An Excursion

The Kaufman clan is here--Elliott, Jeelu, Asha and Josh--and have oh-so-quickly acclimatized themselves to the rhythm of life here at Cassalocce. That means sleeping late, playing bocce or just chilling by the pool or hot tub, taking long walks at the end of the day in preparation for yet another fantastic dinner alla Marcella then toddling up to bed thoroughly satiated and perhaps just a little inebriated after a fierce game of Sorry or Scrabble. Truly, the simple life.

Today, to break the "monotony," we all piled into the car and headed out for an excursion. I should clarify. Not all of us. Steve remained behind determined not to miss the leftover pollo alla grigliata from last night's dinner for his lunch. But the five of us were game for an afternoon of exploration supported by our trusty GPS system which spouts directions in Italian, of course.

We headed for Montapulciano, a charming (aren't they all!) Renaissance town high up on a hill overlooking vineyards and rolling fields of olive trees and wheat. Somehow, I can't imagine ever tiring of this landscape. Once there we ambled slowly up and down the narrow streets, fortunately nearly empty of tourists this time of year and walked through the main piazza with its rather grim church. I love how clean these little towns are--no graffiti, not a speck of litter on the streets--all the window boxes sporting bright red and pink and purple geraniums, wonderful wooden doors with polished antique knockers, terracotta tiled roofs and old bricks the color of the sun.

It was 2 o'clock and time for a meal so we scoped out the possibilities and decided on a tiny cafe with just the right vibe. (As my daughter Elizabeth has taught me, it is all about the vibe.) What a treat! The waiter was a very earnest and adorable young man who carefully explained the menu to us and each ingredient's local provenance, had us taste a number of local organic wines before having us choose a bottle for lunch, and then brought numerous bottles of olive oil and specified exactly what they should be poured on. Out of the kitchen came a slender young woman, his wife and the chef. Although we ate relatively lightly--assorted bruschetta and then a seleczioni of local cheeses and meats--all was delicious and prepared with real care. Definitely worth a repeat visit, we all decided.