We are a little late on our blogs, so will be catching up over the next couple of days. We’ve been having too much fun!

Saturday, March 28 – We have traded Tuscany and the hill town of Montepulciano for the wilds and mountains of Umbria. It is beautiful here and very off the beaten path.

Our day started out a little shaky, but we have rallied. When we arrived in Montepulciano, our contact person, Luca, drove us up to our apartment to offload luggage. He was going to be out of town when we left, but he assured us it was perfectly fine to drive up to our apartment ourselves, even though only locals are technically allowed. Montepulciano is very hilly with very narrow cobblestoned streets and big fortress-like walls, so we were a little nervous. We scouted our route ahead of time by foot.

On the actual day, we had our bags ready and walked down to the car. It was then that we noticed that the road had a sign with a circle and straight line across the middle. On some level, we knew this meant, “Do Not Enter,” but we had seen others scurry up the hill. So we figured the sign was meant for the tourists, not us. We boldly shot straight up the cobblestoned hill, through one very narrow town gate and then another very narrow town gate – and ran smack up against a big orange bus coming directly at us. The driver wagged his finger at us, “No, no, no.” I thought, “How are we going to get out of here?”

Long story short, I got out of the car and directed Frank, who had to back down, first through one very narrow town gate and then a second very narrow town gate, and back down the steep cobblestoned hill. See pictures below.

So we parked the car and walked up to get our luggage.

On To Umbria

We did not let our start deter us, and set out for Umbria. We were excited to see this part of the country that is described as “wild and rustic.”

It was a beautiful drive and we soon left hills behind for steeper snow-capped mountains. We stopped off for a break in the town of Spoleto, which, if you are from South Carolina, you know is famous for its arts festival. Its “sister” city, Charleston, has a similar festival. I was excited to see Spoleto since I had been so many times to the Charleston version. We walked all over and even found a hotel named for Charleston.

Norcia

We arrived at a very small village called Norcia. I had seen a picture in a guidebook and decided we had to go. Norcia is known for its truffles and boar – they have shops lining the main street with boar heads on the walls. There is also a very nice Relais & Chateaux hotel there called Palazzo Seneca. They heard we were on our “honeymoon” and even upgraded us to a spectacular room. They have a tremendous restaurant with a young chef they think is on the verge of earning a Michelin star. We can attest to the fact that his creations were superb.

So we settled in for a weekend of relaxation and adventure in Umbria.

I realize this is a funny title, especially if you grew up Southern Baptist like me! But it describes our last day in Central Tuscany perfectly.

Abbazia Sant’ Antimo

We had heard of a beautiful church out in the fields about an hour from Montepulciano. We set out and took many, many winding steep and narrow roads as the rain and fog moved in. We even stopped a few times, sure that the GPS had the directions wrong as the lanes got narrower and narrower. We were a little frantic as the clouds parted and we finally looked down into the valley on Abbazia Sant’ Antimo.

The church is said to have been established by Charmlemagne in 781 and continues to be a monastery to this day. It was still raining, and we were hurrying to see the church before it closed.

It is hard to even describe what happened next. We stepped inside this ancient church – out in a field and very simple – no spectacular art or even electricity – just gray light streaming in from cut-out windows high overhead. There were monks dressed in white who were just starting their Sixth Hour (1 pm) Gregorian chants. It was so moving that I instantly had tears in my eyes, and we just sat and prayed while they chanted.

Frank and I couldn’t even talk for awhile afterwards because the experience was so meaningful. They finished the service and closed the church, and we just stood outside in the drizzle reflecting on what we had seen. There are churches that are far more magnificent, but sometimes God works best in a simple setting where you can just concentrate on Him.

& Then Wine

We were only a few miles from Montalcino, so decided to stop there for lunch. Montalcino is famous for its wine (even more famous than Montepulciano). They make brunello wine and have very strict standards. Usually this wine is one of the most expensive on any menu.

