I found a Koala in Tuscany Italy!

A pretty sorry looking one at that... really stands out though here in Tuscany.

One last post to wrap up my time in Italy..

How much will  I miss the comforts of a home!??  A washing machine, a kitchen, a warm bed that I don't have to search for at night, so many things I love about home..  So here is a little bit of the last days of my life Tuscany before I resume this journey... sometimes wondering if I want to start this again by leaving my comforts - so nervous but excited about the countries coming up...so yes!

Castle walls Monteriggione

I've been here long enough and I've been passing these places or having a wander through (and making up my own stories about what I see)  But I took one last Artviva Best of Tuscany tour, and now understand so many interesting things!  http://www.italy.artviva.com/

San Gimignano tower houses were usually built by wealthier families for protection against the bad guys.. but you can click on the orange links to learn heaps more..  There are currently 17 towers here, but there were originally 72!  They built wood scaffolding between them to get around without having to  go downstairs in troubled times... would be so interesting to go back in time and see how they did.

                                                                                             

Tea break, San Gimignano

Okay, it's freezing cold today, tea is nice but I'm in a region where we can do something more.... let's change that to a wine break ;-)

 Chianti of coarse!

Vernaccia wine... gotta try it!  Really don't think I have before... can I taste that again to be sure I like it?!

I have really come to know wine more from living in South Australia.. and to be able to really get to "know" Italian wines from Tuscany from the vineyards all around me, is something I think everyone should take time to "study"!  And of coarse taking the Artviva Best of Tuscany tour brought everything even more to life for me, just to have so much of the details explained in a really fun way.  I feel like I can ride away from Tuscany knowing that I had a full experience of this part of the planet.. it's as charming as you can imagine or see here, and the history... gee whiz!!

Italian birthday..beautiful life..

Spring is finally here and it's time to make a move...

My little polar bear, Lilly and I enjoyed so many winter walks together..  sometimes checking in on the properties' graveyard.. the more the flowers, the sweeter they must have been?

Ciao, Tuscany!!!

My Life in Florence (Firenze) Italy

Florence gets it's very own blog post.. It deserves it, a very special place and a highlight for most visitors to this country..  And for me, located only 15 km down the road from where I am staying..it's where I go to take care of normal daily things, like banking, insurance, shopping, etc.  Not a bad hangout!!!

 Florence Duomo

I've been here a couple times before, so many years ago, but always in summer.  I love experiencing Florence in winter.. check out the snow in the hills behind.. looks amazing on a very rare but really clear day.. but also less tourists, and more authentic Italian lifestyle which I prefer.

Heck, where do you start talking about a city like Florence.. I'll tell you where I wish I had started if I wasn't so into all the motorcycle and blog things that needed to be done - is a proper tour of Florence.

I have been into this city many times, either by my motorcycle or car, and I can tell you it is one extremely confusing place to naviagate, even with a navigator!  I am known to be good at sniffing my way to where I need to go.. knowing where the sun is and which direction by N, S, E or W.  Always been good at it, but here I am confused all the dag gone time!

With 3 months here on winter hiatus, I will do my best to offer a great snapshot.. but I learned a lot while living here, and if you want to know anything in particular, please email me.

First, and most important advice I can give, is to take a tour.. Florence is so full of really big history, and really big art.  Nice to read about, but the tour makes all the difference.  I was here far too long without taking this tour, and it completely changed my perspective of all these streets I have been walking on my own..  The Original and Best walking Tours by Artviva http://www.italy.artviva.com/

One of my favorite things to learn was this art discovery in Santa Trinita.. When restoring a painting, they found the original and different painting underneath.. the original wasn't finished because the artist got fired!  So those holes (dots) are made by artist #2 to help his fresco adhere to the top of artist #1's work.. and then under this one is the "pencil" drawing used to start it all.

The chapels on the side of churches are usually paid for by church members and a family status symbol. Interestingly for this family crest, they made their fortune as drug dealers (selling opium!)  Shown by the 3 seeds below the "Non Dormire" flag. Hey, they're proud of it!  and the church got it's money too!!

AND THEN!  You find in this fresco (if you can click to enlarge it), that the artist includes a self portrait on the very far right, and on top of that, HE is the only one looking right back at ya!

Without the tour, I would have maybe seen the guy, but would have no idea nor thought much of it...

So it's interesting to find out business and self promotion are just as important in the 1400's as today..

