Arrived in Colombia...no time to write!

Hi all,
I have not had any time to blog, so hope to right that over the next few days.
We had a 16 hour door to door experience today from BA to medellin in Colombia. We were up at 3.30am to make the flight! I hate those. It was a hot Easter in BA, with thousands of Latin tourists shopping their hearts out plus 3 NZers. Walked bloody miles as usual chasing jackets etc. Sophie is very fussy so I had to get one just right.San telmo was the lively epicentre, as well as the pedestrian streets of Florida and Lavaelle. Our aprtment in Florida was awesome!! 3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms etc etc. Much better than being in a 3 hotel rooms.
We got to BA via Montevideo in Uruguay (bus and ferry in same day as appointment and flight from Santiago, another 4am start).
Catch up more later,
Suzette

Bella Vista, Santiago -fantastico

Hola amigos, yes I am fully into the swing of South America and I have only been here for 9 hours! I was not even excited about coming, yet I am reminded how fantastic it is. It is the little things that make me feel at home here in Bella Vista (beautiful view). The trees in the streets, the colours of the lights and the buildings, and the warmth of the people. Chileans are out on the street and chanting as they have just played Uruguay in a World Cup qualifier. The sports' bars were packed, and outside a DISCO WERE A FEW HUNDRED WATCHING THE BIG SCREEN. Sorry hit the caps lock. Musicians still walked the streets playing to suckers like me having dinner, and I found it quite amusing to see so many women enjoying a night out with the girls while the menfolk were watching the game(especially having watched The Women film on the way over.) I have some great cafes up my sleeve for when the boys arrive, so went low key for a salmon and spinach quiche and half a bottle of 2007 Carmenere 35 Sur. So smooth. I had forgotten that lovely fresh bread comes out with pebre which is like a Chilean version of a gazpacho/salsa topping. I took 2 small buns away with me in-case I wake starving in the middle of the night as per the body clock. I read my book and watched the world go by very happily. I bought Sonata for Miriam, Linda Olsson's latest beggar/con men go by as you eat, offering the 'free' magazine for a donation so they can eat (yeah right), or the man who had cat puppets and tried to sucker in tourists with his miaowing routine. Day 1 concludes with Chileans just beginning to go for dinner (it is 9.40 pm)and children going home with parents. The kids cartoons may be finishing. ciao, Suzette

Lucca

Lucca was ok but in fact we have decided there is little point in going back to places you have loved in the past as they will not be the same.
It is a nice size to walk around, and the medieval walls are a good long walk. One of our early favourite Italian restaurants was still good (Leo's Trattoria) with things like farro and bean soup, and hand made ravioli, rabbit etc.I wrote about it on out last trip to Italy.
Women on bikes while on cellphones wa sour special lookout this time.
We also captured a little culture by listening to Puccini Opera excerpts in a lovely old church and listening to a Polish trio play Four Seasons over and over in the main square (busking.)
Our room was divine... a suite in a an antique Lucca house that was begun to be built in 1200's. It was a B and B so we met other travellers over breakfast each morning.
We ha d missed out on the cheaper rooms because we had delayed booking but meant we had space which was nice.

Vino Nobile, Montepulciano (for the wine lovers)

Montepulciano is famous for its Vino Nobile. It was founded in the 6th C by people fleeing barbarian invaders. Poets and others have written about Nobile since around the 1300’s/1400’s. A very famous poem was written about it in the 14thC called “Bacchus in Tuscany”. The Vatican sent people out to search for the best wines and one of them decreed in 1549 that Nobile was the perfect wine for a gentleman!
So you can see there is a long history in people trying and liking it, so we had better be in on the act.
We have tried a 2004 called Apostoli from Ercolani which is just across the road, and under us are the bottles and storage areas. I can hear them working now, moving things up and down the lane. They do tastings of wine, food and oil...must fit it in before we leave. The grape varieties in this are Prugnolo Gentile (a sangiovese) Canaiolo Nero, Mammolo e Colorino (if I can read the Italian correctly). Very nice, great colour. Another day we had the 2003 Reserva called Ercolani...same grapes. Smooth. Today we had a bottle of Contucci 2004 over lunch. Went down easily! A third Nobile wine we have tried is Massimo Carpini. It was a 2005 called Podere Casanova. The colour is great in all of these, and they are nice and smooth and easier to drink than the brunello (don’t tell anyone from Montalcino)
The rosso’s which are cheaper, can be just as nice. We had one over some bruschetta the other night called Lohsa from Azienda Agricola ( 2007) made from a winery called Terre del Poliziano. It was fine.
The bottom price is to order the house red which comes in a jug and you drink it from the same glasses as the water. Ok if thirsty and only having a small amount because you are driving!
We will keep up the research over the next few days and report back.

