up. so we went for a little walk around town. very nice little town.
the tower is a cylinder, and inside, the stairs spiral around the outer wall. they have been climbed for so many centuries that each stone step is worn down. the funny thing is that because the tower is leaning, the part of the step that is worn is the downhill part. as you walk up the stairs, you are walking in a circle and the worn part of each step shifts slowly from the left part of the step to the right part of the step, depending on which side of the tower you’re on. it’s a weird kind of animation. finally we emerged on the top of the tower which is a bit unnerving, being so high on something that is so obviously leaning.
afterwards, we visited the cathedral, which is huge and built of 2 different colored marble in stripes. it is quite beautiful with intricate carvings on the inside and outside.
meanwhile it was getting quite hot. there were lots of tourists. we wanted to get going to tuscany before it was too late. but before we could leave, we had to rent one of those bike cars, little carts that you peddle. we got the 3 person version. we biked around for a half hour and even let jj drive, though she wasn’t allowed to. we just peddled a block away and swapped seats. then before leaving, we all got a gelato. on our way, we took a shortcut off of the main highway, and of course, it took much longer. we went through lots of little towns and got lost when the main road disappeared and were blocked at a train crossing where the train took 10 minutes just getting there. finally we arrived at our tuscan apartment on an olive farm and vineyard.

years ago, p and i and our good friend joel, arranged a vacation at a vineyard/olive farm in tuscany called “fattoria casa sola” for 3 weeks. it is halfway between florence and siena. we each invited friends from europe and the US to share in the experience. it was an idea that was hatched after watching the film “enchanted april”. people came for a weekend or a week and most were single. my sister and mother also came for a week. p and i had only been going out for around 6 months at that point. that was one of the most fun times i’ve ever had.
anyway, we have returned to this same location 17 years later and it is just as lovely. we arrived around 7:00, just in time to watch the sunset and drink a glass of this vineyard’s wine. i cannot help sighing deeply at this beautiful countryside and at how happy i am. aware that one must be careful not to try to re-enact past experiences, i was open for a new wonderful experience. the people here are the same, mr and mrs gambaro, the owners, and tullio, the caretaker and his wife, maria, who was the cook. they have more help now too. i remembered there was a wonderful restaurant nearby – i even remembered what joel had eaten there that night, that was so delicious – a wide flat pasta with spinach and ricotta. i have tried to recreate that and have gotten close, but never had the same transportive experience.
i asked about that restaurant and they said, “yes, yes, just up the road and on the right.” but their directions didn’t sound like it was the same restaurant. we went anyway. it was not the same restaurant, but it was fantastic. it was called “ristorante la locanda di pietracupa” and had an outdoor patio. since it was warm enough to eat out, we did. i ordered a fabulous pasta with creamy sauce, truffles and squash flowers. it was subtle and rich and very delicious. jj ordered the pappardelle with duck sauce, which was ok. p ordered whole caramelized onions that were amazing. three entire onions – special extra sweet ones from the south – that were dipped in olive oil, and balsamic vinegar, sprinkled with salt and cooked in low heat for 7 hours. we all tasted them, but other than that, p ate 3 whole onions. i ordered the “tagliatelle of beef” which was thin slices of very good steak, cooked on one side only, so the other side was still rare, sprinkled with cracked pepper and laid onto a bed of arugula. delicious. the florentines are known for their beef. we also ordered 2 side dishes – a chard, chopped up finely and cooked was like a more textured version of shredded spinach and roast potatoes with rosemary cooked in olive oil which was amazing. perfectly done, tasty and crispy. lastly, jj ordered dessert - caramelized pear. the pear was the very pointy kind and was cooked in wine, sugar and cinnamon until it was caramelized, then served sitting in this caramelized sauce with cinnamon ice cream. p was over the moon for this one. i will try to recreate this too. i have access to an excellent cinnamon gelato back in paris. Print this post