A Return to Italy! May 6 - 20, 2025 ~ The Journey Begins in Tuscany

The Journey Begins in Tuscany

May 6 - 11, 2025

This trip began with a Travelzoo advertisement for three nights in a 5-star hotel in a tiny town in Tuscany. Daily breakfast, a cooking class (and lunch), and two dinners were included. The package was too good to pass up, so we decided to book it. The challenge was to design a reasonably priced two-week trip. After several false starts and a less than helpful travel advisor consultation, I came up with what we hope will be a lot of fun with two "off the beaten path" and two more famous towns.

May 6, 2025

My brother and sister have been touting the all-business-class airline La Compagnie for several years, so I decided to try it by flying round-trip from Newark to Milan. Of course, for the last two days Newark Airport has been in the national news due to air traffic control problems and massive delayed flights (mostly United Airlines), so we decided to play things safe and give ourselves plenty of time at the airport to sort out any potential issues. We left our house at about 1:30 p.m. for our 8:30 p.m. overnight flight. We left our car at the Renaissance Hotel parking and made our way to Terminal 1, where we checked in and then located Lounge & Co - the lounge that La Compagnie uses. It was an uneventful trip, and we had no troubles at all. We found the lounge, and were greeted warmly by a lovely young woman named Angel, who helped us connect to the Wi-Fi so that we could order some food - hamburger and a salad for me, and a chicken caesar salad for Jeff.

Dinner at the Airport

Lounge & Co

We enjoyed a glass of wine (me) and a bourbon (Jeff). It was a comfortable way to pass the time, and before we knew it, our flight was being called and we were onboard. The lay-flat seats were quite comfortable, and before I knew it, Jeff was sound asleep, noise-cancelling headphones piping soothing Ella Fitzgerald. I, on the other hand, closed my eyes and even hauled out the mask to block out the light, but although I rested, I did not sleep.

May 7, 2025

We landed and made our way to the Malpensa Express (a train), which took us to Porto Garibaldi station about 45 minutes away. On the train we sat next to a Korean woman and her young daughter. Unfortunately, the mom did not realize that she should have gotten off the train at the stop at which we got on - she was catching a plane back home. When she realized that something was amiss and began trying to speak with me (via Google Translate), we had to tell her that she had missed her stop. Fortunately, the train stopped just 10-15 minutes away from the airport, so she was able to get back on. We wished them well.

On the Malpensa Express to Porta Garibaldi

Malpensa Express

Unfortunately, the weather was gray and cloudy, and as we headed to the hotel, the heavens opened, and it began to pour! We sat down to wait until the rain lessened and to figure out where the hotel was. We were having trouble connecting to the internet (something I was counting on so that we could use the maps app to help guide our steps.

Jeff asks for directions as we wait for the rain to slow

We have been fortunate so far with many helpful Italians who have even used their cell phones to look up information for us! Finally, the rain let up to a drizzle, and we were able to walk the couple of blocks to our hotel.

The plan was to check in, drop the bags, and head out for a quick visit to the only two sites that intrigued me in Milan - the Duomo di Milano, and the Basilica di Santa Maria Delle Grazie, where Michelangelo's Last Supper was painted. The rain and my fatigue made for a change of plans (it was also late afternoon when we got to the hotel), so we opted to "crash" and then find some dinner -- calling it a travel day.

We enjoyed a lovely nap and then had the hotel make a reservation for 7:30 p.m. for dinner. It was a short walk (about .2 miles) to Il Piccolo!

Il Piccolo Milano

I started with the Artichoke, Rocket and Parmesan Cheese Salad, which was good ... but not as good as Jeff's Mondeghili with Mashed Potatoes!

Linda's Shaved Artichoke Salad

Jeff's Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes

For our main course, I chose homemade tagliatelle with white veal ragù and artichokes, while Jeff opted for the Risotto Milanese. We were both delighted with our choices!

Linda's Tagliatelle Ragu

Jeff's Risotto

A Lovely Bottle of Montepulciano

Jeff ordered lemon sorbet for his dessert - I didn't take a photo, however, it was delicious - very, very lemony! Dinner was just lovely, but we were weary after a very full day of travel.

On our walk back to the hotel, I spotted this clock tower atop a church and had to pause for a photo.

Church Tower on the Walk Back to the AC Hotel

May 8, 2025

We woke early to grab a taxi to Milano Centrale Station and catch our 9:40 a.m. train to Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence. There, we changed trains for the 12:20 p.m. trip to Chiusi-Chianciano Terme.

Mercato (Market) at Centrale

Leaving Milano Centrale

Poppies Growing Wild Along the Tracks

As we rode the train to Chiusi, periodically, a group of high school kids would board the train to get back to their homes. Some were polite and well-behaved; others were hooligans! Adolescence knows no boundaries, I guess!

At last, we arrived in Chiusi and easily found a taxi driver, who, although he spoke little English, understood my halting Italian as I recited, "Vogliamo andare al'Hotel Villa il Patriarca, per favore." (We want to go to the Hotel Villa il Patriarca, please." Fifteen minutes later (and 20 euros lighter), we were checking into the hotel!

Villa Il Patriarca has ancient historical origins, resting its foundations on the original Etruscan villa, which dates between the fifth and fourth centuries BC. During the Roman Empire and in later periods, the Villa has always welcomed guests and important personalities, given the strategic importance of this land near the passage of the Cassia road.

It is a truly beautiful hotel with a warm and wonderful staff who were constantly in contact before and during our stay.

Our suite is rather sumptuous and very comfortable. We had had a long trip, so we decided to take a nap before dinner, but arranged at time (an early 7:30 p.m.) and a taxi to La Solita Zuppa back in Chiusi.

A surprise from the hotel!