Montepulciano and other Tuscan hill-towns

Since arriving in Montepulciano on Saturday, we have managed to go out for a drive each day: on Sunday to Montalcino and Pienza; and on Monday to Cortona and Arezzo, two medieval towns in east Tuscany, with some nice scenery between. We had a picnic lunch to remind us of what we did in Italy 23 years ago: bread, cheese, salami and wine. We found an olive grove and parked the car, cracked open a bottle of good red, and gazed at the view all while supping,eating pecorino cheese, all wild pork salami between tuscan bread. We got back here just on dark, about 5.15 (earlier this week as daylight saving has just ended here) and ate at a local trattoria that was recommended by the owner of our apartment. It is called Osteria Acquacheta (linked to the left): a really good meal, with lots of people in the place, a bit like the long table nights at Omaha, but more chaotic. It was a bit of a United Nations at our end of the table: Greeks, Norwegians and Americans. When it comes time to pay the bill, the owner wanders over to the table and scrawls down the list of numbers on the paper place mat and adds them up in front of you: ours came to 63.80, so he crosses off the 80 as a “discount”, so he can call the resulting price “amazing”. Quite a laugh. The place is famous for its gigantic T bone steaks, so Barry wants to return to try one, although the other food is also very good. I was ecstatic over my rabbit and for dessert truffles diced over marsacapone. It is just coming into truffle season and there are even festivals for it! Will have to find one.

We had a fairly slow start yesterday, weather not so good with showers (but not cold). After a breakfast at a nice old cafe (Italian breakfasts are not much to write home about: a coffee and a croissant), we decided to hit the road for Assisi, via Perugia. We managed to get ourselves a bit lost in Perugia and couldn’t figure out where the centre of town was after we had parked the car, so we flagged that away and carried on to Assisi for lunch. Perugia is a university city, with heaps of cultural life, and it is set up on a big hill. We passed some students who were making speeches in the quad...there are many student protests here over some reform.
Assisi wasn’t as busy there as we had expected, a nice quiet place without too many tourists, but long walks all the same. Buildings are a light coloured stone. I am sure they have changed the layout of where the tomb of Francis lies, as it is nothing like I remember! There was a huge earthquake here in 89, with much damage, so maybe that is the case? Saints and churches do nothing for me I’m afraid, I am more interested in Etruscan ruins ( BC by heaps), rather than stories about some wealthy tailor’s son (Francis) having an epiphany and a bit of a breakdown in the 1200’s, and then going to live in poverty and happening to be kind to animals. What’s more he takes his wealthy heiress friend along for the ride and after she starves herself until hallucinating (eating disorder) she founds Sisters of the Poor and also lives by the motto of the Franciscans which are poverty, obedience and chastity!! (her name was Clare) Barry thinks these may be good names for a family considering having 3 kids, or could be the values we adopt at number 45?? Yeah right.

Although we hadn’t actually done much during the day, we were quite tired when we got back, so an early night. All that driving and concentrating and walking in between isn't just lazing about

A Sunday drive: Montalcino & Pienza

Barry’s words.......
“I’m writing this from the living room of our apartment in Montepulciano, where the sun has just risen across the Tuscan landscape. We have an absolutely beautiful view out across vineyards and gentle rolling hills here, so very happy with our accommodation choice.
Yesterday we went for a “Sunday drive” (not the sort of thing that we do at home) and went to another hilltop town about 20km away, Montalcino. They had their annual thrush festival on, where the 4 quarters of the town compete in an archery competition, with a big parade where they are all dressed in medieval costume: very colourful. They had a big outdoor BBQ sort of thing where all the visitors ate and drank (Montalcino is a very famous wine town, so we had to sample the local speciality of course). The nice thing about the day was that although it was crowded, most of the visitors were Italians, rather than overseas visitors: we have been a bit put off by some of the places we have visited which only seem to exist for the international tourism.
After Montalcino we drove through some more picture-postcard countryside to Pienza, another lovely little town where we had a drink in the main square and watched the world go by. People-watching is a major pastime here!”
Suzette’s words
What a special day!! I have my head buried in the book “Vanilla Beans and Brodo” by Isabella Duisi, and it is set in Montalcino. It has been written up in the Herald and the travel writer, Jim Eagles, did an article this year where he came on a tour with her to Tuscany. It was such good luck that the very weekend we had, was the actual weekend of the famous archery competition and thrush festival. You need to read the book to get all of the details. (it will go into book club)
Anyway, we climbed up to the village in our car, and managed to park up a steep hill, not too far away, as we were quite early arriving at around 11. The smoke was billowing from the barbeques and the smells were divine. Each quarter of the village had a food and wine stand festooned with their colours. Everyone was walking around, swinging bottles of Brunello and drinking. It was more like a NZ event with young people getting pissed and singing. Shouts of team chants went up every now and again, where around a quarter of the crowd would join in (basically chanting that their archer was the best, their quarter the best etc)
Before we tasted the Tuscan delights we decided to wander around the town. It was obvious something was about to happen, and we managed to get ourselves an English version of the programme, so we sat down on the roadside and waited for the medieval parade to start. It was just great, a big reminder of the even grander Palio in Sienna some years ago which we had also stumbled upon.
After about an hour the parade and the blessing of the archers were over, so everyone could go and have their lunch (usually a 2 hour affair). We wandered up over the town, around the church, and back into town to the quarters and the stands. It was a bit of a bun fight to get your tickets and food but all part of the fun. We found a place in the sun and chatted to the few other tourists who had made it to this almost entirely Italian event. I got talking to a Brunello producer and his wife (ex Dutch hockey player) and Barry spoke to 2 Swedes who were extending their summers and were staying in the village having done the very same thing before.
On offer were various meat options (salscitica sausages, bisteca (steak), misto (mixed grill on a stick); gorgeous huge porcini mushrooms grilled on the barbeque; bruscheta rubbed with garlic and then dipped in fresh olive oil; polenta fried, whipped or whatever; wild boar sauces, ragu sauces, ......
Then there were the dolci options...almond cake, chocolate options, cantucci dipped in santo wine...
Brunello was available by plastic glass! At 6 Euro!!! I decided why not? My first glass of Brunello may as well be authentic, and even the brunello grower was doing the same next to us! Brunello is made from 100% of a unique clone of sangiovese grapes, only grown ina 26 km radius on the slopes of the town, and aged in oak barrels for at least 4 years, I think. The rosso is the ‘inferior’ version made up of sangiovese and blended with things like merlot etc ( I think). We loved the rosso anyway. The grower said the brunello must be opened at least 2 hours before drinking, and they decant it. He also said what makes it special is that you can give it to your nephew, so long as you change the cork (meaning to cellar it for years and years) ...which of course led to a discussion on screw tops verses the cork...”but the wine must be able to breath”...
A couple of hours later we wandered off, very happy to have enjoyed these special celebrations! It was one of the best days of the trip for me!! We went off to an enoteca and bought 3 bottles of wine to try at home (Tuscan home), 2 brunellos and a rosso to compare. All that was left was the steep climb back up to the car to drive home. We didn’t stay for the actual archery, as it didn’t begin until 3.45, and the thousands of people would all be trying to leave on the same road at the same time so we imagined chaos to get out. It was the first night of daylight saving, so it would get dark at 6pm, but from Monday it would get dark at 5pm. Also there was not much point in my being there and not able to quaff brunello!! Buggar.
Pienza is the town- planning geeks’ paradise, so hence we had to go there. It was a planned medieval town, and just gorgeous. It was something about the size, layout, and the spaces between the buildings.
We had tried to get into a traditional trattoria near to the apartment on Saturday night, but most places were full, so we went back on Sunday. We had a light meal (after the lunch). I chose the pasta option with the fresh truffles on!!!! Now I was in heaven....but that is another blog story.
What a perfect day in Tuscany!!!