Went to a great comedy show, done in both English and Italian, and just the name of it describes my life to a "T"! (I had to sneak these photos in as they are not allowed here..)

Just before the show, we eat the best Italian food from the kitchen, famously called out by the cook when it's ready..

Tuscany in January.. friends, food, and culture!

I was honored to have good friends whom I've met earlier on this journey travel all the way from Estonia to visit Italia, and me..! Maris and Anneli.  Our main goal together was an Italian culinary extravaganza!!  Food, wine, cheese.. what else!  And I think I can vouch for all of us, mission was a complete success. But first a look around to take in Tuscany towns as well as their kinda sorta good food..

We found our way to Lucca, a suggestion from my other worldy friends Marija and Anton whom I stayed with in Trogir Croatia.  And they were right!  Another little gem to add to my list of "Italian Gems"..  Lucca is a medieval city, and these photos taken on their super wide wall built for protection in the 16th century!

Hoping not to bore you too much with history and info, as much as I love it!  I'll post links I like to learn more if interested:  Lucca : Tuscany without the crowds (boston.com)

If you watched from above, we must have looked like the black rat in a maze test.. Between the three of us, we did manage to escape the town, but it took much longer than it needed to, for sure... ;-) And we must not damage the rental car while managing the tight streets built long before the idea of an automobile!!

Now for the uh hem... food... !!

How good looking is this family!!? One of many Authentic Tuscan food experiences.. as we explore off the beaten path into smaller villages.  This one in Montefiorelle.  A little castle village outside Greve in Chianti.. so many great choices of where to go and have not found a bad meal yet!!  Is that even possible in this part of the world? So my wasteline is proving!!

Anneli enjoys Italian coffee..

Maris enjoys famous Tuscan soup, Ribollita

Here is a map that is not traveled exactly as shown, but shows the areas we are exploring.


View Directions to Montefioralle, Greve in Chianti, Italy in a larger map


My wonderful Estonian friends explored a lot of Italy, and only had a couple days with me.. So after they left, and my love of Italian food momentum going, I was still on a mission to get the most out of my experience by taking a cooking class!

Melanzane is a dish I've had twice here already and loved it. So
it was my special request to the instructors of what I'd like to learn today.. I have honestly never cooked an eggplant in my life, and now I'm in love with it!

Potato gnocci.. it's having a little rest before it goes in to the boiling water. We had it 2 ways today, one with our homemade tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.  And the second was butter and sage sauce.. Oh dear, never had this before either, and darn!  Now I love it too!!  I suppose I should mention the round tin on the table is our fresh out of the oven tuscan cheesecake...

Now I've gone and wandered into Pisa on another day..  It was a Saturday, I think I had a full week of blogging.. and no point in adding a blog post about blogging..! So might as well show you the good markets happening here.. and of coarse a quick visit to that well known tower everyone raves about..

Hilarious to watch literally the majority of tourists making photos to appear holding up the tower.. I passed on that one.. ;-/





Not the prettiest of days for photos of the tower.  My treat in Pisa was a homemade Calzone from the tinyest little shop in an alley...mm mm good.

Now, I'm getting a bit food crazy and overboard here, but it's definitely a picture into my life in Tuscany for the moment. Like I said, I will back on the road full time in a couple weeks, so if you are more into motorcycles than food.. bypass this post! Probably should have said that way earlier than now, hey..

I certainly don't want to neglect the vines around me in this famous wine producing country.. they are also having a little rest for winter.  I'll have more on Tuscan wine later when I visit a winery, tastings and tour.. yum! But these are just photos as I make my way around the local area daily..

Life around me is interesting enough in itself, just check out the butcher shop in Greve!

Another dish I was "game" to try in the cucina, is Pappardelle with Wild Boar Sauce.  Better known as Chinghiale (cheen gee allay) Same story, I've had it twice now in Italy, and wanted to attempt to make it myself.

Here's a look at where Lilly and I wander everyday, even amongst the hunters.. always worried they would make a mistake and shoot us too! ;-/

While I've got the camera going, a quick snap of the fireplace that keeps me warm while I'm cooking.

Now to add the entire bottle of best Chianti wine.. chef's recipe philosophy, use the same wine you would serve your friends for dinner to marinate this meat.. okey dokey!  Adding up to quite an expensive meal!

Mix in the veggies, and let them all enjoy this bottle of wine for 2 whole days!!  Which makes me curious, what would I look like if I laid in a bath of red wine for 48 hours, might like to try that! ;-))