Archive | June, 2012

Tuscher Caffe

16 Jun

One of the things we enjoy most about Cortona is its Italian authenticity. Most of the restaurants, shops, and stores are owned and operated by Italians, and these are where we prefer to spend time.  Last year, every day when we walked along Via Nazionale, the main street in Cortona, we walked by the Tuscher Caffé, www.caffetuschercortona.com. Although the café was inviting, its name and modern décor clearly weren’t Italian, or so we thought.  Fortunately, this year we discovered otherwise.

The two-story Caffé opened in 2003 in the beautiful Palazzo Ferretti. Massimo and Daniela, the owners and operators of the caffé, named it after the building’s architect, Carl Marcus Tuscher, a German architect and painter who worked in Italy from 1728-41.

Massimo, Daniela and Lucky

The owners take pride in every facet of the caffé, whether it is the wines, the aperitifs, the appetizers, the food, or the desserts. Freshly prepared appetizers match their cocktail creativity, and all meals are made to order.

Appetizers…on the house!

Dinner specials are delicious, but so is everything else we have eaten.

lightly crusted prawns with citrus butter…melt in your mouth!

The chocolato, a kind of flourless chocolate cake, is our favorite dessert!

chocolato, cappucino, and lime citrus mouse

Have it with fresh cream…enough for several to share.

Seating is available inside and out, and there is an upstairs loft for cocktails that overlooks the first floor.

view from the loft

Sandy and Larry

Colorful art decorates the walls; jazzy music fills the rooms; and smiles are everywhere from satisfied patrons.

Girls out for Chocolato

The restaurant is open daily in the summer from breakfast to after dinner.

Benita, Massimo and Sarah

Len and Judy

Be sure to stop by Tuscher if you are in Cortona!

Ciao!

Judy

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Scarpe e Sciarpe: Shoes and Scarves

15 Jun

Two things Italian women can’t seem to do without are their heels and their scarves. “Italian women wouldn’t be caught dead in gym shoes!” warned Giovanna, my lovely Italian teacher. And in general, she is right, stilettos and ultra high heels abound!

                      

And the Italian ladies walk in these no matter how steep the hill!

                      

But there is a new “chic sneaker” creeping into their wardrobes, and they are actually quite fashionable. Sarah and Benita keep eyeing the vast array and will certainly settle on some before we leave.

                      

Sarah’s favorite!

Benita’s favorite…but what color???

In addition, the ladies love their scarves, and so do we. Scarf shopping is so much easier than shoe shopping, especially as the merchants are quite adept at tying scarves so many different ways.

                             

Like shoes, scarf shopping ranges from the open market to the most expensive shops in town, and the price range is as varied as the patterns. We had so much fun at this store in Cortona…Between us, we tried on every scarf in the store!

Are we having fun????

Ciao! Judy

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Home Alone and Bistecca alla Fiorentina

14 Jun

Three weeks have passed and almost all of our guests and visitors have come and gone! Michael left for the U.S. on June 6; Sarah’s parents Elena and Alex on June 10; and Sandy and Larry today. Rome, Firenze, Pompeii, Napoli, Sorrento, Capri, Montalcino, Cortona…different cities woven into the various agendas, each providing new stories and lasting memories. We loved being with all of you and exploring old and new sights together. We miss you!

                                           

Our last dinner with Sandy and Larry was at Cacio Brillo, always a favorite of ours, and even more so now that they’ve expanded their menu.  After dinner, the ladies continued on for dessert, the most amazing chocolate tort!

Tonight, with just the four of us home, we decided to fire up the grill and try our hand at some bistecca alla Fiorentina. Len and I went to the butcher just around the corner. She cut two huge on the bone steaks and gave us specific cooking instructions:

  • Rinse meat and pat dry; leave out of frig for about 30 minutes before cooking
  • Place on hot grill adding nothing to the meat
  • After about 5-7 minutes, turn over and salt cooked side
  • “Watch with your eyes” to not overcook, then remove meat from grill
  • Before serving, drizzle olive oil, then salt (pepper optional)
  • Finally, add a squeeze of lemon!

grilling steaks and zucchini

Chef Leonardo

Well, dinner was amazing! The aroma had neighbors opening their windows, but alas, only enough for four…(the bones were huge!) A salad with Italian tomatoes topped it all off, and from our garden, one single stem with five beautiful roses. Finally, Sandy and Larry, we opened one of your bottles of Pietranera and toasted to your safe travel home.

Arrivederci to you both!