Chianti wander/wonder

Wow wee, I think we just got lost in paradise!
We picked up the car, a small Lancia, and began to drive vaguely towards San Gimignano. We got stuck in a few boring towns, but made it to San G around 4pm, thinking we would settle in for the night. (We had lunched in the town where Pinocchio was set.) Well what a disappointment! It was still thronging with tourists, and it seemed to have no other function ie not a real working town. I didn’t like the vibe a tall, so we decided to push on south to Chianti country. Nothing was looking that interesting to stay in, but the forests and the views were incredible in the rapidly disappearing light. We wound our way up a huge hill to Castellina in Chianti and tried to find one of the agri-tourismo places sign-posted. We threw a left, and found what looked like a hotel called something like Albergo...something but when Barry looked it was a restaurant called Resturante Albergaccio di Castellina..........he came back and said wow you will like the menu, maybe a little pricey but ...wild pigeon, wild boar, rabbit, duck, venison.
Across the road was a place called Villa Christina, so we knocked and asked about a room. She did have a double, so we took it on the spot without looking. As you know this can be a disaster, but it was already dark and we had to take our chances. Well the room was great. Spacious and with a nice view down the mountain. Breakfast was a feast which was include for the price of 78 Euro.
Next came dinner at the restaurant across the road. The owner of the villa said yes it was good, so we took her word for it and trudged across the road expecting a nice earthy meal.
Well the Michelin Star certificate was the first thing to hit us as we walked in!! We were early (first sitting is strictly at 7.30 we have discovered). It was one of my goals for this trip to go to a Michelin Starred place, but not to stumble upon one!! I had done research on one nearer to Turin.
They deemed to let us in early, and offered us a bubbly aperitif. There were 6 different types of bread to sample while waiting. We tossed the choices up and ate things like wild pigeon with quail egg and porcini mushrooms (in season), wild boar, speld biscuits, etc etc . Oh my God. Barry loved his crepes of spinach and ricotta that had been grilled lightly. We drank a bottle of Chianti Classico.....when in Chianti. Well 150 euros later we rolled across the road to bed.
The next day we followed a route through Chianti. What a route! Windy hill climbs and descents all through forest glades. It was much more mountainous than we expected, and more forested. The autumn colours are just beginning on some aspects and more on other aspects, so it is very, very beautiful. Towards the end of the day we got onto a more main road and headed for Montepulciano as we were due here at 2pm to get the keys from the owner. Our apartment is a two bedroomed one, with a garden, and plenty of space. I was soo excited to see a washing machine I did it all!! (not really excited)
We have a room with a view, over the Tuscan landscape. Wow!! I just wanted to lay on the bed and look.
Next blog will be about Tuscany.