Reading and Travel

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Libri (Books)

  • A Tuscan Childhood/Kinta Beevor
  • A House in Sicily/Daphne Phelps
  • Notes From An Italian Garden/Joan Marble
  • A Thousand Days in Venice/Marlena de Blasi
  • A Thousand Days in Tuscany/Marlena de Blasi
  • The Lady in the Palazzo/Marlena de Blasi
  • The Passion of Artemisia/Susan Vreeland
  • Artemisia/Anna Banti
  • The Rosetti Letter/Christi Phillips
  • The Guido Brunetti mysteries/Donna Leon
  • Courage Beyond Words – biography of Michel Thomas/Christopher Robbins
  • If you want to learn Italian, or about the language: La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World’s Most Enchanting Language/Dianne Halesand check out her website: http://www.becomingitalian.com/index.php
  • Michel Thomas language CDs

Mallonee’s travel notes: Firenze (Florence) Through the Years (2016 is the 50th anniversary of the flood)

I’ll be adding notes on my favorite ways to drift through days. My travel dates are always March, April or May. Hotel Mario’s is where I perch in Florence. The 3 young brothers (owners) make this the best. The magic words are Leonardo, Federico, and Edoardo. It is reasonably priced, 2 blocks from the train station, and a straight shot to the Duomo area. I have stayed in several other hotels through the years which I can recommend, in case Hotel Mario’s can’t take you. Food has become my main goal, along with just being there. I have attended 3 week-long cooking schools in Tuscany, all of which were great fun, informative, and with unbelievable numbers of recipes and plates of food.

Update: the brothers sold Hotel Mario’s in 2018, but it is still a nice place to stay and we know the staff. Federico and Edoardo now have two “B&Bs”:

 Cerretani Palace – Right by the Duomo

Home In Florence – altrarno near Santo Spirito

Every year I buy shoes, not necessarily expensive, that have become the mark of that year. I am a light traveler going over (not always true coming home). As a result, my pictures from year-to-year often have the same outfits, so the shoes are the designator.

The first trip I made in 2004 (the year of the red tennis shoes) was a journey by myself ( I was nervous!) to the first cooking school in a small village and to Florence, then L.C. joined me and I took him to see what I knew: Pienza, Montefollonico, Montepulciano. We stayed in Lucca very last-minute when I learned that my reserved spot in Montefollonico was overbooked, and a couple at breakfast said ‘hey, we loved Lucca, go here.’ The night before L.C.’s arrival I called the hotel they recommended and there we went. Loved it, and drove to Villa Reale for one of my best garden visits ever. I had no idea this trip was the beginning of my Italy addiction and of friendships and places that would become my annual retreat.

The next year, 2005 (the year of the lime green reptilian long-pointed pump) I returned on my own again to Florence, off to another wonderful cooking school near Lucca, then back to Florence for a few days.

I did not go in 2006, we took another trip instead (a lovely visit to Kauai) and I had severe Italy withdrawal. Never again, I hope. That is the year of the flip-flops.

2007 (the year of the blue tennis shoes and the soft pink loafers)  I went for a month. The first 2 weeks L.C. went with me and we visited Cinque Terre, stayed in Manarola. It was a beautiful sight, what a shame to think that Vernazza was wiped out with flooding recently. I know those crafty Italians will rebound and rebuild (as of spring 2012, all villages are back in operation but still rebuilding). After 5Terre, we returned to Florence to regroup and do laundry, then head to Pienza and Montefollonico and environs. We had several adventures driving around: we added Montalcino, Montechiello, Todi in Umbria, Radicofani, some of the hot baths, Lake Bolsena. The day L.C. flew home, a girlfriend (Sara) flew in for her first visit. She has since joined me in Italy 6 years! We went to a cooking school in Le Marche, which is my favorite of the three. A gorgeous mountainous region, very rural, would love to return. Then we visited Lucca and back to Florence.

2008 ( no shoes???) was a trip with my friend, Sara, and her daughter and another friend. Florence, Pienza, Montefollonico, Venice. Tons of fun and good food and memories. We began our ‘tradition’ of spending our last afternoon at Villa San Michele in Fiesole having drinks in the garden, looking out at Florence.

2009 (the year of the blue suede moccasin loafer) was my test to work from Florence and to pretend I lived there, if only for a few days. Sara and I had an apartment in Florence for 10 days, I telecommuted each day while she explored the streets of Florence on her own. Then off to dinner each evening and walking the piazze, listening to the performers. Every morning before work I went to the bakery 2 doors down, chatted in my basic Italian, then later took a lunch break and walked to Piazza della Repubblica for a quick sandwich at I Fratellini. I had my little routine going, certain locals I could say buongiorno to each day, as if I belonged there.

