And the gang at the restaurant had come up with a delicious mashup of American and Tuscan. Months before, Isabella had conspired with the owner/chef, Daria, over a list of traditional Thanksgiving dishes. In typically thoughtful fashion, Isabella had arranged a fantastic feast, which happened to be at one of my favorite restaurants in the region ( Ristorante Daria, in the tiny hill town of Monticchiello). Our agriturismo host, Isabella, understands this, so very early in the planning stages she reassured her nervous American guests: “And of course we will celebrate Thanksgiving with a special Thanksgiving meal - one with a Tuscan twist.” Well, phew! And many of us simply can’t fathom counting our blessings without an oversized portion of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The high point of our week was Thanksgiving dinner. When I tell people I was in Tuscany for Thanksgiving, their first question is - with a note of concern - “Did you have turkey?”Īmericans love their Thanksgiving dinner. And then we had a truffle feast at a nearby restaurant.Īnd, in general, we fully enjoyed being in the foodie paradise of Tuscany.įinally, at the end of the week, we did a little “Black Friday” shopping in Tuscan hill towns, and enjoyed the first of Italy’s holiday lights. Brown leaves crunching underfoot, we followed a talented dog as she sniffed out truffles. We also ventured into the autumnal countryside. Montepulciano - my favorite Tuscan hill town - was quieter than usual, giving us a chance to linger over visits with its colorful cast of craftsmen: Adamo, who’s evangelical about the local red wine Cesare, a coppersmith who takes more joy these days in getting to know tourists than he does in creating pots and pans and Guilio, whose steakhouse turns a chunk of beef into a work of art. So she set up three entirely different - and equally enjoyable - cooking classes: preparing a blowout feast in an Italian mama’s house shadowing a Michelin chef in his restaurant’s kitchen and rolling our own pasta back home at our agriturismo. (Meanwhile, Carlo’s dad, Luciano, kept us well-lubricated with nightly doses of grappa and Vin Santo.) Isabella has a knack for understanding what her American clientele are looking for in a trip to Tuscany. We stayed a full week at Agriturismo Cretaiole, perched on a ridge just outside of Pienza and wonderfully run by Isabella and Carlo. The trip created some of the most vivid travel memories of my life: rolling hills, pretty as a painting, tufted with sprigs of vivid-green winter wheat stony hill towns, normally jammed with tourists, instead buzzing with bundled-up Italians amazing meals - featuring chestnuts, mushrooms, and persimmons - that redefined my sense of seasonal Italian cuisine. I hope this little bit of armchair travel helps you get through another gloomy day, and reminds you of the fun that awaits us all on the other side of this pandemic.Ī few years ago at this time, I was getting ready to head to Tuscany for Thanksgiving with my wife’s family. For me, that means reminiscing about one of my favorite Thanksgivings ever…spent in beautiful Tuscany. If we ever want to “get back to normal” and travel again, it’s time to hunker down and relive favorite memories. And it’s becoming clear that nobody will (or should) be going anywhere this winter. The fundraising team area always available to offer support and guidance and we can provide materials to help with your fundraising if required.Eight months later, our world remains upside-down. If you would like to set up a Treasured Memories page, simply click on You can also add details of funds raised from outside of your Treasured Memories page such as Just Giving activities or offline donations. Your Treasured Memories page will show a running total of all the money you’ve raised. You can choose who you share your page with, enabling it to be as private as you wish. Significant dates, special occasions or trips down memory lane can be the perfect time to bring together friends and family members to continue sharing their memories of your loved one.Ĭreating your Treasured Memories page is a simple process and takes just a few moments. There are so many different ways to keep celebrating the life of the person you are remembering through your Treasured Memories page. Setting up your East Lancashire Hospice Treasured Memories page is a way to continue your loved one’s story for years to come.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |