Free and Easy in Tuscany ( first posted on thebarefootfoodie.org - 21 Jan 2018 )

 

Free and Easy in Tuscany

JANUARY 21, 2018BAREFOOT TRAVELS, ITALY

The best thing about having your own four wheels is the freedom to stop, start and pick up from wherever and whenever you feel like it. The car comes in handy to store all your additional layers of warm clothing and tons of snacks for hitting the road. I drew up a rather ambitious itinerary for the week, but did not factor in the steep hilly roads, ( which made travelling much slower and longer ), the weather ( cold, windy, sometimes rainy, and gets even colder after the sun sets around 4.30pm ), and the stamina of our stoic driver, G – have to give the man a rest sometime! You’d had to have good driving skills, concentration ( at least 2 cups of cappuccino, please ) and nerves of steel to navigate their roads. Sometimes, I hold my breath, close my eyes and say a little prayer. In the end, we did some, skipped a lot, and spent a better part of the evenings back in our cosy room. The high point on most days was heading back to somewhere warm and have a good dinner.

Il Poggio ( San Casciano Dei Bagni )

Home for us for the week was at a timeshare resort at Il Poggio. It is a holiday farmhouse with a kitchen, a fireplace, a shop that sells its own produce of wine, cheese, cured meats, jams; and a restaurant on site. This is a home-away-from-home indeed. Yes, there is wi-fi, how else can city folks survive?

On the long and winding road to Il Poggio. Hello, beautiful sunset!

Il Poggio Farmhouse

You won’t get thirsty here

Time to cosy up near the fireplace

Tuscany is a big region with lots to explore. From Il Poggio, it could take us anything between 30 min to 2 hrs to get to the next town or city. Twas the week leading to Christmas, and there were fairs, celebrations, plenty of good cheer all around.

Montepulciano

Montepulciano is a quaint, medieval town, atop a hill in Southern Tuscany. We arrived safety after navigating a stretch of impossibly narrow and steep terrain. Most parking spaces nearer the main square are intended for residents only and it was quite a trudge from the car to the site. On the morning of Christmas Eve and there was a county fair with church bells ringing in the background. Its vineyards produce the famous red – Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

The Leonardo Da Vinci Horse Sculpture is a tribute to the genius of the Artist

The gothic Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo

Strung and hung

To buy or not to buy…

All things cute and furry

The Griffin and Lion Well in Piazzo Grande bearing the Medici Coat of Arms. The Town Square was one of the filming locations for The Twilight Saga – The New Moon

Christmas Eve Bonfire in Abbadia San Salvatore 

On every Christmas Eve, the tiny town of Abbadia San Salvatore transforms into an enchanting precinct of bonfires and practically the entire town ( including some tourists ) gather at the town square to set it ablaze!

This marks the festival of Fiaccole della Notte di Natale , a medieval tradition ( dating back to the early Middle Ages ).  It  marks the days of yore when villagers lit large fires during their vigils on the eve of the birth of Christ to celebrate the coming light during the longest nights of the year.

Towering stacks of firewood, of varying heights are prepared all across the main square. The ceremony started at 6 p.m.  –   a blessing was said over the central firewood ( which is the biggest and tallest – up to 7 m high )  which was eventually set alight. The fire lighter would then lead a procession, along with chanting and Christmas carols, all across the town to light up the rest of the bonfires. We were glad to be here at this time of the year to be part of this very ancient tradition and to soak in the magic of the moment.

How high will it go?

The moment we’ve been waiting for

All ablaze!

Making a sweeping statement – Have a merry Christmas!

Christmas Day

We were off to a good start attending mass ( in Italian ) at the Abby of Mount Olivieto, complete with Gregorian chants. It felt like being transported back in time and space, very surreal!

The Abby of Monte Olivieto

A pervasive mood of serenity and calm

Wining and Dining

It’s chock full of wine, of course, cheese, salami, pizzas and pastas, and Italian coffee is divine! Christmas dinner was memorable  we get to eat a decent meal at the restaurant at Il Poggio (which catered specially for the guests) instead of eating out of cans or boxes or fast food ( if we’re lucky ) because most eateries are closed for the season, as we’ve experienced in the past.

Pienza – famous for its Pecorino Cheese which makes for fabulous fondue

This is such good wine, cheers!

Cold Cut platter at Il Poggio Restaurant

Artisanal Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes bread come alive!

Never knew beer from Umbria could be so fruity and fragrant!

Cappelini, traditionally served during the Christmas period

Simply the best roasted potatoes I’ve ever had – crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, without the usual coating of oil. No plating or frills needed, just good, wholesome food well prepared.

