Heritage network for Roseto Valfortore-Italy and it's sister city Roseto-PA
A Villa in Tuscany
Finally May of 2006 has arrived and both Sandy and Al have been given the green light to travel to Italy. Sandy and Joe have been so many times back and forth to Italy that this time around they do not care to do Rome. Not quite having our fill of it yet, we four Canadians decide to go two days ahead of time to do some more sightseeing. Not only that, this time without the restrictions of the Globus Bus Tour we will be free to come and go as we please. Through the internet we have selected what we think will be a lovely little hotel - called the Hotel Tiziano on Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, meaning of course that it is just around the corner from the monument to King Vittorio Emmanuele. Also it is within walking distance of Trevi Fountain, The Roman Forum and Colosseum, Piazza de Spagna and of course, what else - Piazza Navona.
One of the other things that attracted me in particular is that it is also just down the street and around the corner from Piazza de Fiori in which a fish and vegetable market has been running daily since 1869. Prior to this time the square was used for many other things, some of them very unpleasant such as Capital Punishment.
In fact in 1600 the Philosopher, Giordano Bruno was burnt alive by the Roman Inquisition because his ideas were deemed dangerous by the Holy Office. A monument dedicated to him stands today exactly on the spot of his death, defiantly facing in the direction of the Vatican. He is surrounded by an area holding stands of delectable looking vegetables, one of the most colorful being the flower of the Zucchini; fish and other seafood stands, while all around the square are deli shops and cafés to sit and have a cappuccino or café latte, while watching the crowd. In fact that’s exactly what Craig and I did early one morning, around 7AM, while the vendors were still setting up their stalls, we sat, drank latte’s and enjoyed the hubbub starting to unfold around us.
On the third morning we four made our way back to the airport, where we would wait for Sandy and Joe’s arrival, pick up our cars and make our way to our villa. It’s been a little more than two years since we have been together and Sandy has been through a lot in that period so we are both anxious and excited to see them. Finally we spot them, luggage and all, moving along the “tramway” and big grins appear on all of our faces. We have so much to catch up on, but for now hugs will have to do as we make our way to the car rentals. Without too much trouble we find our way to both cars in the airport parking garage, load up and get ready to face the Italian motorways. Yikes!!! We know once we get on the Autostrade we will be o.k., it’s just getting out of the airport and getting on the fastest and easiest way we can, that has us kind of worried. Following one another, it turns out easier than we had feared and we’re off . Joe has decided to take the lead as he has searched out some of the back roads and wants to get off the main roads as soon as possible, and see some of the countryside. Nonplussed we follow along and enjoy the scenery as we leave Rome and head into the country.
Many weeks in the early part of January went into planning this trip and finding the perfect Villa. Phone calls were placed back and forth between Ontario and Oregon, discussing what we Canadians had seen on line vs. what our American counterparts had found. In the end Sandy and Joe found a travel agent there who set us up with a Villa she had seen and recommended, and everything fell into place - just like that.
So now we finally find ourselves heading to the town of Buonconvento, which will be the nearest place to our villa. We’ve planned to find a grocery store -or as it turns out a “co-op” in town to store up on some food for our dinner that night, before we actually end up at the villa. I have volunteered to do a pasta dinner for our first night and Louise has offered a favourite shrimp appetizer for our “Happy Hour”. Sandy and Joe will be cooking up a meal as we go through the week, but for the most part we plan to have breakfast in - and then let the days take care of themselves, not subjecting ourselves to strict schedules or plans, and playing it by ear as we go. We are happy when we finally find the Co-op and see that it is well stocked - with the exception that there is not a “fresh shrimp” to be found - just frozen. We are told to get anything “fresh” in the seafood line, it requires a trip to Siena and to the market there. However, we have great confidence in Louise's ability to adlib , as we race around the store picking up pasta, tomatoes, onions, garlic (we’ve brought dried herbs if you can believe it), bread and other fixings for tomorrow’s breakfast - and last, but not least - and maybe for tonight the most important of all - the vino.
