One of our group, Steve, was celebrating his 79th birthday while we were staying here at Trulloinvilla this week. To add to the planned festivities Blythe & I went out to pick a bouquet of wild flowers and grasses yesterday. All this week, as we drove through the Puglian countryside, I have been marveling at the many plants, both domestic and wild, that are blooming along the country roads.

Our host tells us that it has been a very wet spring which I think has lead to the lushness of the growth along the road passing by our front gate. We had only to walk for about 200 yards along the road to gather an incredible array of wild flowers and grasses to build the bouquet.

I recognized some of the flowers like Queen Anne’s Lace, poppies, and thistle, but a lot of the plants were completely unknown to me, including Purple Viper’s-Bugloss, corn marigold, quaking grass, wild oats, and false barley. They made a beautiful arrangement that all of us have continued to marvel at each time we pass by. I think Steve was very appreciative, but I know it was an incredible gift for me to have the opportunity to create it.

Steve, I hope you have many, many more wonderful birthdays surrounded by friends!

I was anxious to show off Alberobello to the group; it is just about half an hour from our lodging in Ceglie Messapica. I had so enjoyed my time there a couple of years ago while studying Italian.

As with so many heavily visited places in Italy, parking was a problem, but after about a half hour of driving around from one sold out parking lot to another, both cars managed to find a space and met up near the main tourist area, the Monte dei Trulli.

There are indeed a large number of extant trulli in this area; trouble is, almost all of them are devoted to hawking tourist goods. We visited the town on a beautiful Monday morning, along with what seemed like thousands of other tourists. They are not all Americans like us; we heard what seemed to be a Tower of Babel mixture of languages—including English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. Most of us found a souvenir or two; but I mostly wanted us to eat at what had been my favorite Alberobello restaurant, Ristorante Pizzaria il Pinnacolo.

The staff was as surly and harried as I remember, but very efficient and the food was so very good and tasty. The setting was delightful; perched above the surrounding trulli, away from the crowds,and shaded from the sun but open to the breeze. It was another great meal!

After lunch we wandered around a little more, listened to music, and finished our day in Alberobello with gelato, as we so often find ourselves doing. I am just sorry that everyone’s lasting impression will be the crush of visitors & the souvenir vendors and not a sweet little Puglian town.

We left Tuscany last Saturday morning at 7:00 am; we were all saddened about leaving Montestigliano but were looking forward to exploring Puglia. For most of us, it would be for the first time. When planning the trip, it seemed that Puglia and Tuscany were not that far apart, but Google told us that it would be a near eight hour drive—and in the end with gas, coffee, and snack breaks, the journey lasted more than 10 hours.

Arriving in Ceglie Messapica, the small Puglia town in which our rental was to be found, and as the GPS led us onto increasingly more narrow & ill paved roads, we all began to worry just a little bit about where we might find ourselves or even if we might be lost. Thankfully, Stefano, our host, had written to say he would be waiting for us, and as we passed through the open gate, there he was standing in front of our little Trullo compound.

Trulloinvilla is much smaller than Montestigliano with five “bedrooms” and two baths spread between two apartments, but it incorporates several ”trulli” giving us the Puglia experience we were looking for. None of the bedrooms are extremely commodious, and I, for one, was worried about just two bathrooms, but everyone has gotten into the “camp” spirit. The pool is beautiful, and Steve has been brave enough to swim in it a couple of times despite its not being heated, but all of us have enjoyed lounging poolside and absorbing the warmth of the sun. Then there is always the napping option.

After our long day on the road on Saturday, and as Sunday dawned bright & sunny, we decided to spend the day around the pool. Stefano and his father, a retired chef ,had offered to cook a typical Puglian meal for us that evening. The experience proved delightful. Stefano acted as the majordomo, and we learned a lot about their family, Puglia and the food and culture of southern Italy. It was a delightful experience and a great introduction to Puglia.

I have visited Tuscany quite a few times in the last couple of decades; every time has proved to be a wonderful experience, each in its own way. This time was even more magical.

Montestigliano is a large working farm and estate; and we were given the manor house for the week. There were ensuite bedrooms for each couple, and every individual had their own bedroom. The estate itself includes nearly 3000 acres of working vineyards, olive orchards, and other agricultural activities, with numerous and varied guest accommodations. Yet, we felt that we had the place almost to ourselves.

We were in the main villa, with a terrace that looked out over the Val Di Merse, and each day we seemed to be presented with new landscapes and vistas—bright sun and blue skies one day, followed by an overcast and rainy day the next. One morning we woke up and the fog had swallowed up almost everything below us; it was like we were on an enchanted island in the middle of the sea. Each day, it was a pleasure to wake up to see the Tuscan landscape set out before us; and at the end of each day, it was even more of a pleasure to know you were returning Montestigliano, and to know that at least for this week it was ours.

Sunny mornings and afternoons would find us gathered on the terrace with our morning coffee or afternoon wine; on cooler mornings or rainy afternoons we decamped to the large sitting room or our own rooms for a nap or reading. With each day, we became more relaxed—some of us finished a novel while others scrolled our phones, drew or painted, knitted, or simply chatted.