After the 10 days of work, we got a car and took off for 10 days in our stomping grounds: Pienza and Montefollonico. Now, these 2 villages are only a few miles apart, but we have places we like to stay at each, local restaurants we crave, have developed some friendships at each, so we go to both. We take drives and see new things, but we can’t come up with a reason to deviate from this.

2010 (the year of the brown suede boots) was the year of the volcanic ash cloud. Our trip was canceled the day before departure, so I scrambled and managed to put it back together for departure one week later, slightly scrambled, also. It was a lazy trip. I do the planning, so if the itinerary sounds boring, blame me. Florence for 2 days, then Pienza and Montefollonico, then back to Florence for several days. A day trip to 5Terre. Lots of time at cafes sipping and observing, time to see things I have not seen yet in Florence, believe it or not.

2011 (the year of the black ankle boots) More friends joined us, a married couple I have known for 30+ years, we had a great time together. Same general itinerary, but some very neat, new experiences. We spent Palm Sunday in Montefollonico at the village churches with the benediction at one, holding armfuls of olive branches, then a procession up the street to the larger church for mass. Then the fava bean festival in Pienza that afternoon was a treat. An invitation by our Montefollonico landlady, who has her pottery studio in a chapel, to visit a friend’s home one afternoon was THE highlight. Rick Steves, eat your heart out. Her friend has many animals (chickens were my main attraction, along with a large dog and a gander that are in love with each other), gardens, olive trees, speaks no English. I came home with a bottle of her olive oil, one of my greatest treasures. Liquid gold. Neato, neato, neato. Then back to our buddies at Hotel Mario’s in Florence.

2012 (the year of the gray soft-leather tennis shoe and espadrilles) Just returned, here is a quick update. Traveled with the same friends as last year and had a blast and absolutely perfect weather except a bit of rain on Easter. This time we spent a week in Montefollonico, then Florence for Easter ( a first for me!), where we witnessed the ‘explosion of the cart’ at the Duomo. Look for it on uTube,  you will be grinning from ear to ear. It is SO typically Italian, such a celebration, and a real Catholic surprise to me. I can say that, being married to a Catholic and attending the Catholic church for years. Other highlights: I finally obtained tickets to the Vasari Corridor, been trying for 3 years, and it was worth the expense and effort. We used Context Travel and were impressed with the guide. We learned of a free organ concert at Pitti Palace one day at noon, a real treat in a beautiful small chapel. Another lovely Palm Sunday in Montefollonico and another day with our landlady/friend and her friend in the garden, being served tea alongside a peacock, goose and her beloved dog, overlooking the Montepulciano hillside. A private wine-tasting in a cellar in Montefollonico. Buckets of wonderful food. New spot in Florence for us: enoteca Le Volpi e l’Uva (altrarno near Chiesa di Santa Felicita’). Voted best meal this year by our highly-trained palates: La Porta in Montichiello.

2013 No Italy trip, boo hoo. I shall survive, though, and we WILL be going in 2014. To be continued…..

2014 This was to be a trip with my husband (who had not been since 2007) and our dear friends the married couple. Tragically, the wife of the couple passed away quickly early March. The remaining three of us decided last-minute to continue with our plan and off we went 3 weeks later to our treasured spots. It was a much-needed time of rest and toasting to all of our good times together. One day she sent us a beautiful double rainbow in Montefollonico. All of our friends in Italy were so loving and caring and aware of our loss. It is their loss, too.

2015 No trip due to Mallonee’s mother’s health. She passed away 08Dec, 2015, age 91. She loved to sing and dance, had a zest for life and the ability to laugh and smile no matter the course. She was elegant to the end, and we so admire her. She is with us forever. A trip is in the works for 2016!

2016 (the year of the bright green loafers and black zipper ankle boots): We (LC, Mallonee, and Ron our married-couple friend) have recently returned from 3 weeks of relaxing and eating at our favorite spots in Florence, Montefollonico, Pienza and surrounds, and Venice. We had our first truffle hunt outside Montefollonico, visited Castiglione d’Orcia (memorable meal), Arezzo, and Venice/Murano. Every morning in Montefollonico we gather at Bar Sport for cappuccino, fresh blood-orange juice and pastries to decide that day’s agenda (if there is one). Lots of fun with all of our friends in Italy. New treasures are gifts of olive oil from two friends from their own private olive orchards, plus homemade pasta from our friend with the lovely garden and animals.  A fun pizza night with friends at Al Botteghino outside Montefollonico. Back in Florence, Osteria Pepo has moved way up our list. We had 3 great meals there, with a Last Supper of melone e prosciutto (cantaloupe like we have never seen before!), fiori di zucco fritti, and taglione con lemone e mente. Big Wow. This year was Sostanza visit #23. Cichetti in Venice for the first time, Mallonee loved it, the guys not so much.  Mallonee also loves spritzes….she seems to have one in hand in most pics. To top it off, we had great weather.

