Ligurian Coast,God's Country: storm seas and the hike from hell

Scenes from Liguria

 

When we planned our trip to Italy, I wanted a few stops to be off the beaten path. We wanted not only to have good stories to tell or beautiful sights to see but also to give our trip a sense of adventure. That internal feeling of discovery that comes from experiencing something unique - to remind you that time is not just a flat circle.

Unfortunately not all adventures are purely positive experiences. And our trip to the Ligurian coast certainly had its ups and downs. Our time on the rocky cliffs overlooking the deep blue sea were as tumultuous as the weather.

Even before we left Florence the forecast for Camogli predicted rain. Not just rain but thunderstorms. We considered canceling but the policy of the hotel was unforgiving. The hotel I chose, the Stella Maris is a boutique hotel tucked into the cliffs of a huge nature park. Spectacular sea views and fine dining. Only accessible by foot or boat. The boat ride, a 15 minute trip on a large ferry with a capacity of 200 that in the summer heat no doubt is packed full of bathing suit clad Italian tourists. However looking at the forecast we only hoped that it would be running. If not we could call the hotel to send a small dingy to get us for 30 euro or we could walk. We tried to call the hotel about our best options in the event of in-climate weather but the receptionist did not speak English and the call ended with a hang up from the hotel’s end. Not a good sign.

Sure enough on the day we landed in Camogli two easy trains from Florence, the skies were dark.



We made our way down to the harbor along a steep staircase, the public elevator out of service and found many tourists waiting for the boat. No signs said it was closed but as it started pouring and locals in the distance pointed we called the boat line. No boats today. We called the hotel and asked them to send the boat which was met with a “not possible” reply before the call disconnected.

Camogli Harbor the day of our arrival

Google maps showed the walking path from the nearby town of San Rocco to the hotel as being all downhill. The instructions for the hotel said to pack light and recommended a place in town to store luggage but Sean was convinced the short downhill walk would be fine. The few photos of the path showed it paved. We hike a lot in Seattle. We had already clocked well over 30 miles walking so far this trip. With false confidence we took a cab to San Rocco. The cab driver was surprised by our suredness. He said you could make it to the hotel with the bags if you were strong.  We each had a 50lb roller bag and a 20-30lb backpack with us.

The downhill portion of our hike Google maps thought we were skiing, not sure why.

The first few hundred feet were paved smooth and gently sloped downhill. The bags rolled easily. No problem. Then we were met with a steep stone staircase down. No problem get the 450 feet elevation drop done early we thought. Sean being the gentleman he is offered to carry both roller bags down the stairs as I followed with both pack.

Then the nicely paved road ended and the path turned to jagged cobbles and paver stones. It threatened to rain. What should have been a pleasant 40 minute, 2km trek, turned painful and ugly as we grew more tired.



It took strength to pull the heavy bags through the mud and gravel. There was a lot more staircase and I started carrying my own bag down them. It was a long hard hike down to the water with so much stuff and when we finally reached the bottom a sign saying our hotel was 7 minutes away up a treacherous slippery stone staircase it began to not rain but pour.

I wanted to cry. The rain coming down in buckets. My shirt soaked through and clinging to my chest. Sean lost his glasses somewhere around here.

After over an hour we made it to the hotel. Soaked to the bone, sour and unhappy. Once we got there I tried to relax. It was truly a beautiful place. The hotel a former monastery dating back to the 900s converted into many rooms on different levels. Our room a small square with blood red walls, hooks from the arched ceiling, stone masonry exposed in parts of the drywall and a powder room that looked like a dungeon. It was a unique room to say the least.

Photo of our room from the hotel website. Notice the hooks on the curved ceiling and the jailer bars on the window to the powder room.

Despite the hotel’s website being in both Italian and English,  none of the fall staff spoke English. Not only did they not speak English most tried to avoid speaking to us at all. It made an already difficult experience more difficult as the weather did not improve during our stay.

Panoramic of the trail. The railings draped with traditional Ligurian fishing nets

Our only meals eaten at the expensive ocean view hotel restaurant. The room included breakfast but the staff did not inform us and I only found that while looking through my original booking confirmation. So we only ate lunch each day and broke into our stash of Chianti classico for dinner. The food at the restaurant all seafood was expertly prepared (mostly octopus and squid) but the waiter who was friendly to us once he found out I spoke some French seemed like he had never served in a restaurant before.

Views of Camogli from the Sea, Abby, Trail, Monastery ruins and the map

There is a beautiful abbey on the peninsula that looks like a palace with crystal clear water. It was built in 1100 by monks to house the remains of a Spanish bishop who died at sea. It was later remodeled by an Italian princess. Much like the hotel, it is only accessible from boat or foot. After our first night we were eager to explore. The boat however was not running again but the manager assured us it would be the next day, the day we were scheduled to leave. We thought about walking to the abbey it is close as the crow flies and the distance of the path was short enough it should take an hour or so. However as we set out for the trail dressed to hike, the trail head showed the time as being 3 hours. And the trail was designated with an E for experienced hiker. (The trail from San Rocco to the hotel was marked T for tourist). 

Photograph of the Map

The trail poorly marked after the rain and the ground soggy climbing a cliff didn't sound like a good idea after all. We explored the areas by the hotel. We went back to look for Sean's glasses on the staircase that felt impossible the day before but without bags was little more than a flight of steps. We tried to see if any of the other four restaurants on the peninsula were open, all closed.

Camogli. So close and yet so far. Taken from the boat on the way back. Best weather we had.

We could hike an hour and a half up and down hill to Camogli the port town for lunch (we passed a restaurant on the way to the harbor with a Michelin plate) but the forecast called for thunderstorms in the afternoon and while we could get there dry, the way back would be dangerous. We were trapped. Trapped in one of the most beautiful unspoiled parts of the country but trapped all the same.

We tried to make the best of the situation.Enjoy the views. Storm watch. Relax.

View from the Hotel at Sunset

Poem by Lord Byron written in two locations on the Cliffs

But for Sean all he could think about was being trapped. He worried the whole time about the weather clearing in time for us to get out the next day. The tension at times in our little lovenest turned prison was thick. It clung in the air like a heavy fog. The anxiety spread that night to me when it looked like the promised sunshine might be delayed.

The next morning we woke up to the sun. Never have I felt so relieved about weather. Hail on my wedding day could not stop the festivities but I worried that if the weather did not clear my marriage might have been irreparably harmed. We had a lovely breakfast in the windowed restaurant we would have appreciated much the day before. We asked the desk and the boat was running. Hallelujah! The first boat was at 9:45 but we were so eager we waited at the dock at 9am. We saw that glorious boat headed to the dock at 9:15 to drop off groceries to anxious locals and picked us to as it went on to the abbey. So we got to see the abbey after all! At least from the boat. Our luck had shifted and it was a good day.

Panoramic Photo of the Abby taken from the Boat

View of Camogli from the Boat

Awesome Geological Formation under the town of San Rocco where we hiked down from. The best part (the exposed rock showing plate tectonics in action only viewable from the harbor)

The more expensive and preferential train to Bologna that included only one change in Milan was completely booked. I had hesitated getting tickets the night before since I was now worried about us making it out. So instead we had to take 4 trains to get to Bologna but the rails ran on time and we reached the fat city in the afternoon.

While there have been other tense moments on past trips that we collectively agreed never to speak of again this one was too big to let go. The story while not sunshine and rainbows was an adventure. After going through such a harrowing hike it felt like we could do anything. Any potential snag in our plans was met with a shrug. Nothing we experienced the rest of the trip would be as challenging. They say what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger and indeed I felt stronger.

Collage of images graphs in the center were taken from a facebook meme, the hotel room photo is off the hotel website. The rest I took.

