Kathy here...as typically happens, our week that nicely stretched in front of us is suddenly whizzing by. One more day in this fantastic spot, with too much to see before we go. Lots of little amazing moments have happened in the last few days...here are a few:
Rory got a haircut at the local barber Luciano's who gave him great sawed off sideburns, a groovy side part and a crisp smell that I imagine must be similar to what Gregory Peck smelled like in "Roman Holiday". Now he just needs a Vespa...
Upon Riposo recommendation, we visited the Gattavecchi Enoteca (wine tasting room). We were welcomed warmly and wildly by (the?) matriarch herself,who Michael says is 80, but I am not so sure. Ancient and ageless at the same time, she has an unbelievable personal style. Made me think she'd be right at home in a Flintstone's cartoon...remember when Fred and Barney get lost in some mountain hideout with gorgeous yet creepy women who say "dah-ling" all the time??? Very thin and bony, with a rather large, rounded bouffant, painted on eyebrows that no kidding are large inverted V's (think circumflex) at least two inches above her originals. Rory looked up Gattavecchi and learned that it means old cat, which seems apt for sure. She spoke not a word of English, yet she had us and Iris in the palm of her knotted hand from the get go. Absolutely charming, gracious and generous, she plied us with tastes of several different family wines, from which we bought a few. Very, very delicious. We just stopped in to say hi again tonight, since walking by, Iris spied her sitting at the bar. Buono,buono!!!
JUST in case you think we are only steeping ourselves in history, good food and wine, today we spent a second afternoon in a suburb of Montepulciano at a different local pool, this one filled with cavorting teenagers, young children and some families. The pool scene is definitely a cultural experience....the speedos, the string bikinis on bodies from age two to seventy-two, the vast amounts of olive skin tanning.....and some kind of euro-bikini bottom style that is hard to explain, more material than a thong, but definitely not a full bottom; it reminds me of days when you realize you are wearing the wrong underwear, the pair that inevitably rides up... 'nuff said.
The weather of course is spectacular, lots of blazing sun, yet nights and mornings with a cool breeze. I love that it is not humid heat. We walk the length of the main Corso at least three times a day. It is incredibly steep...I think I read it rises 60 metres during a 1.5 KM length. Impossible! But great for the legs. We have noticed in the last few days that there are more and more visitors here...it has been nice to have it relatively calm and not too crowded. We'll see what Firenze is like in couple of days.
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