Montepulciano

Reminder: You can click on the photos to see them larger.  With views like the one below, it's worth the click!

After a day of relaxing around Seggiano and Castagnatello, we decided to get back in the Peugeot and go on a new adventure.  I wanted to see the town on Montepulciano, purely because I once bought wine from Whole Foods that was made there.  That's right...the majority of my Italy knowledge had come from my wine experiences.  When in Rome...

Montepulciano was about an hour's drive away from our rental.  The drive was phenomenally beautiful!  Rolling hills, hay stacks rolls, olive trees as far as the eye could see...

The above photo is the road leading into Montepulciano.  We Scaccos love a tree-lined road.

A Scacco in a secret passage?  Normale.

Now THIS is what we're talking about!  Charming little town with charming little restaurants and charming little shops!  Here's Nick at the entry to the town.

We're just a LITTLE excited about Montepulciano.

Charming little shops

Charming little restaurants.  This one popped out of the alley.  Normale.

Me and a church.

Totally LOVE the interior of this church.  Not overly decorated. Not too fancy.  GORGEOUS!  We want to paint the ceilings of our house (you know, the one in our dreams) just like this!

Nick and some old church doors.

Everyone had flowers on their mini-lanais.  The saying "stop and smell the roses" had a whole new meaning in Italy.  "Stop and look up at the roses" was a necessary statement.  There was so much to see on the street level that it was easy to miss views like the one above.  What a delight to remember to stop and look up!

On the search for lunch, we came across this little corner restaurant.  Just four tables on a corner...no kitchen...totally charming!  We figured out that this outdoor area belonged to a restaurant across the road.  Normale.

When we finally settled on a restaurant for lunch, this is what we were blessed with!  LOOK AT THAT LASAGNA!  HOLY LASAGNA!  

It was at this restaurant that I had my first "Eat, Pray, Love" experience.  I think it took me a good hour to eat my lasagna because I experienced EVERY BITE.  A glass of red wine and a plate of lasagna....total heaven.

The view from the restaurant.  Normale.

We sat at the second table in on the right-hand side.

In case you are ever in Montepulciano, eat here!  Cafe Poliziano.  Get the lasagna. You won't regret it.

As for the remainder of our day in Montepulciano?  Looking for the right pair of new leather boots (as per Kate's recommendation).  FOUND 'EM!  See below.  I "clicked" and "clacked" through the cobblestone streets the remainder of the day...how glorious!

 

 On the way home, we stopped in the small town of Pienza.  Nick deemed it the "La Jolla of Tuscany".  It was shmoozy on the outside and looked like a great town for a girlfriend's getaway.  We went into the old part of the town and found tons of cheese shops! 

 Check out that cheese!  We bought balsamic vinegar and wine, of course.

 Nick, displaying his Coca Cola.  Check out what's going on at the table behind him.  Haha...who knows? 

 Nick found some new leather shoes, as well.  We sat on the ancient stairsteps of an ancient building and watched the world go by.

 Then we clicked and clacked our new leather shoes on the cobblestone roads back to our Peugeot, and made our way back home.

 We stopped at the grocery in Seggiano for cheese, tomato, and basil for dinner.

Here's a shot of the main restaurant in Seggiano...Bar 60.  This is where Nick had his crazy 3-course dinner from the previous post.  In the mornings, those tables were filled with old Italian men...smoking and drinking espresso.

Next up? Hiking to the top of Mt. Amiata!