Pisa & Siena - Day 5

Today we enjoyed the beautiful Tuscan countryside.  We rented a car in Florence and decided to drive towards Pisa, then head over to Siena for a little bit of shopping and dinner.

Pisa is approximately 45-60 minutes southwest of Florence, located on the right bank of the Arno river and the Tyrrenhian Sea.  While the main attraction is The Leaning Tower of Pisa, there are well over 20 other historic sites to see in Pisa, including the Basilica and Baptistry that stands on the same piazza known as the Piazza dei Miracoli or the Square of Miracles.


The tower was designed in the 11c to be 185 feet tall with 8 stories.  The tower stood straight for the first 5 years, but after the completion of the 3rd floor the tower began to lean.  The foundation of the tower was built on dense clay soil that could not support the weight of the tower, so it began to lean at the weakest point.  At the same time in history, Italy was in war with Genoa, so the country focused on winning the battle and the tower stood incomplete for the next 100 years.  In 1272 construction started again and the architect built floor 4 taller than floor 3 trying to compensate for the lean, but instead made the lean worse.  Again, the tower construction came to a halt because of war and it wasn't until 1319 that the 7th floor was added and 1372 when the bell chamber was completed.  The tower took almost 200 years to complete!  Funny enough, in 1860 the architect dug channel underneath the Tower to show the people the base, this further aggravated the lean and the entire state of Italy became concerned that the Tower would topple.  The Tower is one of the few towers that was not destroyed by the American soldiers during WW2, who were told to destroy any and all structures because of the threat of enemy snipers.  It was pure luck that when the soldiers arrived in Pisa, they were quickly asked to retreat, which saved this important (and fragile) structure.  Finally, in 1964 Italy voiced the importance in saving the Tower and put counterweights on the tower to help prevent it from falling.  And in 1990 the tower was closed for a long 11 year restoration, which elongated its life and made it safe for tourists to visit the site.  Today tourists can safely view the tower and climb to the top, if they so desire.  Before the restoration, the tower leaned almost at a 10 degree angle, today it is roughly 3-5 degrees.  It's quite fascinating to stand in front of the tower and realize that while this was an architectural mistake, it has became a landmark and an important figure in Italian history.  


After a few snapshots of Pisa, we headed straight west towards the Tyrrenhian Sea.  We wanted to compare this coast, with the Amalfi Coast.  It took about 20 minutes to drive to the beach from Pisa, but it was well worth the drive.  Locals were out sunbathing on the hot rocks and dining in the seaside cafe's....it was a perfect day.  We stopped at a quaint restaurant on the water and dined on a few starters:  escargot (in the shell - you have to "suck" them out), mussels, and an assortment of lightly fried, mixed seafood (heads, teeth, bones, and all)....this was quite a different experience for all of us, but worth the memories!


After leaving the seaside town, we headed Southeast towards the historic center of Siena, which has been declared by Unesco as a World Heritage Site! Siena is a beautiful Tuscan city about 60 km south of Florence.  It dates back to 70 AD.  The city center is surrounded by a wall, which was originally built in the 10c to protect from soil erosion.  It was finished in the 13c when it was used to then protect the city from Florence, who was a major rival to Siena. 

Our timing in Siena could not have been better.  We, mistakenly, arrived during “The Palio,” which is Siena’s famous, medieval horse race that takes place twice a year on July 2^nd and August 16^th.  For three days preceding The Palio, they practice the race.  We were fortunate enough to see the first practice!

The Palio takes place in the Piazza Del Campo and 17 “contrades” compete for the trophy.  Contrade’s are city neighborhoods that were originally formed as battalions to protect the city.  The contrade’s vie for the infamous “Palio” which is a painted banner depicting the Virgin Mary. Each year the Palio is commissioned and designed by a well-known artist. 

Only 10 of the contrade’s will race.  Seven of them are chosen because they did not race the year prior and the additional 3 are chosen from a lottery.   The horses are also assigned to the contrades and the jockeys make large sums of money, as well as bribe and trade with other “ally” contrades to prevent “enemy” contrades from winning the race! 

The city prepares for the race three days prior, with a practice race each day.  We arrived just in time to witness the race, as well as the singing, marching, drumming, and parades for each contrade.  The city was full of flags, depicting the colors and emblems of each neighborhood.  We happened to fal upon a blocked off area, where one of the contrades’s (depicted by an aqua flag with a vicious looking fish) were gathering before the race.  They were singing and drinking and having a great time.  It was really spectacular to see the loyalty and love they had for their neighborhoods.  In addition, before and after the race they all dine together as a community, in some instances blocking off whole blocks to seat 1000 diners for a post-practice race meal. 

