Upgrade

Pictured: Podere Montagnano, courtesy of Gabriella Lo DeboleLet me begin by saying that I have never received an upgrade of any kind, at any time . . . ever.  Imagine my surprise and delight, when the lovely young woman at the car rental counter in Florence told me that I was getting a free upgrade.  I would have been content with a small, inconspicuous car capable of handling the hairpin curves and narrow roads in Tuscany.  I hurried down the row of rental cars eagerly anticipating an upgraded zippy Italian model.   Instead, my documents matched a brand new, bright white Chevy mini-van-like vehicle.  Very white, very big, very Chevy.  The first image to come to mind was that of a neighborhood ice cream truck.  As I opened the back to throw in my bags, I half expected to see cardboard boxes filled with popsicles and ice cream cones.  The “upgrade” was fully-loaded.  The dash was a mosaic of buttons.  Automatic everything.  I was afraid to push anything not easily identified, dreading that tinny ice cream truck music would blast out of some unseen speaker.  I eased the upgrade out of the rental parking lot and onto the Autostrada. 

It’s a bit of an overstatement to describe the drive to Arezzo on the A1 (Autostrada) as leisurely . . . but it was a Sunday morning in late November so the drive was fairly easy.  I had to admit that my upgrade, a cross between a limo and a 747 jet, was quite comfortable.

Before meeting Gabriella, I checked into the Hotel Le Capanne in Arezzo.  I first stayed at Le Capanne when Gabriella worked at the hotel.  It is a carefully and beautifully restored country farmhouse only a few miles from the city of Arezzo.  After a quick coffee. . . grazie, Cristina . . . I was off to San Polo.

North of Arezzo, San Polo is a small village close to Gabriella and Marco’s farm, Podere Montagnano.  With her great directions in hand, I soon pulled into the small parking lot next to the town’s war memorial.  On the opposite corner was the church, Parrochia San Polo.  Olives trees covered the gentle south-facing slopes back toward the city. 

This seemed like a good time to explore all of the many buttons on the dash.  First try was the radio.  Suddenly, at full volume, Aretha Franklin was singing Natural Woman.  Home again in Tuscany, surrounded by ancient buildings and olive trees, I’m listening to my favorite Aretha song!  Although it was a bit surreal, I was having a moment.  Just as Aretha hit the last note of the song, I noticed a small grey car rounding the corner by the church.  Gabriella!  Waving, she called out “Annaaaaaa!”. 

Seeing the face of my cherished friend, I realized my error.  I was wrong about never having received an upgrade.  When I first arrived in Tuscany, more than a decade ago, I had received the ultimate upgrade  . . . a total life upgrade . . . complete with a renewal option and fully loaded.

A Blessing in Disguise

After spending several hours in the Galleria degli Uffizi revisiting my favorite Renaissance paintings, it was time for lunch.  As I wandered down the Via Lambertesca, I noticed a restaurant on Chiasso dei Baroncelli, a small side street near the Uffizi.  A tour group spilled out of the Osteria dei Baroncelli as I approached.  Brakes on!  Usually, I prefer a quiet, undiscovered restaurant.  The Osteria dei Baroncelli seemed “very discovered”.  I was about to keep walking when suddenly I remembered an incident from many years ago.

I was living in Hawaii.  While riding on the bus from Waikiki to the mall, I heard a man loudly complaining to his friends.  He didn’t like the weather, the beaches, the hotel, the food or the local people.  He couldn’t understand why anyone would consider Hawaii a paradise.  They were all from Chicago.  Did I mention that it was December?  Freezing winter vs. embracing warmth.  I think he was missing the blessing.

With this story in mind, I put aside my concerns and stepped into the restaurant.  I was warmly greeted by Giuseppe, who immediately guided me away from the crowded dining rooms.  I was seated at a table for two next to the window.  Across the room, my only luncheon companions were several Florentine businessmen.  Moments later, Giuseppe returned to see if I needed help with the menu.   Although the menu was varied and included some good choices, I was in the mood for porcini mushrooms.  Without hesitation, Giuseppe suggested that he bring “something from the kitchen”. Absolutely!  Non posso stare meglio di cosi!  I can’t get better than this!

