This Is It: A Backroads' Trip

Just to catch up, I'm going to write this post in storybook fashion:

Monte Oliveto

Monte Oliveto is a Benedictine abbey with beautiful frescoes inside...

The early part of Saint Benedict's life was painted by Luca Signorelli, who's telltale sign is having a horses arse in the image (let's pretend there's one here)

The later years of Benedict's life were depicted by Antonio Bazzi, AKA Sodoma. He got that nickname for a reason. His images are darker, generally involving demons and some other form of human degradation.

I couldn't believe the process for building a fresco. Each painter, during a given day, probably had around 60 men assisting them. The process goes like this: swath the wall in a coat of plaster, quickly put on pre-stenciled drawings that leave powder outline, remove stencils, add another sheer coat of plaster and quickly paint in your images before the plaster dries. You have about 8 hours before the color is sealed in forever. If you make a mistake you have to break the wall and start over. DELETE! DELETE!

Views. I love riding here

Welcome reception at our first hotel, Castello del Nero.

The same guest from the last picture with her husband on a tandem. Do you know how difficult it is to ride a tandem up a hill? Do you know how many hills there are in Tuscany? Then you know how badass this couple is.

Lynn put together a beautiful lunch...

...Which Andrej and I had again for dinner later in the hotel room. Then we rented American Reunion. Sheer bliss

I shadowed Andrej as a van support. Not a bad spot to wait.

Bagno Vignoni

Town of natural thermal baths. Apparently the most famous Italians of lore blessed these waters with their naked bodies.

And we blessed our bodies with the water of life, AKA coffee.

Castello di Velona

It's a castle! No, it's a hotel! No, it's BOTH! Welcome home, guests

Natural thermal baths onsite at hotel/castle

My new dear friend Federica. She taught me everything I know about frescoes, wearing chic earrings and useful italian vocab. She could get a whole post on herself. What a character!! We were laughing together all week.

Abazzia Sant'Antimo

We visited here in the last morning of our trip to listen to the monks chant. The acoustics were phenomenal; their voices sounded smooth as bells.

Castelnuovo

On the hike back to the castle/hotel

It's hard to tell here, but the light vines have dark green bushes in between. The linear color contrast is gorgeous.

Walking Trip

Chiusure

Judas Tree with barbed wire in front... too poetic

Crete Senesi; this lower part of Tuscany used to be the sea floor, which formed this gray clay still covering the landscape.

Chiusure is the Italian capital for artichokes. Apparently it has the perfect microclimate

We caught some artichoke harvesters in action. This kind gentleman gifted me an artichoke and explained how I could eat it raw with just oil and salt. He had no teeth, so I don't know if I'm going to try it or not...

Renee had a beautiful bonding moment with a random boy. They were naming the turtles.

Palazza Leopoldo, Radda in Chianti

The guests paid to cook for themselves! Haha, this was actually a highlight of the trip; an authentic Tuscan cooking class.

They didn't do too badly: parmiggiano reggiano lollipop, salumi, artichoke, bread crumb-stuffed tomatoes, cheese and the best: grilled eggplant stuff with cheese. MMMM

Spinach and cheese ravioli

Pork tenderloin. He only rubbed garlic on his hands, then rubbed the meat for seasoning. Simple as that. The meat was delicious, but come on, I'm from KC.

Federica, Raphael and Renee enjoying breakfast on the terrace

Gaiole

My dad already agreed that this would be a great addition to our chicken pen.

Il Papavero (the Poppy Flower)

My new favorite restaurant...

...Mainly because of what they can do with sugar.

We found truffle-hunting dogs!

...and a huge bin of leftover bread?

Might as well give it a try!

Castello Cacchiano, originally owned by the family that invented the recipe for Chianti Classico wine.

We got a tour of the facilities. Michele was so well-spoken and informative.

Sadly, I was driving and did not get to partake in the tasting. Everything looked so good. I felt like a homeless kid watching a family at Christmas outside their window. I like wine

My Turn!