Today we drove through the beautiful Tuscan countryside from Radda to Castelina to meet Laura, our cooking instructor. She took us shopping in her local town to purchase the food we would prepare in our class. We visited her favourite butcher and vegetable market. Then we drove to her spectacular farm / wine estate. It is absolutely stunning. The gals donned their aprons and assisted Laura in preparing our fabulous lunch. They made appetizers - bruschetta, crustini with pecarino cheese and another with an olive mixture. Next was beef stew coked slowly in the oven with garlic, basil and wine (lots of wine). They made fresh tomato sauce for the pasta and a heavier sauce for the second pasta. Did I mention we are eating way too much food on this trip. They also made a spinach dish with raisins and pine nuts. For dessert we had a creaming ricotta cheese mixed with a local liquor. After preparing the amazing dishes we enjoyed the meal out on the patio, under the Tuscan sun. Tomorrow we are off to Pienza to taste Pecarino cheese (made from sheeps mild) and to Montalcino to taste Brunello (fine Tuscan wine) It's going to be another yummmy day.

Chianti wine tasting

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This morning our day began with an visit of the Castello di Verrazzano winery. They took us on a tour of the cellars, wine making facilities and best of all a wine tasting.

Their Chianti Classico and Chianti Reserve were supreme. The view from this location was beautiful. The building is situated high on a hill top overlooking the Tuscan hills, with rows and rows of vines and olive trees as far as the eye can see. This area of Tuscany is certainly impressive.

Chianti Region

This was an action packed afternoon which began with lunch at Mac Dario's butcher shop in Panzano. He is a famous personality with his his own cooking show on Italian TV. Upon arrival we were greeted with a glass of wine and music from Frankie Valley which got the girls singing and dancing. Next we were treated to an amazing lunch, tbone steak burgers. MMMM good. This was the best burger and fries I've ever tasted.








Our next stop was an local artist's pottery studio for a guided tour . The pieces are exquisite and sold in some of the most expensive shops in Italy and shipped all over the world.
Then off to Castello di Brolio, the second largest winery in the Chianti region.
We were supposed to have a tour of the castle and winery but our charming bus driver took a detour through the dirt roads and ended up at the back entrance of the castle,.The scenery was incredible.Unfortunately we were late for our appointment so they would not let us in. We had to skip the castle tour and move on to a tour of the wine cellars and wine tasting. I've never seen so many barrels of wine and it was mostly Chianti. The wine tasting was delicious. This evening's dinner was at La Botte di Baccoa Restaurant, a charming little restaurant in the town of Radda and walking distance from out hotel. Every mouthful was unbelievably delectable. We certainly have been treated to some excellent wines, food and service. Italy is a fabulous place to visit.

Cortona - Under the Tuscan Sun

This morning we started our day in the town of Cortona, made famous by Frances May's book and later a movie "Under the Tuscan Sun". Our first stop was to view her villa "Bramasole", a beautiful home on the outskirts of town. The ladies were delighted to pose for photos in front of the villa. The town is perched high on a hill top, only accessible by foot. The narrow street leading to the main square has many interesting shops. The ladies were quite happy to check them out. A few purchases were made. No, let me rephrase that, quite a few purchases were made. The ancient streets wind their way up and down the hills and lead to spectacular views of the valley below. In the main square we were treated to a wedding. A wonderful morning was enjoyed by all.

Arezzo

This afternoon we visited Arezzo, a busy University town our first stop was an Osteria for a delicious lunch of pizza and large salads.
The old city is charming and the main street is lined with beautiful shops and to the delight of the ladies, there was an open air market in the main square. A great afternoon of shopping and browsing was had by all. The large cathedral was very beautiful, with many frescoes and spectacular stained glass windows. Tomorrow we are spending the day in the Chianti region, famous for it's fine wines and spectacular scenery. Our first stop will be a wine cellar for a tour and wine tasting. This should be a fund day!

San Gimignano and Siena

Our first full day in Tuscany was wonderful. We visited the charming town of San Gimignano, famous for its many medieval towers. The ladies enjoyed strolling trough the narrow streets and browsing in the shops. A few of the gals found an fabulous purse shop and came out with some wonderful purchases.
Our next stop was a family run farm that produces organic foods. They had a wonderful table set for us and here we enjoyed a delicious lunch, paired with some fabulous Vernacchia wines from the region. The view was wonderful, the weather delightful and the food was delectable.
Our next stop was Siena. Our city guide took us on a walking tour of the town, explaining the history, culture and about the famous Palio race which takes place every July and August. This is a competition bewtween the contradras of the various districts of Siena. It brings a strong sense of community to the people. The main square was filled with people sitting and enjoying the sunshine and many of the locals were out strolling the streets on this wonderful Saturday afternoon. The last stop of the tour was to view the incredible Siena Cathedral. This structure took over 700 years to complete. It is made of 3 types of marble, green, white and pink. The facade is embelished with statues and ornate design, certainly a sight to behold. Part of the structure was left incomplete as this was from the era of the great plague. Unfortunately due to the many deaths they did no have the man power to comlete the structure. This unfinished building is a sad reminder of a difficult time in history.
Our dinner this evening was in a local Siena restaurant and they served us a medieval dinner of traditional Siennese foods. Traditional meant no forks or spoons. It was fun using our hands to eat our meal.
Sunday we are off to explore Arezzo and Cortna. The latter made famous by Frances Mays book and movie "Under the Tuscan Sun"

Radda in Chianti, Italy

We have arrived safe and sound. The flights were smooth and uneventful. Most of the ladies slept from Toronto to Rome and arrived feeling slightly refreshed. Our connecting flight to Florence was smooth and fast. Before we knew it we were in Florence. We met up with Becky (from Dallas) and Claudia our tour guide. The hour long ride to Radda in Chianti was very scenic. The ladies are excited. We have full day planned for tomorrow, visiting two towns, San Gimignano and Siena.
This evening we will taste our first glass of Chianti and enjoy some fabulous Italian food. Pictures to follow.