May 19, 2017 – Venturina, Italy (near the coast of Tuscany)
It was a quick stay for us in Siena where we had the run of the town. It is not yet the high season for tourists in Tuscany and it was quite different from when Elisa and I have been here before. I have to say that coming in late Spring is an excellent time to visit Italy. The weather has been great – warm but not too hot, perhaps a little humid at times and the evenings a bit on the cool side. One inconvenience we’ve had to deal with has been mosquitos, it seems to be the time of the year for them to be out and about in great numbers. I’ve gotten away relatively unscathed, but poor Carolyn seems to be a veritable buffet for the little varmints.
We have come to the small town of Venturina, which sits near the midsection of Tuscany near the Mediterranean seaside. It lies about the 65 miles from Pisa and its famous leaning tower. We have come here because it is near the ancestral home of her parents and a spot where she still has many relatives. A part of the charm for me when we visit this little town, is that whenever we stroll through the town, we run into people we know and have met during one of our many visits. It never ceases to amaze me that so many of the people we meet are related to Elisa. They may be fourth or fifth cousins or even first cousins, it doesn’t matter, they still treat you like a dear part of the family. We have my brother Trenton and his wife Carolyn with us on this trip and when Elisa’s relatives meet each of them they are quickly embraced as part of the family and they too are showered with hugs and kisses on the cheek. I never grow tired of how close they are to family.
We are staying at a small vacation residence here in Venturina. It is owned and operated by the Sister of a close friend of Elisa’s cousin Gianni. Once again the benefit of being in a small town; no matter what you need, somebody knows somebody that can get you that something you need. The residence is named Poggio Aprico. It is a converted farm house that has stood on this site for 100’s of years. Now, much of the farm is gone and this beautiful property remains as temporary housing to tourists like us that visit from around the world. The fact that it does not have an operating farm differentiates it from the Agri-touriasmo’s that you read about. Nevertheless, the residence sit among farm fields and have beautiful views. How beautiful you wonder well the view out our bathroom window is of a medieval castle sitting high up on a hill, ‘Tis castle has been fully restored and now is a private residence of a wealthy family.
On the 19th, our day was largely taken up by visiting with relatives and taking care of some personal business that Elisa and I had from when we has sold a home that we had here in the area several years ago. Doing any sort of business here in Italy can be very complicated. If you are dealing with any type of official agencies, they are inevitably mired in red-tape. After a couple of different trips we finally got our business taken care of. While we were doing that, Trent and Carolyn strolled around the time doing some window shopping. While they were stopped outside of a real estate office they were marveling at how affordable an apartment with an ocean view might be. Perhaps they engaged someone in a conversation of sign language and broken Italian – because when I text Trent to see where they are and how they are getting along, he responds back, “we’re fine….but I’m not sure – we may have bought a house here.” Too funny.
With our business done, we dedicated the day to visiting some of Elisa’s many relatives and having a wonderful lunch with Elisa’s cousin Gianni and Rosella. It was a fantastic meal and far better than the amazing meals we’ve had on our trips at the many fine restaurants we’ve visited. There is noting like a home cooked meal. Keep in mind this is just our lunch – we start tortelli in an amazing meat sauce. Tortelli is a Tuscan pasta dish that is similar to ravioli but they are a little larger and are usually stuffed with ricotta and spinach. These were amazing. The trick to great tortelli is that you need to have the dough thick enough so that they don’t break apart while boiling bot not so thick that they are too chewy. It is also critical that they not be overlooked. Once again, Rosella did an amazing job. With the pasta completed, we were then served a wonderful pork roast that was thinly sliced and served. That was followed by roasted chicken. The gravy from the pork was to die for and everyone used their bread to clean their plates. We then had salad and the meal was completed by cheese and then pears. Desert was a beautiful cake that was light and airy that was decorated with a warm welcome to Elisa and me. Rosella works at a bakery and her boss was kind enough to prepare the cake with the personalized welcome for us.
Once again, we were all about to fall into a food coma, but nevertheless we had more relatives to visit. I was hoping for a brief respite so that we might go back to the beautiful and tranquil setting or Poggio Aprico, where I might be able to take the chaise lounge for a “test flight” (meaning nap), but it didn’t work out that way. Whenever we visit this part of Italy all of Elisa’s relatives are so welcoming and everyone wants to prepare you a meal. On this evening we would be visiting sisters Dorella and Beatrice who are second cousins to Elisa on her Mother’s side. Dorella and Beatrice are both married to Massimo and Bachisio respectively. Each of them came to visit us in America when they were first married. Much time has passed since those visits and each has children now who range in age from 18 to 24. On this evening, they have invited us over for pizza. Wow – what a treat.
There will be 13 of us around the dinner table on this evening. It is very common for Italian families to have a kitchen inside the home and another outside the home. The second kitchen may sit in a basement or other shaded structure. The reason for the second kitchen is so that in the heat of the summer they have a cooler refuge where they can do most of their living. On this evening we are at the home of Dorella and Massimo. Upon arrival we exchange hugs and kisses and make introductions for Carolyn and Trenton. The kitchen is a beehive of activity. There are no fewer than 20 baking dishes for pizzas being prepared. Dorella and Beatrce are working in perfect harmony with Dorella preparing the dough (including 2 gluten free pizzas for Elisa) and Beatrice is dressing the tops of the pizzas. There must be 6 or 7 different types – some with meats (sausage or prosciutto), cheese and sauce, others with tomatoes and basilica (traditional margarita pizza) and others with white sauce or no sauce. Outside on the patio, Massimo is attending to the wood fired oven where the pizzas will cook. It is a large oven and the coals inside burn a fiery orange. Massimo tells us that it is important to build the fire up small at first and let the oven heat up gradually. In this case he started the fire around 5:00 we will be dining around 8:30pm. The head must build slowly so as not to crack the stone built oven. The heat will get up to about 600 degrees Fahrenheit and that is when he will begin to bake the pizzas. The has a long handles spatula and he deftly maneuvers the pizza into the oven. So hot is the oven that each Pizza is only in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes when it is done. Massimo with help from Bachissio carefully checks the pizzas and each is cooked perfectly.
Soon we are all around the big farm table and a parade of pizzas begin to make there way in. Once again Dorella and Beatrice do their cooking ballet cutting the pizzas and plating them. The many different Ypres make their way around the table.and they are delicious. Once again they are far better than any pizza we’ve eaten while on this trip. The meal is complemented by no less than four different types of locally made wines. Each is better than the previous. After dinner we are treated to fresh strawberries that come from the farm of Dario’s (Dorella and Massimo’s son) girlfriends father owns and operates as an agri-tourismo. They are wonderful, and covered with Italian gelato and whipped cream. The meal is concluded with drinks of amarena-cello that is made from wild black cherries, alcohol, white wine an sugar. It is like nectar. Then we have some traditional moscato wine and finally some grappa. What an amazing meal eaten in true Italian style – slowly over the course of several hours – and punctuated with lots of conversation and recollection of times and family members past.
Now it is 11:30pm and time to say good night. We thank them effusively and head back to the welcoming beds that await us at Poggio Aprico.
Tomorrow – The Wedding
Ciao!
Opmerkingen