Walked down the hill to the supermercato…closed for inventory???….walked back up the hill for a cappuccino in Cafe Poliziano…sun shining so took a cup of tea onto my terrace and met neighbours and invited them to share my terrace which soon followed by an invitation to join these 3 lovely Canadian ladies for lunch at Il Grotto. Sat in the courtyard and had some divine Italian food..duck liver on Italian toast followed by hand rolled pasta with quail and prunes. 
Lovely wines and the girls were great fun. Did a little wine tasting on the way back up the hill and bought my first bottle of Vino il Nobile Montepulciano which is the red wine this place is famous for..12 euro a bottle was pretty good for such a beautiful wine! 7pm for welcome drinks at the Italian language school Il Sasso where I am starting some lessons tomorrow morning. Welcomed in Italian and no one seemed to speak or want to speak any English so I guess its immersion from the start…not sure how I will go???? I did meet John McCarthy QC the Australian Amassador to the Holy See in Rome…i.e the Vatican and Pope!!! He was recently appointed by Julia Gillard and replaced Tim Fischer but has only 100 words of Italian! Should be an interesting week!
First day in Montepulciano….
03 Jun 2013 1 Comment
Arrival in Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy…
01 Jun 2013 2 Comments
Used a private transfer by car to drive through the countryside ,which was green and lush,to my next abode for 4 weeks, Politian Apartments. Montepulciano is a medieval town and Tuscany’s ‘loftiest’ hilltop town with remarkable views of the surrounds and its vineyards, olive groves and little villages. The apartment is located in the highest and oldest part of Montepulciano near the 12th Century Fortress and monastery of Santa Maria die Servi. My bedroon is huge and there is a spare! The original features of the building are preserved but all modern amenities are here. The paintings, furniture and decorative objects all belonged to the family of the owners and the original palazzo (house). The sheets, bedspreads and tapestries all belonged to a wedding trousseaux from the late 1800’s…when the owners found them they were new and never used! My photos don’t do it justice…
Days in Forence….
31 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Culture, Environment, Society
I could not resist Lorenzo’s suggestion to try the best gelato at Gelateria Santa Trinita…creamy deliciousness…chocolate fondant, peaches with brandy and Ricotta and figs flavours!
Wandered the streets and explored the famous Ponte Vecchio which is a bridge for pedestrians only and dedicated to gold and jewellery shops. The River Arno was a milky coffee colour due to the rain. Walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a spectacular view of Florence and the river valley it sits in. An Aperol spritz was well deserved with such a view. I wound my way back down the hill via a beautiful rose garden in full bloom which framed Florence in the background very nicely.
Exploring Firenze…
30 May 2013 Leave a comment
My apartment is about 200m from the impressive Duomo and its bell tower so I’m very central. Florence is lovely to walk around as it is car free in a lot of central area streets. I hadepre purchased ticket so luckily didn’t have to line up long for the Galleria deli Uffizi where I saw all the great artists including pieces by Leonardo Da Vinci, Titian, Carravaggio, Raphael, Giotto and Michelangelo. My two favourites were Botticelli’s “Primavera” and “Birth of Venus”. No photos allowed of course. I also visited Galleria dell’ Accademia where Michelangelos statue of David is housed. I must say I was most impressed..I didn’t think the experience would be that good! There is a copy where the original once stood outside Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signora which you can freely photograph.
5 Nights in Florence…
30 May 2013 Leave a comment
Left Vencie on a high speed train bound for Florence and checked into my gorgeous ‘florentine’ apartment “Trebbio”. Being very domestic..shopping, washing, cooking, ironing and generally relaxing with lots of cups of tea and big cups of hot illy coffee! 
Team Intrepid 3…Last Night..Venice…
30 May 2013 Leave a comment
Spritz at bar number one…Campari Spritz for something different at bar number two…prosecco at Trattoria…
Exploring Venice…
29 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Culture, Environment, Society
A vaporetto down the Grand Canal…Cappucino in Piazza San Marco…Gondoliers and Gondolas..Venetian buildings..Boats and more boats..Vaporetto to the island of Murano..Murano glass..Cafe Macchiato at the bar..pasta in a little cafe..
Venezia…
29 May 2013 1 Comment
in Culture, Environment, People
Travelled by train from Lake Como, via Milan and across the north of Italy to arrive in Venice. Its uniqueness was evident immediately upon leaving the station and seeing the bustle of the canals and everyone catching vaporetto (ferries). We walked through Cannaregio to the Rialto bridge and crossed the Grand Canal by gondola. We continued through a maze of alleyways and tiny canals to come out at Piazza San Marco where the Basilica of St Mark’s and the Doge’s Palace are located. We visited the Jewish Ghetto which was interesting and had an incredible dinner of Cuttlefish Risotto in black ink.
Lago di Como…
29 May 2013 Leave a comment
in Culture, Environment, Uncategorized
Train to Como and nasty bus trip to our hotel at Cadenabbia on the shores of Lake Como. Unfortunately it was getting dark and raining so couldn’t see much. Freshwater fish for dinner of course. The next day was freezing and it was snowing on the mountains surrounding the lake which is absolutely spectacular and enormous. There are so many villages along the edges and higher up the slopes. Visited Villa Carlotta with its sublime gardens then ferried across to the village of Bellagio. Crossed the lake to Varenna and then Menaggio where we walked along the edge of the lake back to the hotel. Settled in at the bar to drink our wine purchased in Asti!
Milan…
28 May 2013 Leave a comment
Leaving Asti by train we arrived in Milan, stored the baggage, and used the Metro to reach the city centre. We climbed the majestic Duomo (Cathedral) and explored the central square and shops before returning to Centrale Station for a train to Como.
pinkbirdflies 