The farm provided what seemed to be an unlimited choice of walking paths and trails. Some paths just led around the house and gardens; others to distant fields and adjoining towns and estates. Wild flowers seemed to be blooming on which ever path you chose. Rock roses, orchids, poppies, scotch broom, dandelions and false barley were among the most common, but there were so many others.

Of course we had to visit some of our favorite hill towns—Siena, Pienza, Monteriggione or Cortona. Unfortunately, the serenity of Montestigliano was not always duplicated in these towns. There just seems to be too many of our fellow tourists wherever we go. Siena was bustling as was Monteriggione, and Pienza was teeming with a vast array of other visitors. Cortona, however, which we visited for the first time, was a pleasant surprise, with tourists thin on the ground, giving us the opportunity to explore the town at our own pace.

We had some wonderful restaurant meals: at Dal Vitti in Siena; Ristorante da Remo in Monteriggione; Il Buco delle Fatte in Pienza, and Il Cortonese in Cortona—all regaled us with wonderful food and wine and provided us with a good eating experience. On our first and last nights in Montestigliano, we dined at the Ristorante dal Cateni, a delightful restaurant owned and operated by the Cateni family located in Orgia, just five minutes away from the the farm.

Fortunately there were no scales at Montestigliano , so we can not be sure of the damage to our waistlines, but it was all worth it—the new and old dishes alike were so delicious. isn’t it remarkable how many varieties of pasta that the Italians have come up with. There hardly seems enough time and opportunities to enjoy them all.

But like all idylls, this one had to end, but we have a week in Puglia to look forward to!

Pienza remains the fairy tale version of a Renaissance Village, and the vistas of the Val D’Orcia are still incredibly beautiful. That said, on the day of our recent visit it was sadly overrun with hordes of admiring visitors, including us.

The main thoroughfare is lined with shops selling touristy trinkets and costly leather goods, handmade jewelry, and lovely Italian fashion. There seemed to be something that beconned to each of us, including scarves, handbags, and cheese.

Jennifer and Kat surprised me with a little leather pen bag, something I had been looking for since I saw one at the language school in Genoa—how thoughtful of them.

Once again I enjoyed wandering into Pius’s little cathedral, and once again wondered why the builders didn’t realize that it was perched too far out on the town’s small hilltop so that one day it might fall off—as the huge crack in front of the altar reveals, but I guess if it has lasted four centuries, it may last a few more.

At one point, six of us found ourselves perched upon a bench in the Cathedral; a perfect picture, I though. I asked a fellow tourist, who rudely pretended he couldn’t understand me, but a lovely young woman quickly obliged by snapping above shot.

The town was decorated throughout with flowers, in anticipation of an upcoming celebration—and all of the restaurants were filled with happy tourists, just like us. We returned to the Buca Delle Fatte, where we have eaten at least twice before and happily were not disappointed. Good bruschetta and great pastas, and the desserts—tiramisu, blueberry, cocoanut, and chocolate—were just incredibly delicious. We were all charmed by our young waiter, Lorenzo, who spoke American accented English, even though I insisted on using my Italian with him when I could.

The half hour lost spent dealing with the word’s worst parking ticket dispenser aside, we all left the town with fond memories and the hope of returning sometime in the not too distant future .

I first met Anna Piperato more than a decade ago, not long after she had given up teaching at High Point University to pursue her dream of living in Italy. She has a PhD in Art History, her dissertation is on Saint Catherine of Siena, and there seems to be little that she doesn’t know about Italian Medieval and Renaissance art and history.

Today she is living her dream. Now an independent tour guide, she has worked for Rick Steves and still handles his Tuscan Hill Towns tours. But she loves Siena best of all and is also an active and fervent member of the Lupa Contrada and all things dealing with the Siena Palio. She is a great guide, as well as a wonderful person and delightful raconteur. I knew that we couldn’t do justice to seeing and touring Siena without her expert guidance. We were not disappointed.

After getting us to Siena and talking us through the not easy Siena parking situation (Siena is a walled city with very limited car access so you have to park in one of their massive car parks outside the city and walk in), we met up with Anna at Siena’s famous Campo, the town’s main piazza. As she walked us to our lunch venue, she tried to connect us to the history of the city while saving the main tour until after lunch.

Rosticcieria Vitti, a small relatively new restaurant is tucked away in the tiny Piazza Vitti. It was perfect for a reunion with Anna and the restaurant served a wonderful array of antipasti, bruschetta, and crostini followed by a variety of pasta dishes. The meal finished with some lovely desserts, including cantucci with Vin Santo.

Anna then took us to her to new apartment just a couple blocks from the restaurant. She and her family were able to renovate an apartment in a centuries old building, within the confines of the Lupa contrada. Anna did an incredible job working with the architect to build a modern, up to date apartment while keeping in mind the history and provenance of the building. We all loved seeing her new home and knowing she will be living in these beautiful surroundings.

