A vacation from our vacation

Wednesday, 6/22

Today we slept in past 10, a nice break from our early-to-rise mentality as of late. Luciano came to see us with farm fresh eggs this morning and asked Greg to join him for lavorio (work) in the vineyard. An exchange... Luciano is very clever this way. "Grappa Gregorio?" "Chitarra, guitar!" Greg joined him for awhile and mostly observed and asked questions, but did assist with tying up a few grape vines. He learned a bit about growing grape vines, which we would like to do along our back wall when we return home. I read a good mystery novel and enjoyed the light breeze blowing though our french doors, occasionally pausing to look out at the landscape and listen to the joyful bird songs of late morning. A light lunch of apples, pecorino, and jam prepared us for a nearby outing. Today we visited the Bango Fillipo, a natural hot springs in the forest. Only thirty minutes from our home base and a relatively short hike through the forest, was this beautiful calcified rock formation called Fosse Bianco (the white whale). Surrounding this stunning structure and fed by the volcanic mountain near by, were milky white and blue pools bubbling with mineral water. Soaking in the bathwater warm pools and walking along the soft clay bottom, renewed our skin and our spirits. To make a happy Greg, just add water. He truly delighted in the mini waterfalls and bubbly waters. We emerged cool and calm, our skin super soft. We grabbed some brushetta and pasta for lunch and returned to enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the grounds. I sat outside and read my book, followed by a short run. For dinner, fritatta from the eggs Luciano brought us this morning and vegetables we picked from the patch this afternoon. Living on the farm has done wonders for our food budget this week!

Good fences make good neighbors?

Tuesday, 6/21

We learned so much about the valley and the surrounding towns today. We met at Isa's home (where we were able to post a few pictures for you, hurray!) Today we took a walk through Pienza with our hostess and were very entertained by the true stories of the region. We learned that the towns of Pienza and San Quirico D'Orcia have an intense rivalry which dates back centuries. The story goes like something like this: Pienza (the city closest to our home base and Carlo's home) was once a town of thieves that used to prey upon the pilgrims on the road to Rome. The pilgrimage road led through San Quirico, so the people of San Quirico thought they were 'all that.' Much later, a pope who was born in Pienza, turned it around and said 'no, that town is crap, since I am pope, I must come from a better town...' So, he leveled his home town, rid it of the riff-raff, and rebuilt it according to an architectural plan. This was the first example of city planning of its time. From that point on, Pienza was all high and mighty and looked down their noses at San Quirico. Apparently the conflict still exists. A young man from Pienza would never marry a girl from San Quirico. How Shakespearean! Greg saw this possibility for a forbidden romance very akin to the Montagues and Capulets. Today, if San Quirico does something lame, like lose a soccer match, the locals of Pienza will take the opportunity to tease them about this. In Italy if you are not so bright they say you lack salt in your head, so the Pienza men might quietly steal away in the night and blanket the streets of San Quirico with salt. As if saying, we found something you are lacking. Of course it is the San Quirico women who must sweep the streets the next morning.

Aside from learning about the local enemies and alliances, we learned that farmers in the areas wouldn't dare put up fences to designate this is mine and that is yours. Which is why we could walk so freely across the fields yesterday morning. Some of it belonged to Carlo, some to other farmers, but as long as you stick to the paths and don't mess with the crops, no one will question why you are on their property here. We squeezed passed many gates yesterday to see churches and abandoned farm houses and our guide explained those are to keep cars out, not us.