The vineyards on the way to town were lush and manicured. It was impressive just to drive around. But we headed to town. It was cold and pouring down rain by then, but thankfully we had read the Rick Steves guide so knew that we could pull up right through the narrow arched town gate and park smack dab next to the fortezza (fortress). And that INSIDE the fortezza was an enoteca (wine bar). It was a cozy spot for a plate of pasta and a tasting of these famous wines.

For 9 Euro, we had a small sample of three different wines (don’t worry – the whole thing was less than a full glass of wine). We learned about the grape (only one kind is used) and the strict rules for brunello – and which years were good and not. It was a lot of fun – we liked them all. The enoteca included a shop, so I browsed and found the wines we sampled. Two were 49 Euro per bottle and one was 89 Euro! A pretty good deal for a 9 Euro tasting.

A Taste of Venice

The sun came out, so we explored the town and landed at the historic Caffe Fiaschetteria, which dates from 1888. The story goes that the creator of Montalcino’s brunello wine loved the Florian Cafe in Venice (where Frank and I had our first toast on our wedding day). So he opened a cafe just like the Florian in his hometown. We had coffee and tea and reminisced – we have now been married for 3 weeks!

We have loved this region. I knew Tuscany would be pretty, but I am in awe of just how scenic it is. We are reluctant to leave but are moving on to Umbria next – just over the mountain and down the road. Stay tuned . . . .

Yesterday was our day on the farm. Our first day here we met a local guy, Jerry, who was standing out in front of a restaurant greeting prospective diners – he’s the one I wrote about earlier who left his post and took us to sample proscuitto. We’re not sure how good he is at his restaurant job, but he was very friendly. And we did go back to the restaurant.

We’ve seen him around town with other tourists showing them around, and he always says hello, making us feel at home. Well, he told us about an organic farm outside of town where they grow or raise all their own food, have a small restaurant, and also make cheese. We decided to look into it.

Podere Il Casale

The farm is between Pienza and Montepulciano and off the grid and GPS. We turned down one winding dirt road after another – all with sweeping views. The couple who run the farm, Ulisse and Sandra, came from Switzerland about 25 years ago with a dream of having a farm in Italy. They bought a fixer-upper and had one goat and one sheep. Now they have 5 kids, 120 sheep, and dozens of goats and bottle their own wine and olive oil, grow all the crops for themselves and their restaurant, and make cheese. What a fabulous and inspiring story to follow your dreams.

Cheesemaking 101

We signed up for Cheesemaking, which was an almost 3 hour demonstration in the farm’s “cheeserie.” We were the only guests so all was very hands on. Ulisse started at the beginning – milking the sheep and goats. We even got to taste the raw milk. Then the milk was added to a big vat with some other ingredients and slightly heated to start the acidity process – growing bacteria, which is how cheese is made. While we waited for our cheese to get more solid, Ulisse showed us cheeses in the cold storage of various ages, consistencies, and seasons – which all make a difference in how the cheese tastes. A cheese produced with sheep’s milk in the winter will taste different from a cheese produced in spring, even from the same sheep since they have a different diet.

Once the curd started to separate from the whey, more serious stirring began so we would have consistent and even chunks of cheese. Once hard enough (but still pretty jiggly), Ulisse could scoop up the curds in forms, which could be packed into a warmer for further bacteria growth – or cooled immediately to keep the cheese “as is.” The cheese also would continue to harden. The whey would be used either to make ricotta – or given to the pigs to fatten them up. We tasted each step and even had a small cup of whey.

Lunch on the Farm

All that cheesemaking makes you hungry, so we headed to the restaurant for the Vegetarian Tasting Menu. We started with a salad of just-picked vegetables all grown on the farm, dressed with the farm’s olive oil, and washed down with wine from the farm’s Sangiovese grapes. I could have stopped there it was so delicious.

But next came a cup of vegetable soup – perfect because it was cold and rainy. Then homemade pasta made of spelt, a type of wheat they grow on the farm – with a little ricotta on top – just like we had seen being made. Heavenly creamy.

