Second Day Of "Wine Town Firenze" 2010

Today was another gorgeous sunny day.

We headed towards the Mercato Centrale, where it seemed there was an exhibit called "Innovation:Wine Camp."

As we walked there, we came across a hotel called Montreal and Mary's Place, and had to take some photos for home.

The Mercato is always fun to visit, and today was no different. But unfortunately, the "Wine Camp" was on a break for lunch, and we learned, it was more of a discussion in Italian on wines.

At least that saved us from walking across town to another discussion venue, and instead, we started to meander back into town.

For those who like to shop, there are no streets in Florence that does not have interesting boutiques that catches the eye. Hera found a lovely black knit jacket with mink accents and picked it up.

Food shops are also to be found everywhere. At Via Sant'Antonino 23/r we found Il Cantuccio, where for 2 Euros, we bought a bag of best biscotti that Hera and I ever tasted. Fresh, and supple, with hints of oranges, nuts and chocolates. If you are in the area, it is defintely worth finding and tasting.

Earlier in our trip we had come across an empty but charming Piazza Annunziata. Today the square was bustling with people, filled with stalls selling various items and foods. Picking up some food, we walked amongst the stalls.

WineTown had an exhibit for children called "Vinopoli: Wine Explained to Children." We saw some crates of various grapes, groups of children, and what looked like a large life-sized monopoly board. How the game was played, I am not sure, but I do not see a "wine game" for children back home. I guess we are too uptight when it comes to wine.

At one stall, we recognized some wines that we had seen back home. Francesco Sorelli cheerfully explained the various wines that Ruffino produces (http://www.ruffino.com/) All the wines were exceptional, and his guidance was educational, and helped us appreciate the wines all the more.

Later in the day, we came across another stall, this one showcasing the Monteregio di Massa Marittima region. Wines of smaller producers, that are not exported. Once again, we were pleasantly guided by Barbara Simi as she shared her enthusiasm for wine, and enjoying life in general.

As we conversed and tasted the wines, a couple from Texas joined us. They asked us our opinion on the wines, and the conversation expanded. Part of the joy of wine tasting is this sharing. We all taste and experience things differently, but by voicing our opinions and listening to others, it add depth and richness to the experience.

Cheers,

Anthony & Hera

Experiencing The First "Wine Town Firenze 2010"

When one thinks of Florence and the Renaissance, one thinks of art. And there is certainly no shortage of art in Florence.

But the Renaissance, was also a rediscovery of science. The scientific advances of the Greeks and Romans were rediscovered via the Arabs, and Europe once again started to look and examine the world about them in a critical and scientific manner.

The recently renovated Galileo Museum was something I was looking forward to seeing. Located right next to the Uffizi Galleries, the modern museum promised a lot.

The artifacts are indeed works of art in themselves. Astrolabes, telescopes, clocks and meterologic equipment are all displayed. Old maps and globes, are all beautifully to look at. Perhaps the most intricate of all, is the Armillary Spheres that mechanically made the universe move in the complicated manner if the earth was the center of the universe.

But it does feel like a museum. Which is a pity.

There is potential for this museum to be so much more.

They even alluded how at one point it was fashionable to have working models demonstrating these scientific principles, and they even exhibited some of them as well. Why did they not take advantage of this, and have working models as part of the exhibit? It would have been much more fun and interesting to see and hear the crackle of a charge of static electricity leap across electrodes rather than simply read about it. Or look into a microscope at various specimens.

In the end, I appreciated the "art" of these amazing precision instruments that revolutionized how we look at the world. But it was dry, and I was disappointed. I felt they missed a grand opportunity to make science fun and interesting, not just academic and "exhibited" behind glass cases.

What was much more fun and interesting was the first annual WineTown (www.winetownfirenze.com). Over the weekend, at various lovely sites in Florence, wine tastings and various events were held.

We walked our now so familiar streets, and again came to the Arno River, and gazed at the iconic Ponte Vecchio. Crossing over the charming bridge, we briefly stopped and listend to a street musician, before me carried on our way.

One of the first places we visited was the vineyards held by the Guicciardini Strozzi family, located near San Gimignano. (http://www.guicciardinistrozzi.it/eng/proprieta.htm)

Irina, a charming young lady happily greeted us and informed us of their wines as well as the history of the vineyard which dates back to 994. Yes, a vineyard over 1000 years old. We tasted several of their delicious wines, met her sister Natalia, and were invited to tour their estate. The two sisters are actual descendants of La Gioconda, of the Mona Lisa.

As we walked about, Hera had mentioned how the two Princesses, were so charming. At first, I had thought Hera was joking, but she told me to look at their card. Nobles by birth, their demeanor was gracious, sincere and very warm.