On our walk and talk with Isabella today, we learned about culture and history. But as we approached the main feature of our walk, the topic changed to religion. In Italy you are either Catholic or a non believer. A guest asked what happens if you don't believe. Isa explained, "Non importa," it doesn't really matter, no one really cares. But the religious history is huge in a town that bore a Pope. We visited the hermitage today. A property that Carlo and Luciano bought because no one else wanted it, in fact at one time it was used as a pig stye. However once they cleaned it up they found Christian carvings from the time this area was a pilgrim road, and even pre-Christian carvings of Pagan gods, indicating that this had been a holy place for more than two thousand years. The site is called the "Romitorio" and as you walk into this cave carved into the sand stone hill side that housed Etruscan tombs and later monks, you are amazed at how well preserved it is. Amazingly when the monks moved in, they did not eliminate or destroy the Pagan carvings. They lived in harmony with the mermaid creature, spreading her tail to expose her genitals and encourage fertility among the women. No fences here, my friends, but still rivalries exist.

As for Greg and I, we have been at odds with maps and directions lately. Signs are very confusing to read when driving in another country, even when you have a navigator. We've managed to get lost once a day, but always manage to get where we are going. Thank goodness I am married to a patient man! This afternoon, with a few detours, we made it to Siena for a guided tour of the city. It was scalding hot, but in spite of dripping sweat and searing skin we saw some interesting things. The duomo was beautiful, such detail in the marble and the statues. The main square (or seashell shaped oval) was a sight! This is the place where they have crazy horse races each year where they pack the entire population into the center of the piazza while riders from each district speed around the cheering crowd. We were relieved to not be in town for that insanity! Most unexpected was at the church Domenico, we saw the head of St. Catherine. Not kidding, when the saint died, they wanted her body in Rome but Siena was like, she was born here so we're taking her head. And there it was shriveled and a bit mummy like in a case for all to see. As we shuddered a bit and the children in the group looked like they were going to cry, our tour guide reminded us to think of this in a medieval mindset not with modern day sensibilities. Everyone wants a piece of a saint! Siena was a beautiful city but we were hot and tired and ready to return to our little piece of Tuscan country side. On the ride home we considered, do we really want to visit anymore hill towns? Because what that means is you must walk up the hill, no driving within the towns you park outside. After visiting a hill town you are amazed with the beauty but your glutes and calves are screaming at you. Perhaps we will take a break from sight seeing tomorrow. Back in our farm house we cooked some truffle pasta with a spicy local sauce, more pecorino cheese from the Moricciani farm, and some zucchini and basil from Luciano's veggie patch. Apparently he's come knocking after we've gone to sleep the past few evenings. We took in a couple of early nights after exhausting day trips here at Cretaiole. We hope to wait up tonight, like a couple of kids waiting for Santa to come down the chimney, but instead of bringing dolls and toy trains, he brings Vin Santo and biscotti. We did drift off but Greg sat straight up in bed when he heard Luciano's dulcet tones outside. So glad we got up, the stars are so outstanding here and the bats give an enchanting creepy cool quality to the night. After a brief visit and a few sips of Vin Santo, we all wandered off to bed.

A Walk (and a Meal) to Remember

Monday, 6/20

We awoke before dawn and prepared for an early morning hike. By 6:30 we were gathering with other guests in front of the house to meet our guide. Though it was mighty early by vacation standards, Greg and I opted to take a three hour hike of the Val d'Orcia (Valley of the river Orcia). Why so early? Firstly because it gets hot later in the day, so the cool morning or the evening is the best time for a walk. Secondly because it is easier to spot animals in the early morning. We saw pheasant, crane, and the leavings of a porcupine (several quills littered our path). Mostly we saw impeccably beautiful landscapes. Our guide shared a wealth of information with us and even gave us a little booklet at the end of our hike to remember the adventure. It did turn out to be much more of a hike than a walk, up the hill, down the hill, repeat. Our guide was in his seventies, but set a very optimistic pace. We returned to our room to shower up and prepare for another extracurricular activity, a tour and vegetarian lunch at a local organic farm. After seeing the cheese kitchen, the sheep dog puppies, the ram, the donkeys, the chickens, the bees (this time in a wooden enclosure), the vegetable garden, the vineyards and so on...we sat down to our first true Italian lunch. We had been warned, so we paced ourselves through the salads consisting of fresh greens, marinated chickpeas, wilted chard, thin zucchini slices, barley salad, grilled eggplant, and tomato with mint, basil, and feta. Then came fresh ricotta, made that morning, still warm, with bread, olive oil, and vinegar all produced at the farm or another farm within the valley. Fritatta with eggs from the hens we had met only minutes ago and then pasta. No, not done yet, at least eight kinds of cheese including fresh, medium, and aged peccarino, goat cheese with vegetable ash, a creamy camberra, peppercorn and rosemary studded cheeses, and a very stinky but delicious variety, all served with amazing honey from the farm. Still not finito, chocolate chestnut cake and cappuccino with sheeps milk foam. Did I mention abundant local red and white wine, frequently passed around the table? After along post lunch chat under the veranda with guests, some of whom were veteran teachers of twenty and thirty plus years, we sleepily approached our cars for the trek back to the agriturismo, only to find a male peacock had fallen in love with his reflection in our Fiat. We quickly got in as he admired the front hubcap, but as Greg slowly pulled away, Mr. Peacock lurched at the driver side door, pecking and squawking. We managed to escape the love sick bird and made it back to the farm for an afternoon rest, which turned into a very long nap. After our huge lunchtime meal, we knew we were destined for a very light dinner. We headed off to the Co Op to pick up some basics. An interesting fact for those who have not traveled in Italy. When buying produce you must put on plastic gloves to select your fruit, then bag it, weigh it yourself and print a sticker from the scale that indicates your price. Another tidbit, you bag your own groceries after the checker rings them up. It is easy enough to learn these small cultural difference by watching the locals, but it makes a trip to the local grocer fun and unique. Tonight we finally got an internet connection and were able to post about our first two days here, we are hoping we can post again tomorrow. We ended up dining on cornflakes with milk and sliced fresh peaches around 9:00 in the evening. That was all we could manage after the epic lunch of a lifetime. (A view of Cretaiole from across the valley)

La Dolce Vita (The sweet life)

