Duino Castle

Today’s hike took us along the Ranier Rilke path to the Duino Castle.  Rilke began writing his Duino Elegies in 1917, poems about the rugged coastline and the castle.

Duino Castle was first built at the beginning of 1300’s but the oldest part was already standing as a watchtower from the 200’s.  The old castle on a nearby  point was built in 1000 AD. The castle has a bunker that was used during WWI to spot German submarines and after being occupied by the Allies in WWII the whole place had to be restored.  We walked through the public parts of the castle learning about the history of the area and the people who lived here.  The family who owns the castle still lives in the private quarters.  Other buildings on the grounds houses a University for high school seniors.

I don’t usually talk about our meals in this blog but I have to mention the lunch we had.  The appetizer plate was grilled and fried prawns, langostinos, baby shrimp, fresh fish, sardines, squid and octopus.  And that was just the appetizer!!  This was followed by seafood risotto, then more fish, then a salad and a huge dessert!  And if you can believe it, we dined again that night on grilled beef, ribs, pork, and chicken!  And we thought we were going to lose weight while hiking!!

Trieste

We spent the day yesterday riding trains from Poggiebonsi to Florence to Venice to Trieste.  All travel went as planned.

Today we met our fellow travelers - Jim & Susan (CA), Becky & Phil (MN), Larry & Pam (KY), Nancy (CO), Nadia (NY) and Greta (OR).

Our first outing is a tour of the city. Trieste was once ruled by the Romans, the the Hapsburg of Austria then during WWI and WWII by the Allied forces until 1954 when it was fully given over to Italy.  The United Italia Square is surrounded by government buildings, our hotel and shops with a view to the Adriatic Sea. Near the head of the square is a large fountain dedicated to the 4 continents - Africa, Europe, Asia and American.  At the time it was created they didn’t know about the other continents.  The Grand Canal runs from the sea to a church and was once used by ships to carry cargo into the city.

We strolled through the former Jewish Ghetto that is home today to only 600 Jews but was occupied by over 6000 during the war.  Italians were kinder to them than in most places as they were allowed to leave during the day but not at night.  Only the political prisoners were killed.

When some of the ghetto building were torn down they discovered a Roman gate and part of the original walls and a Roman theatre from the 1st century. Medieval homes had been built against most of the walls.

San Guisto Hill is where several ancient churches were built.  The one at the top of the hill, San Giusto Martire Basilica was once two churches that were then connected. Following mass we were able to go inside to view the sparkling frescoed beautiful alter area.

After lunch we walked along the ridge overlooking the Trieste Bay on what is called the Napoleonica Strada or road that was opened by Napoleon’s troops in 1797.  Today it is a nice paved road used by many walkers, runners and bicycles.

Salute’

It was a lazy day where no one really wanted to do much except laundry and packing, napping and reading. That is until it was time for supper.

We had reservations at eight for dinner at Faggorio Alloro so started our own cocktail hour around five so there wouldn’t be any wine left in the cooler.  When we arrived the cousin of the owners, Renzo, offered us a glass of Prosecco while we waited for our table.  We had a great view of San Gimignano as the sun set and a full moon rose in front of us.  It was a beautiful evening.

The wine flowed freely and the food was delicious and then the fun really began!  Renzo came out with a monster wine glass.  Then he brought out a huge knife.  Then came two bottles of champagne!

Renzo showed Bruce how to break off the top of the bottle with the knife.  The top popped off and the wine was poured into the monster glass as well as our own and we toasted everybody and everything.  Renzo got excited, popped the second bottle, shook it up and sprayed the crowd a couple of times!  We laughed so hard we couldn’t walk!

What a great way to end our stay at Villa Iris with new friends and old friends!  This will be a time to always remember and one we won’t be able to replicate.

City Tour and Wine Festival

We have been at Villa Iris for almost a week and today is the first opportunity we have to go into San Gimignano to explore the city.  As many cities in Tuscany are walled cities, so is San Gimignano. Some of the walls and arched gates are still standing and add to the charm of the City of Towers.

One fresco inside the Chiesa (church) di Sant’Agostino is considered the oldest known in San Gimignano, painted before 1317. 

We hiked up ramps and stairs to reach the top of the fort for a beautiful view of the Tuscan hill sides and to look down on the city.  As we walked back towards the plazas and the shopping areas we wandered along some side streets that were actually empty of people so we could see the homes of the city.  Today is market day in town so there were lots of crowds and shoppers.

In nearby Greve we got to experience the Chianti Wine Festival.  The ten of us from the Villa plus two other friends who were staying in Greve arrived in time to see the opening ceremonies and tasted from 6-8 different wineries. Some wines we may purchase to be shipped home.

Dinner tonight was somewhere out in the country on several dusty gravel roads that climbed to the top of a hill. We arrived at sunset at La Cantinetta di Rignana Ristorante. A view over the valley and a full moon shining in the windows enhanced our evening dinner as well as the several bottles of wine we consumed.

