Montepulciano was beautiful. As I walked, I think I stopped every five feet to take a picture. Here is one of the few photos with me in it (you don't manage to get many of those when you're traveling alone!) but look how beautiful the countryside is! Che bello!
One mistake of my trip: renting a bicycle. I stayed
at an Agriturismo (kind of like a bed & breakfast without the breakfast) down the hill from Montepulciano. I knew it was a couple of miles from my farmhouse to the town, and I knew it would be difficult to ride the bike up the hill, but I didn't appreciate exactly how difficult until I actually attempted it. I quickly determined I was nowhere near studly enough to ride a bicycle up that hill. I'm not sure I even made it 40 feet. I had thought I was in pretty decent shape but evidently I'm not. And it was definitely a drag pushing that bike up the hill every morning. But rest assured that the ride back down to the farmhouse was a complete blast!!
The Agriturismo "Il Fienile" itself was picturesque. So many beautiful flowers, a charming old stone farmhouse, and an inviting pool surrounded by the Tuscan countryside. My room, "Primola", had a little kitchenette and a sitting area overlooked by a bedroom loft--and no telephone, which took me by surprise. 
When I first arrived in Montepulciano I stopped at a grocery store, "Conad", to buy breakfast food since I knew I wasn't going to want to try to get up that hill every morning before breakfast. I bought fruit, yogurt, some bread and cheese. The cheese I bought was gorgonzola. I wanted something soft that I could spread on my bread, and I wanted to choose something I would not normally buy at home. Well, I got that. But I can't say that I was happy about it. My only prior experience with gorgonzola was Johnny Carino's penne gorgonzola, which is mmmmmgood. But
this cheese... well, let's just say if my cheddar at home came out of the fridge looking like this it would be going in the trash. Out in the shop. Is it too much information if I tell you it was moldy and slimy? (And yes, I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be this way). I actually ate it... with effort. It was very hard to get past the idea that I was eating someone else's refrigerated toe jam on my bread.
Other than the cheese, I really enjoyed my leisurely solitary breakfasts in my little breakfast nook at the agriturismo. I got in the habit of reading poems from Wendell Berry's book "Given" as I ate each morning. That probably sounds really pretentious. But I had read a novel of his a few years back and really enjoyed it.
For supper my first night in
Montepulciano I ate at Ai Quattro Venti, right on the Piazza Grande next to the Palazzo Communale. First I had Bruschetta con Funghi (kind of like toast with a mushroom sauce and a dollop of cheese), then veal with tuna sauce (sorry, I can't remember the Italian for that), of course with a glass of red wine. It was a good meal, but not great. Nice ambiance though!
For lunch my second day in Montepulciano (Tuesday) I ate at Osteria del Conte and had a
selection of 6 bruschetta e crostini, then some chick pea soup, of course with a glass of red wine. I enjoyed this meal more than my supper the night before. Except when I first walked in and asked for "Un tavolo per uno al fresco" I must have used the wrong phrase because the hostess replied, "You mean outside." Yup, that's what I meant. With my luck, what I said actually meant something like "a table for one naked."
When I first arrived in Montepulciano I stopped at a grocery store, "Conad", to buy breakfast food since I knew I wasn't going to want to try to get up that hill every morning before breakfast. I bought fruit, yogurt, some bread and cheese. The cheese I bought was gorgonzola. I wanted something soft that I could spread on my bread, and I wanted to choose something I would not normally buy at home. Well, I got that. But I can't say that I was happy about it. My only prior experience with gorgonzola was Johnny Carino's penne gorgonzola, which is mmmmmgood. But
this cheese... well, let's just say if my cheddar at home came out of the fridge looking like this it would be going in the trash. Out in the shop. Is it too much information if I tell you it was moldy and slimy? (And yes, I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be this way). I actually ate it... with effort. It was very hard to get past the idea that I was eating someone else's refrigerated toe jam on my bread.Other than the cheese, I really enjoyed my leisurely solitary breakfasts in my little breakfast nook at the agriturismo. I got in the habit of reading poems from Wendell Berry's book "Given" as I ate each morning. That probably sounds really pretentious. But I had read a novel of his a few years back and really enjoyed it.
For supper my first night in
Montepulciano I ate at Ai Quattro Venti, right on the Piazza Grande next to the Palazzo Communale. First I had Bruschetta con Funghi (kind of like toast with a mushroom sauce and a dollop of cheese), then veal with tuna sauce (sorry, I can't remember the Italian for that), of course with a glass of red wine. It was a good meal, but not great. Nice ambiance though!For lunch my second day in Montepulciano (Tuesday) I ate at Osteria del Conte and had a
selection of 6 bruschetta e crostini, then some chick pea soup, of course with a glass of red wine. I enjoyed this meal more than my supper the night before. Except when I first walked in and asked for "Un tavolo per uno al fresco" I must have used the wrong phrase because the hostess replied, "You mean outside." Yup, that's what I meant. With my luck, what I said actually meant something like "a table for one naked." Am I telling you too much about my meals? Well, look at it this way: if I were to write a list of the top 5 reasons I went to Italy, "Food" and "Wine" would definitely make the cut. As would "Lounging by a pool where no one would call me Mommy."
That afternoon I met some nice American girls, one of whom grew up in Wheaton (where I went to college)! I also met a bunch of college students from Georgia who were doing a 6-week study-abroad program in Montepulciano. Geez, why didn't I do anything like that when I was in college?? Probably because my parents were afraid I would never come back. Thanks, Sis.On Wednesday I did a wine tasting at Crociani.
First they gave me their rosso, which was good, and then they gave me their 2006 Vino Noblie di Montepulciano. Oh my! They did that on purpose. The difference between the two was unbelievable. So of course I bought a bottle of the latter. And a bottle of their 2005 reserve. I also toured a couple of old wine cellars (Gattavecci and Pulcino).T
hursday is market day in Montepulciano. I wanted to check that out in the morning, then take a bus to Siena for the afternoon. Well, the second half of my plan for the day was foiled by a strike that kept the buses from running. But I managed to get a good look at the market. It was a lot like what I saw at San Lorenzo in Florence, only fewer tourist souvenirs and more practical household items. I saw a dress I really liked until I noticed that it cost 185€. Would you believe I also saw some of those hideous sneaker-pump hybrids that I had made fun of when I was looking for a pair of comfortable shoes before my trip? I was sure Italians had better taste than that. They even sold Crocs at this market. To give Italians and their fashion sense the benefit of the doubt, I will point out that although I saw these butt-ugly shoes for sale at the market, I didn't see anyone actually wearing them.
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