Photos: Sonny Valenzuela, Bettina Rivera and Eddie Flores

When the family started discussing a potential tour of Italy last November, I contacted my good friend Luca del Segato immediately.  Luca told me three years ago, when he gave us an enlightening tour of Italy’s Lazio region, that he would be very happy to organize a similar tour of Toscana (Tuscany) for us.

Italy is divided into 20 regions, two of which are Lazio and Tuscany.  Luca is quite familiar with both regions.  He is a native of Acquapendente in the province of Viterbo in Lazio just south of Tuscany.  Rome is also in Lazio.  It took us a few more months before finally deciding to proceed with the land tour after the Mediterranean cruise that I wrote about in the previous issue of Munting Nayon.( 2010 Mediterranean Cruise:Italy, Croatia, Greece and Montenegro ) With our much delayed decision to proceed with the land tour, I was confident that if anyone could help us realize it, it would be Luca.  If you are going on a tour in Italy, check out his website at www.centroitalianlimo.com.

Of the 27 of us who were on the Mediterranean cruise, 19 joined the tour of Italy - from the Netherlands, my sister Quiding and her husband Eddie; from the Philippines, my brother Danny and his wife Cindy, and Cindy’s sisters Annie and Bettina;  from Australia, Cindy’s sister Frieda and her husband Rico; and from the United States, Cindy’s brother Arnel and his wife Ginny, Cindy’s cousin Kate and her husband Ito, my brother Boy and his wife Teng, their friends Ray and Zeny, my brother Jun and his wife Iou, and me. 

It was a sufficiently large group that Luca thought it best to get us a comfortable air-conditioned bus and ask his long-time friend Ardi Skenderi to drive us.  Ardi was already waiting for us when we disembarked at the port in Venice, ready to take us in his bus to what would be an unforgettable tour of Tuscany. 

I spoke no Italian and Ardi spoke limited English.  I was motivated to learn the language when we met Ardi.  I sat in the front of the bus and communicated with him for the group.   Fortunately, I had enough foresight to buy an English-Italian pocket dictionary a month earlier and bring it with me to Italy.  I became so dependent on that little dictionary that Ardi jokingly suggested for me to bring a bigger dictionary the next time we see each other.  Though I struggled, I embraced the learning process, with Ardi and Luca patiently teaching me their language.  Sanno che vorrei imparare più l'italiano.  They know that I would like to learn more Italian. 

Padova(Padua)

We stopped at Padova (Padua) in the Veneto region of Italy, and Bologna in Emilia-Romagna on our way to Tuscany.  In Padova, Ardi dropped us off at the piazza of Prato della Valle.  Across the public square, we went in the Basilica di Santa Giustina where tombs of saints and relics of St. Luke the Evangelist and St. Matthias are located.  Then we took a short walk to visit Sant'Antonio di Padova, the famous Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua.  The power, wealth and influence of the Roman Catholic Church over the centuries are evident upon visiting such old churches.  There are quite a few more that we would see in the course of our tour of Italy.

Bologna

In Bologna, we had lunch near Piazza Maggiore.  The 13^th century plaza is surrounded by palaces and the Basilica of San Petronio, the patron saint of Bologna.  Adjacent to Piazza Maggiore is another public square, Piazza Nettuno, with a large bronze statue of the Roman god of the sea above the Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) in the middle of the plaza.  Bounding the two public squares are the palaces dei Banchi, dei Notai, d'Accursio, del Podestà, and Re Enzo.  We met several Filipinos at the plazas, lending credence to the view that many Filipinos have immigrated to Italy.

One day was too short to see enough of Padova and Bologna.  But it was time to head to Villa San Lucchese, the hotel in the idyllic town of Poggibonsi, Chianti in Tuscany where Luca arranged for us to stay for the next five days.  On the way to Poggibonsi, Ardi took us to an Autogrill, a gas, fast food, and liquor store chain that can be found along autostrade (motorways) in Italy.  We wanted to have some wine with dinner and Ardi knew that Autogrill was having a special sale on inexpensive but good wine.  We would drink many bottles of fine Barolo and Montepulciano wine from Autogrill that week.

