Tuscan countryside

Friday morning was another relaxing morning at the hotel. After taking our caffe at a civilized pace and checking emails we packed up and walked out the front door, turning left toward the city walls.

The plan was to revisit the facilities at Le Meridiane and see if there have been any new changes in the past two years since we stayed there last, and then in the afternoon to visit the vacation rentals at Montestigliano southwest of Siena. We have heard some very good things about this place and wanted to see for ourselves. (photo: Piazza del Campo.)

We decided to walk from our hotel to Le Meridiane, which only took us about 15 minutes or so walking along some old and familiar routes. At Le Meridiane we were met by Angela, Andrea's sister and who now manages this wonderful vacation rental for her brother.

We first stayed here in 1999 when they had just the one building -- today they have two undergrouond garages, one huge pool (outdoor), and several new buildings for a total of 27 rooms. They also have a large outdoor grill and plenty of space for just relaxing an enjoying a Tuscan evening overlooking the city of Siena.

Angela, like her brother Andrea, is very conversant in English and extremely amiable and congenial. The new rooms are spacious and given the proximity to the city -- 15 minutes by local bus into the city center -- and yet with a feel of being in the Tuscan countryside Le Meridiane still lives up to what we found attractive about it in the first place. I'll be discussing this in more depth on my siena blog and of course on the website.

From Le Meridiane we headed off to the southeast of the city, about 15 kms to Fattoria Montestigliano.

It was more than a year ago when we first heard about this working farm from Patti Bechi and have been eager to see it for ourselves. I'll be writing up a more in-depth review on my siena is Tuscany blog and of course on the website later this month. Suffice it to say that we had a grand time.

We left the Siena-Grossetto highway (S233) at the Brenna exit and followed the online directions to the fattoria, climbing up a winding road until we reached the top of the hill, and the complex of buildings, perched on a beautiful bluff overlooking the city of Siena, just 15 kms away.

We were soon met by Susan Pennington, a British expat who manages the complex of stunning apartments, homes really since each one is quite independent of the other and all with fantastic views of the surrounding countryside. There are gardens galore and so much space to just get away from the noise of the city. One couldn't find a better host or hostess than Susan: she is friendly, knowledgeable of the area, helpful with details large and small, and funny to boot. Meeting her was worth the drive alone.

After leaving Montestigliano we took the back roads into Siena and then hung out at the apartment for just a bit until it was time to meet up with Aimone and Alessandre at their office on via Pescaia (where most of the wines sales occur in fact).

The four of us chatted for a while and then Aimone's wife joined us and the five of us went to a nearby bar for prosecco. We said arrivaderci and "a presto" wondering when we would in fact see each other again but secure in the knowledge that it would indeed be soon.

Off Susan and I went in the direction of the fortezza where we found a place to park. We then strolled a while through the crisp night air before dinner at Boccon del Prete, one of our favorite spots.

Fortunately I had had the foresight make reservations since the restaurant was quickly packed with several large groups of Italians.

At one point I couldn't help but notice at the table next to us one of the men with a large Canon camera taking some stunning black and white photos of the people at his table -- from my seat I could easily see the images pop up on the LCD screen -- and I had to compliment him, saying that several of the images were striking indeed. I learned that he really enjoyed landscape photography and his favorite spots were Iceland and Namibia!

After dinner Susie and I walked back to the car (I stopped for a gelato), cutting across the Piazza del Campo, and drove back to the hotel. As we walked into the lobby the young woman working the desk, the same woman who checked us in as a matter of fact, commented to us that her replacement was an hour late. We asked her for digestivo from the bar and she gladly poured one for both of us and herself as we three chatted about the vagaries of life and love.

What a day this has been!