Dear Motor Enthusiasts,
Taxied to the Verona Airport to collect a Hertz car for our two weeks roaming in Tuscany and Umbria. Got the insurance, got the satnav, so all good to go. Got a car marginally bigger than the charm bracelet sized smart car - Ford Fiesta auto with four doors. After the smartcar it felt like the size of a Hummer!
From Verona to Tuscany where we were staying was ostensibly a near straight line south- not according to this american accented "NeverLost" GPS gadget that we had on board. It took us over an hour to leave the outskirts of Verona because we took this stupid instrument at it's badly pronunciated word and it kept misdirecting us through first or third or fourth exits of roundabouts when they didn't exist!!! It would then in an entirely patronizing evil manner then say it was recalculating (presumably because of our alleged inability to follow straightforward directions no doubt) and would set us on a path in what was finally the right direction. I was ready to recalculate it right out the window!!!!
We got here with little drama but we can attest totally that the drivers in Toscana region drive just as insanely as they do elsewhere in this country. The most redundant piece of equipment on an Italian car is the indicator. You can tell tourists here as they are the only bunnies using theirs.
We arrived at our destination which is Fattoria Tregole just outside of Castellina in Chianti, part of the Tuscany region where their particular specialty for this 50 kilometer radius is Chianti Classico. Adjoining areas produce other specific wines such as Brunello Moltaciano (our particular favorite) - all you red lovers will die when you taste it - it is heaven, and other types include Venaccia, and Nobile Moltapulciano.
The landscape surrounding our Fattoria (a medium sized farm with houses for both owners and workers on the property), is everything you imagine Tuscany to be. Rolling hills bathed in a golden light, vineyards everywhere and the ubiquitous cypress trees. Beautiful old stone homesteads and farm buildings are ideally located atop a gentle hill blessed with panoramic vistas from every angle. It's quite quite beautiful. We can see why that Under The Tuscan Sun, chick was besotted enough to stay!
We met our lovely host Edith and her gorgeous Jack Russell Benny, settled into our room and on the terrace enjoyed our first bottle of Chianti Classico! Molto bene! We headed to a local Oristoria ( a casual eating place) and had a beautiful beef fillet served on a hot rock with roasted potatoes with rosemary and a side salad. It was Delish.
When arriving at said restaurant a mere two kilometers up the road, we were welcomed to the neighborhood by a couple of members of the local wildlife. Two deers decided to bound out on the road to welcome us to Tuscany. Fortunately this little black duck had abstained from drinking over dinner to keep her wits about her but we didn't meet any more locals on the way home thank goodness.
Driving in Italy, alongside Italians, whilst on the "wrong" side of the road is hard enough without having to deal with Bambi and her mates!!!
Salute "Deer" Friends.
Kelly & Siobhan
Sent from my iPad
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