Definitely a "Dolce Vita" kind of day!
One of the things I miss most about living in Florence is a car. I used to drive EVERYWHERE! I loved driving! The thing about living in Tuscany is there are a ton of awesome places to go out of the city, most reachable by train or bus but it's not the same as being in a car out on the smaller roads where the vistas are for me, the most beautiful.
Not having my own car or even a motorino I'm dependent on friends who do to go to these places where a) a car is necessary or b) is just way more convenient. So when my friend Laura invited me to go for a drive with her, her husband Marco and brother Doug, I said HELL YEAH!
Around noon on Saturday I met up with them for a drive to the Passo della Consuma. It's a long windy road up and over the hills that connect the provinces of Arezzo and Firenze. The countryside is spectacular plus it's like 10 degrees cooler up there ( which was welcome after the recent heat wave). Our first stop was the abbey at Vallombrosa.
We walked around the grounds a bit, took a bunch of photos and then headed to a well known but far removed sandwich shop located along Il Passo Della Consuma called the Chalet il Valico. Laura and Marco had been there a bunch of times before. The place is basically a shack on a mountain frequented by Italian motorcyclists decked out from head to toe in matchy -matchy leather biker wear ( and they wear it well). Think Harley enthusiasts go Armani. I especially get a kick out of the guys with the aerodynamic fins on their backs. Anyway, this place is known for their VERY rustic sandwiches, meat and cheese on schiacciata bread ( Tuscan focaccia). The sandwiches were HUGE and a little difficult for me to eat as I am still recovering from the dentist.
View from Chalet Il Valico
Laura's brother Doug with all 4 sandwiches
Dessert: La Bomba- had chocolate pudding inside- YUM!
After lunch we went for a drive to the Castel Castagnaio ( which was closed) but the drive was real pretty and tested Laura's driving skills. Bonus, meeting the fat beagle who I thought was pregnant at the bottom of the hill. Her name is Zara.
Hi there I am calling by as another participant in Ciao Christy's - La Dolce Vita.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed sharing your Saturday with you and must remember to make a note of the Chalet di Valico.
Ciao!Yes, the chalet is worth a visit if in the area. Thanks for stopping by! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the photo from the chalet! Absolutely gorgeous. And the Bomba looks delicious! Love, Christy
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine!!! Get up there if you haven't already and have fun in Amsterdam :)
ReplyDeletedid I already post this on FB? Anyways...I remember that exact.same.dog when I was there last time and we were heading to Poggi. Did you guys climb the Tower? Tres spooky!!
ReplyDeleteI want a sandwich from Consuma! WAH! Do you think our fair friend will take us there when I come back for a visit?
Don't know how I missed this post before but just had to comment now. David and I spent two weeks in Poppi in 1999 during our RTW trip. We rented a little apartment there and just hung out. It was awesome! Haven't been back since though...
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