Up next our time in Bologna! The unfinished church,the city history, the food and our chance to be Mister Rogers for a day.

Museums and Steaks, and Stairs, oh my!

Scenes from Florence and our day 1 map.

Firenze (Florence to those of us across the pond) is an amazing city. A historic and cultured town with an acclaimed University and cosmopolitan attitude. We arrived in the late afternoon at our apartment in Firenze after a 90 minute drive back to Grosseto, a 3 hour train ride on two trains and a confusing bus ride where once again we could not purchase tickets on the actual vehicle. The apartment was modern marvel in an old building in the heart of the city a few blocks from the famed Duomo. It was a loft style flat with high ceilings and a bed overlooking the living room below a remote controlled skylight. We spent the next few hours settling in and planning our itinerary. Everything requires a reservation and before dinner we had booked entrance to the Uffizi gallery, Opera tickets, and a wine tour. It became immediately clear that the 3 nights we chose was not enough. Our list of activities was far too long but we tried to squeeze in as much as possible. After getting settled in we treated ourselves to a nice meal at a contemporary Italian restaurant called Taste.

Meal from Taste

The tasting menu for the night was not speaking to us and instead we chose our own courses. We ordered two glasses of rose and started with stuffed squash blossoms and beef tartare. The beef tartare was tasty and curious. For the second time this trip, meat was served with an ice cream, this time one flavored like the gin and vermouth cocktail Negroni. The idea is that the ice cream is a cool creamy and refreshing apertif intended to open the palate. We decided to pair the rest of our meal with a bottle of Bolgheri Rosso DOC. For our primi we split two pastas (the kitchen was kind enough to split the fettuccine for us) a fresh house-made fettuccine noodle with foraged mushrooms and an eggplant gnocchi with aged Parmesan and fresh burrata. The foraged mushrooms in the fresh pasta was the perfect combination of thick meaty texture and umami flavor. The noodles were chewy (as all good fresh pasta should be) but supple. The gnocchi was light and fluffy. The burrata cheese melted into an ooey gooey cheesy substrate that added the perfect richness. The main courses were a fresh sea bass fillet with ribbons of roasted eggplant and duo of lamb (crispy pan-fried chops and a juicy tender lamb filet). This was another incredible preparation of lamb. As usual we were too full for dessert and instead took in a long meandering stroll through the city. We walked by the famed Duomo and through the bustling University area then down to the river. The night air cool and crisp. The cobblestone streets echoed the sounds of the city.

Photos from the tower climb

The next morning we woke up bright and early to head to the Duomo. Unfortunately you need a reservation to climb the cupola and no times were available for the day. Instead we climbed the 417 steps of the Campanile (bell tower). Steep narrow stone stairs go nearly straight-up. Every hundred stairs or so there was a platform with a view until you reached the top. It was a blood-pumping climb but totally worth it for the view. Doing it first thing in the morning meant we didn’t have to jostle anyone on the way up and only a few on the way down. After our climb we earned ourselves an Italian breakfast, a cappuccino and pastry.

Scenes from the Duomo Museum. Including Saint Jerome's jawbone (Left center)

Climbing the cupula required a reservation and getting into the free Cathedral required waiting in a very, very, very, long line. Instead we went to the newly opened Duomo museum included as part of the Campanile, Duomo, Baptistery ticket. The cathedral is full of replicas as all the real statues and relics are in the museum. We got to see the jaw bone of my favorite Saint, Saint Jerome. He is my favorite because he is often shown in paintings with a lion or skull, there are like 900 million paintings of him, and he is the patron Saint of librarians, archeologists and students. Seeing his jaw bone forever immortalized in a tiny treasure chest was not at all creepy. Although as I remember seeing Saint Jerome’s final resting place in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City is the skeleton missing the jaw (and possibly other bones scattered across the world in various reliquaries)? 