2017 (the year of baby booties!) The three of us spent 2 weeks in Montefollonico (the longest yet, and loved every minute) and 1 week in and out of Florence. The highlights: (1) two friends had baby boys, one in October and one in January. We had many special moments with them. (2) Falconry has been on Mallonee’s list for a few years, and we finally made it happen. What a wonderful experience; we had hours in a field with a falconer and his two falcons. Next year we have plans to go hunting with him and the falcons. (3) We were invited to our friends’ homes for dinner/apertivo for the first time. Treasured memories. This year was the best ever, and I will probably say that every year. It gets better and better….. we had an afternoon again with our friend with the garden, now she has bees (“api” ), we met some new locals, Mallonee had her first Ape ride (a 3-wheeler truck like a Cushman) and we finally made a contact to consider purchasing one to bring back to Spicewood. We visited Chianti, Bolsena/Lake Bolsena and the war cemetery outside of Bolsena, and Lake Trasimeno.

2018 March-April (the year of tan soft-suede flats) We spent a wonderfully relaxing month in Italy (notice a trend of the trip getting longer…). Our plans were to stay 5 weeks, but the East Coast storms interfered and we lost a week on the front end. We had colder and wetter weather than usual, but not enough to slow us down. LC and Mallonee flew to Milan and stayed 5 nights, our first glimpse of Milan. The attraction that drew us there was to see the duomo, and I was not expecting to really care for a big city, but I did! Travel tip: we stayed at Atellani apartments, which are 5 apartments inside the museum and one apartment they manage that is a few blocks away. We stayed in the off-site apartment and then one in the museum. Perfect location and very reasonable price. Atellani is across the street from the UNESCO World Heritage site Santa Maria delle Grazie with Da Vinci’s The Last Supper fresco (Cenacolo Vinciano). We walked up and got tickets for that afternoon. Next stop: the duomo is breathtaking, a multitude of spires and gargoyles. I love gargoyles. I bought a ticket online while standing in line behind a few people that waited 1.5 hours to buy a ticket to then get in this line, (This is one of those times when the internet hits me on the head. How did this ever come to be??)  to go to the rooftop via the lift for a walk amongst it all. Wow. It was drizzly and cold and a big memory for me. Unfortunately, LC was not feeling well and back in the apartment and missed this….. next time. Chiesa di San Maurizio (“the Sistine Chapel of Milano”) a treasure, right down the street from our apartment.

Milano meals we enjoyed:

De Santis (old panini shop) 200 choices, 5 tables, usually must stand outside.

Osteria di Canonaia. LOVED it, it is my Sostanza in Milano. Went twice.

Atellani Vigna di Leonardo Cafe is a nice spot for a drink, breakfast, panini, aperitivo open to the public.

Pizzeria Biagio near Cadorna Station. Good thin pizza.

Next we took the train to Florence to meet up with our traveling buddy, Ron, who flew in that day. 4 nights at Hotel Marios, went to my favorite Tratorria Sostanza, along with our other favorite dinner spots. We found a couple of new places for lunch and spent a day at Museo Stibbert, a museum of Armoury, a collection of 36,000+ artifacts. This is off the tourist path and VERY interesting. We managed to get there via bus and walking. There were 5 of us in our guided group; you are required to have a guide take you through the museum, which was Stibbert’s home. There is a beautiful garden that is open to the public (free) that I plan to visit next trip. You could spend a quiet day there. We had good times with our friends in Florence! Gregorio is now one year old and a bundle of energy.

We got our car and took off for “our village” for two glorious weeks. First stop: lunch at Al Botteghino on the road approaching Montefollonico, our favorite local hangout. Great food, great prices. After much research, we designate it the best pici caccio e pepe. We had cold and wet days, BIG wind a few days, then some sunny days. Every morning at Bar Sport for cappuccino, spremuta, pastries. Aperol spritzes everywhere. Day trips to 5 villages new to us, also Civita de Bagnoregio. Panicale inUmbria. Palm Sunday and our first Easter in the village, very special with the benediction of eggs on Saturday before Easter. Lots of fun and good times with our village and Pienza “family” that seems to grow every year. Easter dinner invitation to our friend’s house. Our last night is pizza night at Botteghino with the family. I had time to be with Max who is now one year old, lots of hugs and running after him hanging onto his hood. He wants to walk, not be held, he is on a mission! BIG highlight: another day of falconry with Simone. We hunted partridge in a field with the current Italian champion: fastest in the low-flying category. A goshawk. Also worked with a harris hawk and a white gyrfalcon.