Sunday, 6/19

This morning we awakened to a different sort of alarm clock. Remember now, this is a farm, not a hotel. Greg shot out of bed, and armed himself with a fly swatter, for he had heard the distinct frequency of bees. (No, the irony is not lost on us, we do recall having our garage being invaded by a swarm of bees before leaving on this trip). Luckily this was only two or three buzzing bugs. It turns out a nest was disturbed yesterday so they were probably just trying to relocate. Anyway, wide awake we headed to the veranda to go over the week's schedule with Isabella. So many events and activities are offered it is hard to keep track, but she has something for everyone. Most of the events are included in the price of the room, so we hope to take advantage of all of those. A few are meals and activities that your group can participate in for a reasonable fee. Greg and I have chosen a few extras to make this week special. So what will we be doing all week in Tuscany? Good question, I've decided to keep it a surprise for our readers and reveal what we've done each day. So today we went to the family farm. Isabella was our tour guide and explained how they produce all the farm products. She simplified the art of wine making so that even the children in the room could comprehend the process. "We add only enough sulfite to kill the bad yeast, the good yeast live and do the very important job of eating up the sugars and converting them to alcohol." I get it! She also explained that adding the fewest amount of additives means that you make "table wine" it will only last about one year, so you have to drink it up and share it with your guests. Also it is the extra sulfites that most wine makers use that give you headaches and stomach aches. Carlo claimed that their wine is hangover free, they claim that you can drink as much as you want and no problem. Though I've not put this theory to the test, we've had their wine for lunch and dinner for two days (Greg even had a glass after breakfast) and we are feeling healthy as ever. That has a lot to do with Luciano's vegetable patch and how we've spent virtually zero Euro on dinners for the last two nights. Back on the farm, we were invited to taste cellar aged peccorino, prosciutto, red and white wine, and olive oil. We got to smell the olive oil in its vat, like cut grass with fruity tones, and taste it on fresh Italian bread. It is pure heaven. So how did the vegetarians do with the prosciutto? (Remember we've decided to be flexitarians for this trip...) Well we tried it, and the verdict: salty tender bliss. As all who know me are aware, I am a cheese lover. So when Luciano cut the peccorino into generous slices and instructed us to spread it with jam and honey, I was on cloud nine. This simple spread and some wine was the perfect light lunch. At this point all the guests were very happy to go tramping around the farm meeting the animals. Kittens, loyal labs, chickens and chicks, geese and goslings, the biggest mama pig I have ever met... Mama pig was 4 years old, had one group of grown pigs in a pen next to her and was 3 months along in her second gestation, due to deliver in August. We also learned that the chickens sit on the goose eggs and vice versa, they won't sit on their own eggs, very strange. All of this was explained in Italian by Luciano, as our English speaking guide Isabella had gone to put her 3 year old down for siesta. Today my nickname changed to Mela (meaning apple, Greg says because I'm the apple of Luciano's eye). As he passed me a baby bunny to hold, he explained to those around me who were petting it that you need to stroke its head, and all animals, like this. Just like Melissa pats the head of her San Gregorio. Already, he knows us so well. Amazing his patience with us and how much we are able to comprehend! We also learned that his Renault (for those who aren't car buffs, like me, this is a funky old French car) is his true passion. After our time on the farm, we headed off to a local festival complete with a parade, flag throwing, and archery. The people of this area are so beautiful, men and women alike have such a pure radiance and pride. Not much makeup, or fancy clothes just a glow and a joy that makes their features seem flawless and allows their inner beauty to shine through. Now back at our farm house, we've eaten thinly sliced zucchini with grated lemon rind, basil, onion, and carrot. Squash blossoms stuffed with some of the cheese we purchased from the farm today, and cucumber marinated with onion, parsley and olive oil and balsamic vinegar served on lettuce. Can you even believe how we are feasting with the help of this vegetable patch. I haven't seen other guests approach it yet, but I go out each evening with my cloth bag and come back with a sack full of verdura (vegetable) game. Earlier today I exclaimed to Luciano that this was indeed, "la dolce vita." Yes, he said, it was for me, but for him this is work! Fair enough, Luciano, but I think we both agree it is a labor of love!