Back to our cars we are now very excited to finally be heading to the Villa. We’re just not sure which way out of town we should be going. But good ole Joe gets it all under control with a few questions here and there, and we find ourselves heading out of Buonconvento. It all looks promising as we head up a picturesque road, with just one mistake, back we go and finally we get the right drive up and toward our destination. Lining the drive up are loads of trees and at the top, and around the corner there it is -Casa Rasa! And the scenery all around us is absolutely exquisite with rolling green and ochre hills lined here and there with the ever present cypress trees. Our hosts are there immediately to greet us and show us to our quarters which are on the second floor of the villa. A few cursory instructions are also in order, but for the most part, after introductions are made, they wish us a wonderful stay and we make our way up the stairs to get settled in.
Our part of Casa Rasa has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, a lovely dining area, living area and a great kitchen equipped with gas stove, electric oven, dishwasher and clothes washer - plus all of the kitchen utensils one could possibly need. Before actually entering the villa, at the top of the stairs we find ourselves in a long sunroom “loggia” decorated with table and chairs, plus cushioned wicker sofa and extra chairs for lounging. The first thing we do is check out our individual bedroom accommodations, which by the way we have all chosen before our arrival, and everyone seems happy with what they got. Craig’s and my room seems to be a master with a huge bathroom, with both tub and shower - but the best part is the huge window right smack next to the toilet, from where one can sit and look out at the beautiful rolling hills and beyond to a villa on the horizon. It doesn’t get any better than that!
It’s time now to finally relax, open up a bottle of wine and Louise gets busy in the kitchen putting together her shrimp appetizer. I’m chopping up tomatoes and onions to get my sauce on the go and we are all talking and laughing at once and no one is making any sense at all. Sauce is on the stove, more glasses of wine have been poured and we are getting ready to enjoy the shrimp when I realize Sandy is not there. I looked out into the loggia and spotted her standing at the end window looking out to the view, so I decided to take up my wine and go join her. As I stepped out and approached I could both sense and feel her emotion, but there was no turning back. When she heard me, she turned around and with tears in her eyes said to me “look at that, it’s just so beautiful”. Immediately we embraced each other; we both cried, and we both marvelled at the view. Then we picked up our wine and headed back in to join the others. Life is good; we are all here as planned; any troubles are going on a back burner, and we are looking forward to one wonderful week in Tuscany!
Next: Enjoying Casa Rasa and Buonconvento
One of the other things that attracted me in particular is that it is also just down the street and around the corner from Piazza de Fiori in which a fish and vegetable market has been running daily since 1869. Prior to this time the square was used for many other things, some of them very unpleasant such as Capital Punishment.
In fact in 1600 the Philosopher, Giordano Bruno was burnt alive by the Roman Inquisition because his ideas were deemed dangerous by the Holy Office. A monument dedicated to him stands today exactly on the spot of his death, defiantly facing in the direction of the Vatican. He is surrounded by an area holding stands of delectable looking vegetables, one of the most colorful being the flower of the Zucchini; fish and other seafood stands, while all around the square are deli shops and cafés to sit and have a cappuccino or café latte, while watching the crowd. In fact that’s exactly what Craig and I did early one morning, around 7AM, while the vendors were still setting up their stalls, we sat, drank latte’s and enjoyed the hubbub starting to unfold around us.
On the third morning we four made our way back to the airport, where we would wait for Sandy and Joe’s arrival, pick up our cars and make our way to our villa. It’s been a little more than two years since we have been together and Sandy has been through a lot in that period so we are both anxious and excited to see them. Finally we spot them, luggage and all, moving along the “tramway” and big grins appear on all of our faces. We have so much to catch up on, but for now hugs will have to do as we make our way to the car rentals. Without too much trouble we find our way to both cars in the airport parking garage, load up and get ready to face the Italian motorways. Yikes!!! We know once we get on the Autostrade we will be o.k., it’s just getting out of the airport and getting on the fastest and easiest way we can, that has us kind of worried. Following one another, it turns out easier than we had feared and we’re off . Joe has decided to take the lead as he has searched out some of the back roads and wants to get off the main roads as soon as possible, and see some of the countryside. Nonplussed we follow along and enjoy the scenery as we leave Rome and head into the country.