Ciao,

Judy

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Montalcino Revisited

13 Jun

Last year, I wrote about our most amazing visit to the Tenuta Friggiali winery and our opportunity to sample many wonderful wines, including our favorite, Pietranera Brunello. This year, we wanted to share the experience with Sandy and Larry, and once again, the lovely Emanuela welcomed us as old friends.

Getting ready for the tasting!

A few things have changed since last year, the most significant for us being that the home where we met Marissa, the owner, and her cousin Maria, has now been transformed into offices and a cellar by their daughter, who produces the Donna Olga label. It seems that Marissa and her husband spend less time in Tuscany, and when they are there, they occupy the house where we spent the night last year.

Incredible things can happen by chance, and for us, the chance meeting of Marissa at her home last year was a memory we’ll always treasure. While Marissa wasn’t in Montalcino this year, she was aware of our visit and sent her regards from Napoli, as did we back to her. I like thinking that Len and I were the last strangers that became friends with Marissa in that house. The thought will always bring a huge smile to my face and warm thoughts of an unforgettable chance encounter in our lives.

After our tasting, we had lunch at a small café in the town of Montalcino. Cesare the owner made sure we didn’t leave hungry!

Ciao,

Judy

                                             

A salumi platter

Anchovies for Len!

Hot Pecorino!

L’Angolo Cafe

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The Wedding and Crossbow Competition: Cortona Giostra

11 Jun

The Wedding

On the last Saturday night of the Giostra, the Cortonese recreate the 1397 wedding of Francesco Casali of Cortona and Antonia Salimbeni of Siena. For 10euro/person, you can buy a seat in the stands, which we thankfully did as the event lasted for several hours. The costumes of the different regions were beautifully displayed as the royalty from each area was presented.

Bride and groom

The ceremony

Some of the entertainment

                                                                         

The Crossbow Competition

On Sunday, the final day of Giostra, the festival celebrates the previous night’s marriage with a crossbow competition. Practice begins at 11 AM, but the actual competition, in full costume, begins at 4PM. Once again, the pageantry is extensive, with a parade of important people from each area of Cortona, as well as the drummers, buglers, flag throwers, etc.

                                     

There are five quintiere, or areas of Cortona, and each is represented by specific symbols and colors in the competition. Our house is in the S. Andrea quintiere, so our colors are green and yellow. Each team consists of a Maestro di Campo, or Field Master, and two Balestrieri, or dart shooters. The competition lasts four rounds. Amazingly, the Maestro from our area was none other than our neighbor, Vincenzo, the one who skillfully parks the too big car in the too small garage. He chooses an arrow from a trunk, and he and the shooter ascend the platform. After the Balestrieri carefully sets the crossbow, the arrow is put in place by the Maestro, and amid a hushed crowd, the arrow is shot at a target about 20 meters, or almost 66 feet  away.

Our Neighbor Maestro Vincenzo and the Balestrieri

Judges and other officials after each round

After each round, the judges move in to calculate the results. Points are awarded for each round, and with significant drum roll, they are announced and posted.

This year, two teams tied, so they alone competed in a fifth round. And guess what? S. Andrea won! Must be all that close call parking that makes Vincenzo such a great Maestro! The winner receives a golden arrow, or verretta, then all involved parade through the city.

Golden Arrow

The Winning Quintiere

The Giostra dell’Archidado…and experience we will long remember. Thanks, Cortona!

Ciao,

Judy

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Giostra dell’ Archidado 2012

10 Jun

This year, we are so fortunate to be in Cortona during the Joust of the Archidado, an annual celebration with events spread over 10 days. I have included a description below from a Cortona website:

“This costume festival re-enacts the wedding of Francesco Casali, lord of Cortona, to Antonia Salimbeni from Sienna, in 1397. To commemorate the couple, the crossbowmen of Cortona’s five ‘quintieri’ or districts compete in a crossbow (ballestero) competition, aiming at a target called ‘quintiere’. The winner is given the first prize, the Verretta d’Oro (golden crossbow dart). The event includes stalls selling mediaeval food, mediaeval dinners and entertainment typical of the mediaeval times. This costume festival re-enacts the wedding of Francesco Casali, lord of Cortona, to Antonia Salimbeni from Sienna, in 1397. To commemorate the couple, the crossbowmen of Cortona’s five ‘quintieri’ or districts compete in a crossbow (ballestero) competition, aiming at a target called ‘quintiere’. The winner is given the first prize, the Verretta d’Oro (golden crossbow dart). The event includes stalls selling mediaeval food, mediaeval dinners and entertainment typical of the mediaeval times.” Cortona © ammonet InfoTech 1998 – 2012.

That’s metal, not silk!!!

