Today we rented a wagon and drove 3 hours to our villa outside Sienna about 20 miles. Italy drivers in the left hand lane drive autobahn velocities. No surprise, but the roads are amazing ! Guess that's what hefty tolls of $17 buy you! But the drive was gorgeous to say the least and pretty straight forward.
Our villa is on a dirt road 2 Km and is run by a handsome man named Stefano and his English shepherd Kim. It is heaven on earth. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, granite floors and a view of the valley that is astounding. The stars are bright at night as well.
It is outside a small town with two restaurants - one being pizza. We went to the family run tavern, La Taverna Di Casciano, and not only had the cheapest meal of the trip, but the best. Andrea had the most delectable tender beef topped with fresh greens, tomatoes and parm and a tagalatelli and it was spicy liked I love it. They gave us a small dessert sampler - holla Pana Cotta! Next favorite thing to the tort ofolo I sampled last night.
Tomorrow Sucia gets in at 7pm at the Florence Airport so we are going to putter around Florence. We have the 36 Hours in NYT article Andrea is reading now.
Awesome blog, De! Not sure if you'll get this comment twice, didn't seem to post the first time. Am following your adventures... especially the culinary sort. Hope to make it to Italy myself someday, keep posting so I can live vicariously in the meantime.
ReplyDeletep.s. LOVE my bialetti! The only way I have made coffee for the past couple years. NUM.