Siena’s history is long, complicated, and interesting, but thanks to losing out to Florence after the Black Plague in the 14th century it remained a vibrant and important city but no longer sought to compete to dominate Tuscany. In my opinion, that is the reason that the city is so much more lovely to visit than Florence which today is overrun with hordes of tourists. Look up Anna if you are ever thinking about visiting the Siena; she will make it worth your while.

Leavng Rome, renting a car, and getting on the road to Tuscany occupied much of our day Saturday, May 2. With nine in our party, we needed three cars—and coordinating three cars and getting them all to the new rental car pickup at the airport was always going to be a problem. What was I thinking? Still two of the three parties made it to the right place, although Hertz and Budget couldn’t possibly be on he same floor!

Two hours later, the third party had joined us, and we had filled out all of the paperwork so that we could be entrusted with two BYD automobiles. BYD is a Chinese car company, which by the way is going to eat our lunch, American car makers.

There was no way that we could get out of the airport and en route and be together, so each car made its way up to Montestigliano. Since our favorite place to stay in the Siena area was already booked, we had to rely on AirBnb to find another place that could accommodate a party of ten. When Montestigliano popped up, it looked like an ideal place for us. And it truly is.

Montestigliano has been a working estate at least since the early 19th century, although not owned by the same family that now runs it. Today it is an Italian agriturismo providing a delightful respite for travelers to this part of Tuscany. As we drove up the long drive and arrived at the reception area, we could all feel the stress of the road ebb away. The manager of the farm, Francesco, has been incredibly attentive and helpful, making our stay here even more enjoyable.

Montestigliano is proving to be a great oasis after our days of touring.

Rome is a big city, full of sights to see and tourists seeing them, especially on a National Holiday (May 1), we had a full and fulfilling day walking about, eating, and chatting. We began with breakfast at one of the cafes in the market filled Campo De’ Fiori not far from where we were staying.

The day was bright & sunny, but fortunately quite mild. Some of us needed to start with a full British breakfast whereas most of us were content with a cornetta and our favorite form of caffeine.

We then decided to walk to Capitoline Hill since it was nearby and didn’t require a reservation. As the name implies, it is a hill, a rather steep one, which can be a challenge for some of us, but we prevailed.

The hill is the site of three grand and imposing structures, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, an 11th century Romanesque church; a Michelangelo designed Renaissance piazza; and the fascist era Victor Emmanuel II Monument. Any one of them would be a significant undertaking in any other city, but placing the three together on one hilltop is really quite incredible, considering the engineering prowess involved to create this supersized jigsaw puzzle.

As many times as I have been in Rome, I had never visited this hilltop and found it really awe-inspiring. We spent much of our time in the Basilica, which is one of the largest and most elaborate Romanesque churches that I have ever visited.

As getting into the Victor Emanuel Monument seemed to involve descending and reclimbing the hill, we passed on that task and began walking down the other side of the Capitoline Hill, bringing us to the entrance to the Forum and Colosseum.

The entrance fee is now $20 and the crowds were even more daunting so we all decided to to forego them both and go looking for a place to have lunch. Which brings me to the Corso Victor Emanuel—for me, if not the seventh level of Dante’s hell, leads to it. Of course it was lunch time and all of our fellow turisti also had the same idea, but we finally found a nice restaurant with pleasant staff, good food, and a friendly couple from San Diego sitting at the table next to us. It’s always fun to meet up with fellow travelers from the States to compare notes.

But one day of sight seeing in Rome was really enough for me.

My final night in town, a few of my classmates joined me at a restaurant near my apartment, Temp e Feugo. Good Genovese menu with very welcoming staff and waiters. Genova proved a great place to stay and learn, with nice people, lots of things to see and do, and of course good food!

After saying goodbye to my host, Adriana, I took the train from Genova to Rome yesterday afternoon. Really enjoyed my time at the school, A Door into Italy. I feel like I learned, or perhaps relearned, a good bit of Italian and feel comfortable when trying to communicate. Just don’t ask me to talk about anything in depth!

The train trip was blissfully uneventful and arrived at the Rome Termini Station—seemingly with half of Italy. Despite the powers that be (incomprehensible signage and blocked exits) I was able to find a taxi. Friendly taxi driver and after a 20 minute ride, was greeted at the front door by my friends. And so our new adventure begins. There is no better way to start than with a dinner with friends.

Dinner at the the restaurant which is literally 20 feet from the front door of our Apartment. Left to right: Kat, Tom, Larry, Carole, Bob, Jennifer, Steve, Mart. Everyone liked what they got and getting back to our place was a charm!

Google today shared a picture of our 2018 Tour, which I thought I would share with you my kind readers:

Yesterday, I took the train to Camogli, a one time fishing village that is now a tourist attraction for visitors to the area. Train was a nice experience, even though it was just a regional train, it was new and comfortable. The folks in the ticket office were helpful and certainly spoke better English than I did Italian, but I insisted on carrying on in their language.

Weather wasn’t very conducive to touring, but that didn’t seem to keep the tourists away. I stayed about three hours, walked the boardwalk through most of the town and had a very good, if somewhat dear, spaghetti alle vongole and grilled vegetables for lunch.