Bread making

Every part of the festival is a cultural tribute to the past and reenacted with great pomp and circumstance by present-day Cortonese. Two upcoming events, the wedding and the crossbow competition, each deserve their own post.

So far, we have attended the medieval market, seen flag throwers and fire eaters, and enjoyed the local musicians and locals  dressed in medieval costumes. We bought the most amazing cheeses at the market, tried to master the bow and arrow, and watched in awe as the jesters, drummers, flag throwers and fires eaters skillfully performed.

Parmigiano!

A few amateurs got into the act as well!

                                                                                                     

                                                                                                     

The Pros!

Unlike any circus or Renaissance fair atmosphere, we feel privileged to be among the locals as they celebrate the history and legacies of their ancestors.

All in a day in Cortona!

Ciao,

Judy

nut cracker

Falcons

                          

                                                                                                     

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Roma

8 Jun

Just returned from four busy days in Roma. If you love large cities, and perhaps even not, Rome is always amazing. Around each corner waits a surprise, often of unbelievable proportion. Imagine walking down the street, turning the corner, and seeing the Coliseum and Arch of Constantine.

Look to your right and the Forum and Palatine Hill await you.

BNG: Forum

BNG: Forum

Another day, you cross the Tiber River en route to Vatican City and all of its treasures, my very favorite always being Michelangelo’s Pieta.

Pieta

Swiss guard

BNG: Vatican

In between Trattorias, fountains and bustling piazzas, you make your way to the Pantheon, and wonder in amazement just how they managed to build it with a hole in the center.

BNG: Pantheon

Whether day or night in Roma, you make your way to the Trevi Fountain and throw in a coin, if of course, you hope to return! Not leaving anything to chance, we stop by day and night. As legend has it, late at night for many years a man cleaned out all the coins in the fountain. Eventually, the Italian tax man came calling!

Trevi by day

Trevi at night

In Rome, our cast of characters changed. Michael left for the US after a great vacation and our friends Sandy and Larry joined us. In addition, Sarah’s parents met up with us in Rome and now for a few days, we are all in Cortona.

Cortona Pizzeria

Will respond soon to all the comments I’ve received lately…love hearing from you!

Ciao!

Judy

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Cortona Cathedral, Diocesan Museum and MAEC

2 Jun

The Cathedral

The Church of Santa Maria Assunta is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the city, built on the foundation of an ancient parish church. It is believed that the original church was built on the foundation of an ancient pagan temple dating back to the 4th century. The interior of the church was remodeled in the 18th century. With only outside lighting, it’s difficult to show much of the interior.

Cathedral altar

The Diocesan Museum

Originally built as the Church and Oratory of Gesù, between 1498-1905, the nine room Museum holds some of the most valuable religious art from Churches in and around Cortona. Included in this collection are amazing masterpieces by the local artist, Luca Signorelli, who was born in Cortona around 1455 and died in 1523.

Signorelli: Communion of the Apostles

Signorelli: Lamentation over the dead Christ

Signorelli is considered to be among the most important painters of the Italian Renaissance. The intensity of the color and the detail in his designs are breathtaking.

Also found in the museum is this masterpiece by Fra Angelico, the Annunciation:

Fra Angelico: Annunciation

One ticket buys entrance to the Diocesan Museum as well as the Museum of the Etruscan Academy (MAEC), and it’s good for two days, so we spread our visit. And good that we did as we had no idea how much we’d find in the MAEC. Arranged in chronological order, from room to room, is the history of ancient Cortona up to the Romans, and also more current works. Looking at pieces that are over 2500 years old is mind boggling.  So much and so well preserved! Here’s a sampling.

                                                                                  

Yes, that is gold jewelry, and nothing on the Ponte Vecchio can compare!

We are off to Rome tomorrow for three nights. I probably won’t be writing, but I will be reading so feel free to leave me comments. Mike leaves us next week…he’ll be busy in Rome and even spending a day in Pompeii with our friends Larry and Sandy, who are joining us in Rome. They are scheduled to have dinner in Naples and promise to bring us back a pizza…the best in the world!

So, Mike, farewell to you from Cortona!

Ciao,

Judy

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Around Cortona

1 Jun

These are some of the sights in Cortona we see daily on our walks…

                                                                          

                                               

                                                

This year, we are delighted to be here for the Giostra dell’ Archidado, a fully costumed festival that commemorates the wedding of the lord of Cortona in 1397. Starting tomorrow, there will be many events held over the next week including crossbow competitions, a reenactment of the wedding, dinners, and all types of medieval entertainment! A photographers paradise and we are ready!

Ciao!

Judy

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