Bagno Vignoni

After getting the kids to school this morning, we headed off for Tuscany. There was some rain on and off, with brief periods of sunshine while we drove on the Autostrada on our way out of Rome, but as we approached our destination, two hours later -- snow.

Our first clue that things may not go as planned was when Josh received a call from a vineyard (one of two he had contacted to make wine-tasting appointments) saying that it was snowing around Sant'Angelo in Colle, and they would be closing for the day. This particular vineyard is a tiny, family-run operation, so it didn't occur to us right away that anything else would be amiss. But 25 or so kilometers later, we decided to call the restaurant where we were planning to have lunch, Il Leccio, just to see if we needed a reservation. No answer. Well, Sant' Angelo in Colle is a VERY small town and we knew it was snowing there, so we decided to alter our plans a bit and drive to Pienza. We had planned to go to Pienza tomorrow anyway, so we'll just flip the days around. As we reached the Val D'Orcia, the snow plows were on the roads and instead of seeing the emerald green valley, olive groves and cypress trees, we were enveloped in a gray cloud of white snow. Not exactly what we'd hoped for. Still, we would go to the Renaissance town of Pienza, have a delicious lunch in some outstanding trattoria, and then check in to our hotel in Bagno Vignoni, and all would be well.

Pienza

When we arrived in Pienza, we were immediately challenged to find a parking space in the snow, with a two-wheel drive vehicle. Once we (Josh) solved that problem, we moseyed into this charming village through slushy, cobble-stoned streets with a light, wet snow coming down. We immediately found the town square, called Piazza Pio, after the Pope -- Pius II. Enea Silvio Piccolomini was born in Corsignano in 1405, and became Pope Pius II in 1458 at which he had this entire town rebuilt in the Renaissance style. It was the first application of urban planning, designed by Bernardo Rosselini and Leon Battisti Alberti, and the entire town was rebuilt within three years from 1459 to 1462. The name of the town was then changed to Pienza – after the Pope.

The door of the Duomo was open (very unusual after the noon hour) so we popped in for a look. Just next door, we found the Palazzo Piccolomini … closed. Disappointing since this was THE thing to see in Pienza and the hours posted indicated that it was open daily. Surely the folks at the tourist information office could shed some light on the situation. So we walked down to the town’s main gateway where we found the tourist office ... closed. Okay, well clearly it's time for lunch. We'd had three different restaurants in Pienza recommended to us. One after the other, we found that they were...closed. Now desperate, after walking in circles in the slush, we went in to a cafe/bar and ordered a panino and a platter of sliced meats and cheese. This was not exactly what I'd envisioned for our lunch today, but you have to roll with the punches. Weather often causes flight delays and cancellations, and even road closures, so at least we are here -- in beautiful, wet, white Tuscany.

Around the corner from the bar, I had spotted an open enoteca with some really nice-looking wheels of pecorino stacked in the window. While Josh went to retrieve the car, I walked back to the enoteca to buy some pecorino, and what ever else looked appetizing (Pienza is renowned for its pecorino). I already had a half-bottle of wine in the car (left-over from last night's dinner), and thought we could at least have wine and cheese at our hotel. As I reached the enoteca, I found that it was...closed. As the cardboard clock on the door indicated, they close from 1:15 until 3:45 daily... and, it was 1:15 on the dot. Perhaps the snow led to a slightly early pausa today. Now, I started to get sad.

When I got into the car, I decided we should have a glass of wine anyway -- cheese or no cheese. As I tried opening it, I broke the cork in half! Now, I was ready to cry. This was not at all going as planned.

Fortunately, Josh had the presence of mind to take the bottle, go back in to the café where we had just eaten (if you could call it that), and ask the hostess to take the cork out for us. Apparently, she complied, since he returned to the car with a new, special cork in the bottle. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a glass of wine from a plastic cup more.

Bagno Vignoni

As we approached Bagno Vignoni, alongside the sign for our hotel was a sign with a restaurant name and phone number on it. We called the number to see if this place might accommodate us for lunch. Nope. They are closed on Thursdays. We continued around the corner to our hotel and, still feeling un-sated, immediately inquired at reception about a place to eat. Well, the hotel restaurant was open until 2pm. It was now 2pm but they would remain open for us. Or, he could try calling one place in town that might be open. After checking out the hotel lunch buffet, we opted to walk the 100 meters in to town and try the restaurant.