While the race has been running for many, many years, it hasn’t been without scrutiny in regards to the treatment of the horses and the safety of the jockey’s.  The jockeys ride bare back on a rather treacherous terrain and the steep hills and dirt path are somewhat dangerous and not consistent for the horses who can be injured during the race. There are also no stalls for the horses to line up in, which can make for a very long start to the race.  We witnessed this during the practice.  They would announce each contrade and then they were asked to line up next to each other to start the race.  One horse was not interested in lining up at all and it took 5-7 minutes to get him even close enough to start the race.  The race started without him in line, so clearly he was not the winner!  

The race itself is a mere 3 minutes, but the festivities last a long 4 days!  Hotels and restaurants along the piazza can charge up to 500 Euros for a seat along the track. 

We were so happy that we got to witness this event, it was really amazing to hear the singing and shouting throughout the city and to see the kids dressed up in their medieval costumes reflecting their native neighborhoods. 

After the race, we ventured off for a bite to eat before leaving Siena.  Candace dined on a traditional Tuscan pasta dish, while Jeff had pesto, and I had a spaghetti Bolognese.  Tom decided to be a little different and ordered a white bean and sausage stew, which was excellent.

The drive back to Florence was eventful, as anyone who has driven in Italy knows, it’s not easy to navigate.  Jeff did a great job getting us back (in the dark) without GPS!  It was a really great day and we are all in love with Siena.  

Florence - Day 4

We woke up just in time to be one of the first visitors to the Basilica de Santa Maria today.  The Basiclica is also referred to as "The Duomo."  The Basilica replaced the church of Santa Reparata, which dated back to the middle ages.  The church that we see today reflects the neo-Gothic style and was under construction from 1296 to 1436.  Francesco Talenti lead the construction, making the cathedral even bigger than its predessesor in order to symbolize the growing importance of Florence.  The dome, which is considered the most important architectural element of the church, was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and remains today as the largest brick dome ever constructed.  The outside of the basillica is breathtaking - with the facade made up of green and pink marble and intricate detail.  The inside of the basilica is rather minimalistic, with the exception of the detailed marble floors, and beautiful painted ceiling which depicts The Last Judgement.  We wanted to get a closer look at the painted ceiling designed by Giorgio Vasari' and painted by his student,  Frederico Zuccari, so we decided to pay 6 Euro to climb the 463 steps to the top of the dome.  Not only were we able to get a better view of the painting, but we were able to get a full 360 degree view of Florence from above.  

Within the complex there is also the Bell Tower, which is designed in the same style and was completed in 1359 and stands 85 meters tall.  In addition, the Baptistry is located just right in front of the Basilica.  The Baptistry predates the cathedral.  It is believed that it was built on top of Roman Foundations, dating back to the 6th century!  The interior dates back to the 13th century and depicts stories from the bible via mosaics on the ceiling.   The most important feature of the Baptistry is its famous bronze doors, originally made of wood.  A competition was organized in 1401 to redesign the doors and was won by brunelleschi's biggest competitor, Ghiberti, who in 1452 completed the doors.  The doors are considered to be one of the first Renaissance artworks of its time, departing from the prevailing byzantine art style. Michaelangelo himself described this as Ghiberti's best work, referring to the doors as "The Gates of Paradise."  Today there only stands a replica of the doors.  THe original doors are now displayed at Museo dell'Opera del Duomo.   

After our hike back down from the dome, we headed back to the hotel, grabbing a few Americana's and pastries from the local bakery next door.  We then grabbed our driver for the day, Francesco, who drove us to 3 lovely Tuscan vineyards.

We decided to tour the Chianti Classico region, as this is the only region in the world that true and legitimate Chianti Classico is created.  It is the area from Florence to Siena and there are guidelines on exactly how the Classico is processed in order to receive the black rooster stamp we see today on the nape of the bottles.  

Casa Sola was our first stop.  It is an ancient, 300 acre estate that stands alone on top of a hill in the heart of the Chianti region.  The villa is surrounded by olive trees and vines, which are owned by the Gambaro family.  They produce high quality Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, Supertuscan - Montarisiccio, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Maria was our tour guide for the day.  It was nice because we had a private tour of the entire estate.  Maria started at the vines and showed us the entire process from harvested the grapes to bottling the wine, it was very educational.  Casa Sola is somewhat of a smaller vineyard and do EVERYTHING by hand, while many big wineries you machine to pick the grapes.   The allows Casa Sola to hand pick and sort the grapes on each tree, to focus on creating quality instead of quantity.  After we toured the grounds, Maria took us upstairs and had an amazing spread of cheeses, meats, and a hearty tasting of the vineyards wines and olive oil.  We knew that it was near impossible to get a better tour, and were happy this was our first.  

