MONTALCINO, MONTECARLO AND MEMORIES

Another day, another adventure! Today we were in the Tuscany region of Italy. Several years ago we leased this farmhouse in Montalcino and spent a month there.

We had such a wonderful time that we didn't want to leave, so I'm really looking forward to our return visit. We would sit on our balcony in the evenings as the sun was setting and sip our Compari and Soda,

and look out at the beautiful Tuscan hills.

We docked in Livorno and went on an excursion of the countryside and a wine tasting.

Livorno is considered to be the "Gateway to Florence and Pisa".

It is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno and the third-largest port on the western coast of Italy, having a population of approximately 170,000 residents as of the year 2007.
We started our tour fairly early and started on our way to Montecarlo. Not the one with the gambling but the town nestled in the Tuscan hills.

This is another place that has many medieval castles. Italy is overflowing with history. There's something interesting around every corner.

We explored the little town for about an hour before boarding the bus again and heading for the winery.

Frank and I had a cup of cappuccino and then I waited as he explored more than I did. It really tasted good as the weather had a chill in the air and we had to wear jackets for the first time.

It seems as though everything in Italy is uphill,

so I decided that I needed to take a little break in the warm sunshine while Frank explored.

Montecarlo is a typical medieval village placed on the hill that overlooks Val di Nievole and Lucca's plain. Since the Middle Ages, when the cities of Florence, Lucca and Pisa battled to control the territory and up to the unification of Italy, Montecarlo's area has always been deep-linked with the cultivation of vines and olive trees.

Montecarlo's wine comes from a mix of Italian and French grapes, as our vineyards are the result of local Trebbiano vines and other vines imported from Bordeaux, Rodano and Bourgogne during the XIX century. As these imported vines have been staying in Montecarlo's area for more than two centuries they are now considered as native.
As we were walking back to the bus, we saw a fish monger in his truck selling all sorts of fish, and I couldn't resist taking his photograph.

This squid looked interesting, but I prefer mine with a red sauce and fried!

The winery we visited was called Fattoria Michi and it was located a few miles outside of Montecarlo.

We were told that it used to be a hotel but they have now turned the main house into tasting rooms for the winery. The main entryway was very unassuming and the interior was charming.

We were served olives, bread with olive oil that was made there on the premises, cold cuts and cheeses to go with our wine.

You should always eat something when you are drinking wine as it brings out the flavor. We tasted 4 different varieties of wine and ended up buying their olive oil which is delicious and quite pricey.

This is extra virgin olive oil and it tastes like velvet. We'll only use it on very special occasions. We were told that you should never cook with extra virgin oil as it breaks down all the properties in it. Use it either with bread or in salad dressings. If stored properly, it will keep for a very long time.
The tasting rooms were quite nice and they had a roaring fire in the fireplaces which made things nice and cozy.

The view to the outside reminded me a little of our view from our farmhouse when we were there before.

The photographer in me keeps coming out. I can't resist shadows and these shadows were fascinating to me, so I just had to get this shot.

I learned years ago that if you expect to be a good photographer, you can't suffer from inertia. You have to capture the moment at the moment as the light and subject is constantly changing.
It's been a long and good day today. Many memories of past trips surfaced and we remembered how much we enjoyed this country and the countryside.
We went to the show tonight in the Vista Lounge and then off to dinner.

After dinner we went to bed as I was extremely tired. I've done more walking on these tours than I have in a very long time and it seems as though most of it was uphill. Thanks to Frank I've done pretty well as most of it has been at our own pace. Tomorrow is another sea day so my report will be short. Until then,

XOXO, Pcasso