We walked about, toured and sampled more wine at another exhibit, while a jazz band played. Again we were pleasantly greeted by the vineyard's representative, Doth Simone Modugno. We exchanged our views on wines, as we sampled their selections from Castello Di Verrazzano. (http://www.verrazzano.com/)

Calling it a night, we approached our street, and noticed that the Bargello museum, which we had not yet toured, was also playing host to WineTown. We entered the luxurius setting as another jazz band played. It was quite magical to look at the fine sculptures at night, as soft music played around us.

But the night was not yet finished. Diane, one of Hera's friends, had told her to try Limoncetta when we were in Florence. Earlier that day, we had picked up a bottle, and had chilled it.

Made of Lemon rinds in Vodka and Everclear (very potent alcohol), then cut with simple syrup, it becomes a deliciously dangerous liqueur.

Served iced cold, it was a great way to end our day.

Photographer's note: Experiencing (not just drinking) wine is about discovering its scent, then taste and this way it can become a personal experience that we can share through conversations with other wine lovers. Doing visual  justice to any bottle of wine is quite hard, unless your shots are staged. Which in our travel Blog nothing is staged. My photos are snap shots of the moments we both shared.

Experiencing The Tuscan Town Of Siena

Today we were off to nearby Siena. At one time, Siena vied with Flroence to be the dominant city. Both grew wealthy with banking, both started to build their cathedrals, both suffered horribly from the plague. Florence recovered, Siena never did.

The bus ride was quick and pleasant, and gave us our first views of the country side, albeit from the perspective of a major highway, but we did get some treasured glimpses here and there.

Photographer's note: Obviously the two shots you see below were taken from a bus window. I did not use a poloriser filter. I slighlty underxposed my shots.

Siena is a pretty town. Small and easy to navigate. Its narrow winding streets make it easy to imagine life here in medieval times.

We followed the crowd, winding our way down, until we came to the main square Il Campo. We took a seat and ordered some food and a drink. We knew it would be pricey and not that great, but sitting and relaxing on such squares is a delight on its own.

After our short break, we found our way towards Siena's Duomo, Santa Maria Assunta. It too was built over the site of an earlier church, and we had the chance to visit parts of the old church, and marvelled how colorful were the wall decorations.

Siena, competing with Florence at the time, planned on building a church larger than Florence's. It was to be the largest church in Christendom, but alas, plagues, questionable planning and financial difficulties, forced them to build a smaller, though still impressive church.

It is impressive to see the original wall of the Nave that was built, complete with vaulted ceilings in one of the aisles, and completed windows, the original front wall, as well as parts of the other wall of the Nave. One can only imagine how the church would have looked had they completed the original plan.

The church that stands now, is still no less impressive. Its facade is highly decorated, and we can see the changing styles or architecture as it was built. Romanesque on the bottom moving to gothic at the top.

The interior of the church is very impressive, more so that Florence's Duomo. There is art everywhere. The floor itself is a site to behold, as well as the paintings and sculptures that adorn the church. Bernini, Donatello, Michelangelo, and others are all represented here.

But I was most impressed by the Piccolomini library. The scenes themselves are all superbly executed, with excellent 3D perspective that takes into account the height of the frescoes above the viewers. Even more impressive is how vibrant the colors are, even though the frescoes were painted over 500 years ago.

Equally impressive is the story that the 10 scenes recount. They recount the life of one of Siena's favorite son's. A well educated noble man sent off to make his fortune. On the way, he argues against the Pope, visits England and fathers a couple of illegitimate children, then and acts as a diplomat. He then moves and joins the Court of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III in Viena where he is crowned court poet, writing poetry, some racy stories, a play and an autobiography. He then serves on some military campaigns, and again acts as a diplomant this time between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor.

He reconciles his own differences with the Pope, renouces his old galavanting way of life with the Ladies and become a priest. Soon he is promoted to Bishop of Siena, then Cardinal and ultimately becomes Pope Pius II.

Like Florence, Siena also has a Duomo museum that is well worth the visit for the art alone. But an added highlight, was that it allowed us to walk up to the top of the high wall, that was to be the facade of the originally planned church. The views in all directions were spectacular and breath taking.

We decided not to tour the Civic Museum. It sounded interesting, but since we were here only for a day, we prefered to walk the streets, and get a feel for the city. We looked into shop windows, and of course Hera had her gelato.

Across town we came across the austere grand church of San Francesco. Surpisingly, the nearby buildings are now used as part Siena's University. I can only imagine taking a lecture in such impressive decor.

We walked a bit more, before calling it a day, and headed back to the bus station.

Cheers,

Anthony & Hera