Spring Break: We Ate Italy

Ah, spring break....the perfect opportunity for making a run to Europe for some clean air and terrific food. Just a short flight to Dubai, then on to Rome where we picked up a car and drove north for about three hours. Our home for the week was an organic farm in Tuscany called Spannocchia. We were among the first guests of the season and enjoyed having the run of the place along with eight spring interns who had arrived two weeks earlier. 

This was a vacation without any screen time - no phone, no computer, no television. The daytime temperatures were cool, really cool by India standards. But we actually enjoyed wearing socks, the layering of fleece, and putting on hats we had not taken out of the closet since the move from Maine. Our somewhat daily routine included a long morning walk to visit the pigs, the cows and tromp through the woods, a drive into the city for lunch and exploring (Siena was just twenty minutes away), a stop at the local grocery store on the way back to the farm, a long afternoon stroll and tree climbing followed by dinner by the fire. 

On Monday we took a cooking class and made an absolute feast - crostini with pear and pecorino; fresh tagliatelle with sausage, peas and cream; chicken scaloppine; sliced potatoes coated with sesame seeds; and a delicious salame dolce for dessert (coming this summer to a barbecue near you!).

During lunch in Siena on Wednesday, the clouds cleared for the first time all week and as people do in places where spring is a long and gray stretch of time, everyone in the piazza pulled off a layer or two and sat down to soak in the rays.

There were no museums, galleries, or chuches on the agenda. Time was spent simply wandering aimlessly and admiring the charm, the shops, the food (including a daily dose of gelato), the wine, the people, the language, the views. 

Here is the video for an Italian pop song that we heard many times while cruising the back roads in a sweet little Fiat 500. While you listen to this catchy tune, you can click here and check out the rest of our trip photos.