The tagliatelle ai funghi porcini followed by spinaci (with lemon, olive oil and a pinch of salt) was perfection. I was so happy by then that I celebrated with a cup of gelato al cioccolato.  Giuseppe and I had a lovely visit and he was kind enough to help me with my spelling as I scribbled notes in Italian.  I often returned to my window seat at Osteria dei Baroncelli.  On my last day in Florence, Giuseppe gave me an “arrivederci” hug as the staff waved goodbye from the dining room.

The energy that you bring to a destination is as important as the destination.  Grazie, Giuseppe.  Grazie, Osteria dei Baroncelli.  And grazie to the man from Chicago for teaching me not to block the blessings right in front of me. 

Rescued in Monteriggioni

It had snowed the day before I arrived in Tuscany.  Not a heavy snow but a bit unusual for early March.  The shopkeepers in Castellina in Chianti were bundled up to their noses as they swept the snow from their steps.  Gabriella and Marco were managing an agriturismo on a vineyard near Castellina.  The unpaved road through the woods leading to the agriturismo had become an obstacle course of frozen ruts but nothing my Fiat Panda couldn’t handle.  Gabriella laughed when she saw my “little square tank”.  According to Gabriella, almost everyone in the countryside had a Panda somewhere in their family history!

The following day I was off to explore Monteriggioni.  I wasn’t sure what or who I would find on that chilly March morning.  Monteriggioni, in the province of Siena, is described as the “quintessential walled medieval Tuscan village”.  It is best known for the nearly intact 10 meter high walls and 14 towers that surround the village and held up against repeated Florentine attacks centuries ago. While small, the visual impact of this walled village sitting atop a hill is impressive.  Most often, you have to park outside of the center of a Tuscan hilltown. The large parking lot was deserted.  As I walked thru the Porta Franca gate,
I could see that the Piazza Roma was empty.  Apparently, I was the only person crazy enough to be visiting on a cold grey day.  I wandered into the Romanesque Church of Santa Maria Assunta. . .always a must for me. . .then stopped into the alimentari (grocery store) to buy formaggio for Gabriella. 

There was no need to rush so I decided to stay for lunch at Ristorante Il Pozzo in the piazza.  Looking for people?  Follow the pasta!  A few of the village residents had gathered in the cozy restaurant per il pranzo (for lunch).  Il Pozzo is what I think of as “old school” Tuscan. . .wood-beamed ceilings, white table cloths, formal yet friendly service and classic Tuscan cooking.
I ordered one of my favorite pasta dishes, Pappardelle con Ragù di Cinghiale (pappardelle with wild boar sauce).  Made to perfection.  Era deliziosa! 

The clouds had darken by the end of lunch, so I thought I would start back before any more bad weather.  When I arrived in the parking lot, I found that my car had company!  There was a car parked on either side of mine.  Literally within inches of my car doors.  Mamma mia!  Parking Italian style!  There was no way to get between the cars although I did briefly consider crawling through the hatchback...but only briefly.  The parking lot was empty except for the three tightly packed “sardines” in front of me.  It was then that I noticed a group of men at the far edge of the parking lot loading a vespa onto a truckbed.  Using my best “damsel in distress” voice, I called to them for help, Potete aiutarmi, per favore?!

The men immediately abandoned their work and rushed to my aid.  Nothing better than a good problem to solve!  It certainly wasn’t the first time they had encountered a parking dilema.  There was much discussion.  A cellphone appeared, a call was made and within minutes a very slender young man came running toward us.  Reinforcements!  More discussion. Then to my amazement the natural contortionist, apparently without any bones in his body, managed to slip between the cars and slide into the front seat in one seamless motion.  I was rescued!  Hugs and congratulations all around!  My heroes stayed to make sure that I could actually drive the car, then shouted Arrivederci as I drove away.  For a moment, I felt as though I was in a scene from an old Italian movie!

Perhaps, somewhere in Italy, there is a town filled with cranky, impolite, unpleasant people. I have never found one.  Instead I have discovered enduring ingenuity, generosity of spirit and big Tuscan hearts.  Forza Toscana!