If Grotte del Funaro doesn't work out, you might want to try I Sette Consoli. Plenty of reviews on Fodor's/Slowtrav, etc.
http://www.isetteconsoli.it/

Thanks, Tom! More later today after I take care of some business.

Enjoying this so much.

looks like saturday for our trip to Orvieto then, as we are hoping to go to the england-Italy rugby match on the sunday.

our week's itinerary is beginning to fill up!

keep it coming bfrac - I'm agog to read what happens next.

Hi bfrac, this is a lovely report. I'm so glad you were able to get through that awful first day! Hope you have time for another chapter soon. Cathie.

We ate dinner at the Grotte del Funaro last October but we were not too crazy about it because it was full of tour groups.

Thanks annhig and cathies, I'm so happy you are enjoying it. Saraho, that's too bad, we appeared to be the only non-Italians there that night and our meals were excellent.

Now more of the story...

<b>On to Montepulciano, Garmin doesn’t agree with the map and a magic moment for both of us</b>

Back to the Kermit Car which is still parked in its nice flat pullout spot and we head down the hill toward Chiusi. Garmin is on its game and is directing us nicely; it guides us around Chiusi and toward Montepulciano. Uh oh, it wants us to take No. 326 to Montepulciano instead of No. 146 which looks like a more direct route on the map. Pull over and consult map… we take a vote and decide to go with Garmin this time and see what happens.

It doesn’t take long to get there and we enjoy the drive and seeing the olive trees and vines along the way. We get into Montepulciano and before I know it I’m at the gate and a parking lot to my left so I pull in but there aren’t any spots and others have pulled in behind me so after some fancy maneuvering and a couple of stalls, we’re out of there and go back to the light and take a left into another lot (the one with the TI booth).

By now it is after Noon and we’re famished so we start off at Enoteca di Bacco for a snack and some wine tasting. It’s ok, but we should try some more before we buy.

It is quite cold and windy but we don’t mind too much because we are so taken with the town. Everyone must be heating with wood fires because the smell of wood smoke is throughout the whole town and it smells wonderful and crisp like fall should smell.

The most oft repeated phrase of the day is “Oh God, look at this.” The views are spectacular and around each turn in the street is just another unique door or window or finial or staircase or arch that must be photographed.

All this fresh air and we are starving so we stop for lunch at Ristorante il Cantuccio www.ristoranteilcantuccio.com . It is closed Mondays according to the card. One of my culinary quests of this trip is to sample as many ribollita as possible in order to perfect my recipe. This restaurant does not disappoint and it ends up being the best of the trip. They only offer wine by the bottle and we decide to pass on that since I have to drive back home.

Feeling much warmer and fortified we continue on with our exploring and looking in a few shops along the way. I am hoping to find Bottega del Rame, the coppersmith shop of the Maestro Mazzetti http://www.rameria.com/inglese/tradition.html . If you haven’t heard of him and know his story, take a moment and look at the website. Maestro Mazzetti and his wife are dear people and he is the third generation to work the copper and the last of his line to work it.

Luck is with me since I don’t have the address and we come across the shop with Signora Mazzetti who sells her husbands creations. I have been yearning for one of his pots and purchase a good sized casserole pan for making risotto and memories. We really enjoy talking with the Signora who doesn’t speak any English at all but is a good sport with our attempts at Italian.

The next corner we turn to head toward the Piazza Grande and see Maestro Mazzetti’s Ramaio. OMG, we quietly go up to the door and peek in, we don’t want to disturb the Maestro at work. Well, not to worry, he looks up from his work and with an endearing smile and open arms he welcomes us into his workshop. He shows us his tools, tells us his story, shows us what he is working on, asks where we are from, names, etc. And then, he makes us a gift to take home and remember him by. Honestly, I will carry the warm memory with me forever. It was a magic moment. Baci e abbracci and we are reluctantly on our way.

Next is the Piazza Grande that is almost empty but for a few families with children in strollers and one on a little trike. It is incredibly calm and peaceful, so untouristy this Sunday afternoon. We contemplate coming back for a week and staying within the walls and doing a total immersion school.

Allora, it is getting late and we want to get home before dark. We do take a few moments to stop into a wine shop (sorry don’t remember the name) with about 30 different wines open for tasting. I found a Vino Nobile to take back to the apartment for the cocktail hour and we were on the road to home.

No problems at all getting back to Moiano but then Garmin doesn’t want to go home the same way that we do. She wants to take a white road that we haven’t been on before and I am very sure of how to get through town and the main gate of the estate. So far so good, we almost make it but the final turn into Julian and Amanda’s driveway doesn’t look familiar so we end up take a lovely tour of the estate.

Home sweet home and greetings by Tufo. What a wonderful day.

<b>Next...
Who knew Etruscans were such bohemians and footprints on the floor</b>

If you want to see my Montepulciano shot, please see the site below. You have to scroll through a few NYC shots but you'll recognize the velvet fields we viewed.

