Imagine 14 people representing three generations of family members, ages 2 to 68, traveling from various parts of the western U.S. to Italy for a family
vacation. That was the scenario for our latest family get-together, and it could not have turned out better!
Many years ago, my wife, Carolann, and I decided that the best gifts we could give our children and grandchildren were memories and times together--and
that idea grew into the establishment of what we call the Swartz Family Vacation Trust. It's a gift that cannot be lost, taken away, or worn out. The
result, with a growing number of participants over the years, has been trips to Maui, Monterrey, Kiawah Island, Sun River in Oregon, and rafting the
Colorado River in Utah. Our Italy trip, however, was an all-time favorite, and centered around a glorious week at a spectacularly appropriate villa, Villa
le Favole, located below the Tuscan walled city of Montepulciano.
The family convened at O'Hare, traveling from Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Washington, and flew together to Leonardo da Vinci International Airport
in Rome. As always, Darcy from Hideaways was a key part of our team, and had arranged for transportation and a two-night stay for us at the Hotel Albergo Cesari--a real find, centrally located, and serving fantastic Italian breakfasts on the rooftop terrace with a view. The
hotel is just off the Piazza di Pietra near the Via del Corso--meaning it was convenient to lots of sights.
After two days of exploring the city, the 14 of us left Rome for Villa le Favole, driving four GPS-assisted rental cars. I can tell you that as a "mature"
gentleman, I prefer never to drive in Rome again. That said, we had a pleasant drive (after Grandpa let others take the lead) to Montepulciano, cruising up
a nice highway to our destination.
We arrived at the north entrance to the walled city and ventured into that enclave for a little preview. The four rental vehicles then maneuvered down the
hill and found their way to our villa. Wow!! There is no better way to describe the collective reaction of our group as we approached Villa le Favole.
What a perfect place to spend time in Tuscany, especially with a large family. The property consists of two ancient, well-appointed stone houses, each
self-contained. Carolann and I and all but the youngest grandchild stayed in one house, and in the other house were three of the second-generation parents
and the "baby." That home had the main dining room and kitchen, and also was where the proprietress lived. The building had been remodeled recently, and
the accommodations were very comfortable.
We especially appreciated the many patios, dining areas, and individual rooms that could be used for mini get-togethers--very important for a group of 14.
And the bathroom facilities in both homes were very adequate and accommodating. In Grandma and Grandpa's "suite," the bathroom had a wonderful tub with
jets and a window that gave us a nice view of the grounds.
The extensive property was especially well suited to a family with young children. In fact, after several days at the villa, having ventured into
Montepulciano and surrounding towns, our grandchildren told us they preferred being at the villa. Who could blame them? They had plenty of room to roam,
and hanging out with the many animals--ducks, turtles, sheep, chickens, a rooster, and goats--was a daily activity. The rooster crowed every morning,
sometimes a little too early for those who like to sleep in. The beautiful swimming pool was a major attraction, and as usual, Grandpa went swimming with
the grandkids while the parents stayed dry.
Not only did we love the villa's amenities, we also loved its location, sitting in a beautiful valley directly below the historic city of Montepulciano.
Tucked in among the surrounding countryside was an olive grove, a vineyard, and wheat (or other grain) fields, and all were being actively farmed. Workers
arrived daily to labor in those areas, and that made our villa experience even richer.
A unique and really fun time was had by all when a chef came to Villa le Favole to present a cooking class for our family, followed by a delicious meal.
Chef Romeo, who also brought his lovely wife, Frederica, arrived from the Maremma area of coastal Tuscany. Romeo's name and contact information came from a
friend who had attended his cooking classes years before. What a find! Romeo brought some amazing fresh seafood with him, and the evening was quite
special, with the family gathered in the kitchen, learning to prepare fresh calamari, bruschetta, and risotto al mare. We finished the evening with a
wonderful dessert of tiramisu.
My summary impression of Villa le Favole: "Un posto magnifico!" Loosely translated, "A magnificent place!"
The Surrounding Tuscan Countryside
The family took several drives through absolutely delightful countryside in the post-harvest season, and we saw fields with rolled hay bales, olive groves, and colors of the season--beautiful photos. We particularly enjoyed a trip to Montalcino north of Montepulciano. Especially nice was the chiming of the clock from the city piazza--recorded on my iPhone! South of Montalcino, on our way back to Montepulciano, we found a very nice winery, and the wines offered in a tasting were exquisite.
Outstanding Restaurants in Montepulciano
La Bottego del Nobile was the experience of a lifetime for our family. We showed up at this restaurant at the lower end of the Corso about 10 p.m. and asked if they had seating for a party of 14! The poor, bewildered girl at the door very apologetically said "No," but as we were leaving a gentleman came to the door and said, "Absolutely, we have a special place for your party." It turned out the gentleman was the proprietor, named Cesari, and from that moment on he took special care of our family. We were seated in the wine cellar and given 4-star treatment. The meal was exquisite, the service sublime, the setting truly Italian.
Cesari spent significant time explaining the wine selections and the menu. We were introduced to wonderful appetizers, including an eggplant pie, and the entrées included hare, Svengali (wild boar), pici pasta (like fat spaghetti), and dishes that suited the entire party of 14 people old and young. The setting was magical, and the children had a marvelous time.