Our second stop was Castello di Verranzzano, a very large commercialized winery.  This was pretty crowded with a tour bus and a few dozen people, so we decided not to do a tasting.  The Verranzzano, once being a castle, sits high up on a hill with a ton of beautiful flowers, amazing views, and large patios.  We had to meet our 4:30 appointment at Fattoria Casaloste so we hit the road after seeing the grounds for a half hour.  Casaoloste was our last winery for the day, and another one that we had a private tour, so we were able to connect with the owner and hear the families story.  This winery was even smaller than Casa Sola, and has had an impressive past guest list including Anthony Bordain and the Queen of Holland.  We tried their four signature blends, 3 of which were Chianti Classico. 

We got back to the hotel around 6:30 and made late dinner reservations at Il Santo Bevitore.  Their menu consisted of traditionally Tuscan foods, with a modern spin.  We ordered about half the menu, including their homemade biscotti, as well as a great bottle of Super Tuscan.  After dinner it was after midnight so we headed back toward the hotel to get a good nights rest for tomorrow's trip to Pisa and Siena.

Rome & Florence - Day 3

We got up early today and headed over to the Roman Forum, which is located just west of the Colesseum.  The Roman forum is from the 7-8^th century and was an area that housed many of the government buildings in Rome.  Julius Caesar built his own Basilica here in 179 BC and that became the area where people gathered to pursue personal, commercial, and judicial affairs. 

Around lunch time, we headed over to the Travestere region, which is known for its great cafés and restaurants.  We decided to eat at Pizzarium, which specializes in Roman style pizza.  This place was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s “Layover” last year.  Bourdain raved about how this “hole in the wall” simple pizzeria is the best in Rome.  Gabrielle Bonci is the chef and he prepares the most delicious Roman pizza.  Most restaurants in Rome only serve whole pizzas, so it was nice to be able to order by the slice here and have a bigger variety in choice.  The place was tiny, with no tables or chairs.  The place is barely big enough to fit more than 7 people inside.  We were overwhelmed with the pizza choices:  Margherita, Prosciutto/Ricotta/Rosemary, Potato/Parmesan, Pepper/Ricotta, Copa/Mozzarella, and Sardine/Mozzarella to name just a few.  They also had homemade Arancini – prosciutto, chicken, and fig.  We ordered 4 different slices and 2 arancini’s (prosciutto and fig).  The food was well worth the drive and the lack of sitting – we sat outside on the bench.  The crust was crisp, the veggies were fresh, and the cheese was creamy!  Bourdain did not disappoint!  After stuffing ourselves at Pizzarium, we jumped back on the Metro and headed back to our hotel.

We jumped on the 2:45PM train to Firenze.  The train is fast, just a little over an hour long.  One we arrived in Florence, there was a rather long taxi line, but it also went fast and we were checked into our hotel in no time.  The location of our hotel is really great – less than 3 blocks from the Duomo.  You an actually see its roof from the front of our hotel. 

We spent the afternoon walking through Florence, admiring the Duomo, Baptistry, and Bell Tower.  


We also walked over the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge.  Ponte Vecchio is a medieval bridge that spans the Arno river and connects the Ufizzi Gallery and the Pitti Palace.  People believe that this is from roman times, possibly dating back as far as 59 B.C. when the Romans settled the floodplain that became of colony called “Florentia.”  Engineers supposedly drained the marsh and built the bridge with stone piers to link north and south Italy.  The actual bridge walkway was made of wood, but was eventually destroyed in the flood of 1333.  It was rebuilt by Taddeo Gaddi in 1334 and remains as you see it today – a three arched bridge, built out of stone.  Interestingly, this is the only Italian bridge that survived World War II (access across was obstructed when the Germans destroyed the buildings at both sides of the bridge). 

Ponte Vecchio has always been a place where merchants displayed their goods.  Back before there were actual stores, merchants sold their goods simply on tables lining the bridge.  The merchants mostly made up of butchers.  In 1593 duke Ferdinand I decided to replace them with goldsmiths because he felt that the butchers created too much garbage and caused bad smells!   By the 17^th century, those tables turned into actual shops/homes to house the jewelers and you can still see those today.    

We finished the night with a bite to eat at Il Grande Miti, a place we ate at last time in Florence.  It was a great first day!  Tomorrow we plan on touring the Duomo and Bell Tower before heading off at noon for our wine tour in Tuscany!  We are so excited to visit the vineyards in the Chianti Region.


Till tomorrow!

   

Roma, Day 1-2

Buonasera from Roma!  As we sit here at our hotel sipping vino and listening to the pianist play beautiful Italian music, we are reflecting on the last 2 days we've had in Rome.  We arrived early Monday evening after a long journey from Chicago to Munich to Rome.  Once we landed and checked in, we took a stroll towards the Spanish Steps and then over to Piazza Navona where we feasted on four classic Roman dishes:  Spaghetti Carbonara, Pesto Genevese,  Penne all' Arrabbiata, and Cacio e Pepe.  All of the dishes were delicious and we each had our favorites!  As the night came to an end, it got even better as we strolled towards the Trevi Fountain, awarding ourselves with pistachio/tiramisu gelato.  

