The Content Reader

For the first time in years I am enjoying a real winter. We were lucky enough that the snow came just the day before we came. We had a lovely drive from Bergamot via lake Garda to MdC. Here some photos along the way.

San Gimignano is best known as the Town of Fine Towers . The towers make a special silhouette against the skyline and are seen from far away. It is also famous for its medieval architecture and the preservation of about a dozen of the tower houses. The historic centre is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is also know for its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano  which is produced from an ancient variety of the Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillside of the area. We fell in love not only with the town but also with the wine. It is very fresh and fruity and can be enjoyed together with a view over the surroundings. Here we enjoy the wonderfully fresh Vernaccia wine and some red.... ...overlooking this view! Like Volterra it started out as an Etruscan village. In the 1st century, two patrician brothers, Muzio and Silvio fled Rome and built two castles, Mucchio and Silvio which is now San Gimignano. From 929 the town was ruled by the bishops ...

Here a little bit more from our Italian trip to Tuscany. From Pisa airport we set the course to Volterra and a little bit of culture. (I hope you notice that we start with the culture and not the food and wine!)  I have already told you what I expected from this city but alas, the shooting of New Moon was not done here. It was rather clear from the beginning although I think that the landscape going up to the town might have been the place. A long stretching plain, at this time of the year, entirely green and blooming. The town was an important centre already in the Etruscan times. The name in Etruscan is Velathri or Felathri). It is believed that this place was inhabited during the Roman Age as early as the end of the 8th century BC. In the 5th century AD it was a bishop's residence and the religious important continued during the 12th century. When the episcopate went into decline, Volterra became interesting to the Florentines who conquered them. The Florentines were an oppre...

It has been a little bit quiet on this blog for a while. It is because I have been travelling. We went with friends to wonderful Tuscany in Italy over Easter, to enjoy the landscape, history, food, wine and culture. It is many years since we were there so it was really nice to come back. We flew to Pisa where a rented car took us south to the area of Montalcino. Yes, famous for the Brunello wines! This is the square in Volterra When my husband mentioned that we could pass by Volterra (where we never visited before) I realized that I also had a higher cause for this trip than just enjoying food and wine. That makes it necessary to confess that I am a fan of the Twilight books and movies! I resisted a long time to watch the first movie but when I did I was lost. Probably the romantic in me. Volterra, is the home to the Volturi, the ‘royal family’ of the vampires. As fans know, in the second book, New Moon, Edward goes there on his suicidal mission. It is beautifully filmed, startin...