If I tell you that this turned out to be one of the best meals we've had since we've been in Italy, would you believe me? Two hours later, when we were leaving Osteria del Leone, I asked what time they open for dinner! All the planning and effort we'd made to go to these well-reviewed, quaint osterias in the hillside towns of Tuscany, and we found this gem of an eatery right next door to our hotel in Bagno Vignoni! First, we ordered wine, a Rosso di Montalcino from Castello di Argiano -- the very same vineyard that we were supposed to visit today, and the one that courteously called to say they would be closing. It turned out to be a really nice wine – especially for only 15 euros!! Then, we started with the cheese! Three types of pecorino, beautifully arranged on a plate with toast and two salsas -- one di peperoncino, and one d'uva (grapes). Now, I was feeling really happy. Then, Josh and I ordered one primi and one secondi to share, along with two contorni. We had the pici di pasta (homemade) al ragu, as well as a "counter-filet." This is the meat from the side of the bone opposite to the fillet -- in English, the other half of the Porterhouse, or generally referred to as a New York Strip. The steak was grilled, seasoned and sliced to perfection. A generous helping of sautéed artichokes and another of beans, were on the side, and we enjoyed every bite of this fabulously prepared, home-cooked meal. Toward the end of our meal, we discovered that another local restaurant owner was having lunch in the next room (the restaurant was divided in to three small rooms) -- a sure sign of a great place.

When we came out of the Osteria in a food-and-wine-induced stupor, we first went to have a look at the town square -- an ancient pool. The geo-thermal waters of Bagno Vignoni have been famous for their curative powers since Roman times. The pool dominates the town square and is fed by water bubbling up from a vent in the earth. While this pool is no longer in use today, during the 15th and 16th century Pope Pius II, Lorenzo the Magnificent and Catherine of Sienna are among many who spent time in Bagno Vignoni and the pool.

Today, the town looks mystical with the steam and vapors rising above the pool in its center. Visitors and locals alike have to go to one of the surrounding terme to take the waters. Fortunately for us, we were staying at the Hotel Posta Marcucci, which has a natural terme just adjacent. So we made the short walk back to check it out.

Once, in our swimsuits and robes, we descended (by elevator) to “the room of waters” -- an indoor spa. Here we found a natural hot pool, a Jacuzzi pool, two types of saunas, and a steam room (bagno turko). Then we went outside only to discover that today's cleaning and maintenance (which we knew to take place every Thursday) was being executed on the "hot" baths, not the "cold" baths (while it is called "cold," this pool is actually warm, but therefore it can not be called "hot"). We opted for the indoor spa today. As we entering, we thought we had the place all to ourselves, but in reality discovered there were actually three other couples – which is essentially the same as having the place to yourself. After we were sufficiently soaked, steamed and relaxed, it was time to go up to our room for a nap. It had stopped raining; the air outside was fresh and smelled of pine, and we could hear the waters running down to the Orcia river below.

I had to wake Josh up from his nap at 8:15pm, lest he later spend the entire night awake. Neither of us was very hungry. But we decided we had to go out for a walk anyway. The smell of the countryside and wood burning fires surrounded us. We took one lap around the town square (the pool) and noticed a brightly lit, lively restaurant with an open kitchen. As we peeked inside, we spotted our friends from lunch, the local restaurant owner, his wife and newborn. Again, we figured, if he chose to dine here, it must be okay.

It was so much more than okay. It was sublime. This was the restaurant of the newly opened (or newly refurbished?) Le Terme hotel. Not only are all the products organic, but the insert in the menu explains what type of cow they are serving, where it was raised, when it was killed, and it’s relationship with its mother. They probably figured giving you the cow’s name and birthday would be going too far. In any case, tonight’s cow was a hormone-free Chianina cow from the nearby Val di Chiana – these cows are the best in Tuscany. At the same time, we spotted the Cinta Senese on the menu. The Cinta Sinese (as you may recall from our fall trip to Tuscany with my parents) is a very special pig. It’s given this name due to the white strip around its black belly. Well, Josh is a pork lover and couldn’t pass this up. so we went with one of the three little cinta pigs insead of the Chianina cow. Of course, we were going to share since we weren’t that hungry to begin with. But we also noticed that this restaurant served a homemade pici di pasta d’aglione. This is a local recipe for a tomato garlic sauce, so we had to try it. In the end, we had another full meal with a salad and pecorino to boot. Everything, especially the pasta, which was unlike anything we’d tasted before, was delicious. Tonight, the wine that was suggested to us was even better than the one we’d enjoyed at lunch – and again, it seemed a veritable bargain at 18 euros.

We closed the place down at 10:30pm. Now, we had to take a few more laps around the pool before bed.