Tuscany

It's official, I died and went to Tuscany. This place is honesty what I imagine my heaven would look like. The landscape alone has the power to melt hearts and make any saddened soul shimmer with hope. Even more was that literally every second was better than the one before. Our five unbelievable days in Tuscany consisted of Montepulciano, Sienna, and Lucca.  We stopped in places like San Gimignano and Pienza along the way and as we went north we ventured to hike the great mountains of Garfanganca. Montepulciano was by far my favorite  so i decided to focus this post strictly on our time there.

   After a five hour drive from Sorrento to Tuscany we finally  arrived in Montepulciano. Kate, a now hero in all of our hearts, bravely conquered the unpredictable winding roads in our 5-seater Picasso. Even though this was her first time driving a manual in years her intense focus got us there safe and sound. I felt lucky to be in the backseat focusing solely on the scenery that passed by.  On the road my eye constantly remained fixed on the thatched pattern of the terrain. Shades of green and brown blanketed the land and seemed to form a puzzle among the horizon. It was undeniably breathtaking.
   For the first two nights Kate and I stayed with her family friends while the other girls where ten minutes away in our destination spot, Montepulciano. We dropped off their bags and did some brief exploring before grabbing dinner. Simply put, the town was as quaint as quaint can get. We ate at a terraced restaurant and watched the setting sun as we awed over a sensational meal. I started with a unique dish of black rice in a pecorino and truffle sauce followed by a local dish of stuffed Guinea-fowl. Still unsure of exactly what type of animal it was I can confidently say it was delicious. After dinner Kate and I departed to her family friends home where we were welcome with a glass of wine and the warmest hospitality. To be welcomed and treated so kindly was more than either of us could have asked for. We all chatted on their porch which overlooked the countryside before retiring to bed.

   Being in a famous wine town we woke up early and by 10:00am were seated for our first wine tasting. We drank, learned about regional grapes, the aging process, as well as different forms of wine certifications. From there we drove around the beautiful tuscan roads until we found the other vineyard suggested to us. We shared a tasting with an older couple and enjoyed getting to know one another over five delicious San Giovese (the local grape) wines. On the car ride back we stopped at a little shop that was filled with local culinary specialties. Our soon to be new best friend, Simone, provided samples of meats, cheeses, oils, and wine. One oil was laced with truffle and I went off about my deep undying love for truffles. The day was already amazing but at this moment  it quickly became even better....
   Turned out Simone was a truffle hunter and invited to show us how it was done the next morning. We then informed him (which i forgot to mention before) that it was Kristen's birthday and wanted somewhere special to eat. He suggested the restaurant above the shop, where his brother was chef and all locally sourced food including his truffles were used. After sitting he started us off with complimentary proseco and for the main meal Steph and I split egg yolk and spinach ravioli with truffle oil and fresh truffles. When it was brought out Simone took a big black truffle and shaved it over my dish until thin layers coated my entire plate. I was in heaven. No joke I have dreamt of the day when I would eat freshly shaved truffles. When it actually happened I smiled so large it almost hurt. By far one of the best moments in my life. The meal overall was incredible and as an extra  birthday bonus he gave us a sparkling wine and a chocolate molten dessert at the end. After a long meal filled of laughs and some of the best food, we departed and anxiously looked forward to truffle hunting with him the next day.
   Slowly we made our way back to the center of Montepulciano and passed the time walking up and down the small cobbled streets. Eventually we saw a church where a man dressed like Mozart was playing the most beautiful music on his flute.  We sat and listened almost in a dreamlike state. The day was sensational, beautiful, delicious, hilarious, and almost too good to be true. Among the smooth floating melody all I could do was cry. Out of joy, friendship, agriculture, food, music, i could go on forever. It was happiness stripped down to its core and marked a moment in time when everything made sense and felt right.

   The last song signaled our time to leave. We picked up flowers and all of us went to the house that Kate and i were staying at. The family generously invited the five of us over for a home cooked Italian meal with them and their two kids. The dinner was sensational. Seafood salad, couscous with zucchini and shrimp, and pasta with lobster in a light tomato sauce. It must have taken hours to cook and we could taste the love in every bite.
   The next morning we met Simone and drove to a plot of woods a few minutes away. He had two dogs with him and they excitingly sniffed around as he cheered them on. Within moments black truffles were appearing everywhere. It was fascinating to watch the dogs sniff, dig, and move on to the next spot. Simone then brought us back to his family home where we soon realized he was more than just a typical nice Italian guy. His family had a beautiful home with a mini museum of artifacts in the basement. The view overlooked a pond and all of Tuscany while their garden and vineyard remained close by.  He picked us fresh strawberries, gave us just baked biscotti, and offered to show us around his family shops. Turned out his family owns a very well known winery as well as a number of storefronts that sell artesian food.  We tasted everything there was to taste, saw their wine and cheese cellars, and then he toured us around another one of their small museums located underground. All along he answered our questions and was the perfect tour guide and gentleman.
   Before sadly saying goodbye we listened to a man play cello outside of one of Simone's shops.  The whole day was kind of like a fairytale and we all just kept laughing over how incredibly amazing our time in Montepulciano was. It was surreal and as we left we all agreed that this was by far the best place we have been. I don't know if it was the landscape, the people, the wine, the food, or just the five of us getting closer.... but I was definitely high off Tuscany.