Villa San Lucchese

We were all very pleased with our accommodations at Villa San Lucchese.  Bettina could not contain her excitement and delight upon seeing her elegant bedroom, with its own anteroom and whirlpool bath.  Rico’s and Frieda’s room had a four-poster bed.  The room I got was not as luxurious as the others, but it was spacious and offered a panoramic view of verdant Tuscan landscape.  As I looked outside my window, I was reminded of stunning scenes I have seen in movies set in Tuscany.  The hotel also has swimming pools and tennis courts near its manicured gardens.

Villa San Lucchese dates back to the 15^th century.  It is now owned by the Ninci family.   The warm and friendly reception we got from family patriarch Vasco, his son Marco, their spouses and staff, especially Gerardo, left a lasting impression on us.  We could not imagine a better place and nicer people to host us.  As a consequence, a couple more words were introduced in our tour vocabulary - lucchesic, after Villa San Lucchese, referring to a place and its people so delightful beyond expectation that it is hard to imagine finding something better; and lucanic, an attractive offer package so enticing and reasonably priced that it cannot be refused, coined in honor of Luca for finding us such wonderful accommodations and arranging a complete tour package for us at such a friendly price.

Marco asked if we would like to have supper at Villa San Lucchese.  He brought me to their kitchen and introduced me to the two chefs.  They described the 4-course meal we would be served.  After our first delicious dinner, served alfresco on the terrace overlooking the rustic rolling hills of Chianti, there was no doubt that we would dine every night at Villa San Lucchese.  Marco himself helped prepare and serve some of the dishes.  Arnel, our group’s chef de cuisine, noted that the food was always good - fresh ingredients, cooked simply, unpretentious.

We learned that evening that Vasco and Marco spent a lot of time in the Philippines. Moreover, a close relative of theirs is also named Danilo, just like my brother Danny.  This made Danny seem so familiar to Vasco.  Danny got many bear hugs from Vasco during our stay at San Lucchese, not to mention the resounding melodic greeting “Da-ni-lo-oo, where is Da-ni-lo-oo”, each time we came back to the villa in the evening.  We felt like intimate members of the Ninci family.

Volterra

The next day, Ardi took us to Volterra, Pisa and Lucca.  Volterra has been an alabaster craft center for hundreds of years.  It was the site of an ancient Etruscan settlement.  The Etruscans inhabited central Italy in ancient times preceding the Romans.  Volterra exhibits a strikingly intact mix of Etruscan, Roman and medieval surroundings.  After visiting Volterra’s main square, Piazza dei Priori, we walked a bit more around the hilly town to find at the base of a slope a 2,000-year-old Roman theater.    

Pisa

Next stop was Pisa.  The cathedral, baptistery and leaning bell tower looked as sublime as I remember seeing them nine years ago.  However, perhaps it is because it was almost nightfall the last time I saw Pisa and the crowd had left, or because the tower was closed while undergoing corrective reconstruction and stabilization then, but the tranquility and reverential respect that I felt in Pisa then, now seem marred by the multitude of souvenir stands lining the streets and the large number of people shopping there.  The leaning tower is now open to visitors, but the line to get in was long, so we were also disappointed that we could not go up the tower.

Lucca

A quick visit to the walled city of Lucca completed our day’s tour.  Intricate artwork adorns the tall façade of San Michele in Foro, a Romanesque basilica built at the site of a Roman forum.  Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro in Lucca is surrounded by a curious row of wall-to-wall houses, with their walls that face the plaza curving to form an elliptical shape tracing the perimeter of the ancient Roman amphitheater that used to stand there.

Florence

Early the following day, we attended mass for our father’s death anniversary before heading to Firenze (Florence).  The only mass being conducted that morning near Villa San Lucchese was in a home for the elderly on a beautiful hill with olive trees and vineyards.  We were cordially invited by the caregivers to attend the mass with the residents of the home.  It was a heartwarming experience for both us and the residents who were genuinely happy and eager to greet us after the mass, in spite of the language barrier.  We spent the rest of the day in Florence.  It has been 19 years since I saw this preeminent city of art on the Arno. 

The Italian Renaissance originated and flourished in Florence under the patronage of the Medici family of merchants that rose to economic and political power in the 15^th century.  The center of Florence is full of historical attractions that can be easily visited on foot, including the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or Il Duomo (The Cathedral) with its ornate and colorful marble façade, huge dome and towering campanile; the bustling Piazza della Signoria where Palazzo Vecchio prominently stands, flanked by huge statues;  charming bridges that span the Arno, in particular, the 14^th century Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) which still houses jewelry shops as it presumably has for centuries; and museums, foremost of which is the Uffizi which houses vast collections of masterpieces.