One of the cool parts of the museum is seeing the logistical process of building the church and the impressive feat of engineering it was to make the cupula. They actually solicited bids for the church design and had models built at the museum showing the various proposals. In addition to architects for the ‘prettiness’ of the structure they also had to hire engineers as no one had built anything like the cupula before. They actually had to make scaffolding and a wooden crane pulled by oxen to get the building materials hoisted up for the upper parts.

Florence is famous for their giant steaks. Naturally we couldn’t leave without having one. We settled on a restaurant called I’Tuscani3. The upper part of the restaurant is an informal salumeria and down a set of stairs into a cavernous wine cellar looking restaurant is where they serve the giant steaks. The restaurant prides itself being both farm to table and sustainable (only compostable plates). The waiter spoke very good English and was exceedingly friendly and polite. The menu is simple all designed for 2 people to share. The options came down to how much food you wanted. Having seen photos of giant steaks we settled on the simplest option that included water, wine and, a giant steak with potatoes and roasted veggies. They offered a complimentary salad in a bowl made of crackers to start while they prepared our cut. They asked us if we wanted T-bone or tenderloin. We opted for the more flavorful T-bone steak. The meat came out with the bone in the center and the steak sliced around it. Whole roasted potatoes buttressed the meat and a bounty of vegetables. It was so much meat. Easily a 1.5-2lb slab of T-bone steak from the Tuscan Maremmana breed of cattle. The steak was juicy, marbled and perfectly cooked. Each bite rich and flavorful. It was a lot of food but with only a cappuccino in us we were confident we could finish it off.

T-bone steak and tenderloin from iTuscani3

We made our way through the platter of meat and potatoes. Finishing it proudly when the waiter returned and asked us if we wanted some tenderloin. We told him we were good but he insisted it was on the house and since we had the T-bone medium rare suggested we get the tenderloin rare. We caved. After all he was insistent we try the tenderloin and who is going to pass up free bonus steak? He refilled our carafe of wine (also on the house) and had the kitchen fire up the tenderloin essentially giving us and entire front rib of the cow. The tenderloin came out 10 minutes later with three more potatoes on a carving board. It was by far the most flavorful tenderloin I have ever eaten. Usually filet is tender and juicy but lacking big bold steak flavor that comes from being marbled with fat. Instead this was a tender cut of meat that tasted rich and beefy. By now we were all but groaning in pain. The waiter returned again this time asking us to take shots, on the house. Neither of us were going to do at shot in the middle of the afternoon but he explained he was offering one of many local digestive liqueurs. His insistence again wore us down until we were drinking tiny compostable cups of Amaro, a bitter herbaceous digestive with a hint of orange.

At this point we desperately needed to get out of there before he came up with something else to offer us. We paid the bill and attempted to stealthily waddle up the stairs to the door. I have never been so painfully full in my life. As we approached the door past the salumeria the upstairs employees approve of our pained slowness and confirmed we were full. I hate to think what would happen if they thought otherwise. I am also thankful we didn’t spend the extra 10 euro for an antipasti of salted and cured meats or I might be dead on the floor there right now. They would have to bury me under the stone tiles and put one of those creepy carved outlines of a body you seen on the floors of churches.

Select works from the Uffizi Gallery including Botticelli's Birth of Venus (Center) and Primavera (Bottom Right)

After a long walk and a nap we were ready for our 5:30pm entrance to the Uffizi Gallery. Evenings at the museum have worked well for us this trip as they tend to be less crowded and can fit in at the end of a day with other activities planned. I was really looking forward to the Uffizi but I have to say the collection left a lot to be desired. The museum again had a linear layout which consolidated the small crowd making each room busier. The rooms are organized by artist so you see a lot of similar pieces in each room and the timespan of the gallery is very narrow (only 200 years of history). Of course there are some incredible pieces that made it totally worth it but I expected it to compare to some of the top museums in the world. Frankly, I preferred the collection at the Villa Borghese.

