Today began with getting lost, again. All roads in Tuscany do NOT lead to Rome. They lead to a small town called Poggibonsi. I swear once you get into this town you cannot get out. The signs direct you to the left about 50 times, until you finally get desperate and use your gut to find the Siena-Firenze road. So I am late to a meeting with our attorney in Castelignione del Lago, on Lago Trasimeno, near Perugia. An apologetic arrival, a productive meeting, and an in-depth dissection of Italian law. I am very thankful that we have someone with Marco's expertise.
On to lunch "a casa" with an agent I met while house-hunting last year. Again a very good meeting, lively discussion, at his home and office. Entirely sustainable, with solar heating and sensor activated window shutters, his home is an example of some of the ways Italians are modifying their homes and lifestyles. He is excited by our project and we will likely work together on properties in Umbria and southern Tuscany.
A stop at two more agencies and dinner with a chef who is interested in providing cooking services for our co-owners.
We ate at a most amazing restaurant in Badia a Passignano*. After an appetizer of 3 types of olive oil (really), my meal consisted of fiori di zucca prepared 4 ways (zucchini flowers stuffed with fresh tomatoes and zucchini, canolli with zucchini flower ricotta, lightly fried zucchini flowers dressed with zucchini flower sauce and a salad of rucola, red rose petals, and zucchini flowers!). Dessert, of course, is Cantucci con Vin Santo. Yum. Tonight was my first foray on this trip beyond house wine (which is always ridiculously good and inexpensive), and I'm in heaven. Giovanni is engaging, passionate about cooking, and eager to work with us. Time well spent. But I'm stuffed.
*Osteria di Passignano is a very elegant restaurant with vaulted ceilings and wonderful food. A little off the beaten path, the town has that Tuscan charm (photo above).
About Carrara, LLC
Carrara partners with owners of luxury vacation homes in Italy, managing the conversion and marketing of these beautiful homes to fractional, shared ownership vacation properties. We also represent buyers seeking the lifestyle of a European home and the convenience of a professionally managed, shared investment.
Poggibonsi! My favorite "easiest town in which to get lost" in Italy! And "hardest to find train station!" But once you've figured it out, it works! Besides, a great Coop if you ever wish to do some of your own shopping for kitchen essentials. Nearby Barberino Val d'Elsa retains its ancient city walls and gates and comes complete with its own saint, preserved in the church. La Pieve di Sant'Appiano has one of the classic panoramas of Tuscany.
ReplyDeleteHah! Silly me. I was watching the road:)
ReplyDelete