Montalcino

Today’s plan was for Mike & Dianne, Judy & Craig and us to try three wine tastings in the heart of the Brunello area at three different wineries with a meal included in the first tasting.  But we lingered so long over the meal that one of the tastings had to be cancelled.

Our day started at Tenuta Fanti in Montalcino, an estate that is owned by the Fanti family since the beginning of the 1800’s. They own 300 acres of land but only 55 are planted with grapes and 60 acres have olive trees. Their grapes are hand picked with the best set aside for the premium vintage.

Every course of the meal was taken with a different wine so we tasted a white, a rose’ and five Brunello’s.

To work off all that food and wine we stopped in the hill city of Montalcino.  The Chiesa (church) di San Agostino dominates the hill top but on the inside it is very plain with frescos decorating the walls and nave. It is one of the younger churches we have visited having been built in 1832.  Another church, Santa Catarina, was more elaborately adorned.

Late in the afternoon we tasted wine at Altesino.  We had a nice tour, tasted four of their wines and headed home, hot and tired.  

Dinner was all the left over food from the night before. 

Siena

Along the way to Siena we made a brief stop at the hilltop fortified city of Monteriggioni. The city was started around 1120ad but the church, Chesapeake di Santa Maria, wasn’t built until the 13th century. The wall is complete all around the city but is being restored in many places.  The homes would back up to the wall with enough space between the wall and the house for a garden, olive trees and a place for the animals.

As we stepped into the Il Campo in the middle of Siena I was in awe!  It’s a clam shell shaped Piazza that once was a field outside the city wall which encircled the cathedral.  In the 1200’s the campo expanded, became a market place and the central meeting point for neighboring districts.  Still today, they have a competition between the districts in the form of a horse race called The Palio di Siena.  Ten districts race horses with jockeys around the outer edge of the Campo in a no-holds-barred race.  The jockeys push and shove, fall off and the horse keeps going and can be declared a winner even if it has no rider.

Near the center of the Campo is the Fountain of Joy. It reminds the people that life in Siena is good. The Duomo of Saint Mary was built during the 13th century but because of the lines we did not go inside.  We enjoyed walking the side streets and getting away from the crowds.  Many streets were lined with colorful street lights.

As we strayed from the center of Siena we found the Basilica Cateriniana di San Domenico.  It was a rather plain church except for the vivid stain glassed windows over the alter.  The front doors were copper, three dimensional scenes from Jesus’ life.  But the best part was the view of the Duomo from the back side.  One can truly sense the massive size of this church.

The evening was the highlight of the day though.  A chef and his assistant prepared a huge dinner for us at the Villa which included three enormous T-bone steaks cooked to perfection over wood coals.  They not only prepared the meal but they served us, wined us, dined us and then cleaned it all up before they left.  We also celebrated Pam-Pam’s birthday with candles and song.

Tasting Wine & Olive Oil

From San Gimignano we visited Fattoria Monteoriolo near Greve where we strolled in the olive grove and gardens before being invited into their home that has been a part of their family for a few hundred years.  

The reception hall is painted in fresco on all the walls with a look of marble and tile.  We then were escorted into the villa’s personal chapel.  The alter is made from real marble but the rest of the room is painted in faux marble.  It’s a very personal and private place to worship.

Our olive oil tasting took place in the patio garden surround by lovely shade trees.  The table was set with a place setting serving homemade bread covered with their olive oil and served with bruschetta, cheese, olives and tomatoes and a pour of refreshing rose’ wine.  All ten of us were so impressed with the quality of the oil that we bought out, or so it seemed, this years fresh pressed oil which won’t even be ready until November.

For lunch we had a Chianti wine tasting with the meal served at Fattoria di Luciano. Their wine library goes back to at least 1967.  The bottle were covered with mold in order to protect the labels so that if, and when, a bottle is opened they will be able to tell what they are drinking.  They did have one bottle from 1873 but they have no idea what is in it or if its any good.

Lunch was started with meatball & liver pate’, then roast pork and a brownie for dessert.  Each course was served with a Chianti from a Classico to a blend to the Reserve.

50 Years of Friendship

We spent the day enjoying what the villa has to offer after grocery shopping at the Pam Grocery Store.  The running tongue teaser is that Pam (me), Pam Pam (the other Pam) went shopping at Pam (grocery store) and bought Pam canned goods, etc.   We swam in the pool, played Bocci Ball and enjoyed the outdoor patio.  It’s such a pleasant place to be right now and the weather is perfect.

San Gimignano from the villa. 

Speaking of perfect, our evening of celebration could not have been more perfect.  Mike and Diane and John and I are celebrating our 50th Anniversary tonight with a special dinner in San Gimignano in the Chigi Tower which has been in the Giachi family for over 300 years. (We later learned it has been since 1200’s).

This home is at the top of one of the towers with magnificent views of the Tuscan hillsides and the rooftops and towers in this city of towers.  

We started with Prosecco, then several courses for dinner including pasta, beef, salad and dessert and some other dishes in between.  And, of course, wine with each dish.  A harpist accompanied us the whole evening, we visited with the chef, the family helped serve the meal and visited with us.  It was an evening that we will never forget!