Rob From Canada: Gastronomical Tour of Italy

Florence, Tuscany, Lucca, Cinque Terra (October 14 to ???, 2007)

Travel in Italy is implicitly a lesson in gastronomy. The Italians understand how to prepare food and create a social atmosphere, both drastically different than the Italian served in North America. Because the stomach rules divine in Italy, all other issues are considered insignificant, often at the expense of efficiency, common sense, and business practices. Eight in the morning typically means sometime closer to eleven, or whenever they aren't having lunch or dinner. Road signs are often completely obscured by other road signs placed in front of them. Customer service is virtually non-existent.

In attempt to escape the smell of urine, tourist crowds, overrated museums, and leather merchandise booths in Florence, two Aussie girls and I rented a car to explore the countryside of Tuscany. The steep rolling farmlands were covered in vineyards, olive groves, and were serviced by tractors that required tracks... why is it that tractors without tracks are still called tractors?? We visited many historic towns, enjoyed an Italian cooking course, stayed in aged buildings including a castle-side stone farmhouse and the quarters of some ancient monks. The chianti wine, olive oil, garlic and spices, Tuscan bread, good home-cooking, and a roaring fireplace in the evenings made for a welcome escape from the chaos of the cities!

Cinque Terra is a group of 5 small villages on the coast just north of Pisa, where multi-coloured buildings cascade from the hills into the sea. A picturesque hiking route through the vineyards and hillsides connects the villages to each other, and the relaxing atmosphere of the towns gave us plenty to explore. We gathered on our hilltop patio for happy hour in the evenings as we watched the vibrant sunset cast an orange glow over the sea and the small town of Riomaggiore.

Tuscany, Italy. This is a relatively well-organized example of the placement of street signs in Italy. This particular intersection allows the driver approximately 1.5 seconds to find the sign, read the sign, and determine the appropriate direction.

Florence, Italy. The market stalls that crowded nearly every historic square in the city.

Florence, Italy. The bridges, with the pedestrian Ponte Vecchio in the front where the butchers used to prepare and sell their meats... and spill the blood and bad meat into the river which flows down towards Pisa. Finally Florence decided that the river stunk too much, so they banned the butchers and moved jewellers onto the bridge. Then the river flooded, and washed many of the jewels downstream!

Tuscany Countryside, Italy. The rolling hills with winding roads. Tractors in this area all use tracks instead of wheels to be able to navigate the hills.

Tuscany, Italy. Somewhere randomly along the road, I spotted a lonely farmhouse against a clouded sky. Setting up the tripod and pretending to be a real photographer nearly caused a few accidents as tourists slammed on their brakes to see what I was looking at through the lens!

Siena, Italy. Old town in the middle of the rolling hills of vineyards and olive trees.

Siena, Italy. Grocery store displaying their goods.

Tuscany, Italy. Old farmhouse outside of a castle in the middle of the vineyards. Two Australians and I hung out by the roaring fireplace and enjoyed wine, cheese, olive oil, and bread.