Include eating a copetta of gelato in my daily activities. — Rich Gorton
As we were finishing breakfast, Rich decided to talk bikes with the moto club. He was quickly initiated into the group. I even got the high fives from Anna, the unofficial First Lady. The club members mostly drove BMWs. I was taken by the color and sleek design of the Moto Guzzi, my first ever sighting.
We were out by 9:20 on what was to be a leisurely walk. Other walkers and bikers passed us throughout the morning including the two Irish women we met two days before. We didn’t care because we had only 12 miles to cover. No need to rush.
We walked through fields, saw a most unusual cross with tools attached to the cross bar, and looked into backyards until …..we came to our first sighting of Montereggioni, a completely walled town. MR was visible for most of the remaining part of our walk. It was like a beacon from which we could gauge how many more km were before us.
As we entered the stretch to climb the hill upon which the castle was located, we passed a restaurant named the Bar Orso. It was 12:30 and Rich made the call for lunch.
We were timely because most of the tables were filled and within a few minutes lines formed. We divided an antipasti of Tuscan meats and cheese and both of us chose Casio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper) pasta — Rich with penne and I with pici, a Tuscan style thick noodle. Delicious. We also loved the vibe. Italians at Sunday dinner and we were amongst them.
Fortified, we made the climb to Montereggioni — the walled city. Its area is very small about four small city block plus a fairly spacious piazza. After touring and tasting the local gelato, we made our way for another 2 miles down the VF to our farm manor in the hills, Borgo Gallinaio.
Dinner was at the Borgo. I kept up the beer tradition at the start as I did at lunch. One needs to keep hydrated, yes? The brand was new to me. Maddalena, our server, said that it was brewed in northern Italy. It was a lager and had a similar taste to Pilsner Urquell.
Because we had a heavy lunch, we ordered light. We had an insalata misto with ingredients from the Borgo’s garden. We followed up with a melanzane parm for Rich and the evening’s special of lasagna for me. Did I say light? We agreed that they were the one of the best renditions of each dish. The eggplant was cut so thin and the pasta layers in the lasagna were almost like phyllo. The sauces were rich and deep. We savored every mouthful. Rich said several times that he may buy a mandolin. For those who do not know Rich, he is a skilled cook.
We passed on dessert but Maddalena brought us homemade cookies to try, Siena style with an almond base. They were firm and soft at the same time. No preservatives in these cookies. What a treat.
We thanked the chef — Mario who is Maddalena’s husband. With only four other diners for the evening (Canadians met on the VF), we had such a personalized experience. The Borgo may be in our future for a return visit.
I added two photos of the property. Out in the country, it is dark and quiet. Perfect for a good night’s sleep for weary travelers even if it was an easy peasy day.
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