Naturally, we ended with a cheese course! Ulisse joined us and brought a platter of all the types of cheeses he makes. It was just like a wine tasting. We started with the youngest cheese and worked our way around the platter to the oldest, stinkiest cheeses. All of these were from the same sheep and goats, so the difference was in how the cheesemaker changes up the process or additional flavors he adds. The professional who ages the cheese and adds these flavors – such as wine or herbs – is called the “affineur.” Frank has been studying videos of this since we left and may try this at home!

Man About Town

While we were talking, Ulisse asked how we heard about them. They are pretty much off the beaten path (although they have been written up in the travel section of the NY Times). We told him about the man in front of the restaurant. He lit up and said, “Ahh . . . Jerry! Si Si!” Then called over to his wife – “Frank and Christy know Jerry!” It was like we were instant locals. It is a small world after all.

We post a lot of pictures and stories, but we are also living here in Italy. So for roughly every day we go sightseeing, we typically spend a day at “home” just living. I am not quite up to speed yet after breast cancer so look forward to these days of rest almost as much as our days out. It gives me a chance to re-group, catch up, and plan for what’s next.

Some of you have asked what goes on behind the scenes – so here is a look at our “everyday life.”

Everyday Life is Logistics

For the most part, we have rented apartments directly from the owners via TripAdvisor or Home Away. We have loved this so far because we get a whole apartment for less than a hotel and feel like we really live here. We also get to meet the owner or greeter and instantly have a connection to the town. For example, last night we met Luca, the owner of our Montepulciano apartment, out in town to taste local wines.

But this life also requires a fair amount of planning. I have all the rental contracts with me and have to check in along the way to make sure all is lined up. There is always some uncertainty as to whether the postings are real or as good as advertised (so I usually have a back-up in mind). Each apartment also has its own requirements – some want only cash, some want PayPal, some want wire transfers (no one takes credit cards). You have to plan ahead to be able to show up with rent in all cash! We also have to bring our own coffee, tea, breakfast, toilet paper, soap, etc., so we have to think ahead to what we can bring with us to the next place or need to buy along the way. And then we have to think about how to get all this stuff from the train or our car to our apartment – no bell hop or valet parking when you are living the “everyday” life!

Everyday Life is Budgeting

We have a big spreadsheet that tracks our housing, food, transportation, and entertainment budget. We have a collection spot for receipts, and I record them every week so we can see how we measure up. If we have been living a little too high on the hog, we know right away and scale back until we are back in line. But we are on target or under budget for the most part – yay!

Everyday Life is Paying Bills

We also have to pay our bills at home. We made a big list of all possible expenses before we left and either paid them off ahead of time or set up electronic billing. I even filed my taxes via TurboTax from my desk overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice.

We have a housesitter at Frank’s home, who checks in about once a week with any house news. She scans the mail and lets us know if anything looks important. When I moved on the boat, I got a box at Mailboxes Etc., which has been great because they will forward mail. So I get my mail about every 6 weeks. Interestingly, aside from personal notes, there has not been one piece of mail I could not live without in the last 3 months!

Everyday Life is Cooking

Our usual routine is if we are sightseeing, we have a nice lunch out and then “snacks” at home for dinner – bread, olives, cheese. And then we cook dinner a couple of nights a week. We’ve had fun with this and go to the market and select what is in season for wherever we are – fish in Venice, homemade pastas in Tuscany. Then we experiment. One of our best meals was when we created a dish of what was left in the cupboard, cooking simply by tasting, thinking about what was missing, and adding ingredients.

Everyday Life is Working

I continue to work about 20 hours a week – mainly Tuesdays and Thursdays, while checking emails other days. Our apartments all have had WIFI (which is usually pretty reliable) so I can log in just like at home. When I get to a new place, I set up my new desk. I have some regulations with me, and my laptop is loaded with many more. When I have a “critical mass” of documents that need to be printed, my office sends me a Fed Ex to wherever I happen to be. I can access my firm’s network and also have online legal resources, so really have the same capability as home. I have a dial-in number for conference calls and have been on some calls where the client hasn’t even realized I was not in DC.