Jeff does the honors

After a lovely nap, we headed back to Chiusi for dinner at La Solita Zuppa (The Usual Soup). We had a 7:30 p.m. reservation and were the only ones in the restaurant for at least half an hour. Our waitress, Julia, was so sweet and helpful. And the meal was delicious!

We loved the spelling of our name!

Newly renovated, we loved the stenciling on the walls

Flowers always lend a lovely touch

I started with the Parmagiana (Eggplant) ... YUM!

Jeff had the carrot soup ... Also YUM

My main course was lemon ginger ravioli and it was AMAZING

Jeff had the pici - a pasta shape that was new to both of us and oh so delicious!

And for desert ... Strawberry cheesecake!

Linda with Julia

A very wonderful and full day in Tuscany!

May 9, 2025

We woke early and had a great breakfast - very European - of ham and cheese on a baguette (Jeff) and thinly sliced home-baked bread for me. I had forgotten how much I loved Italian coffee - no need for milk or sugar. Sooo good.

Our cooking class began at 10:00, led by the hotel's Chef, Katia (Katie) Maccari. She had a translator, "Betty," to assist, since she was not confident with her English.

Katie demonstrating how to roll out the dough

Classmates, Jenny and Jamie, from San Francisco

Fellow classmates, Marsha and Deb, from Ohio

Linda

Betty

Katia demonstrates making the tortellini

Making ravioli and tortellini stuffed with a branzino/potato filling

Katie stirs the ragu

We began the class at the stove, where Katie demonstrated how to make a wine reduction, using an entire bottle of a good Chianti, a sprig of rosemary, and a sprig of fresh oregano, and set it on a high flame to boil. As it boiled, she demonstrated how to make the ragù. She doesn't use ground meat - instead, she "minces" the meat before sauteeing it. The carrot, onion, and celery mixture is added to a pot and drenched in olive oil before being set onto the flame to saute and "stew" before the meat is added. The large pot in the back was for cooking the pasta, and in front was the wine reduction. On the other side of the stove was another stove where she made a tomato confit (sauce).

Jeff took photos, opting not to cook!

I had expected that we would make the pasta dough by hand, but Katie used a very sturdy mixer with a dough hook instead. We created several types of pasta from a single recipe that utilized semolina flour, white flour, and eggs. After mixing the ingredients in the mixer, we were each given a chunk and instructed to knead it until it reached the desired texture and consistency. Then it was wrapped in plastic wrap and placed into the refrigerator.

We created a second type of dough using only flour and eggs, to which we applied a similar process. Last, we made a potato gnocchi dough with flour, eggs, and mashed potatoes. This was the first pasta we made - it was very simple to prepare.

The two hours flew by, but it was really a lot of fun. We all met again at La Taverna for lunch, which consisted of the five pasta dishes we had prepared.

These two dishes are made with the tagliatelle

The dish on the left has the pomodoro confit; the one on the left is topped with the ragu.

The dish on the left is the potato gnocchi topped with a blue cheese white sauce and a drizzle of the red wine reduction. It was probably our least favorite dish -- we all agreed that the gnocchi were overcooked.

The dish on the right was filled with a mixture of branzino and ricotta cheese, topped with tomato compote, and served with ravioli or tortellini.

After lunch, we all agreed that we were stuffed and were very glad that we weren't having the five-plus-course meal that night! We all went our separate ways - to take a walk in some cases, or a nap in others. We opted for a nap.

After a great nap, we went for a light (and late) dinner downstairs in La Taverna. There were many locals in the restaurant, and the waiter seated us in a separate, smaller room, which also housed the barbecue.

Jeff had a cheese plate (left), and I had a lovely chunky tomato soup (right) - it really hit the spot!

PERA COTTA NEL VIN BRULÉE CON GELATO ALLA CANNELLA
Pear cooked in spicy wine with cinnamon ice cream

Jeff, of course, had to have dessert! He's still talking about how good the pear was!

May 10, 2025

Breakfast was, once again, delicious. We decided to share a cab to Montepulciano with our cooking class friends, Marsha and Deb. They planned to go shopping; we had a date for a wine tasting. Our cab driver was so kind and helped us make a plan to reconnect. He dropped us at the top of the hill (thank goodness) and gave us an idea of where the wine cave was located, and sent us all on our way.

We were quite early for our tasting (which was at 11:00 a.m.) and met a nice man and his wife from Oregon, who were staying at a small hotel across the street from the wine shop. Just as they were about to leave, he handed us a bottle of wine. It seems that he had created a situation where they had to call a locksmith to drill out the lock to the door to his room. He paid the 200 euros it cost the hotel, and they gave him the wine as a "thank you." He and his wife don't drink wine, so he gave it to us.

The Historic Village Square

The steep, narrow road down to the bottom of the village

A look into a pretty courtyard

The wine shop

Luigi tells us about the barrels

Each barrel holds 17,000 bottles of wine!

The wine was quite good - most were 100% Sangiovese, but the last was 100% Merlot!

It was a fun and delicious experience that we shared with a young Italian couple (from

Bologna).

We didn't buy any wine and took a leisurely stroll down the hill to our meeting spot, stopping

to take photos or peek into a few shops along the way.

The statue on the left was our designated meeting place. Jeff and I arrived early, and Jeff took some photos while I sat on a stone bench. Deb arrived first because Marsha was waiting for a painting that she had purchased to be wrapped. She arrived just in time for our cab ride back to the hotel.

Our gourmet dinner at Salotti was at 7:30 p.m. Our cooking class friends, Jenny and Jamie, were also at the dinner. It was served by two waiters whose names I have forgotten, but they were wonderful - especially the younger of the two who really did all the talking. Everything was not only delicious, but absolutely beautiful!