Il Mulinaccio

About a month ago, I purchased a ticket to an Andrea Bocelli concert in Lajtico at the Teatro Del Silenzio. Lajitco is a very small village and when I asked locals were it was, they had never heard of it. I located it on the map, and it was in the middle of nowhere, about 2 hours away from Florence (per google maps).

Because the concert was in the evening, I would need overnight accommodations. I began an internet search of how to get to Lajitico, and what accommodations might be available.
It took me 6 weeks, and much frustration, and I was at the point that I had reserved a rental car, and was planning to drive to the concert and back to Florence because I could find no accommodation within a reasonable distance, when I stumbled on Il Mulinaccio. The website where I located it is called http://www.toscanasempre.it./ On the site, there are many agrotourismo resorts, which are very popular in Italy.

I corresponded with Stefania about accommodation, and she offered two. I chose Il Mulinaccio, at the reasonable price of 118 euro per night, with breakfast included. Not only was Stefania able to provide the accommodation, but advised me about the train to Pontedera, arranged transportation from the train station to Il Mulinaccio, and to the concert that evening!

The train ride was only 45 minutes from Florence to Pontedera, and of course, I had my usual problem with the train. One of these days I will get the hang of it, but I haven’t managed yet. This time, it was a regional train. The ticket was only 4.50 euro, and as I said, the journey short. The ticket person took my ticket, examined it and said that I was supposed to get it stamped in a machine on the platform. (This I did not know-this was my first regional train ride). As a result, I had to pay a fine of 5 euro. Oh well, as I say, live and learn. The train arrived on time, and Allesio and Frederica, owners of the resort were there to pick me up. There was also a mother and daughter who had arrived from Ireland at the train station who were traveling to Il Mulinaccio and the concert.

The trip back to Il Mulinaccio took about 45 minutes. The countryside was so beautiful and picturesque. Sunflower fields were everywhere, just like the photos you see of the Tuscan countryside. Hills rose all around with vineyards and olive trees, and the smell of jasmine in the air.

Il Mulinaccio is on a hill, and is a beautiful restored farm house with one guest house, and a separate kitchen and dining building. There is a pool and the vistas from the grounds are breathtaking. My room was in the guesthouse, and was lovely. There was an antique metal bed, armoire, side table and chair. The room had a tv and air conditioner, and the bathroom was the size of my apartment. I felt like such a queen!

Once we had settle into our rooms, I took a walk around the grounds and made some photos. Allesio’s mother, Ila had prepared a buffet for us with bruschetta, insalatas, salamis, cheeses, wine and bread. It was beautiful and delicious!

A van transported 10 of us to the concert that evening, and that is a whole other story!

If you plan to be in the Tuscan countryside, I highly recommend Il Mulinaccio as a place to stay. It was a delight after the noise and hustle and bustle of Florence.

One Door Closes, But A Cool Breeze Blows Through the Window

Yes, there is that old saying that when one door closes, another one opens. Isn’t that the truth! Sometimes you have to pay close attention, but it almost always happens, doesn’t it? I’ve told you about Regine leaving and how much she meant to me, and how I will miss her. The Sunday evening that Regine left for Germany, I met Gloria!

I was sitting on a bench in Piazza della Republica. About 6 p.m. in the evening, the business men are walking home from work, or to meet friends for an appertivo, the piazza is entirely shaded by the arch and as the sun goes down, the city starts to cool. I was sitting there feeling a little sorry for myself (believe it or not!). My friend had left and I was all alone again in the city. Two men had been sitting beside me for a while talking together. I had on my earphones and was listening to music on my IPOD, so that I could suffer in private. (Poor, poor pitiful me) After a while, I was back to the luckiest person alive to be living in Florence, and looking forward to seeing Regine in August, and happy that I had made friends with her.

I took off my earphones, put a smile on my face, and within 5 minutes, the two men who had been talking together turned their attention to me. The benches are wide and concrete, and always crowded because there are not many of them. This bench was no exception this evening, and there were people at my back and both sides. The men spoke no English but inquired about where I was from, etc, etc. We spoke for a little while, and I of course was struggling along with my Italian. We reached a point in the conversation where I did not understand what one of the men had said. I was telling him that when the lady to my right, said, "He is saying that his nephew works just outside of Florence and makes beautiful terra cotta pottery.". She is American and her name is Gloria.