Apparently the experience was memorable and noteworthy, as we returned to this restaurant on our last night in Montepulciano--no disappointment, as that meal exceeded our earlier dinner. It happened to be on my birthday, and my granddaughter's birthday was the next day. We had our own special candles for a birthday cake, and we told the waiter the candles were pretty much fireworks and wanted their blessing, but the restaurant said they also had "special" candles--WOW, those were spectacular! All in all, this restaurant is a winner and should not be missed.
Ristorante delgi Archi provided a very good meal in a romantic setting. The wait for our large group to get dinner served was long, but the edge was taken off by Pier, the owner/manager, coming to our table several times. He sang songs to my wife and is a true character. His wife, Elda, is the chef, and she also came to the table. The wait staff also was good. To us, the decor seemed very Italian and the food was top drawer with a good selection. So I also recommend this place, which is located along the east side of the city wall.
Shopping in Montepulciano
Ramaio Cesare is a coppersmith who has a retail store on a street below the Piazza Grande on the upper end of the town. He also has a workshop nearby. Cesare made some little copper creations for the grandkids which were gifts from him. We purchased a beautiful warming dish handcrafted by Cesare, which has a lid in the form of a pig and has been a nice, useful piece.
There are several wineries and tasting rooms throughout the town, including the Contucci w Cantina, which is on the Piazza Grande. The layout of the Piazza, we found, is similar in all the walled cities we visited in Tuscany, each with a church or Duomo and community/city hall. We climbed the tower in the town hall and were given a spectacular view, including the San Biagio Church, a Renaissance masterpiece just below the walls of the city.
At the very top of the town, on its southwest side, we found a pottery shop, which had a huge inventory and was the retail outlet owned by the people who make the pottery. We could not resist buying several pieces, including a large platter, which hangs on the wall of our kitchen today and is a daily reminder to our trip, since it shows the Tuscan countryside with fields of grain, grapes, olives, and stone country homes reminiscent of Villa le Favole.
Post-Villa Travels
The family headed in several directions at the end of our glorious time at Villa le Favole. All the kids and grandchildren drove to Florence, where some of them took the train directly to Paris and others traveled to Geneva and then to Paris.
Carolann and I drove to Volterra, staying at the Hotel La Locanda, very handy to a nearby parking lot outside the walls (can't park inside the walls, but we were able to drive into the hotel to unload and load). Good suggestion from Darcy, our Hideaways Travel Specialist! A highlight: an archery contest in the town square, which featured five-member teams using crossbows and shooting at a target with five bulls-eyes at the far end of the square--interesting and fun to watch, and the town square was buzzing with people, street artists, and food vendors. We also found ourselves in the middle of a running race with the course winding through the city.
We traveled from Volterra to Levanto, a town on the Italian Riviera and Ligurian Sea, and the first train stop to the northeast of the Cinque Terra. We stayed at Hotel Primavera, two blocks from the beach and with a nice little balcony overlooking the street, and had a typical Italian breakfast served either inside or on a lovely balcony. We especially liked the street scene with many locals. We caught a very good musical group that did a great job on Chet Baker songs, complete with Italian accent--fun kids who later engaged us in conversation. We decided on Levanto because we had a car and needed parking, something problematic in the towns of Cinque Terra.
We took the train to Monterosso and then to Vernazza, where we hiked to Corniglia--about a two-hour hike for us on some very narrow and steep pathways with fantastic views of the sea, vineyards, and the towns of Cinque Terra. We also took a boat trip from Levanto, which stopped at all five villages as well as Portovenere, the town just to the south of Riomaggiore. This area is one we will happily revisit.
Then we headed down the coast to the Maremma, staying in Grossetto for three nights at the Hotel Grand Bastiani. Dinner was at a small, off-the-beaten-path restaurant--L'uva e il Malto--run by the chef, Moreno, and served by his wife, Samantha. Moreno brought out a fresh fish for us to inspect and then cooked it for us. We liked this restaurant so much we went there again, and both nights we were very happy with the meal and the service.
We especially enjoyed this area of western Tuscany on the Tyrrhenian Sea, partly because it was mostly locals and other Italians on vacation. We visited Castiglione Della Piscaia, a beach town, and spent several hours enjoying the water, sunning and swimming and explored the town, and had a delightful lunch. We also visited L'AndanaTHC, a very posh resort that originally was the hunting lodge of the Duke of Tuscany and has been converted by chef Alain Ducasse in partnership with the Moretti family.
We chanced upon a winery north of Grosetto, a serendipitous find by entering "wineries" in our GPS, which took us through some farms and along dirt roads. We came upon a marvelous vineyard and a spectacular architectural beauty. We learned the winery--La Rocca di Frasinello--was designed by Renzo Piano and Mario Botta, both Italian architects. A sign said tasting hours were by appointment only, but the tasting-room manager happened to be in and let us in when we knocked on the locked doors, even giving us a tasting and tour. The wine cellar here was unique, built in the form of a theater with the casks/barrels sitting on tiered levels, all well below ground.
We left Grosetto and made our way back to a hotel at the Rome airport, relaxing for the evening and pinching ourselves over the success of our glorious three weeks in Italy with our entire family at a villa, followed by time for ourselves in some beautiful spots. Thank you, Hideways, for your help in this adventure of the Swartz Family Vacation Trust.