Day 36 28/4/06 - Italy

Greve -> Panzano -> Greve -> Barberino di Mugello -> Borgo San Lorenzo -> San Piero a Sieve -> Sant' Agata -> Galliano -> Greve

Highlight

• Getting stuck in yet another traffic jam on the autostrada, this time for >10 minutes only.
• Really heavy rain:(
• After living in the castle for almost a week, we finally got a chance to really look around Greve and Panzano, the two towns closest to our castle. The conclusion? They are very pretty, with a lively town square and of course the church,but filled with tourists, which meant things were more expensive too!
• Finally found some open Paneceria in Greve, and got myself loaded on even more bread.
• Also went to taste test more meat, but we only got some offcuts as they had run out.
• Today we didn't stick with the original plan, simply because we were sick of driving and getting stuck in traffic, so we decided to venture closer to home, and near the Bib Gourmande we wanted to visit. so off we went to the Mugello area. The first thing I have to say is that their tourist information is the best of all of Italy. Besides that, Mugello is a area quite different to the rest of Tuscany, in that there are rolling flat hills, animals and it's not as green.
• My favourite outing in the area? Barberino of course, because of the Barberino Factory Outlet. This is by the famous European outlet chain, McArthurGlen, and the layout is like a little town, complete with river, flowers and bridges. The actual shopping? Great designer labels but not too much normal stuff, but this is a great place to go for FREE TOILET!
• My favourite shopping finds included:
  • Buying a 560g easter egg, on special for 5 Euro at the Lindt shop, which sold all things Lindt of course, with way more selection than the one in Sydney. They also make hot chocolate there but I didn't try it, maybe next time.
  • Mikka shop with cool milky body lotion in honey, almond, walnut and other delectable smells!
  • Getting some bargain "Italian" lingerie at Calzedonia. Did I mention that there are lingerie specialty stores everywhere?
  • The amount of great menswear stores. It's no wonder the guys are better dressed there! I've been disappointed with the women though, only a few of them seem to dress up, the rest just goes around in jeans and coat.
• Our 2nd Bib Gourmande was even better than the 1st. It's a tavern situated in a hotel almost in the middle of nowhere, off the really small town of Galliano, we nearly couldn't find it. There's no menu, the host, Carlo is very entertaining, even though he doesn't speak much English. The food was EXCELLENT and plentiful, typical Tuscan cuisine from the Mugello region.
• The towns we visited today are the most non touristy, cheapest and "Italian" so far. Each has an interesting but not so exciting church, a main st and loads of bars and cafes.
• Finding a chocolate shop with buy 3 for the price of 2 chocolate at Borgo San Lorenzo. Hehe, I understand a discount in any language.
• Finding a cool bread shop, in San Piero a Sieve. It was a family run business, with the kids out the back completing their homework, and parents coming out to serve customers as needed. I think they were amused when we kept oohing and aahing at everything.

Food

• Chilli pici with wild boar ragu.
• Torta di Pasqua (cheesy Easter bread).
• Sahiacciata (olive oil bread) (1).
• Perugino chocolates and Lindt chocolates.
• Panini with porcetta, pecorino, rocket and porcini.
• Potato pizza.
• Dinner at Osteria Poggio di Sotto (30):
  • crostini with pate and salad
  • farinata soup (beans)
  • tortelli di patate (pasta filled with potatoes)
  • tagliatelli sui cinghiale (pasta with wild boar, what else!)
  • chicken with tomato stew and mash
  • thick grilled steak
  • raddiaco salad
  • panna with chocolate
  • flat bread tart
  • espresso
  • limoncello
  • vin santo + cantucchi