Back to Florence for 4 nights at our friends’ new venture: Cerretani Palace.  A shameless well-deserved plug…..We stayed in the room you see on the site, the superior room with the orange headboard. Rooms are absolutely beautiful, very elegant, and spacious spa-like bathrooms. Perfect location, you look out at the duomo and baptistry. There are 3 rooms. This is not a hotel, it is not staffed 24/7, but either brother Federico or Edoardo are there during the day to assist you in any way, and only a text or call away. They want you to have the best stay ever in Florence. In an old building with a security entrance, see their site for its history. We all had dinner together our last night and I learned of “pinzimonio’. How is it possible I have missed a food item?

Poof, we are home, and the cabin is busy. Come visit!

2018 October: Mallonee returned for 3 weeks by herself! The main purpose was to see friends and children and a first-time fall trip there to include high-flying falconry and a truffle hunt for the expensive ones. It was perfect weather. Florence friends await the arrival in December of the next baby boy. I was SO lucky to have a spur-of-the-moment invitation by a friend to view a private garden in Florence. What a gift! I also spent some nights altrarno at Home In Florence and really enjoyed being there. It is a different experience, and my favorite eatery became Tamero’ Pizzeria at Santo Spirito. Unfortunately, my day of falconry did not include the high-flying falcons due to last-minute problems, but I still enjoyed an afternoon with Simone and raptors, and got to work with a 4-month old falcon in training. The truffle hunt in the woods was a beautiful day and productive. The dogs found 3 very large ones and Pierpaolo was a happy hunter.

2019 Mar-Apr We have just returned from Italy, another scrumptious journey. More notes later, but new adventures included Pitigliano, Sorano, Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore. We are back and ready to meet our cabin guests. Update: The 3 of us traveled for 3 weeks, then I stayed another 2 weeks, divided between Pienza and Montefollonico. We met the newest baby boy born in December, so now a total of 4 boys between 2 friends. O mio. All parents are tired and so was I! But how wonderful to have time with the children. Also making some new friends in the countryside, and the existing friendships are better every year. Other highlights: being included in two family birthday celebrations and hearing the Italian chatter and babies crying, plates and plates of food, invitations to family dinners, going to a school music program, shopping at the coop, friends of friends recognizing us on the street or at the village bar, living the daily life. Delightful. This is the “slow travel” you hear about.

2019 Natale: LC and I decided relatively last-minute to return for Christmas (“Natale”), a new experience! The focus: a trip for just the 2 of us, spending Christmas in Italy and spending it with our friends and their children, and contemplating a purchase to make these sojourns an easier trip. We dream of leaving everything we need there and just returning as we wish with very little in tow, to our own little place. And we are light travelers, overall, but it is becoming more tedious as long as we are on/off trains and driving ourselves.  We arrived 12Dec and had 2 nights in Milan, 5 in Florence, 3 weeks in Montefollonico. 1st morning in Milan we awoke to snow flakes!!! I jumped out of bed and hopped on a bus to get to the cathedral before the snow stopped (LC was barely awake, I left a note. ciao!). Late afternoon we returned to the cathedral to see the Christmas market and decorations. Found a trattoria we loved near the hotel, went both nights. Perfetto. Then train to Florence where we celebrated a friend’s birthday. We were thrilled to be invited to the family lunch, and were introduced to the traditional Christmas pasta en brodo. We are converts. Tortellini or grattini. The Christmas market in Florence at Santa Croce was a big disappointment to us, but the decorations in Florence were wonderful. Each street in the city center area had a different themed swag of lights. The tree and nativity on the square at the duomo was right out our door and just perfect. Not a giant, flashy thing, made me smile every night. Train to Chiusi where we got our car ( we did NOT like our Nissan Juke, but had no choice). That night, LC came down with a cold, I followed a few days later. Luckily we were in a comfortable, warm apartment with the Alimentari Romani and the farmacia and Bar Sport nearby. What else do you need? All we cared about was making Christmas Day family lunch with our friends, which we did. While LC was sick at home for days, I made it to the school Christmas program, the bonfire and Babbo Natale on Christmas Eve in Pienza, a visit one COLD night to the Montepulciano Christmas market (the best of all that we saw). Then Christmas day 4-hour lunch, exchanging gifts, meeting more family including a sister and her 11-yr-old daughter from Romania. Interesting note:  the daughter could not take her eyes off of us. She had never met an American before and had many questions for us. One day we took everyone by train to Florence for the day and I was the guide. Ha! I can’t write it all here, but what a memory this trip was. So, so special. And now with the disruption of travel due to the Chinese virus, I am really glad we took the December trip since our annual spring trip won’t be happening. No need to risk getting quarantined somewhere. Our thoughts are with our Italian friends who are all dealing with this in their everyday life, all of whom are either directly affected in their business, or their community economy is affected. As soon as any of you are willing to travel, please put Italy on your list. 