The Uffizi Gallery was built in the 16^th century upon request of a Medici.  After sightseeing along the pedestrian streets and courtyards of the city center, we entered the Uffizi to view art treasures such as Boticelli’s “Birth of Venus” and “Primavera”, and da Vinci’s “Annunciation”.  Bettina, the group’s artist, could only gasp in disbelief, as she stared at paintings she had seen only in books and postcards.  To cap our day at the Tuscan capital, Ardi brought us to Piazzale Michelangelo for a magnificent unobstructed view of Florence.

Montalcino

The next day, Ardi drove us to Montalcino right after breakfast at Villa San Lucchese.  No one in our group really knew much about Montalcino.  We considered going to San Gimignano, but there was no time for both.  Ardi assured me that we would enjoy Montalcino.  During my trips to Europe, I have come to realize that it is hard to go wrong by listening to the recommendations of the locals.  This was no exception.  Ardi was right.  Montalcino turned out to be one of the highlights of our Tuscan tour.

Montalcino is a hillside medieval town.  Ardi guided us on foot through Montalcino’s Palazzo Comunale, Piazza del Popolo, Chiesa (Church) di Sant’Egidio, then up the hill to the remarkably well-preserved Rocca Fortress.  The view from the fortress is spectacular.  On the way back down the hilly street is a gelateria curiously called “Why Not?”.  Ardi claimed that the gelateria serves the best ice cream in Tuscany.  After seeing the size of the biggest portion served, called “Why Not?”, I understood why the ice cream parlor is called by its name.  I took a serving just a size smaller than “Why Not?”.  Ardi was right.  It was the best gelato we tasted in Italy.

The popular red wine Brunello, regarded as one of Italy’s best, is produced in Montalcino.  It is from a restricted wine-growing area.  It carries a DOCG seal (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), a designation of controlled origin and quality.  DOCG is an Italian quality assurance label for wine which guarantees that the product so named is produced within the specified area using defined methods and quality standard.

Ardi arranged for us to have private wine tasting and lunch at Montalcino’s Cantina di Abbadia Ardenga.  Il signor Mario Ciacci, the old man who owns and runs the winery, took us on a quick tour before serving lunch of prosciutto and pouring a variety of wine, including Brunello di Montalcino.  We went down the cellar.  He showed us old pictures, tools and equipment to explain how grapes were harvested and wine produced in the old days.  He asked for “una ragazza”, one of the girls, to stand beside him to help him explain how women worked in the vineyard.  Cindy volunteered.  The old man proceeded to point out that Cindy was not properly dressed.  According to him, she needed long sleeves, an ankle length skirt, and her hair in a bun.

After serving Vinsanto with cantucci, Mario held a raffle.  Annie won a poster of an old black and white photograph showing the family working in the bucolic vineyard a century or so ago.  I was the lucky winner of a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino 2004.  Mario posed for pictures with us until Ardi urged us to hurry up because Luca was waiting for us in Siena.

Siena

After we finalized the plan for our tour of Rome, Pompeii and Naples in a café in Siena with Luca, he walked us to Piazza del Campo, where Il Palio, the traditional bareback horse race dating back to the 13^th century, is held twice every summer.  The medieval Torre del Mangia soars beside the stately Palazzo Pubblico at Piazza del Campo.  From the piazza, we walked further up the hill to go inside Siena’s majestic Duomo, another medieval cathedral with lavish polychrome marble façade like the one in Florence.  Inside, the church has marble mosaic floor, and walls and columns with striking black and white marble stripes, the colors of Siena.  Before proceeding to the bus, we made a hurried trip to the Chapel of St. Catherine at the Basilica of San Domenico, where her incorruptible head is entombed.

Monteriggioni

On the way back to Poggibonsi, Ardi took us to the medieval fortress town of Monteriggioni.  Visible from the autostrada, the exceptionally well-preserved hilltop fortification of Monteriggioni dominates a picturesque green landscape.

Cortona

On our way south to Rome the following day, we stopped at Cortona and Assisi.  Like most of the old towns in Tuscany, Cortona in the province of Arrezo was another ancient Etruscan settlement.  We walked along the steep narrow streets of Cortona and took some pictures of the panoramic view at Piazza Garibaldi.  Ardi suggested a visit to a castle by Lake Trasimeno, an expansive lake visible afar from Piazza Garibaldi, but we ran out of time.  We were still going to Assisi.