Everyday Life is Household Chores

And of course, there are those everyday chores we all have. Frank and I divide these up. He is in charge of garbage. Every town has its own rules. Montepulciano has a chart we have to follow for which type of garbage goes out on the steps each day (see above). Frank also does our market runs for extra supplies like milk, bread, and cheese – this is usually his mission while I am working. He also scouts out local places we may need, like the post office or office supply store.

I am in charge of making the bed and laundry. The main lesson I have learned is to look for the setting that seems to be handwash (lavaggio a mano) or delicate (delicato). I learned this after turning Frank’s undershirts blue!

So, while not quite as glamorous as our usual posts, this is our everyday and REAL life in Italy. (And we love it.)

We are in wine country! There are vineyards, wineries, and cantines (wine cellars) everywhere. Wine – and amazing food to go with it, all grown or raised right here. In restaurants, the waiters proudly tell us exactly which hectare of earth grew this spinach or which farmer’s sheep produced this Pecorino cheese. At lunch, the waitress suggested a certain wine. I asked where it was from – she pointed down to a patch of land down the hill in the distance and said, “See those vines by those trees?”

Montepulciano

We spent our first day exploring our own hometown. Montepulciano is a fortified, walled town with actual town gates. There were two sets of gates at each entrance, so they could trap invaders in between. It is very hilly, with lots of little alleyways and winding streets. Only locals are allowed to drive inside the gates.

We walked all around. Everyone is extremely friendly and wants to talk – maybe because it is still the off-season so only a handful of tourists. We struck up a conversation with one man who told us we had to try the local prosciutto ham – cinta senese. He got so excited, he ended up leaving his restaurant and walked us to a local alimentari so we could have a sample (for free!).

The highlight of our day was a visit to the famous Contucci Cantine wine cellar. Montepulciano is famous for its wines, and old palazzos of winemaking families line the main square. The families live on top, and down in the bottom are the cantines, or cellars, that hold the huge oak barrels where the wine is made. They are all very proud of their wines and seem to just want you to appreciate what they have produced, whether you purchase a bottle or not. And these bottles can go for hundreds of dollars (if not more) – at Contucci, there was even a picture of the winemaker presenting a bottle in person to the Pope!

The Contucci cellar is overseen by Adamo, who is a character. He only speaks Italian, but he is so expressive when he tells stories, you somehow understand. And once he captures you in his cellar for a tasting, you can spend the entire afternoon wandering through all the vast caverns filled with barrels, sipping wine and listening to him. He loved that we were from the USA and told us that he has been on the Rick Steves’ show 3 times – and that Rick Steves is (I think) “most famous in all the world.”

Val D’Orcia

The next day we got up the nerve to get back in the car and venture out. The area around Montepulciano is called the Val D’Orcia. There is stunning scenery everywhere so we took turns driving so we could both take it all in.

We stopped for lunch at a tiny town called Montichiello that had a recommended restaurant, La Porta, tucked inside the city gates. It is so popular, the guidebooks say that reservations are needed even in winter. They were right. We had a table on the terrace overlooking the whole valley. Breathtaking.

Volpes in Pienza

Then, we lazily explored the back, curvy roads and ended up in Pienza for the afternoon – wandering around and checking things out. They even have a street and cafe named for Volpe! These Volpes are all over in Italy!

Such is the pace of things here in Tuscany. No huge sights, but lots of small towns that are interesting and scenic. And amazing food and wine. We do not always have a destination, but set out and just enjoy the journey.

Sadly, our stay in Venice has ended. We have loved it here and have so many amazing memories – our wedding, Carnevale, Burano, and so many wonderful restaurants and boat rides.

