Hopefully most of you know what a Fiat Cinque Cento looks like, however if not, they are the smallest cars imaginable, yet they are as cute as can be! Cinque Cento means 500 hundred in Italian, and when referring to a car, that means 500 horsepower. 

We rented two vintage Cinque Centos for the day in Tuscany, one from 1969 and one from 1974. It was hard to believe that the little engine was as efficient as 500 horses, but it did indeed make it up each mountain and hugged each switchback! It was loud, and bumpy yet fun as could be. Afterall, how often do you get to drive a teeny car on back roads with a landscape comprised of cypress trees lining each curve, vineyards and olive orchards in the distance, and medieval village on the crest of every mountain top? It was a very memorable day indeed!

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Tommaso finally gets to visit Nostra Vita in person! A small vineyard owned and nurtured by an incredibly creative family, is a little slice of Tuscan heaven. It is also an experience to treasure since everywhere you look, everything you see or touch or taste, was made by them.

Annibale (the father and vintner) has been described many times as a present-day Leonardo da Vinci due to what he has designed, made, built, and envisioned. I have sent many clients to Nostra Vita who have thanked me profusely for “the absolute best day of their trip”. And the second-best part is when the wine they ordered, is delivered to their home country!

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Artist Emanuele Giannelli Website

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Our first night in Montepulciano was just going to be dinner at a small local ristorante, however duty called when our friend we were travelling with requested some much needed supplies from a pharmacy / farmacia. The timing was not opportune since the autumn harvest festival took over the entire village which made the drive comically challenging, but we prevailed!

There are a few travel tips to be learned in this episode between the advantages of small Italian pharmacies, and where NOT to go on a beautiful Sunday in the countryside – listen closely for Kimberly’s admission to the rookie travel mistake!

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Our back road drive to Todi in Umbria was picture perfect, as was our stay in a renovated small castle. One wrong step off the road did result in a broken wrist for our friend, but she was a trooper and carried on to the medieval festival in Todi, along with lunch and aperol spritzs for pain management!

Tommaso and Kimberly drove to the very old, and very small village of Montefalco and were pleasantly surprised to not run across a single other tourist – a welcome relief after the 4 days in Firenze. Umbria’s landscape differs from Tuscany’s, but it is also captivating and worthy of driving on back roads, which is the best way to see Italy’s stunning countryside.

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Our day trip to Assisi proved to be more enriching than we all thought it would be. Most people go to see the Basilica of St Francis, but this sweet little city also offers a plethora of history. The Temple of Minerva from the first century BC, along with several other significant churches, and Rocca Maggiore, a 14th castle on the highest perch of the city, are all incredible, yet we didn’t have time to delve into all of it in just one episode.

Assisi appears to be almost “fake” due to it’s restoration after the earthquake of 1997, but beyond that pristine façade, there is so much history to absorb in this small mountain top city. If you are fortunate enough to go off season, I think you will enjoy it as much as we did.

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Our friend Suma recounts her recent multi-day hike through the Dolomites, which were so breathtakingly beautiful, “it almost seemed like they were in a movie”.  

She and her friends started in Innsbruck, Austria which was a good route to drive to prepare them for the stunning geography they would see for the rest of the trip. This episode delves into the logistics of the trip, including the benefits of using a company to book accommodations and transfers. 

We also discuss the hiking experience itself, the fitness level required and the surprising lack of crowds even during the busy Italian tourist month of September. Suma also shares her insights into the Ladin culture of the region, the warm hospitality of the locals, and the hearty mountain cuisine that fueled their journey.

She convinced us to go next September, so you might feel the same!

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It was our first time at the quintessential Tuscan dream dinner... one long table for 50 people, outdoors, at night, on the edge of the Arno River in Florence. The guests were from around the world, all gathered to celebrate our mutual friend Lolita. The table was topped with endless candles, flowers, wine bottles, etc., busy but beautiful.

This dinner was the last night of our somewhat short 4-day stay in Florence, and what a treat it was!  However, earlier in the day we went to one of my favorite places, Michelangelo's house on Via Ghibellina. Casa Buonarroti is filled with color, artwork and history, but most importantly, you can't help but revel in the fact that you are walking through the same rooms that Mic did! 

A full day in beautiful Florence / Firenze included the perfect lunch in Piazza Santo Spirito, and then an energetic walk straight uphill to Piazzale Michelangelo to combat the amazing gnocchi, compliments of Osteria Santo Spirito.

The view from the Piazzale did not disappoint, yet times have changed and that meant there was no more shade to beat the heat. After multiple bottles of water, we descended to the Arno River and enjoyed a lazy stroll while taking in the view.

The evening culminated in the aforementioned Bisteca Fiorentina, an Aperol Spritz (or two) in Oltrarno, and pure joy in meeting up with old friends in this magical city.

Our first night in Firenze was anything but mellow and relaxing. Instead, it involved a faulty jacuzzi and a cast of characters to fix it. Luckily, it all worked out in the end, and we had a new friend in Francesca and her colleagues, who treated us to a lovely lunch that turned out to be one of the best meals of the trip!

Firenze was quite warm for the second week of October, and we shared the city with a copious amount of other tourists. Yet, the capital of Toscana still warrants attention with it's architecture and history, so we made the most of it and walked and walked and walked, as one does so easily in bel'italia. 

We were so lucky to spend a few days at a quintessential Tuscan farmhouse, but this one comes with a whole lot of dog love! 8 dachshunds and 1 yellow lab who luckily never left our side. Everything we ate and drank came from their property which is the definition of Zero KM.

Besides the full of flavor meals and the hearty and delicious wine, we were so happy to meet the other guests and get to know the friendly and generous staff. Staying in a small farmhouse like this is the best way to immerse yourself into the traditional Italian way of country life, which is simply to work hard, plant and harvest your own food and wine, and share it with others. Throw in 9 dogs, and it was pure heaven!

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