Wonderful report.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32219995@N07/?saved=1

Dudette, great photos! I sure do recognize those fields. If I can figure out how to do photos I will post some too.

Sorry for the delay, I have been busy working. I plan on posting more later today.

<b> Etruscans and footprints on the floor </b>
Thanks for hanging in with me if anyone is still reading…

Monday, October 19 – Today the artist group is going to Chiusi for a tour of the Duomo and the Museo Nazionale Etrusco and I get to tag along. Julian leads the way first to the Romanesque Duomo which I find most interesting because it uses all recycled Roman pillars. Even stonework on the outside of the chiesa has been recycled and we noticed much of it had been placed upside down. This is because they were pagan and supposedly turned upside down to ward off the pagan spirits. There is also a salvaged Roman mosaic under the high altar and there appears to be a mosaic on the back wall in need of repair when in actuality it is a fresco made to look like a mosaic.

We cross the street to a bar for caffe and to warm up; it is still windy and cold. Thus fortified some want to check out a little shop across the street and I decide to make use of the facilities before going back outside. Well, this is my third trip to Italy and my first sighting of the footprints on the floor sort. So I decide to pass and brave the cold wind anyway.

Next up is the Museo Nazionale Etrusco. Chiusi was one of the most powerful cities in the Etruscan federation, reaching the 7th and 6th centuries BC. The museum was founded in 1871 and has a wonderful collection of Etruscan material recovered from excavations in the Chiusi area. Julian was a wonderful guide explaining pieces in the greatest detail and bringing them to life for us. Admittedly, I knew little about it before the tour and learned of the nomadic lifestyle of the Etruscans and that they seemed to live for pleasure. Guess that’s why they didn’t last, too much partying.

We had a nice break for lunch consisting of more great pizza and wine and then wandered the old town. The old town is charming and I would recommend a visit there.

Then Julian wants to take us to Citta della Pieve to see a fresco by Pietro Vannucci, otherwise known as Il Perugino. I don’t mind going back again because it is such a beautiful town and I’m still amazed by the uniqueness of it being all brick. Back to Perugino, the fresco is in the Oratory of Santa Maria dei Banchi. It’s just one room, one fresco and you can’t help but wonder how Perugino managed to paint this enormous masterpiece in 28 days.

Another stop at the bar for caffe and hot chocolate and then back home to rest and prop our feet up on the warm radiator.

Tuesday is planned to be a big day; B and I are going on a scenic drive for photography.

<b> Next... Stu Dudley is our hero! Hilltown highlights.</b>

Yeah Stu!

<b>Stu’s tour rocks and hilltown hopping</b>

Tuesday, October 19 – dawns another beautiful blue sky day, the wind has died down and it is warmer. This is going to be the most perfect day to do the southern Tuscany driving itinerary.

We are off with B at the wheel for the “going” portion of the day and I will do the return drive. This way we both get to have a turn at enjoying the scenery. I am prepared with a printout of Stu’s itinerary, TCI map of Tuscany and of course, Garmin, with a final destination of Montalcino programmed. It does a great job of guiding us around Chiusi (I can do this myself by now, but just like to make sure Garmin is still on it) and when we come to the turn for No. 146 it goes nuts and doesn’t want us to turn. Too bad, we are on a mission.

It seems like around every turn in the road is another fantastic view. We stop at almost every pull-off to take photos. Per Stu’s instructions we do not stop at Montepulciano at this time since I have already been and we decide if we have time on the way back we will stop so B can see it, which she really wants to do since I came back so enthused on Sunday. After leaving Montepulciano we pull over to take pictures looking back at the town. It is just spectacular.

On toward Pienza we come upon a little field filled with sheep grazing or “Pecorino on the hoof” as B calls it. Yes, of course, we stop to take photos. The coolest thing was that they weren’t fenced in at all and they were each wearing a bell so there we were in the midst of the sheep in the warm sunshine and all was quiet except for the music the sheep were making.

Not much farther down the road we have to stop again to photograph a beautiful estate. I have no idea what it is but it sits atop a hill surrounded by umbrella pines, cypress and olives cascading down the hill. The main building has a square tower if anyone can identify it.

We approach the old part of Pienza and according to the printout we are to park in a lot on the left. It is right where it is supposed to be and we are happy to find plenty of space. We enter through the Porta al Murello and go into a bar immediately to the left. We are both craving caffe and a pit stop.

Just before Piazza Pio we take a walkway that is brick paved in a herringbone pattern, which is unusual. There are beautiful views from here of the countryside and I am especially moved by a white road lined with cypresses that disappears into the distance. It is like the soldiers marching away…

We go into a few shops and B finds a beautiful sketchbook and a gift for one of our friends while I go back to try and decide which cheese shop to purchase from. Did I mention the village smells like cheese? It is such a nice smell if you are a pecorino fan. I found a nice aged pecorino wrapped in walnut leaves to take back to the apartment and we decide we have to move on. This day is about the countryside.

