Grapes,Olives and Cheese
Mick wants time out! Janet and Trisha go into Perugia to shop, coffee and chat. In the pm we travel back to Porto Ercole, through the southern Tuscan hill towns. MRB wanted to go to Chianti today but as it is North of Sienna it is not direct to where we live. However he has heard of a great wine called 'Brunello di Montalcino'... So off we go to the hillside towns of 'Monepulciano', beautiful country of rolling hills, grape vines, olive groves and ancient villages on the top of hills basking in purple blue light.'Pienza' was a smaller town filled with many cheese and wine shops. Sheep's cheese is the speciality served with fig infused balsamic, gorgeous! This was the summer holiday village of Pope Pius II during the Renaissance period, as you can imagine lots of churches. It is at an altitude that makes it cold, cold, cold.
Onto our last town, 'Montalcino' home of the 'Brunello' wine, here we bought a small supply to take home. The sun was going down and the countryside light was stunning.
Home for dinner. We bought a rolled chicken breast stuffed with sausage and wrapped in bacon, roasted herb potatoes, salad with sheep cheese and pear, washed down with 'Montalcino' vino rosso. Buona!