Assisi

Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis, the founder of the Franciscan religious order, is in the province of Perugia in the Umbria region of Italy.  We drove by the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, before spending the afternoon roaming the hills of Assisi to see many religious landmarks. We entered the Basilica di San Francesco (Basilica of St. Francis), the Basilica di Santa Chiara dedicated to St. Clare of Assisi who was a follower of St. Francis, and the Assisi Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of San Rufino where St. Francis and St. Clare are said to have been baptized.

So little time to see so many places.  Ardi declared that we will just have to come back to Italy.  He said that he also wants to show us more of Umbria.  We were sad to see him leave when he dropped us off at our hotel in Rome.  He has become a good friend.  Before we parted, he gave me a final friendly but firm reminder – “very important, Rome is not like Tuscany, not like Poggibonsi”.  He must have been referring, among other things, to the accommodations.  And was he right again.  A double room in Hotel Giotto in Rome is adequate but quite a contrast to a room in Villa San Lucchese, giving rise to another one of our coined words, giottic, the antonym of lucchesic.  Hotel Giotto has a big balcony though, where we spent the evenings drinking wine that we purchased in Tuscany.

Rome

Luca and his friend Tony picked us up in their Mercedes vans bright and early the following morning to take us on a whirlwind tour of Rome.  Luca boasted to me before that Rome keeps no secrets from him.  There was no reason for me to doubt that he could show us in one day all the famous landmarks of Rome, while including a tour of the Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museums), to the delight of members of our tour group, especially Bettina who must have taken hundreds of pictures that day.


In one morning, we saw the Colosseo, Arch of Constantine, Roman Forum, Campidoglio (Capitoline Hill), Palazzo Nuovo, Palazzo Senatorio,  Piazza di Venezia, Palazzo di Venezia, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Fountain of Trevi, Piazza Navona, Piazza del Popolo, Mausoleum of Augustus, Column of Marcus Aurelius, and many other tourist attractions.  Luca gave brief introductions as we reached each site.  He stopped in the middle of a busy thoroughfare or bridge, just so we could take a picture of Il Vittoriano at Piazza Venezia, or Castel Sant'Angelo on the bank of the Tiber River.

The Vatican

Luca then took us to his favorite pizza restaurant in Rome where we had a variety of tasty pizza for a very modest price.  We wished we had known about this pizza parlor during our previous trips to Rome.  In the afternoon, Luca arranged for his friend and colleague Julia to give us a tour of the Vatican Museums.  Julia proved to be an excellent tour guide.  She walked us through the Roman Catholic Church’s enormous collection of artwork in the museums, and explained interesting information relating to masterpieces which included Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel and La Pieta in St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Naples

Luca and Tony came to pick us up even earlier the next morning for our final tour.  As we drove to the Campania region to see Napoli and Pompeii, Luca’s complete tour package included, upon my prompting, his lively rendition of the Neapolitan classic “O Sole Mio”, which he performed with gusto à la Pavarotti.  The Neapolitan lyrics of the song (proclaiming what a beautiful thing a sunny day is) perfectly suited the bright sunny day when we visited the city by the bay in Campania.

Pompeii

We spent the rest of the morning touring the ruins of Pompeii.  Luigi, the tour guide that Luca hired for us, was both competent and entertaining in describing the excavation site and explaining what city life was like at the time that Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried the Roman city in 79 AD.

After an abundant lunch of delicious seafood, pasta and pizza in a restaurant overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius, we took a quick tour of Naples, and said our good-byes at the foot of Castel Nuovo, before Luca drove seven of us to the Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport near Rome for our trip to the Netherlands that night.  The rest of the group stayed with Tony to see a bit more of Naples.  They were leaving Italy the following day for the United States and Australia. 

As we approached the airport and saw the big statue of Leonardo da Vinci, I reminded Luca that I will see a statue of John Wayne when I arrive in America at the Orange County airport named after the movie actor.  He laughed with great amusement, just like he did during a similar conversation three years ago.  Once again, I was reminded that such contrast, between the nascent community where I live and an ancient place of grandeur like Rome with its long and rich history, draws me back to Europe every year.

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