More later after I cook dinner…

bfrac...

I'm still with you and loving every bit of your report. You have taken me back to a trip to Tuscany I made 5 years ago with a group of friends...ahhhhh the memories!

Thanks so much LCI for letting me know you're still here. I had a busy week and didn't get to write much but now I'm back at it. I had friends over tonight and they wanted to see my photos so now I have a nice warm buzz again. There is something about Italy that is deep within me...

Guests are gone, wine is gone, dishes are cleaned up and now the story continues…

We leave Pienza and stop soon after leaving town to look back and take photos of each other with Pienza in the background. The fields have all been plowed so they are a grey, bleached out color which is so different from the pictures in books we are used to seeing but no less beautiful by any means. The soil looks like gravel but is actually dry clumps of clay that easily break apart in your hand.

Stu’s route states the following: <i>“Just 2k from San Quirico, there is a splendid view to the south of a very small church and another building with cypress tress and umbrella pines surrounding these buildings. This site is on the crest of a hill. If you have been in Tuscany for any length of time, you will have seen this view on many postcards and calendars.”</i> And there it is. A scene from a book come to life. Next is the farmhouse surrounded by cypress trees and then beyond San Quirico the ridge with cypress trees and umbrella pines. We are awed by the stark beauty of it and so grateful to Stu for taking the time to note all of these wonderful sights and to share them. Thank you Stu for this gift.

We arrive at Montalcino following the detailed directions and chicken out at the last minute and don’t take the last right to the car park he suggests near the fortress. Honestly, after the events of driving in Orvieto, going into the old town scares the daylights out of us so we hug the wall and find a nice car park just a little further on. We pay at the box and get our ticket and take a moment to help another couple figure out the system and chat for a bit. Then we start climbing what must be 1000 steps up into town. I’m not kidding there were a lot of them. The top of the town is deserted and so quiet and peaceful. We don’t have a map of the town and eventually run into the parking lot couple who do have a map and determine which way to go for restaurants, etc.

I really like Montalcino a lot and it would be hard to decide if I would prefer to come back and stay here or in Montepulciano. They are both wonderful but different. Montalcino is smaller and I like the feel of it, it immediately felt very comfortable. And Brunello is my favorite of the Tuscan wines.

By now it is around about 1:30 and we are weak after the climb up those steps. We have lunch at Osteria di Porta al Cassero. B orders cinghiale with polenta and I have brushetta and papa al Pomodoro and we share a bowl of beans. They serve Brunello by the glass. B’s cinghiale with polenta is to die for, I mean we swooned it was so good. I don’t think we had dessert because it was getting late.

We stopped into a couple of shops for tastings and B bought two bottles, one for the apartment to go with the pecorino and one for marito. I bought one to take home and a bottle of grappa made from Brunello for Giacomo.

After lunch we have a big decision to make –

<b>continue on to San’ Antimo or back to Montepulciano…</b>

<b> tough choice but no regrets</b>

It is getting late in the afternoon and I decide it is best to pass on Sant’Antimo and save it for another trip. We need to have something to come back for, right? So with the decision made to return to Montepulciano and me behind the wheel so B can enjoy the landscape as a passenger, we head east. The rest of the itinerary I will save for another trip as well.

We arrive in Montepulciano fairly quickly with only a few stops for photo ops along the way. This is a completely different approach to the town than when I had been here on Sunday so I was winging it on where to park. I followed some signs along the wall and took a chance it was “close” to where we wanted to be. We absolutely could not believe it took us into a parking garage that looked like it was built into the city walls. Of course, the only way to go was up and there were many steps, again. I did not count them because I was concentrating on breathing.

We spent some time wandering around and enjoying the neighborhood we found ourselves in until I recognized where we were. We were close to the Bottega del Rame so I had to show it to B. She purchased a few gifts and then we went on to the Ramaio so she could meet the Maestro and I was touched that he remembered me from Sunday. He showed everything to B, posed for photos with us and was just as sweet as could be. B left enchanted and now we both have a heartwarming memory to share.

We meander to the Piazza Grande and are surprised to run into the couple we had met in the parking lot at Montalcino. What are the odds of that?

A quick stop into the Corsini Café for caffe and a pastry and we really do have to get back on the road and back to Moiano before dark. Neither one of us wants to miss dinner and spend the night in the car if we can’t find our home at Artist in Italy in the dark.

This has been a wonderful day and everything I imagined it would be. The Val d’Orcia is beautiful and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to visit it and see it for myself. It truly is a treasure.

<b>Coming up tomorrow – La Vita e’ Bella</b>

DH and I felt the same way about Montalcino! Thought the wine was pricey if I remember correctly. They charged you to go to the top of the rocca.

For anyone who wants to see the " capella in the field" shot that bfac is talking about near Pienza I have a collage of it in all 4 seasons of the year--just give me your email and I will send it.