Photos of Florence

Florence is a beautiful city. It is a great place to walk around. The streets are narrow with large black cobbles. The smell of freshly worked leather lingers in the air. The city is bisected by a river with quaint bridges that cross it. It is a small city and yet each time we went for a walk we seemed to discover a new part of it. Luxury shops and five star hotels. Swanky embassy buildings protected with stationed guards. Hookah bars doors down from American sports bars. Walking along you hear English spoken by tourists and visiting students alike. It is an easy city to like. Small, cultured, and personable.
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On our second full day in Florence we went on a wine tour. Sean and I have never been on a proper tour while traveling and didn’t know what to expect. We are confident exploring cities on our own but in Europe most wineries only have tasting by appointment. We crossed the river in Florence to meet at “Tuscany in a Bottle” a tour company ran by sommeliers with English speaking tours. The tour was great. A mix of American and Canadian tourists in their late twenties/early thirties. We visited three wineries in the Chianti Classico region and in the process learned a lot about wine.

Everyone has heard of the Medici family. They are responsible for a lot of the art, architecture and culture of Italy. It turns out they are also responsible for the wine. The Medici family started the first vineyards in Tuscany importing the Sangiovese grape from Emilia-Romagna and developing the original Chianti Classico region and blend. The Chianti region has expanded beyond the original territory set out by the Medici’s but in order to be considered Chianti Classico the grapes must be grown and made into wine in the original section selected by the Medici.

https://italianwinecentral.com/evolution-chianti-classico/

Most Italian wines are not named for the grape but the region of origin. This is where the DOC designation comes into play. DOC wines represent designated regions with prescribed instructions for producing specific wines. To be a Chianti Classico DOCG it must be 80% Sangiovese and 20% another approved red grape still grown in the Chianti Classico region. The vineyards cannot be irrigated. They must only use the water from the rain which this years was a very hot and dry summer. There were days it reached over 110F in Tuscany. The crop this year will be small but very good. However during our tour they had not yet harvested for 2017 yet as the grapes were too concentrated and would therefore not meet DOCG alcohol standards (it must be 12% with a maximum allowed residual sugar). The wineries were waiting for the predicted rain to come and offer some last minute balancing before harvest.

Many wines in Italy are DOC - the G in Chianti Classico comes from the fact this particular wine has a governing body that guarantees the wine meets the standards. In Italy there are a lot of rules and there are a lot of rules that are simply not enforced. In this case the industry wanted to ensure the DOC was being upheld by all producers and they inspect the process at each step of the wine-making.

The tour was incredible and organized in such a way we could see a small boutique traditional producer making the same blend the Medici originally created as their family wine. The tour guide claimed the Medici wanted a wine that was bloody in color and “rough and wild” in taste. The original Medici blend only allows for two grapes to be blended with the 80% Sangiovese and they are both local varietals (most vineyards use French Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for the 20%). We also saw a medium and large producer. Each winery also made its own olive oil we were able to sample.

Photos from the wine tour

In addition to Chianti Classico we were able to try some “Super Tuscan” wines. Basically these wines don’t have a DOC but they are top quality winemaker’s choice. The only stipulation is that the grapes must be grown and the wine must be produced in Tuscany. Otherwise it is totally open. They tend to make “Bordeaux Blend” style reds using Italian grapes. They are not allowed to term them Super Tuscan as the name is trademarked to a wine journalist who coined the term but there are lists dedicated to which wines fall in this category. We were able to sample these unique blends as well.

In addition to learning about Chianti Classico we also learned how to smell wine for defects, how to taste wines, and a bit about the history of wine making in the region. It was a good day and included a nice lunch at a family run restaurant with incredible views.

Scenes from the newly built (2012) Florence Opera House. View from our seats.

