Best of all was
the large wooden table in
the communal area where we enjoyed lavish breakfasts and huge dinners,
barbecues prepared by Aviv and lots of gnocchi and fresh pasta.
A few of us even
braved 12 degrees C water to swim a few times.
Mornings started with the
arrival of the bread van of Danielle, who every morning came to offer
us a
variety of baguettes,
breads and a Tuscany sweet bread. We passed on the local
salt free bread. Tradition suggests that back in 1540
the inhabitants began
to make salt free bread in protest of a salt tax.
San Pancrazio, where the
villa is situated, is well placed for touring Tuscany, even though it
was about
15 minutes from the nearest town.
The following
day we all drove to Perugia to visit the Baci Chocolate
factory.
We were
surprised when we arrived at the piazza of the old city – not
where you
would expect a factory.
Wazes got a little confused and pinpointed a
Baci
chocolate shop. A fortunate mistake as we toured the old city
which
included a
whole underground complex.
We did make our
way to the chocolate factory
where
we saw the multitude of machines that prepare
and wrap 1,6000,000 Baci
chocolates a day, as well as Easter Eggs and other sweets, including
little
KitKat. Best of all was the tasting and the ability to fill our pockets
with
goodies.
They have a dark Baci, which we didn’t see elsewhere which was
truly
excellent.
The next morning
we all drove to Pisa wearing our specially printed
T-shirts. (Click to see the picture on our Family Reunion page).
We had a great time with family photographs. Of course we all took
turns propping up the tower. Most of us walked up the Tower, leaning
first to
the left and then to the right as we climbed the spiral steps. Special
congratulations
to Itamar and Amit who overcame their fear of high places. A long drive
home
where we enjoyed another great barbecue.
The following
morning we visited San Gimignano, a medieval walled hill town
with huge stone towers. When we climbed to the top of Torre Grossa we
were able
to identity the 14 towers that remain today of the original 72 towers
built in
the 1300’s.
Lunch was pizza eaten on the steps of the Duomo.
That
evening we had dinner at Il Belvedere restaurant in Monte
San
Savino (highly recommended!) to celebrate our 55 th wedding
anniversary. Great food, emotional
speeches and Saba got his own shofar as a present. He used it to great
effect
in the mornings to announce that breakfast was ready.
The following
day we
visited Montepulciano for wine tasting. We admired the statue of the
horse executed according to the actual design and dimensions of
Michelangelo. We had lunch at Il Buco
Restaurant
in Chianciano Terme, where they make their own pastas. Then Vered and
Aviv left
to return to Israel and we continued to Pienza, the home of Pecorino
cheese
where, despite a full meal we managed cheese tasting.
The next day we
visited Siena, enjoying walking around the narrow
streets to the campio where the Palio horserace is held. An impressive
bareback
horse race, keenly contested by 10 local clubs, on a sloping stone
covered track.
Everything is allowed. The first horse to complete the 90 second race,
even if
riderless, is the winner.
The following
day we returned to Orvieto where we
walked down – and up – the impressive St Patrick’s well, which has two
spiral
staircases, one going down and one up. They are the width of a donkey
carrying 2 water containers, with openings in the stairwell for
light allowing one
to peer
down and look up all the way. It was built nearly 600 years ago by Pope
Clement
who feared a siege by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Our last stop
was to Civita Bagnoregia, an impressive hilltop village accessible
by a long, long pedestrian bridge, down then up.
Moran explained
how
olive oil is
made at a local oil press and took everybody
to see some caves.
I trudged back to Eitan, down and up the other way.
On our last day
together we visited Florence.
We had no idea where to park until Moran found that at Park2go, a few
minutes
walk away from the Duomo, one could not only park but reserve a space
ahead.
Choosing not to wait in the long queue, we viewed the impressive
Cathedral di
Santa Maria del Fiore from outside and admired the bronze doors of the
nearby Baptistery,
which Michelangelo called The Gates of Paradise.
After wandering
through the
streets we found gelato, including Venchi, our favourite Italian
chocolate and
ice cream. Dani then went off to shop while we continued to the statue
of
Porcellino/the Boar, some shopping and then on to Ponte Vecchio until
we
arrived
at the interesting Galileo Museum. Afterwards we split for shopping
(those with
girls) and home (us, tired).
That night our last dinner was at Il
Cassero also
in Monte San Savino where over excellent food and wine we toasted the
birthdays
of Zoe, Anthony/Eitan and Itamar.
It was a most
satisfying week – a family strengthening the bonds of friendship
not only between siblings and cousins but between all of us.