ONE: MONT SAINT MICHEL The only possible number one. Although is closer and more intimately connected to Bretagne, it will be top-of-mind for any escape in Western France. I wrote more about “the wonder” here. TWO: THE ALABASTER COAST AND PAYS DE CAUX La Cote d’Albatre is the French counterpart of the famous white cliffs that are the picture-perfect signature of the English Channel coastline. It makes for a great roadtrip, with its towns and villages of quaint charm and the often striking beauty of the high falaises. Stop in Etretat, Yport, Fecamp, Veules-les-Roses, Dieppe. Etretat has the most beautiful cliffs, Fecamp is a jewel of a town where you…
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Vendemmia or Tuscany in all its glory: harvest season
September is here, so we are slowly getting ready for one of our favorite escapes, the vendemmia/ grape harvest in Toscana. And while we’re at it, we save the dates in the calendar – well, the usual wonders: the wine tastings, the community harvest and the exploration of the cantine, the local fairs honoring Baccus, the mystery tours and the pranzoni – all the incredible food of the season This year, due to hot weather and climate particularities, the vendemmia takes place sooner than usual. Forecast says historical low harvest but some extraordinary grapes to be expected in very limited quantities. Heat waves and extreme weather grew smaller, atypical grapes,…
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VERONA #SINEQUANON: THE THINGS YOU CANNOT LEAVE OUT
The city of Romeo and Juliet can become a love story, and not necessarily a tragic one. Of all the things to love here, the house of Giulietta and the famed balcony are the least lovable – in fact the tons of heart and Cupid and flashy red souvenirs are maybe the only real tragedy that happened to this place. So forget about that story, and bear in mind that Shakespeare wrote two more Verona-related plays: Two Gentlemen of Verona and the wonderful Taming of the Shrew. I very much wanted to see the house where Katherina was tamed, but no reference to that, I’m afraid. There is still the…
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A ROADTRIP THROUGH CHIANTI CLASSICO
Follow La Strada del Chianti and stop along the way to your heart’s desire. Etruscans were first here, then Romans drove their carts on these roads. A land of tremendous beauty and forever radiating serenity, the wine road witnessed the obsessive conflicts between Florence and Siena, undisturbed by battles and time. Looking at the map, the villages, vineyards and castles of Chianti Classico can be found around the SR222. One itinerary we love is this. We started from our beloved Monteriggioni and went up through Castellina in Chianti to Panzano and Greve in Chianti. Another one is right from Castellina towards Radda and Volpaia, then round direction Gaiole towards San…
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With love, from CHIANTI: 300 years of Chianti Classico
On Sept. 24, 1716, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de’ Medici officially delineated the borders of the Chianti wine region. Which basically makes him a personal favorite and a hero. Him and Barone Ricasoli, of course. Cosimo had quality control teams patrolling the vineyards in the area and made sure that no other wine outside this blessed realm could be called Chianti, ever again. A predecessor to what would become the modern Denominazione d’Origine Controllata (DOC) and DOCG wine labelling system, the Grand Duke’s act was the first of its kind in Europe. Genius. 300 years later, thehappyfew couldn’t have missed the celebrations. On September 24, 2016, there…
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If you were a supernatural being, where would you live?
Rich, old and full of charm. Toscana is where legends are at a standstill. Time is slow, it simply flows right into history. The most perfect landscape rolls into the richest vineyards and the noblest cities of art in the whole wide world. Honestly now: if you were a supernatural being, where would you live? Father of Chianti Classico, reveal your presence! Ricasoli is the oldest winery in Italy. Winemakers since 1141 when the family acquired the magnificent Brolio Castle and the surrounding vineyards, the Ricasolis had the nose and the palate for creating good wines. Talent and erudition run in the family, culminating with the one and only Bettino…
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Val d’Orcia and the ideal city
One fine day, the Architect looked out of the window to see the future; he saw a utopian landscape of pale green fields and pure skies, rolling into forever. Then he took a brush and four colors and started painting: pale yellowish green for the fields, dark green for the cypresses, blue azzuro for the skies and warm brown for the roads and the farms. You think I’m being rather corny, poetic with a touch of mysticism. I can be all that, but today I’m merely factual. The Val d’Orcia, another world favorite of the happy few, is a region of perfect landscape south of Siena, included in the UNESCO…
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One itinerary for your Tuscan holiday
12 days of grace There’s only one thing I can think of that can make leaving Florence bearable: leaving it for Chianti. Yes, the wine. And the life. So my 12 days of grace recipe starts with 3 days in Florence, followed by 9 more in the countryside, in the heart of the Tuscan vines. I pack my things carelessly, throw everything in the small Fiat or Mini I rented, and head south for the SR222. First timers are warned: go my way, not the highway. What I mean is take the SR222, the “wine” road through the villages and vineyards of Chianti Classico. I always stay at a farmhouse…
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TUSCANY #SINEQUANON: THE THINGS YOU CANNOT LEAVE OUT
Take two weeks for it. You will want it to last forever anyway. There are places you can fast forward, and there are places you can resist the temptations that come along the way. Toscana is not one of them. You have to take it in, breath it, taste it, not just visit it. You have to have the time to live it. ONE: Rent a car and discover the countryside. Toscana has the most beautiful medieval castles and villages in the world, and the most wonderful country roads. If you don’t have the freedom to move between vineyards and take in the iconic cypress tree lined landscape, don’t even…