If the wine tour wasn’t enough we had tickets that night to our very first Opera together. Sean had never seen an opera before and I had not seen one since I was a kid. We talked about going in Seattle but the cheapest tickets are $80. We were able to see Madame Butterfly (a classic Puccini Opera) at the newly built 1800 seat Opera house in Firenze for 20 Euro each. The seats were incredible. Much to our surprise the sung words appeared in both Italian and English in electronic banners above the stage so we were able to intimately follow the story (although we had prepared by reading the Wikipedia synopsis). The production quality was second to none. The sound quality in the theater was incredible and it was an amazing first Opera together. We felt lucky to be able to catch it. Before we left, we had looked into seeing a show at either the famous outdoor Verona Opera house or the Venice Opera house but neither were in season.

Our time in Florence was painfully short. I think we would have liked another day or two to explore more. The city has so much to offer and if we venture back to Italy in the future we would certainly include Florence on our itinerary.

Our time in Florence

My favorite photo of Sean possibly ever. He just looks so pleased with himself. Also he was not smited.

Secret of the Etruscans: Pitgliano, Sovana and Sorano

We had a wonderful time in Rome but were very much looking forward to seeing Italy outside the hustle and bustle of the capital. Strange local customs and a very early train out of Rome led to a nerve wracking experience. When we got home from the Vatican late Friday night we realized that you cannot buy bus tickets in Rome on a bus (because that would make too much sense). Instead you can only buy tickets from a tobacco shop or from metro ticket dispensers that are scattered throughout the city.

A quick google search revealed we were quite far from any metro ticket stations and while we were near many tobacco/newsstands there was no guarantee they would be open at 6am. The sleep was short and full of worry. We set out to catch the bus for the train at 6am and sure enough, nothing was open. Much to our horror, we got on the bus … without a ticket. Anxiety and paranoia filled each of the 10 minutes to the train station as we expected to get caught and fined. We were more than willing to pay for a 1 Euro ticket but there was nowhere to buy one. The bus filled with more and more people. Including a priest who didn't validate a ticket on the bus (it is also possible to validate tickets at the stop themselves once you have one). In the end we made it to the station without being hauled off by the local police but it was quite an adrenaline filled way to start the morning!

We set off for Grosseto, a seaside town in Southern Tuscany where we had reservations to pick up a rental car. Part of the reason for the stupidly early train was that the rental car location was only open 9-12 on Saturday and closed on Sundays. There was a later train that would get us to Grosseto at 11 but that was risky because any delays could leave us stranded. Some might wonder why on Earth we took a train somewhere else to get a car when surely there are rental car agencies in Rome. Italian city drivers are crazy. We nearly got hit by a car half a dozen times during our 2013 trip in Nice (which was packed with Italian tourists.) We had heard too many horror stories about driving in Rome to set ourselves up for a no doubt frustrating experience. My former coworker Amber, an adventurous traveler who had no qualms about being in Kenya (where they had to get the under-carriage of their car checked for explosives each time they went to go anywhere) told me that she would never rent a car in Europe again after driving in Rome.

Photos from the drive

We picked up the rental car without issue. Since neither Sean nor I know how to drive stick, we specifically reserved an automatic car which guaranteed us a premium vehicle with all the bells and whistles (Some quite literally. Every time the sides of the car got close to anything they would beep incessantly and the screen would show a cartoon of where on the car was in close proximity). The drive from Grosseto to Pitigliano was beautiful and quiet. The highways out of Grosseto had good signage similar to our experiences driving in Spain. Once we left the main freeway and started on the roads inland we were often the only car on the road. The drive was tranquil and offered sea views near the coast, pastoral plains and sun-drenched vineyards. As we approached the last 30-40 minutes of the drive it got very hilly and the roads became very winding. I am prone to motion sickness and was cursing myself for not packing Dramamine. It reminded me a bit of a car commercial a few years ago where the guy is given the option to choose the road and he chooses the one with an S curve. It was like that same choice was made over and over again. There was no painted center so even in the front seat, I felt queasy. It was all worth it however when we turned one corner in particular and saw this.