The Magic of Cretaiole

Saturday, 6/18

This morning Greg went out to get yogurt before our early morning train to Tuscany, and returned full of excitement, "You've got to come outside!" I quickly finished dressing and rushed out to see what had him giddy so early in the morning; the entire piazza had silently converted itself into an open air market. Vendors selling shoes, clothes, fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, cheese, honey, quilts, and handbags, all under tents open air style. How they crept in silently as we slept, I have no idea. We enjoyed making a few laps, window shopping, not buying, knowing we had a hike down to the Funicolare (we did not intend to risk the crazy bus ride again), and we didn't want our backpacks any heavier than they already were. A quick train ride to Chiusi made us two new friends. A couple from Wisconsin who had survived that fateful bus ride with us the day before ended up sharing the seats across from us on the train. Exiting the train at Chiusi station, we went about finding our rental car place and after a little help from the ticket saleswoman, we found the Autoleggio just down the street. A very helpful, friendly, English speaking young man behind the desk helped us and a few other families get safely on the road. Greg is now confidently driving a shiny black Fiat 500, with moon roof, through the green hills of Tuscany. I am doing well navigating maps in a foreign language and he reading the street signs. Tuscany is more beautiful than I ever imagined. Several of the hill towns literally took our breath away when they came into view as we rounded the bend. We arrived at our Agriturismo to drop off our bags and marvel at the amazing grounds and our adorable room with the iron framed bed, complete with pictures of saints smiling down on us. We briefly met Carlo, one of the owners, who sweetly explained the accommodations to us in Italian (his only language, besides French which was no help to us) and amazingly we were able to comprehend most of the tour. I guess we are picking up the language after all! (Even if we supplement with Spanish here and there...) Starving we headed off to a ristorante that had been recommended to us and enjoyed some grilled cheese (they serve the bread on the side and heat the cheese on a grill, delicious!) bruschetta with tomato and garlic and some verdura mista (we are learning mista means mixed), these veggies were marinated and very flavorful. One of our favorite lunches so far! (Side note: Are you having fun with the Italian pronunciations so far? Wait till we get to Denmark and Holland!) Back at the farm house, we got to meet Isabella (our energetic English speaking hostess, Carlo's wife). Isabella gave us the English version of the tour and shared with us the list of activities, tours, and entertainment that would be available to us as her guests. We took our list back to our room and tried to decide which events to participate in (so many to choose from, there's no way to do them all... Better to save a few for 'next time' wink, wink...) Speaking of updates, we've been told that Cretaiole has a satellite internet connection and WiFi. Though it is very slow and limited, so we won't be able to attach pictures regularly. (That will just mean more to come later!) Next we had some housekeeping to do; our laundry has been piling up, and sweaty, stinky socks and shirts can only be worn comfortably so many times. Luckily, we have use of the washing machine here. There's nothing like leaving your clothes to dry under the Tuscan sun while you run off the the market. We grabbed some food to stock our fridge with at the Co Op (according to Isabella this is where Italians shop; the food in the mini market is 'for tourists' and not so fresh plus too expensive). The Co Op is basically a grocery store with very few brand names, though their generic items seem to be good quality. We got some staples like yogurt, bread, Nutella (one of the few brands), peach jam (Nutella and jam are as close as we can get to peanut butter and jelly in Italy). Inspired by the great beauty around me and the grand expanses, I decided to go for a jog. We've been sort of cooped up in big cities and walled cities, so wide open spaces look so appealing! Greg walked along with the camera and we made our way down a dirt road to an abandoned farm house. Even the vacant buildings are beautiful here. Back on the lawn, the sun was setting, Greg found a guitar (anyone surprised?) in the common room and I practiced some yoga. We had met a few guests already but everyone was doing their own thing, drinking wine and watching the sun set. We made a dinner of pasta from purchased in the nearby town and veggies from the garden and shortly after we heard a knock on our door. We opened it to see Luciano (Carlo's father, who is responsible for the bountiful vegetable garden). Luciano speaks no English, but he was making the universal sign for drink, cupped hand raised to his lips and he said "veranda." We smiled and nodded and decided we better follow. It was about 10 p.m. and Luciano had gathered the majority of the guests who were not exhausted, about ten people, on the patio and proceeded to pour sips of his homemade Grappa (our equivalent of moonshine) and sweet wine he called Vin Santo. Though no one spoke Italian, he managed to learn all of our names and to give us new Italian names (I am Melinda and apparently I'm married to San Gregorio, we always knew he was a saint!) Luciano proceeded to go around the table and figure out what everyone did for a living using charades and my Spanish as an inter-translation (he doesn't speak Spanish, but somehow this works!) Greg was goaded into playing guitar by guests who had overheard his strumming earlier, and before you knew it a table full of strangers were all singing along to Twist and Shout. Luciano had an amazing way of making friends and bringing together a crowd of Americans, Candians (and one Dane) and helping us to get to know one another. A good skill for an Innkeeper, but I think it is more than that. When we met Luciano earlier in the day, he shook our hands with his weathered, rough planting fingers and wanted to learn our names right off. He turned to his daughter-in-law and mentioned something about the group who just left this morning. He said one of the ladies was so sad to leave, she was crying and because she was crying he had cried to. As he recounted the story to Isabella, tears welled up again. Here is a man who makes new friends each week and truly enjoys there company, then at the end of each week, he must say goodbye to these new friends. Yet he is willing to do it all over again. That is a generous spirit with a very big heart. We don't know if Luciano will come knocking on our door every night, or if this is just a special treat for the first day at the farm. We do know if we hear his knock, we will gladly answer and brave the cool night air to sip Grappa and break the language barrier again with our new friend.