Lunch in Panzano

Erich and I continue on our way through the Tuscan countryside..our stomaches a little bigger but we eagerly await our next meal. For all of you Anthony Bourdain lovers we stopped into a famous butcher shop featured in one of his episodes. We happen to stumble upon it as I was furiously (with Erich annoyed) trying to find the Italian post office to send my latest round of postcards out. As we entered the shop we were handed glasses of wine and the staff was so welcoming. I wish we had a kitchen at our next destination, Erich would be cooking up some famous tuscan stakes. Back to lunch..We found this cute trattoria overlooking Panzano hills. We split a bruscetta and garlic bread. The bread was thin sliced, toasted to perfection with olive oil and crunchy to taste! I had a ravioli with spinach mixed in with some sage and butter sauce. How could I not finish it? Erich has found a typical Tuscan dish with pasta and wild boar sauce. It does not sound appetizing but the flavors have hints of cinnamon that make it less "beefy". I have discovered Cappuccino and am becoming a snob with my espresso...I am sticking with my French N'Espresso for now.

Route Update - Pistoia to Siena via Chianti

Today we left Pistoia in northern Tuscany to head for Siena with a nice back road drive through Chianti. We skipped Florence (Fiorenza) because both Carolyn and I have been there (several times for me). Instead we got to spend time in some small towns in Chianti and we visited what is supposed to be the most famous butcher shop in the world called Antica Macalleria Cecchini in Panzano and treated ourselves to great traditional pasta lunch on a terrace overlooking the countryside.

Pizza, Calzones, and Rain..

I guess it was bound to happen at least once on our trip but we made the best of our "rainy day". We decided to hop in the car with our umbrellas in tow and head to a town called Lucca. It is a small town 20 miles away from Pistoia. We were delighted to see how nice Lucca is. It is a old walled city and inside were shops, churches, and the best pizzeria I have ever been to. I had the Funghi pizza which had mushrooms. I could go on about how much I enjoyed this pizza. Thin crust, burnt edges, and just enough sauce and cheese. I did not want take my last bite! Erich had the most amazing calzone filled with ham, cheese, onions, sauce..etc. Of course, knowing Erich and his "food sharing" issues he would not give me a bite so I can't really tell you first hand how great it was but it looked fantastic. Driving through the Italian countryside and eating these delicious meals, I'm beginning to think the Italians have it right..good wine and fantastic food..what else matters?

Route Update #3.5

I forgot to post the map! Another interesting item to note is that BMW diesels are truly amazing. With all of the mountain roads we are averaging 49mpg and laughing at all of the hybrid golf carts as we speed ahead at a reasonable speed!

Route Update #3

Today we travelled from the Cinque Terre to Pistoia. This was a nice short trip so we stopped off in Pisa to get a picture of the local engineering failure. It was quite a scene there - kind of like the Eiffel Tower in the summer but with a bit less harassment. We are now very happy to be in Tuscany, our hotel is fantastic, and there are certainly no complaints about the pasta and wine.

Back to Geneva

One highlight of Geneva that we did not mention was the car show that was imported from the Persian Gulf for the summer vacation. It seems that entire families along with their cars make the trip to Switzerland for a long period of time coinciding with the summer heat in the Middle East. It is an interesting scene to be sure. Check out some of the highlights that I was able to capture. I missed the Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible, several Ferraris, and a nice Lamborghini or two.

Cinque Terre, We will miss you!

Ciao for now Cinque Terre but we will be back. Cinque Terre meaning "5 lands" is the most amazing place with spectacular views of the Mediterranean. It is known for all the hikes you can walk between the 5 villages but knowing Erich and I we chose the lazy route and took the "boat" option. It is the perfect place to escape and take in the views with a book and a glass of wine in hand! The village we stayed in is called Vernazza. We managed to explore 4 of the 5 villages and we were happy we chose Vernazza. We did not have internet for 3 days and it was quite nice and refreshing. Erich and I can't get over how fresh the food is. I have officially turned Erich into a seafood eater as all meals we had included fish of some kind. The mussels, tuna, and even octupus were all so delicious. Enough talking, here are some pictures we think summarize Cinque Terre and all its beauty.