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12/07/2005
Dear Monica e Gianni,
What can you say about Southern Tuscany except maybe "totally enchanting". It is everything you here about the place and more because it can only be really appreciated in person.
From Rome we took the train to Chiusi and walked across the street to pick up our rental car. We arrived at about 2:00 pm and discovered that the car rental place was closed until 3:30 pm, just like all merchants in Tuscany, almost without exception, especially in the smaller, less touristed towns. Our group got comfortable in the little enoteca in the train station while I decided to take a quick look around Chiusi. For some reason, the fellow at the car rental place decided to drop in the shop during his break and he was gracious enough to go ahead and give me the car.
Agriturismo Cerreto fitted the descriptions on your web site perfectly. Monica was a very graceful host, providing a continental breakfast every morning with home baked goodies, bread, jam, butter, coffee, and hot water for tea. We had wonderful views out our windows and the facility is very nicely decorated in a 'tuscan farmhouse' (surprise) style with lots of room. Once we got settled in, we took the short drive back into Pienza, toured the town and picked up some groceries at the little market. It was a great location to visit all of Southern and Central Tuscany. We visited Siena, San Gimignano, San Quirco, Montalcino, Florence, and Greve in Chianti; all from this location. And there are so many other places to see that you just do not have enough time to see them all. I highly recommend wine tasting at the enoteca di fortesa in Montalcino. The enoteca is in the old fortified compound on the highest part of this hill town. Walk through the town from the fortesa until you reach the other side any you will find the most fantastic views looking northward over Tuscany.
The roads are very well marked so we could get from place to place very easily. We only got really lost once, but figured it out eventually of course. I would recommend however, that you team up for driving. The driver needs to concentrate on driving the narrow roads and front seat passenger needs to be navigator and watch for directional signs, again having a good map.
When ordering wine at restaurants, we would usually order the house vine (vino di casa); generally very good and always very reasonable. The beef in Tuscany is also excellent. If you have the chance to order a Florentine steak, do so, it is excellent. We actually cooked a couple of nights. The bread is unsalted in Tuscany so it seems very plane. However, fry the bread in olive oil and garlic, cut up some tomatoes for a topping and whoa, it is wonderful. The tomatoes in Italy are exceptionally flavorful. Be sure to have Monica give you a lesson on how to use the stove. Operation is not overtly obvious.
Pienza is a very nice hill town with lots of shops, delicatessens, and bakery. There is a little restaurant across the street from the historic center called Del Falco which was very good.
Ron D.
da Ron D. (U S A)
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