Radda in Chianti

We managed to get our car and get out of Firenze and onto highway 222 (the Chianti highway) and to Radda without any wrong turns yesterday! We must have been very lucky. A spectacular drive through the heart of Chianti country. We had lunch at the same roadside restaurant outside Castellano in Chianti as we did on our last visit. Got checked in before a rainstorm hit and then to a short loop drive throught the mountain city of Valpolaia (sp?) before another rain. After Valpolaia, the road became dirt. We saw one other vehicle and almost no signs of humans other than some cut trees. It is somewhat surprising that much of Chianti is heavily wooded and not developed. The soil is hard and rocky, so may not be much good other than for grapes and olives, which thrive in this climate. The rolling hills keep it somewhat sheltered in the winter, when it can get quite cool, down to the twenties. They get snow. Chianti Classico wine is not irrigated. The soil holds in the moisture of the spring rains in spite of the fact that it can get quite warm.

Today we are going on a short driving tour. I have given up the idea of getting to Montelpulciana and Maltacino, the source of the other two most famous local wines, Nobile and Brunella. A drive of 2 hours should be enough sightseeing and Tita wants to hike. The hotel Fattiora Vignale is quite comfortable, with a restaurant overlooking a valley where we had dinner last night and breakfast today. Radda is an old hill town and quite beautiful. Apparently, Italians built these hill towns for defense as there really was no Italy until Garibaldi helped unite it, I think in about 1860. They were ruled by city states and regional powers, and the church, before that.

After a very good sleep (no traffic or partying could be heard) and a relaxing bath, we wandered across the street for our breakfast (which comes with the room; called half-board). First I had a cup of cappucino, which was sublimely intoxicating, follwed by yogurt, juice and pastries. That will probably do me until dinner with some snacking on cheese, bread and meats in between.

The countryside is beautiful beyond description. The pictures I will post also cannot capture it...ethereal, peaceful and alive with life, populated by old stone villas thinly spread and small villages. Tomorrow we are heading for Ferrara. I will probably drive through Arezzo to the highway (I think 3b) through the Appenines (mountains) to Ravenna. We will see how long this takes before adding any other excursions. Three hours in a car in a day is plenty. The next day we head for Venice, dropping off the car at the airport and taking the boat to a stop close to our apartment.

We have vowed on our next trip to spend much more time in the countryside. As well as finally hiking Cinque Terra. Tita probably needs knee surgery before we do that, although she did manage to climb the 463 steps each way up to the top of the Duomo and down...but was quite stiff at the end. There is a view of the interior of the dome where the massive frescoes start (I think painted by Vasari), depicting heaven and hell. It is really quite a construction. Brunellischi had to invent some very impressive devices and techniques to finally accomplish its construction, but that is a long story for another time.

Today we explore the hills of Tuscany. Buon Giorgno.