2019 shoe update: Nothing for me, but my friend wanted Ugg boots, which are much more expensive there. When I got home, sales were on, and I found 2 pair at The Rack in her size. She and I made the giant leap of faith and LC boxed them up and shipped them via USPS (research showed that to be the best price). The issue is you never know what tax Italy may charge the recipient. After 3 weeks I started checking the tracking, the package had made it to Milan and was then not delivered because they “could not find” her. It had been sitting for over a week in an unidentified location. Really. She knows everyone in Pienza, including the post office staff. How could this be. She went the next morning and asked. Oh yes, here it is in the back, the tax is 35E. She is loving her boots!

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General notes

Since 2004, I looked up and found a young Romanian girl every year that was a waitress one night when the cooking school went out for dinner at a local restaurant. When I took L.C. back for dinner she was our waitress 2 nights in a row. We exchanged post cards that year. When I returned the next year, she had left and was working in Pienza. I found her there. The next year she had moved to another place in Pienza, I found her. Now she is married and living in Pienza and has an 8-year old son and had her 2nd boy in January 2017. Now our trips are all about seeing our friends that have grown to become our “family”.

Pienza: I like the small Friday market, I always find a tablecloth or dish towels or kitchen tidbit. We have stayed several times at La Chiocciola, 3 nice rooms with private baths above a restaurant just outside the wall. VERY reasonable. OK, now you have one of my secrets. Their food is quite good, and they have a flower-filled patio for dining, too. (Hi to Flavio and Maria!)
We hang out at local restaurant Dal Falco (Hi to Silvana! She is part of the family we know). It is excellent local food with reasonable pricing and a large wine selection. We have many meals here. Mallonee finally managed to have a meal at Antonio’s new Agriturismo Poderuccio 1 km from Pienza (He sold Buca Di Enea 2019).  It is as good as ever, you need a reservation since so few tables.

Thursday is a big market in Montepulciano. Fun to go, and we always get a porchetta at the Bindi Enzo food truck to take home for lunch.

Montefollonico: La Botte Piena is very nice, upscale, but getting pricey for us (2019). We absolutely love Il Botteghino a few miles down the road (Hi to Daniele). Great local meals and reasonable.  I lost count of how many meals I had there in 2019, several by myself, but I often see someone there I know that stops to chat.

Florence: La Sostanza is my favorite ristorante, I’ve been there 28 times (as of April 2019), but who is counting. Get pollo al burro and the tortino di carciofi (like an artichoke omelette) and the house cake for dessert, don’t share the cake with anyone. Also a plate of field berries. check it out: http://www.elizabethminchilliinrome.com/2011/12/trattoria-sostanza-florence.html
Unfortunately, all of the guide books now mention Sostanza, but the food and service has not changed. You can watch them cook in the itty-bitty cucina. Sadly, the owner was killed on his scooter in 2016 in Florence, but the ristorante will live on. Lunch and dinner.

Much good food in Firenze, not necessarily expensive: Osteria Pepo, (Trattoria Za Za is off my list now. It has become a big tourist spot for people unaware of great places 1-2 doors away, service is crummy), Mario’s, Le Volpi e l’Uva, Sostanza, I Fratellini, All’Antico Vinaio……………. Paszkowski Bar on Piazza Repubblica is my favorite for morning cappuccino and spremuta and cornetto. Also for aperitivo (7-9) and live music following.
Every year some music catches my ear in a restaurant or a shop, and off I go to the music store near Lorenzo market or by the Duomo. My favorites:

  • Renato Zero
  • Riccardo Cocciante
  • Eros Ramazzotti
  • Gotan Project (not Italian, but I 1st heard in Firenze)
  • Mario Biondi
  • Sergio Cammariere
  • Tiziano Ferro

For you knitters:

there is a big yarn shop behind the Duomo on Via F. Portinari (Campolmi Roberto Filati)

there is a yarn shop where you stand in line to get tickets for the Medici Chapel and San Lorenzo church, on your left, not noticeable. You step down into it. (Mirko Filati)