The Ponte Vecchio, or “old bridge” spans the Arno River in Florence, Italy. There has been a bridge here since Roman times. It has been destroyed several times by floods (1117 and 1333) but always rebuilt. The bridge we see today is the work of Giorgio Vasari, a noted artist from the city, and dates from 1345. The bridge has always been a place for merchants to sell their wares. Initially this was done by placing their table (banco in Italian) on the bridge and displaying their products. The elevated shops that can been seen from this vantage point (upriver) were added in the 17th century.
Today, the bridge is filled with tourists, jewelers and souvenir shops. It is a very popular destination and crowded during the day. To experience it at its best, visit early in the morning (before 8:00) or at night after the shops close.
It is amazing what a chef can do with simple food, especially when there are fantastic ingredients. Recently, I visited Montecatini Alto, a small hilltown outside of Florence. I decided to have lunch at a little outdoor café known as CASA GALA. There were several restaurants from which to choose, but Casa Gala drew me in because of its inviting outdoor garden feel with olive trees, flowers and simple table décor.
I ordered a small menu, caprese for a started and pici con olio e pepe alle salvia. That translates to tomato and mozzarella salad and thick spaghetti with oil, pepper and sage. Everything was tasty and fresh, just as expected. The caprese was presented accompanied by a hollowed tomato “bowl” filled with a fresh and creamy cheese. I will go here again!
Montacatini Terme is a spa town located between Florence and Pisa. For many, it provides more affordable hotel alternatives than staying in Florence. Today, I explored the town and then took the finuculare up to the charming village in the mountains know as Montacatini Alto.
Volterra is my favorite hilltown in Tuscany. Years ago, arrived in town for the first time, met new friends in the local bar and have been coming back ever since. One of those friends was Genuino who owned a restaurant and wine bar in town. Since that first meeting, Genuino, along with his wife Ivanna and daughter Claudia, have become my good friends. Since that first meeting, the Del Duca family have built a small B&B outside of town and developed a world-class vineyard producing award winning wines.
I’ve spent the last few days enjoying the the countryside around the Del Duca’s agriturismo. They have named it “Marcampo” and offer rooms and apartments for rent. It is a lovely place to slow down for a few days in Tuscany.
Today, I joined my friends Moreno and Manuelle for another trek in the woods, this time in search of truffles. A truffle is the fruit of a subterranean fungus and is a species of the genus known as “tuber.” Many of the species are highly prized for gourmet cooking, especially those found in Italy and France. Truffles are a type of fungi that often develop around the roots of trees, but they are not associated with, or a part of, the tree.
We met Manuelle, and his two dogs, high up in the Sibillini Mountains to begin our hunt for truffles. Before we began, I was told that this was not prime truffle season, in fact the truffles we will find today would be only the remains from the winter season or the small beginning growth for the coming fall season. But, no worries, it was a beautiful day for a walk.
I grew up hunting quail in Florida. Hunting quail requires trained dogs to find the covey of birds, point out the birds and hold until the hunter flushes the covey into the air where they can be shot (or missed). The little truffle hunting dogs reminded me so much of the hunting style of my bird dogs. They would sniff the ground, obviously happy to be out and hunting, and when they found something of interest, they would point it out to the hunter by briskly wagging their tails and digging at the spot on the ground.
Soon, the dogs were covering all the territory to the left and right of our direction of travel. They responded very well to the hunter’s verbal commands. After about ten minutes, one dog showed signs of finding a truffle. Encouraged to dig by the hunter, she honed in and unearthed a developing truffle. It was at this point that the hunter pulled the dog off and carefully plucked the small tuber from the moist soil. The pungent biancino (little white) truffle was about the size of my little fingernail and when crushed, immediately produced the characteristic earthy and ripe smell only known to truffles.
We uncovered six developing truffles in about thirty minutes, then packed up the dogs a struck off for my next adventure.
The Ponte Vecchio, or “old bridge” spans the Arno River in Florence, Italy. There has been a bridge here since Roman times. It has been destroyed several times by floods (1117 and 1333) but always rebuilt. The bridge we see today is the work of Giorgio Vasari, a noted artist from the city, and dates from 1345. The bridge has always been a place for merchants to sell their wares. Initially this was done by placing their table (banco in Italian) on the bridge and displaying their products. The elevated shops that can been seen from this vantage point (upriver) were added in the 17th century.