I laughed and thanked her for the translation, and the men begin speaking to her in Italian. She speaks beautifully, and so the four of us talked for a little bit, and then Gloria and I introduced ourselves to each other. Gloria is from Baltimore and will be in Florence for a month. She spent 9 months here a few years ago, and she speaks Italian very well. She is my new hero.

Gloria and I exchanged phone numbers, and we have already been to dinner together and see each other every day at the piazza. Isn’t that the damndest thing?

The Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio, means the old bridge, and it surely is. Although it existed previously and was made of wood, the current bridge was built it 1345, and is the only bridge in Florence that was not destroyed during World War II allegedly by an express order of Hitler because he thought that the bridge was beautiful (wasn’t that "big" of him?)

Originally, the bridge housed vegetable, fish and meat merchants, but in 1565, Cosimo di Medici ordered that they not be housed there because of the smell, and gold merchants moved in immediately and have occupied the space ever since.

I personally have 57 photos of the Ponte Vecchio, and I can’t say that any of them really capture the beauty of it. Not only is it beautiful because of the character, age, color, and architecture, but the jewelry shops are like large jewelry boxes. They have wooden coverings that come over them at night, which are also beautiful.

I have to stay away from the Ponte Vecchio during the day when the jewelry stores are open. The jewelry there is hand made, 18k italian gold, and unbelievably beautiful. It is a beautiful romantic place at night, and in my mind it is one of the "wonders of the world".

Mangiare Prima (Eating Comes First)

A few weekends ago, while at a festival in the streets, I participated in a wine tasting. You bought a glass for 5 euro and you got to try 3 different wines. I am not talking about the 1 ounce taste that most American places give you. I mean 3 full glasses of wine.....so, it is a fantastic deal!

I purchased my glass and went to the first station, for a glass of Chianti. The server poured my glass and I went to the piazza were they were playing Jazz and drank my wine and listened to the music. After a while, the musicians took a break and my glass was empty so I moved on to the next station.

When I got there a crowd had gathered and were waiting patiently. I strained to see over the crowd, thinking that the wine at this station was "finito". I asked a man standing nearby, "Questo vino e finito?" He turned to me and laughed. He said, "No, Il vino non finito, la cameriere e prendi una pausa per mangi." Translation: "No the wine is not finished, the waiter is taking a break to eat"

I saw the waiter behind the station eating a sandwich and talking on his cell phone!

The amazing thing is that this crowd of Italians (no tourists here) were waiting while he finished. He finished his phone call first, ate the rest of his sandwich, poured himself a glass of wine, and opened the next bottle for the crowd. The line moved quickly, and I couldn’t stop laughing about this all night! Not the reaction that I would see at home!

Ode to Regina

Regine and I made the most of our last weekend in Florence together. On Sunday she left to return to Germany. She has another 3 months of leave, which she plans to spend in a camper touring all over Italy. I will see her in August when she returns to Florence, and we will travel together to Verona for a night at the Opera.

On Friday evening, Regine and I celebrated her completion of school and the Degli test with dinner at Rifrullo. This restaurant located on the Oltrarno, is a beautiful rooftop garden, with a wonderful menu. Regine had visited here before and invited me as her guest for the evening. It was a lovely setting outside on a rooftop, very secluded in a garden. The last of the jasmine smelled sweet and wonderful and the breeze was cool. I had sesame seared tuna which was magnificent, and we shared a bottle of wine from Bramesole, the mansion in Cortona, made famous by the book and subsequent move of the same title. Under The Tuscan Sun.

Regine ordered the wine, but was not familiar with Bramesole. I found it interesting since the book Under The Tuscan Sun, which I read in 1996, had a profound influence on me at the time I read it, which continued until reaching my destination here in Florence. I read the book upon its release and Will was 14 and Nick was 10. We were living in Alexandria, VA. I wanted to sell our house, and travel with the children all over the world for a year. Reading the book was my first realization that you can have dreams, change your life and your future. That dream didn’t come true at the time, but I harbored it and nurtured it, and thought and planned, and waited, and waited, until finally, it happened.

