Gagner une semaine en Toscane!
Fermé
Exceeded Our Wildest Dreams
My husband and I and another couple booked a 2 bdrm apartment on the Internet, in Certaldo. We wondered if it would look as good as the pictures that we saw online - or had it been photoshopped? When we arrived, our host met us in town at the railway station, though we had our own car. He led us around the perimeter road and stopped at a point where we could see the whole area, including the walled city of old Certaldo. We could not even speak because our mouths dropped open and we could not believe we would be staying in such a place. We drove on to the old city and entered a lovely apartment which had been totally renovated inside.
Elio, our host, was a dream. He had gathered maps and tourist brochures and put them on the kitchen table. He sat with us to explain, with glee and pride, the entire area and all the things we could do. He was a lovely man, a former postmaster general, who was retired but enjoyed meeting new people from around the world. And we certainly enjoyed meeting him. At the end of our meeting he asked "Would you like to go see a vineyard?" Of course, we answered yes, and he arranged to take us to his friend's vineyard the next day where he became our tour guide, showed us how all the equipment worked, and how the wine was made. The visit ended in a lovely wine tasting. Finally, the next morning, he took us across the way to the local coffee shop and treated us to a 'special' cappuccino that his friends made especially for us with beautiful colorful designs in the froth (see pictures). Elio was well loved in town and this friendship was extended to us during our entire stay.
Coincidentally, I had arranged for a cooking class for my husband, with Giuseppina, in the same town, not knowing that she was a cullinary legend. She was also friends with our host, Elio. Her love for cooking was evidenced when she introduced the ingredients - fresh from her garden. We still eat the fresh pasta and veal my husband learned to make and can feel the Tuscan breeze as we remember our time there. Our stay in Certaldo will always be one of our fondest memories of Tuscany.