Sweet Endings

Coffee before Sleepy and Grouchy

Siena

Siena is a charming medieval city which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is dominated by its imposing and majestic Cathedral in a black and white striped facade and its 13th Century brick town hall with tower. We did a cursory look at the Cathedral but did not enter ( too many to take it by now ) and gravitated over to the Medieval Museum of Torture instead for a good part of the trip.

Siena Cathedral

Black and White stripes mania

Elsewhere in the town square – a timekeeper keeps watch

Museo Delle Torture

It felt like a visit to Ripley’s Believe it or Not, but much more bizarre because they were real, cruel, twisted and very sadistic. Truly, a walk on the dark side of humankind. Let’s see – you have the spiked interrogation chair, the spiked collar, a cat’s paw ( not as innocent as it sounds ), the diving or dunking chair, the pillory, the breast ripper, the heretic’s fork, the garrote, the witch’s hook, the jock’s mare, and the ultimate – Iron Maiden of Nuremberg…The list goes on, but I should stop here.

The Rectal, Oral and Vaginal Pear- named after its shape. This instrument was forced into the mouth or rectum of male victims and into the vagina of female victims. The “Pear” was inflicted on those guilty of sodomy, adultery,  incest, or sexual union with Satan, and it was also inflicted on heretical preachers and blasphemers.

Evisceration is the process of making an incision in the victim’s abdomen and removing the insides. In the Middle Ages, people were put to death by attaching a hand operated roller and slowly rolling up the intestines until the abdominal cavity was emptied.

The Iron Maiden of Nuremburg – no explanations needed

It is the duality of human nature to be fascinated by the warped while feeling nauseated at the same time. I was repulsed yet compelled to read every detail. In spite of it all, our appetites did not seem to be affected by the blood and gore afterwards.

Another Day, another city – Perugia

Perugia is the capital of the Umbria region which is known for its defensive walls around the historic center.

Fontana Maggiore is a marble fountain with carvings of biblical scenes and zodiac signs.

Yet another cathedral whose name is now lost on me but I do like the griffins guarding it.

This just happened…

Steps, steps everywhere

If you keep still enough, something will land

The Tuscan Landscape

All across the Val d’Orcia  ( a UNESCO heritage site ) – gentle, cultivated hills, cypress trees, dotted by picturesque towns and villages.

On the road again

Littered with Cypress Trees

Shades of Winter

Assisi

St Francis, the patron saint of Italy, was born, worked, lived and died here. The Basilica of St Francis is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is just one of the attractions in this hauntingly serene medieval town.

Vertiges of Saint Francis greet you in every nook and corner

A long but fast-moving queue to get inside.

We have arrived!

Stepping into the Basilica

Not quite as resplendent as the rest but it exudes an understated dignity

Beguiled by this wrought iron gate at the Courtyard of the Basilica

Elsewhere in Tuscany – Lake Trasimeno and Bagni Vignoni

All’s berthed and quiet at Lake Trasimeno

Trying to figure out what these pillars or sculptures stand for – neither modern nor medieval

Is it a bird, a baby elephant or a nascent Merlion with an ingrown toe-nail?

Bagno Vignoni is a small town built around a Roman pool. The  pool is no longer utilised but you can still locate some hot streams to soak your feet and deeper pools in the canyon below the town.

Our Final Stopover – Orvieto

This city which lies midway between Rome and Florence is one of the more memorable visits during my entire stay in Tuscany. It boasts of a stunning Duomo, out-of-this-world gelatos, charming street facades and underground surprises.

Orvieto’s Gothic Cathedral – took 30 years to plan and another 300 years to build

The prophets and the Virgin Mary

Such a myriad of intricate detailing

Angel, Nymph or Youth?

St Patrick’s Well ( Pozzo Di San Patrizo )

This is a historic well built during the mid 16th Century at the behest of the residing Pope, who feared the city’s water supply would be insufficient in the event of a siege. It took 10 years to build. The central well shaft has two spiral ramps in a double helix, one going up and the other going down, accessed by two doors, which allowed for mules to carry water vessels up and down without obstruction. There are 248 steps ( not as scary as it sounds ) and 70 windows to allow light to come in.

Don’t look down if you have a fear of heights

The ones who dared to…

Not apparent on the outside how deep the well is

Quirky Street Facades

29 Dec 2017 kicks off the inauguration of the Orvieto Jazz Festival and the streets are all abuzz

Mystical mystic

Looks inviting enough…

Cowabunga!

And…finally, one for the road

This inspired me to ditch the ice-cream for gelato

Conclusion

All I can say is – I will be back….but not for another winter.