Photo of Pitigliano taken from outside the city

In the distance was a fortified city built into the cliffs. Pitigliano is a historically Jewish settlement. It had been referred to as "Little Jerusalem". The area has been inhabited since Etruscan times (before the Roman empire) and has many ruins of this mysterious civilization. This was part of our reason for venturing to the area. The geology of the area is unique, made up of large porous rock called tuff (tufo in Italian) created from volcanic ash (likely from volcanic eruptions 100,000-200,000 years ago). In addition to the rocky outcrops the area has densely forested hills and pastoral low lands.

We arrived at our agritouismo San Giacomo. The location was about a mile or two from the cute tiny town of Sovana and 4-5 miles outside Pitigliano. Located on a sprawling vineyard (that produces its own wine), the property has a small restaurant and a few houses divided into tiny apartments each with their own terrace. The accommodations were charming and rustic.

Photos of our accommodations including visits from our new furry friends

  Our hosts spoke very little English but enough to get by. We arranged for dinner that night (Saturday) and for breakfast for Sunday and Monday. There were two breakfast options explained to us in broken English from a German woman visiting our hosts. She said there is an Italian breakfast that is coffee, fruit, and cakes. All sweets. Or a 'salad breakfast', I assume this was directly translated from the Italian word Insalata which experience has shown us is not necessarily a salad with greens. The 'salad breakfast' would include some kind of meat and eggs in addition to the sweets. We both prefer to have some protein in the mornings so we opted for the salad breakfast.

Sunday Morning 'salad breakfast'

The weather in Rome had been perfect all week. Never warmer than 80 degrees and sunny with not a cloud in the sky. However the forecast for our two days in Pitigliano included a very rainy Sunday with thunderstorms. Not wanting to lose out on valuable sight-seeing time we headed out to hike the Via Cave (ancient Etruscan tunnels carved into the volcanic tuff). There are many trails in the area but we opted to start at an archeological park that for a small fee provided maps of all the vie cave and included passage to an Etruscan Necropolis with several Etruscan tombs.

Left: Necropolis photos
Right: Park Map and Via Cave

The Etruscans were a group of people living before the Roman Empire. Their history has been all but erased. There is little to no written records of their culture. Few structures have survived as ruins leaving them a bit shrouded in mystery. The Via Cave are tunnels bore through the porous rock. The purpose of these channels is unclear. It is possible they were used for transportation, ceremonial purposes or water flow (drainage/irrigation). The passages are narrow with walls of moss covered rock on either side. The porous stone allowing small chestnut trees to grow through. Chestnut trees are everywhere in the forested areas of Tuscany. A quick google search reveals this is largely due to the Roman Empire planting chestnut trees ALL over the Mediterranean in areas where cereal grains could not grow. The chestnut was the main carbohydrate in the area until potatoes were introduced.

Upper: Photos from the Necropolis
Lower: Photos of the Vie Cave

For a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the archeological park was very empty only a few Italian families and French tourists milling about. The site included an impressive columned façade carved into the rocks although only one column remained. The tricky thing about building with Tuff is that the porous nature allows water to erode the rock from the inside out. It is remarkable the ruins have survived this long. Nothing built from this stone could hope to last forever. Much like the Egyptians each of the rooms of the walled city of the dead included human remains and pottery (now housed in various museums throughout Italy and the world). One site included many small circular burial plots like flat disks.

Our experience in Spain taught us how difficult it can be to get provisions and services on Sundays. Expecting torrential downpours and thunder on Sunday only reduced our desire to venture out for a meal. Sean offered to cook so we headed to the medieval city of Pitigliano. The road into the town is steep and narrow. There is parking along one side of the cliff with the actual city accessible only by foot across the highway. We were reminded of Les Eyzies France, the tiny tourist town population 1000 with 4 foie gras shops. Pitigliano had half a dozen or more wine shops. We stopped at a cooperative that sold locally produced wine, olive oil, cheese, meat, and dried pasta. We picked up most of what we needed for a meal except bread. When we asked the woman where in town to buy bread she looked at the clock and then shook her head. Indeed the only paneria in town was closed. Much like Spain most shops are open in split shifts with a long break in the middle of the day. A little after 3pm was no time to get bread. The bread store only open in the morning and then again after 5. So we went home without bread.

