We went back to Arezzo today because they were having an antique fair. It occurs once a month on the first Sunday of each month. Wow, there were so many beautiful and interesting things. If only we had an empty suitcase and a one-way ticket back to London! We did find some lovely brass handles for our new bathroom.
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We found a new favorite city in Italy, Siena! It was a little far for Theo in the car at nearly two hours, but it was worth it! First of all, lunch at Osteria la Chiacciera was absolutely fantastic. The restaurant's tables line the steep Costa di S. Antonio footpath stacked one above the other looking down and across to another hill of quintessential Italian homes in their warm hues. The white umbrellas over the tables blocked the intensity of the sun but the warm early afternoon breeze fluttering through made it an incredibly relaxing lunch. We didn't plan anything for Siena but it is exactly the right city to walk into without a clue because it's all wonderful and interesting. After lunch for example, we leisurely wandered on and only steps away from the restaurant we discovered the shrine of Santa Caterina which was my favorite with its glorious atriums and stunning marble, from the checkered black and white squares on the floor to the pillars. Of course, the Duomo in Siena was very impressive too. We look forward to coming back to Siena, hopefully for a long weekend some time as a day trip is simply not enough! We headed to the Umbria region of Italy today, which borders Tuscana and was about an hour, 10 from 187a Manzi where we're staying. Fun fact - Umbria is the only landlocked region in Italy (which makes sense since the country is tall and skinny and flanked by two seas). Specifically we visited the city of Perugia! And wow, we were impressed! Even though Piazza IV Novembre was largely under restoration, it was still absolutely beautiful with its central fountain made of lovely marble and decorated with statues (24 apparently!). Unfortunately we had our most underwhelming lunch in Perugia which might have been further tainted by Theo's teething tantrum ... though our coffee break was absolutely lovely with various tarts and pastries (even though we ate outside, we did venture in and were rewarded with a glorious original fresco). There were also some enticing antique vendors.. We decided to explore Cortona for our first weekend in Tuscany. It's about an hour from the village Manzi where we are staying. We parked on the hillside leading up to the city center. The first stop was the farmer's market to pick up some fresh fruit for Theo to snack on. It took awhile as there was quite a queue of locals doing their weekly produce shopping. We then finally wandered into the city searching for cappuccinos and croissants. We made it to Piazza della Repubblica where we found just one table open and waiting for us. Theo enjoyed his croissant filled with cream. There was a lot of activity in the square and we soon found out there was an antique car event that day. After gassing up, we explored the alleyways of Cortona and even went to a lookout point outside the stone walls. We then made the long trek up up up as Cortona is a hillside town with Basilica di Santa Margherita at its peak. En route, Theo made friends with a wonderful elderly man who just loved him and treated him to biscuits. We continued on knowing that we would soon be rewarded with a good view, and also lunch. The church was worth its weight in calories burned, as were the views overlooking the vast Tuscan valley. After absorbing the sights, we raced back down to our 12:30 reservations at Osteria del Teatro. We reported for our reservation under Famiglia Rosado, and they thought we were saying Famiglia Risotto. It was quite funny! We sat and relaxed and ate and drank for hours, in true Italian fashion! First stop in Tuscana - Anghiari! This beautiful little 13th century medieval village is only 25 minutes from our house in Manzi. It was a challenge to navigate with a stroller (pram) but we managed and were rewarded with some amazing pizza at Bar Baldaccio. We celebrated Alexandra (Eric's sister) and Tyler's one year anniversary together on a boat on Lake Como! Our wonderful friends, Aaron and Sophia, finally had their wedding day! Here are some of the amazing pictures from their special day. Unfortunately we were only able to attend in a virtual capacity. Looking forward to proper celebrations soon! We love you!!!
English summer has begun! And I put my dino pool from Auntie Alex to good use in the garden. Then when it got too hot I chased daddy up and down the halls inside. Xx Theodore We made the trek over to the west side of London, first to have lunch with Jac and James, and then to celebrate Donovan's second birthday in Battersea Park. Donovan and I can run together now!
Xx Theodore |
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