Back on the subject.....the bottle of wine was a nice tie in to dreams come true, new relationships, new experiences, changing your future and being open to the possibilities. As a side note, it was vintage 2002 which recently Regine and I had been told was not a good year. Wrong! It was fabulous!

After dinner we walked to a nearby wine bar, called Fuori Porta, which translates to Outside the door, which it happens to be. The ancient city wall and the entrance lies a few feet away.
Saturday afternoon, we met unexpectedly in the Piazza and decided on dinner again, and then afterwards went to a concert in Piazza della Signoria. We visited the Slowly bar, but bored of it quickly with it’s undanceable techno music, and went in search of a disco. We found one that had few people over 21 in it, and left quickly, and another with no one in it. We finished the night at Colle Berreto with another bottle of wine, and discussions about opening an adult dance lounge in Firenze!

Sunday morning, Regine had to be out of her apartment early, and her flight was not until the afternoon. She checked out of her apartment and brought her things to mine to store. We had to make the long trek up the 52 stairs with her things, but once they were safe and sound, we headed out to "cats corner" to say good bye to the cats. At first we couldn’t find them. It was mid day and hot, so we thought they were hiding in the shade somewhere. Eventually we located them in the shade of the bridge. There were many birds and ducks around and while we were wondering why the cats did not try to get the baby ducks, a lady came with a can of cat food and threw it off the bridge, and down to the cats! This is the second person we have seen feeding the cats, so that must be why the birds are safe and the cats looking so smug, healthy, and happy.

We walked to San Lorenzo, but decided it was too hot for walking and we parked it in the piazza for prosecco and a light lunch, and then over to the Rinescenta, for more of the same. Eventually, it was time for Regine to head to the airport so we made our way back to my apartment, got her things, hailed a taxi at Santa Croce, and said our goodbyes.

This friendship made in a foreign land where and when I knew no one, is a very special one to me. To find someone with similar life experiences, outlooks, and opinions, half way around the world was a very pleasant surprise to me and a real gift. I have enjoyed sharing life experiences, cultures, languages, learnings about Italian life (and men), stories of our families and children, birds, cats, clothing, music, etc., etc.

I will see Regine in August and until then, will miss her greatly, but I know that we will remain friends and cherish our experiences and time together in Firenze for many years to come. Arriverderci, Regine. Ce vediamo Agosto!

1812 Overture

For several days, the Piazza della Signoria was wrecked with equipment being put in place for a concert in front of the Loggia. The concert was the final one of the summer series, and some people purchased tickets for a seat at a very high price. The stage and sound equipment filled most of the piazza and there was standing room in the very back.

The orchestra played selections by Tchaikovsky including the Romeo and Juliette Overture, Fantasia, Concerto No. 1 and the 1812 Overture which included fireworks over the Piazza and a performance by a choir! It was spectacular!

The piazza was crowded, from corner to corner with people standing to listen. The sound was incredibly good for a temporary outside venue, and even though the evening was warm, there was a slight breeze blowing to make it comfortable among the crowd. The performance lasted for almost 2 hours and as people came and went, we inched closer and closer to the front of the crowd. Italians are very respectful of classical music and the crowd was quiet for the most part, with the exception of the loud drunk Americans on the outskirts of the crowd. (There are some in every crowd, creating an "undesirable stereotype" for the rest of the world.)

The fireworks display was from the top of the Loggia, which is connected to the Uffizi. The sky was filled with fire and sparks and debris floated in the sky over the piazza. The display sounded in unison with the overture and cannon blasts. Wow! I bet it made Tchaikovsky proud!

Going Away Parties

Well, I started school 3 months ago (12 weeks). Many of the people that I have become friends with started at the same time, and are now leaving. Dora had a party one evening for many of the people that were going away. She is going to Amsterdam, Angelita is returning to Spain, Regine to Berlin and then traveling throughout Italy, Andrea back to Switzerland.

I am so sad to see them all go, but so thankful that I got to meet them all, hear the stories of their lives and the cultures they come from, and form some life long friendships. At the party, it was a very interesting mix of laughter, discussions, and the languages, oh the languages....Italian, Swiss German, German, Spanish, and English.....whooooo. That plus a lot of wine will make your head spin!