But we are moving on to Tuscany. We decided that Venice was our “wedding trip,” so Tuscany is our honeymoon – or “luna de miel” in Italian. So we set out on the first day of our honeymoon. We rented a car and drove through the hills, mountains, tunnels, and fog to Toscana. We even stopped at a truckstop for lunch – I have to say, they have very good food and very impressive shopping!

Montepulciano

We are in the little hill town of Montepulciano, which is about an hour past Florence toward Rome, kind of near Cortona, which is where “Under the Tuscan Sun” was filmed. We chose it because our favorite wine at the Annapolis wine store is $7 Montepulciano. We figured if the cheaper wine is that good, we couldn’t go wrong. Plus we read that it is a good base to see wineries and hill towns.

We rented an apartment within the city walls directly from the owner via TripAdvisor. Our host is Luca, who met us outside the walls and had us follow him up and down very steep and narrow winding switchbacks to our door, so we could drop off luggage. And then back down the same winding switchbacks to where the non-residents can park below. (Frank did a very good job in some very tight spots – although we aren’t sure we’ll ever find the car again.)

Here are pictures of our street and front door –

Casa Montepulciano

Our apartment has a main living room / kitchen and master bedroom with a king bed. It overlooks one of the fortified city walls. It is windy and chilly here, so feels super cozy to be so tucked in. And we are spoiled. It has two bathrooms (so Frank and I each have our own) and a second small bedroom that we are using for suitcases / dressing.  Pictures are below.

Luca is also a sommelier and passionate about wines and food. He had lots of ideas for our stay in the area and places to eat. We took one of his suggestions last night and visited an enoteca (wine bar) that serves local Montepulciano Nobile wine by the glass. It also specializes in hamburgers! But these are hamburgers made with the same Chianina beef that makes Florentine steaks so famous, cooked rare, with truffle pecorino cheese. Heavenly.

So – we think we’re going to like it here and are having a fabulous honeymoon so far!

Love, Christy & Frank

We went island hopping today! It is our last day in Venice, so we decided not to make too many plans and just see where the day took us. We started with lunch on the Island of Guidecca, which is across from Venice. We had been here before on a very cold day, so were happy to return when it was a little warmer. We had wonderful pasta at Ai Cacciatori overlooking the water.

A Trip to the Lido

We were supposed to meet up with our wedding videographer, Andrea (who really is the rock star of videographers) later in the day at St. Mark’s Square to pick up another copy of our DVD. But during lunch, we received word that Andrea had been in a small motorcycle accident so if we wanted to get the DVDs, we would need to go to his home on the Lido.

The Lido is a spit of land that stretches below Venice along the Adriatic Sea – it’s where the beach is. We didn’t know how to get there but jumped up, charged with a new adventure. We consulted our waiter on water taxi routes and were out the door.

We felt like true locals as we boarded one water taxi after the other for the Lido. When we arrived, we felt like we had been dropped in an alternate universe. Gone were the gondolas, alleyways, and canals. Instead were buses, motorcycles, and real streets. Goodness!

We were early so decided to walk the width of the island to see the other side – the beach. At the end, we stumbled upon a very laid back tiki bar. We definitely were not in St. Mark’s Square anymore! But we are adaptable so soon found a seat and ordered spritzes while we soaked in the sun by the sea.

We met Andrea, picked up the DVDs, and wished him well. We then took the water taxi all the way home to our own stop – Rialto Mercato – just like natives.

On to our Next Adventure

We are going to miss Venice so much. But new adventures await. We are renting a car and driving to Tuscany next.

Our first adventure will be in the morning. At 6 pm this evening, we got word that the Hertz office here is “temporarily closed” and we are to go to the airport instead. When I tried to call, the Italian Hertz representative confirmed in a very serious tone, “Yes, it’s closed” without further guidance. When I tried another representative to see if the airport would be expecting us, she said, “I don’t know – do you think you could wait until Monday?” So we are going to show up at the airport in the morning and hope it will be easier to negotiate in person. So this actually may not be our last night in Venice. Stay tuned . . . .