Trevi Fountain is my most favorite place in Rome.  History:  In 1629 Pope Urban VIII asked Bernini to develop sketches to replace the fountain that currently resided there.  The Pope loved his work and was anticipating a masterpiece, but unfortunately before Bernini was able to break ground he passed away and the land became abandoned.  It wasn't until 1730 during the Baroque era when the space became formidable again.  During this era, architectural competition for buildings, fountains, and even the Spanish Steps was fierce.  It was in 1731 when Pope Clement XII organized a contest for the artist that best rendered a new fountain to replace this abandoned land.  Nicola Salvi, a Roman, lost to Allesandro Galelei, a Florentenian.  The Romans were not happy that Galelei won and The Pope quickly awarded Salvi (a Roman) as the winner.  He started the fountain in 1732 and it was completed in 1762.  The fountain still has resemblances from Bernini and Salvi, who unfortunately died before it was completed.  Giuseppe Pannini was the artist who put the final touches on the fountain.

Tuesday started with a full breakfast buffet at the St Regis.  While we thought it was going to be light breakfast, we ended up eating the full Roman breakfast complete with all the Italian pastry, anti pasta, and eggs.  While breakfast was great, we had a reservation at The Colosseum for 11AM, so we quickly ate and went on our way.  We decided to ride the Metro, it is the quickest and easiest way to get around the city.  Once you ride it a few times, you quickly learn your way.  We rode "linear B" to the Colosseo stop.  Once you walk off the line, you are literally on top of the Colosseum.  Anyone traveling to Rome should pre-book their tickets, we were able to walk right in verses standing in line.  The Colosseum is exactly as we remembered:  SPECTACULAR.  

The history and the architecture are truly unimaginable - we had a wonderful time exploring it in its entirety.    

It was a hot day, in the upper 90s, so after the Colosseum we ventured across the street, where they serve huge beers and a pretty solid pizza!  After a couple pizzas and drinks we headed towards Vatican City.  We toured the Vatican Museum and the beautiful Sistine Chapel, taking in the sculptures, paintings, and tapestries of some of the worlds most famous artists:  Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, van Gogh, and more.   


Everywhere you look there is a piece of history and artwork - from the ceiling to the floor.  

After leaving, we strolled through St Peter's square.  This is the location where Romans and people from all over the world gather to watch The Pope address the world.  

After Vatican City, we grabbed a drink at a local cafe where we sipped on a bottle of vino blanco to overcome the heat.  

We then headed back to the Metro, where we transferred a few lines until we finally made it home to enjoy yet another glass of vino in the hotel lobby.  It was a wonderful day, but not complete...the best was yet to come.  

We made reservations at a restaurant, just outside of Rome, called Hostaria Antico Roma, in which we read about in the New York Times.  It was quaint, quiet, and perfect!  This was a night to remember.  The restaurant is located alongside the old Roman walls - along Via Appia and inside an old Mausoleum.  After the fall of the Roman empire Via Appia was abandoned.  In 1724 after excavations, the ruins located alongside this road came back to light.  This is a family owned restaurant, belonging to the Magnanimi family.  


We were served and hosted by Paolo, the son of the original owner.  He was spectacular, with his stories and poems.  Not only was he just fun to talk to, but he is a Harley guy....so Tom and Candace were in Heaven!  He even travels to Milwaukee for the Harley Anniversary!  He is returning next year, where we all hope we can meet up and enjoy a brew!  He truly made the night special.  This is a must go place when in Rome.  

Italy Anticipation

We've been up since 6AM Chicago time.  We couldn't sleep, the anticipation of our trip is getting the best of us.  We are so excited to leave for Italy this evening!  We take off at 8:50PM CST and will land at 3PM Monday, Rome time.  We're excited to spend time with Tom and Candace...they are going to fall in love with Italy!  Who knows, they may not even come back...I see Candace falling in love with the beautiful Tuscan landscape and Tom enjoying the seaside cafe's in Positano!

Here's our itinerary for those of you that are interested:

Rome (Monday - Wednesday) @ The St Regis Rome

Florence (Thursday - Sunday) @ Hotel Cerretani Firenze, MGallery Collection
- Siena
- Pisa
- Chianti Wine Region

Amalfi (Sunday - Wednesday) @ Covo Dei Saraceni Hotel
- Pompei
- Positano
- Capri
- Ravello

Rome (Wednesday - Thursday) @ Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Resorts

Follow us along our journey, it will be fun!
XOXO

Jeff and Jenn