Many weeks in the early part of January went into planning this trip and finding the perfect Villa. Phone calls were placed back and forth between Ontario and Oregon, discussing what we Canadians had seen on line vs. what our American counterparts had found. In the end Sandy and Joe found a travel agent there who set us up with a Villa she had seen and recommended, and everything fell into place - just like that.
So now we finally find ourselves heading to the town of Buonconvento, which will be the nearest place to our villa. We’ve planned to find a grocery store -or as it turns out a “co-op” in town to store up on some food for our dinner that night, before we actually end up at the villa. I have volunteered to do a pasta dinner for our first night and Louise has offered a favourite shrimp appetizer for our “Happy Hour”. Sandy and Joe will be cooking up a meal as we go through the week, but for the most part we plan to have breakfast in - and then let the days take care of themselves, not subjecting ourselves to strict schedules or plans, and playing it by ear as we go. We are happy when we finally find the Co-op and see that it is well stocked - with the exception that there is not a “fresh shrimp” to be found - just frozen. We are told to get anything “fresh” in the seafood line, it requires a trip to Siena and to the market there. However, we have great confidence in Louise's ability to adlib , as we race around the store picking up pasta, tomatoes, onions, garlic (we’ve brought dried herbs if you can believe it), bread and other fixings for tomorrow’s breakfast - and last, but not least - and maybe for tonight the most important of all - the vino.
Back to our cars we are now very excited to finally be heading to the Villa. We’re just not sure which way out of town we should be going. But good ole Joe gets it all under control with a few questions here and there, and we find ourselves heading out of Buonconvento. It all looks promising as we head up a picturesque road, with just one mistake, back we go and finally we get the right drive up and toward our destination. Lining the drive up are loads of trees and at the top, and around the corner there it is -Casa Rasa! And the scenery all around us is absolutely exquisite with rolling green and ochre hills lined here and there with the ever present cypress trees. Our hosts are there immediately to greet us and show us to our quarters which are on the second floor of the villa. A few cursory instructions are also in order, but for the most part, after introductions are made, they wish us a wonderful stay and we make our way up the stairs to get settled in.
Our part of Casa Rasa has four bedrooms and three bathrooms, a lovely dining area, living area and a great kitchen equipped with gas stove, electric oven, dishwasher and clothes washer - plus all of the kitchen utensils one could possibly need. Before actually entering the villa, at the top of the stairs we find ourselves in a long sunroom “loggia” decorated with table and chairs, plus cushioned wicker sofa and extra chairs for lounging. The first thing we do is check out our individual bedroom accommodations, which by the way we have all chosen before our arrival, and everyone seems happy with what they got. Craig’s and my room seems to be a master with a huge bathroom, with both tub and shower - but the best part is the huge window right smack next to the toilet, from where one can sit and look out at the beautiful rolling hills and beyond to a villa on the horizon. It doesn’t get any better than that!
It’s time now to finally relax, open up a bottle of wine and Louise gets busy in the kitchen putting together her shrimp appetizer. I’m chopping up tomatoes and onions to get my sauce on the go and we are all talking and laughing at once and no one is making any sense at all. Sauce is on the stove, more glasses of wine have been poured and we are getting ready to enjoy the shrimp when I realize Sandy is not there. I looked out into the loggia and spotted her standing at the end window looking out to the view, so I decided to take up my wine and go join her. As I stepped out and approached I could both sense and feel her emotion, but there was no turning back. When she heard me, she turned around and with tears in her eyes said to me “look at that, it’s just so beautiful”. Immediately we embraced each other; we both cried, and we both marvelled at the view. Then we picked up our wine and headed back in to join the others. Life is good; we are all here as planned; any troubles are going on a back burner, and we are looking forward to one wonderful week in Tuscany!
Next: Enjoying Casa Rasa and Buonconvento
Tags: travel
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Comment by Lynda Matthews on July 21, 2009 at 3:44am - Actually, can you believe I have never had the Zucchini Flowers. I've read so much about how delicioius they are battered and deep fried. One day! But they sure do make a nice picture! Have you had them?
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Comment by Maria L. Damico on July 20, 2009 at 11:01pm - Dont you just love Zucchini Flowers??????
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