Photos of Pitigliano

From the wine cooperative we purchased all local bottles including a couple DOC wines (Sovana and Bianca di Pitigliano). At the time we didn’t understand what it meant. We just thought DOC wines were good wines but it was not until our Tuscan wine tour that we learned how Italian wines are named and labelled. We got a couple bottles of red and white both with grape varietals we were not familiar with (Ciliegiolo and Trebbiano). I will talk more about DOC wines in an upcoming blog post dedicated to Tuscan wines.

Around 8pm we had a beautiful home-cooked meal at our agritourismo. In true Italian fashion, it was a 5 course extravaganza. At $30 per person including wine, tax, tip and coffee it was by far the best valued meal.

Rustic Tuscan Dinner

It started with a cup of warm pumpkin soup and a variety of antipasti (tuna stuffed peppers, chicken liver pate on toast, selection of salted and cured meats, and pickled zucchini). The antipasta was followed by the pasta, a vegetable lasagna. I have many memories of eating Stoffer’s vegetable lasagna from Costco as a kid and until that night, I had no idea it was a real dish in Italy. I always assumed it was a weird vegetarian alternative to real lasagna but sure enough here it was crispy and homemade with garden fresh vegetables. The main course was a slow roasted pork shank shiny in its own fat, marinated tomato slices and baked zucchini. Each with fresh herbs from the garden. It was clear the menu was based on what was available from the garden. The meal ended with a sweet dry cake followed by an espresso. It was quite the feast. Rustic and delicious. We felt very privileged to have such an opportunity to dine so intimately.

The weather forecasters in Italy certainly earned their dues as Sunday morning was a deluge complete with thunder and lightning. When it rains in Italy it pours. We had a languid breakfast with three different types of cake, coffee, fruit, sliced meat, herbed eggs and marinated tomatoes served with American style coffee. We relaxed on the covered terrace in the morning watching the storm roll in. By mid-afternoon the worst of it seemed over. The skies dark but dry. We decided to go for a drive and hit the nearby towns of Sovana and Sorano.

Photos from Sovana (Upper Left) and Sorano (All others)

Sovana, the closer of the two towns has a population of 100. The entire two street town is dedicated to tourists. The area seems like a popular day or weekend trip for nearby Rome and Florence. The charming cobble-stoned city sits high on a hill and its two streets with large villas include many artisanal craft shops with homemade pottery, jewelry, and art. There was a small Etruscan museum and of course a church. The rain had driven everyone indoors and we walked the streets alone. In 10 minutes we had seen the whole place and headed to the large city of Sorano.

Sorano is a true tourist destination. As we were leaving a tour bus braved the winding climb to the top to deposit Italian and French tourists. The city has several historical markers guiding people to the top of a fortress with an impressive view of the landscape. There is also several churches and museums in town.

Compared to Rome where every attraction had a throng of tourists the quiet pace of the countryside was a welcomed change. In addition we were the only English speaking tourists we came across. It was cool to see something off the beaten path with such a rich and storied history.

We headed back to the agritourismo where Sean made pasta with a fresh sausage ragu. While we were unable to buy bread in town our hosts were kind enough to give us a few fresh tomatoes from their garden and some leftover bread. We also purchased some of the house made wine. Another fine meal.

On Monday morning we headed back to Grosseto to return the car and catch the train to Florence (Firenze as it is called in Italy). Our three days in Florence was quite the whirlwind experience we had far too much on our must-do list and not enough time. Stay tuned for the next two posts on Florence, one on sightseeing and meals and the other on Chianti Classico DOCG wine and the Opera!