The journey across Val d'Orcia continues! Tuscan sun didn't hold up today but we got the cypress-line roads, the wine, the olive oil, the leather bag, and some AC2 sceneries covered.
Itinerary of the day: Agriturismo Podere Palazzi del Papa → Cappella di Vitaleta → Brunello wine tasting (near Montalcino) → Castiglione d'Orcia → Sant'Antimo Abbey → Siena → San Gimignano → Piazzale Michelangelo (Florence)
We've seen a couple of "Maremmana" cattles yesterday, but this one is a "Chianina", both used for Bistecca alla fiorentina.
Like last night's dinner, hostess Sabrina drove us to her house again to have breakfast.
It was time to sadly say good-bye to Sabrina's family. Staying at an agriturismo was an unique experience, and I would return in a hearbeat!
Today's transfer-tour was also provided by Hills and Roads, and Andrea was our driver. He was not as experienced as Luca, but also prompt and easy-going.
La Foce's cypress road - I opted for Val d'Orcia over Chianti because of this scenery.
I specifically asked to make a stop at Cappella di Vitaleta, a small chapel that seemed to be stuck in the middle of nowhere, but also the most iconic postcard spot of Tuscan hills. I wish my photography skills were better, as I didn't feel I've captured the right composition.
Windows XP desktop (not quite but close).
Andrea explained that each tree, in these kind of random bundle of cypresses, was planted when a child was born in the nearby town.
Anyone who drinks wine knows Chianti Classico and possibly Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, but due to time constraints we visited a winery near Montalcino to try a wine produced in this region, Brunello.
The hostess offered us some Rosso (6 months~1 yr aging) and a Brunello (>2 yrs aging). Obviously the Brunello tasted better than the Rosso. I prefer Chianti, but bought two bottles anyway. Someone needs to stop me from hoarding alcohol.
After wine tasting, the hostess also let us try their olive oil. Olive oil was not in season so not at its freshest optimal taste, but still better than anything I can get my hands on back home. Andrea suggested that we go to a bigger town like Castiglione d'Orcia if we wanted to buy some olive oil.
We had a tasting and bought two bottles of olive oil at Osteria Perilla. The restaurant is owned by "Podere Forte" estate nearby, so in addition to eating in, one could also buy wine, olive oil and produce from them.
Lunch was at Osteria Il RitroVino in the same town.
I can't remember the name of this appetizer (pork neck fat on bread) , but it was unexpectedly delicious.
Pici all'aglione (Tuscan pasta with tomato and garlic sauce).
Zuppa di farro (soup of...some grain like emmer or spelt specific to the area)
Gnocchi alle verdure (gnocchi with veggies). We weren't tired of gnocchi yet....
The menu says crostata ricotta e cannella, but this looks nothing like a tart and there wasn't any cinnamon. I was suspecting this was an improvised version consisted of mostly ricotta and chocolate.
I always have a thing for Gregorian chants, so I requested to make a stop at Sant'Antimo Abbey near Montalcino. The monks sing for 15 minutes, 5 time a day. Andrea however didn't calculate the time correctly and we just missed the Nones prayer at 14:45. This was the one and only complaint I had with him.
The sceneries around the abbey were breathtaking though, so at least I left with many photos.
At the latter half of the day it started pouring rain, and I mean pouring. Nobody in their right mind would want to sightsee in this weather. Andrea suggest that we do a quick drive through Siena.
I didn't plan to visit here at all, but Siena's fan-shaped Piazza del Campo was pretty interesting. This plaza would usually be covered by tourists lying randomly on the ground, so one could argue the rain to be a blessing in disguise?
Andrea and I hiding from the rain.
Many people claimed Siena to be their favourite Tuscan town, and often the first choice as a day trip out of Florence. It's beautiful and historical important, and I love the colour (etymology of the popular watercolour pigment burnt sienna), but I just didn't get the hype, either from photos or in person.
A peek inside Palazzo Pubblico.
After stopping by so many towns, I realized that there really was no need to visit all of them...they're similar in many ways and different in size. Pick one or two that appealed to you the most and spend more time to explore the alleyways.
Our final stop before heading to Florence was San Gimignano. This town is just as popular as Siena but thanks to the rain, the crowd was small. I had loads of fun shopping here. If one would like to own an Italian-made leather bag but didn't want to spend €500 on one, San Gimignano's numerous leather shops are great alternatives.
Many travelers recommended this place - Dondoli Gelateria, for the "world's best gelato".
It was...ok? Very dense and flavourful but a little bit too sweet.
Took a peek at the Palazzo Comunale. I was simply amazed on how well these Medieval architecture were preserved.
The towers were just gorgeous.
Last night while chatting over dinner, Sabrina was surprised that we would reach Florence by the end of the day. I admit that this visit to Tuscany was brief, but we made the most of it.
After a long nap on the car, we finally arrived at Florence and Andrea made the last suggestion of the day to stop by Piazzale Michelangelo before checking in. I planned to come here for sunset, but at night the view of Florence was also beautiful beyond words!
I originally booked B&B Soggiorno Panerai for three nights, but the heavy rain in the afternoon flooded our designated unit. The owners, Walter and Albena, kept apologizing and arranged us to live in a 3-star hotel nearby called Hotel Le Due Fontane. I was not happy about the situation but there was not much I could do.
The hotel was very dated, with some amenities broken. Service was indifferent and wifi did not work. It's sufficient for one night, but I would be pissed if I had to stay here for another two. In general, I find B&B a better deal in Italy compared to hotels. You usually get better service, better rooms and cheaper price.
Dinner was at Osteria Tozzo di Pane.
Why my dad had not gotten tired of risotto frutti di mare was beyond me. His reasoning was that he "got tired of pasta and needed some rice". I'm pretty sure he meant white rice, but if risotto would curb his craving for that, by all means...
Very delicious, fresh garganelli zafferano e zucchine. Maybe I shouldn't judge my dad because I haven't got tired of anything saffron.
Florence is lovely at night. Felt very safe, quiet and everything is within few minutes walk. Couldn't wait to explore this Renaissance feast during the day!
