Perhaps the fact that our bodies got so messed up with all our early airline delays, is why we don't seem to have jet lag quite as badly as on previous trips. We've had to fight through the "middle of the night awake period," but we haven't had to take any mid-day naps. Of course that could be because our bed has the firmest... no the HARDEST mattress, we've ever slept upon!
Anyway, today we decided to go to the Valdichiana Outlet Village, a combination of retail over-consumption and Disneyland. The place has a faux Tuscan historical motif and is one of the largest outlet malls we've ever visited. Strange that it is at least an hour from the largest cities in the area, Florence, Sienna, etc. But the place was packed on a Monday afternoon. Most of the European "designer" names on the stores were unknown to us, but a few were familiar, like Frette Linens, our favorite maker of bed sheets. We bought a beautiful set of 300-thread-count king sheets and pillow cases for 70% off retail.
We had a pretty ghastly late lunch at one of the upstairs restaurants in the "Village." Should have known... "Mall Food!"
We then made another grocery stop at the COOP supermarket in Foiana. Tonight's dinner: Pork chops, asparagus, caprese salad (made with the area's gorgeous tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and amazing basil) and a baked creamer potato. Plus a half loaf of one of the crustiest breads we've ever tasted. They don't do sour dough here, and it's hard to beat San Francisco for great bread... but Tuscany is right up there on the "bread barometer!"
After we got back to our apartment, Elga came by with a computer tech dude, who had been working to get the WiFi service back up. We were finally able to get on line here, and got caught up with emails and Facebook.
Since tomorrow was going to be the day to get an early start for a drive to the Chianti area, we went to bed before 10.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Up early for us... 7:45 am... only to discover that the WiFi system was down again! Perhaps this was a message from above that we should not be tethered to our computers while we are in this beautiful part of the world!
Our son Andy, raved about an overnight trip he made from Florence to the Chianti region during a trip here last November. So we were determined to try to find the winery that has a reputation for creating the best Chianti Classico wines in the world... Castellare di Castellina.
But again, like a lot of things in Italy.... easier said than done. There are dozens of towns that all have "Chianti" as a part of their name. We found Castellare's website during the brief time we had internet, but they had no driving directions... just that they were near "Castellina di Chianti." We figured it couldn't be that hard, so we used the Italian method and followed the signs to the nearest big town, in this case Siena. But finding the country road that takes you to the Chianti region from central Siena was difficult. We got lost several times, but eventually made it to the charming medieval fortress town of Castellina di Chianti.
We parked in a nearby pay lot and walked thru the picturesque village and discovered most restaurants and many shops were closed on Tuesdays. We finally found a shopkeeper who told us how to drive to the Castellare winery.
It was a beautiful location and we got knowledgeable tasting assistance from a young woman who also worked in the winery's business office. Castellare's Chianti's are far more complex than what you'd find at BevMo. We tried their 2010 Classico, the 2009 Reserva, and a special 2006 vintage which spent four years in oak barrels. The wine lady made a cute remark about the succession of wines we were tasting, starting with the youngest, and least expensive: "This one you share with your friends; this one with family; and the 2006 you drink by yourself!"
We bought the '09 and '06 vintages, plus small bottles of their excellent olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and then asked for a recommendation for lunch. She drew a map for us so we could find Antica Trattoria "La Torre," an historic restaurant carved out of a part of the medieval central town tower. And it was open on Tuesday! I enjoyed stuffed rabbit with white beans and Ronna had mixed grill of various meats along with a bowl of the best minestrone she ever tasted! We also shared a half bottle of Castellare's 2008 Chianti Classico Reserva. Yum! The restaurant was clearly a "Family Affair" with three generations of ownership scurrying around, feeding their kids lunch, helping them with their homework, and attending to the business of the day.
La Torre had WiFi, so I caught up with email and Facebook, as we shared a delicious custard torte Napoleon. We then headed back to the Cortona area. The route home was faster and easier than the morning trip. It always is... when it's not dark! And I knew Ronna had regained her "Italian driving confidence" when she turned to me in the car and said, "Buckle up, baby!" and floored it!
In Foina we stopped at the Penny Market for coffee, bottled water, and a few other items. Tonight's dinner menu: Leftovers!
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