Welcome to my blog, in which I post photos from recent travels and photography ideas.
These are posted irregularly, so log in at your leisure to catch my latest ramblings.
June 6 - Visit to Cinciano Winery
Since we were in the Chianti region, I thought that we should try to visit one of Opimian's suppliers.
Opimian is a Canadian wine buying organization to which we all belong.
We eventually found our way to this winery near Poggibonsi - an unremarkable town.
We were eventually introduced to Giovanna, the General Manager, who offered to give us a tour of the winery cellars.
These are some of Cinciano's current products.
Next we went into the oldest part of the cellars.
These collections are from the 1970s - probably not drinkable, only history and nostalgia.
Veda, Jane, Bob and I were grateful for being able to tour these old cellars.
This is the courtyard of the winery complex.
We then chose to have lunch at the winery's Michelin starred restaurant.
We started with the requisite wine and bread dipped in olive oil, followed by a fabulous meal of braised beef.
Before departing we purchased a bottle of wine to go.
Giovanna with her husband and son.
A great way to spend a day in Chianti, a fabulous experience.
May 30 - Travels in Chianti
Our next days were spend touring in the Chianti region, which is located just south of Florence.
We were based in Greve, pictured above. This pink house down this narrow street was our lodging.
This was the kitchen and dining area. The sleeping rooms were off to the right.
These were some of the local wines which we enjoyed with our dinners at this house.
This butcher shop was located in the town's main square.
These prosciuttos hanging above were cured and ready to be served.
These are some of the vineyards in Greve.
The grapes (sangiovese) have already been harvested.
These vineyards are in the nearby village of Panzano.
This is Santa Maria Church in Panzano in Chianti.
Another Chianti village that we visited was Radda.
This was the view from the village walls. We then explored within the centre.
The black rooster symbol identifies Chianti Classico wines. These must have at least 80% Sangiovese grapes to receive this designation. One will find many other Chiantis, but those without the rooster label are blended wines. They are not necessarily inferior wines, just different.
Another village that we visited was Volpaia, a walled village typically on a hilltop.
Volpaia has a population of 32, and two wineries. Wines from Casello di Volpaia are readily available in Ontario.
These come with a high recommendation from me!
This scene, with the iconic cypress trees, is below Volpaia.
These vines I photographed on our way back to Greve driving through Val de Pesa.
May 21 - Villages of Val d'Orcia
This blog will look at some of the villages that we visited in the Val d'Orcia region of Tuscany.
Bagno Vignoni was the nearby village of our air BnB, Santa Caterina.
It is unigue because this is the village square, a large thermal pool.
But it is a pool in which no one is allowed to bathe.
From our lodgings we could see the village of Rocca d'Orcia with its castle ruins.
This hilltop village is Pienza.
These are a couple street scenes in Pienza.
The duomo on the Piazza Pio II, Pienza.
Pope Pius II was born in Pienza, thus this famous duomo.
Interior of a shop in Pienza.
Flower pots in Monticchiello.
Street scenes in Montefioralle.
Wine merchant in Montalcino, the region of Brunello wines.
His wife was Canadian.
We took in a wine tasting of Brunello wines at Banfi Winery, the largest winery in Tuscany.
Another village that we visited was Montepulciano, where high-end wines are produced.
This photo is the Palazzo Comunale, or old town hall, in Piazza Grande.
These two shops were along the Corso in Montepulciano.
A tourist posed for a photo for her friends, so I also photographed her.
This is the old section of Cianciano Terme, a spa village of thermal baths.
We did not indulge.
May 3 - Val d'Orcia, Tuscany
The Val d'Orcia is mainly an agricultural area of gently rolling hills, farmlands and vineyards, with many hilltop villas and towns.
While based in Bagno Vignoni, as depicted in the previous blog, we toured this pastoral area.
Here are some photos of the rural parts of Val d'Orcia.
This is an early morning image overlooking an area of the valley.
Here the sun has risen over the valley.
These are the cypress trees that are the iconic symbol of Val d'Orcia.
These same trees on the driveway to Poggio Covili, near San Quirico.
The same cypress trees just before sunrise.
Here we are in the rolling hills near San Quirico.
This ring of cypress trees, known as Rondó, sits in the middle of farm fields.
One of the many hilltop villas.
Another cypress-lined driveway to a hilltop villa.
Vineyards near Montepulciano.
Bagni San Filippo has thermal baths along the stream, which are open to the public.
This tiny chapel, Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta, is situated on a promontory in the fields of Val d'Orcia.
The valley of the Orcia River is a picturesque area that was a pleasure to tour.
April 24 - Arrival in Val d'Orcia
I apologize again - it's been a long time since I posted about our October Tuscany trip.
I will finish this trip's story over the next few days.
This Air BnB was to be our lodging while we toured Val d'Orcia.
This is Podere Santa Caterina in San Quirico d'Orcia.
This is the dining area of this accommodation - very beautiful.
Our hostess, Domitilla, was very friendly and gracious.
On our arrival, we were greeted with a charcuterie board and wine. Then she baked us this cake for our breakfast. Another day, she baked a loaf of bread for us. Seemed like she could never do enough to make us welcome.
Bob set up this table and chairs for an outdoor lunch.
Santa Caterina scores 5 on all aspects. We'd recommend it to anyone visiting Val d'Orcia.
Next up - the countryside of Val d'Orcia.