Meanwhile, we are signing off with a picture of our street here in Venice (Calle dei Botteri) and our apartment.  Ciao Venezia!

We just love tours of secret places – so we took the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doge Palace on St. Mark’s Square. We saw the majestic public rooms, along with the secret passageways behind those rooms.  Come along with us!

Doge Palace

For 11 centuries, Venice was an independent republic – up until the end of the 1700s, when they were overthrown by Napoleon. The Doge was the elected “king” of the republic and lived at the Doge Palace with his family. The Doge Palace was also the place where the equivalent of the Senate and House met and where the courtrooms and dungeons were. We saw it all.

Council of 10

Doge Palace was also the place where the Council of 10 met. This was a group of noblemen whose duty it was to mete out punishments to violators of the Republic’s rules. They did not deal in petty crimes, but more serious “crimes against the State” – kind of like a Venetian CIA. Anyone could report on anyone else by placing an accusation in a stone mouth (see below) located on the Palace walls. The Circle of 10 collected and investigated these complaints. They also decided the victim’s fate – many times, in a questionable manner (such as using torture to force a confession). You did not want to cross paths with the Council of 10.

Casanova

One of the unlucky fellows who was brought before the Council was Casanova. He was a well-traveled man about town, who gambled with the gentlemen and paid much attention to the ladies (including wives and nuns!). Someone turned him in for some infraction, and the Council sentenced him to 5 years of prison without so much as a trial (probably led by one of the husbands). On our secret tour, we all gathered in his cell for his story.

Casanova was very clever and also very likable. He talked the guards into letting him stretch his legs in an office outside his cell, where he was able to secure objects to make a file. Then he made friends with a fellow prisoner – a monk – and was able to trade books (where they really wrote down their secret plot to escape). One night, they filed a hole in the ceiling and escaped through the attic to the roof. They waited there until everyone left and lowered themselves down into the hallway by the Council of 10 deliberation room and walked down the stairs. But the gate was locked. So they waited until morning and convinced the guard that they had accidentally gotten locked inside overnight. They ended up walking down the Palace’s famous Golden Staircase and basically out the front door. We traced his steps all through the attic, hallways, and down the Golden Staircase. Casanova and the monk split up and fled elsewhere in Europe. But about 20 years later, Casanova returned and was pardoned in exchange for becoming a spy for Venice. He wrote all of this down in his memoirs (a 30-volume set).

The Bridge of Sighs

Our final destination was the very famous Bridge of Sighs. Some say it is the most photographed picture in Venice from the outside. This was the bridge where prisoners walked across to face their death. They had one last look at the Lagoon and would “sigh” for what they would lose. We got to walk across the Bridge of Sighs on the INSIDE. Amazing.

We loved the art in Florence but have been fascinated by the history of Venice. America is such a young country by comparison. Can you imagine a republic so strong it lasted for 11 centuries and then was defeated? There certainly is a lot more to Venice than gondolas and Carnevale.

Our wedding photos are here!  We have chosen a handful of our favorites are posting a few at a time (these professional pictures take up more space than my little phone pictures!).  We will post more on Facebook – go to my page and look for the Wedding Album under Photos.

Part I included our arrival by gondola at Palazzo Cavalli (City Hall) and the start of the ceremony.

Part II continues the ceremony and shows the very happy “just married” Mr. and Mrs. Volpe posing for pictures.

Part III is our post-wedding water taxi ride down the Grand Canal and stroll through St. Mark’s Square.

A glorious and very happy day.

Our wedding photos are here!  We have chosen a handful of our favorites are posting a few at a time (these professional pictures take up more space than my little phone pictures!).  We will post more on Facebook – go to my page and look for the Wedding Album under Photos.

Part I included our arrival by gondola at Palazzo Cavalli (City Hall) and the start of the ceremony.

Part II continues the ceremony and shows the very happy “just married” Mr. and Mrs. Volpe posing for pictures.