Forte dei Marmi, Chianti, Santa Margherita and Torino
Our experiences in Italy, over the last two weeks, have been incredible. We are truly fortunate that my families are so generous and don’t mind that we butcher the Italian language. They also love to travel in Italy as much as we do! My cousins in Lucca wanted to spend a couple of days with us in Tuscany, so last weekend we visited two very different sides of the region: the ritzy beach town of Forte dei Marmi (north of Viareggio another beach town for the wealthy) and the towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano in Chianti (both of which are famous for their wines).
Lots of Italians who live inland find it easy to enjoy the beaches of Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi. It’s easy to hop on a train from Florence, Lucca or Pisa and hit the ocean.
Those who aren’t on the beach spend time enjoying my wife’s favorite pastime: shopping! Chianti is a different universe. Montalcino is know for its distinctive Brunello wine. Montepulciano was a pleasant surprise. We were fortunate to see a traditional Palio there. The pictures speak for themselves:
Alas, our time in Tuscany came to an end. It was really hard saying goodbye to my family with whom we had grown very close during this trip. We were able to explore the area around Lucca more deeply and we were able to get a real sense of life there. We also attempted to find the birthplace of my grandfather, Tranquillo Lupori, without success. It seems that his father moved around a lot and he is more elusive than we anticipated. As a result, we have a good excuse to return to Italy. Our next stop was in the beautiful town of Santa Magheritain Liguria. Just north of the famous Cinque Terra, this lovely seaside gem was romantic, tranquil and friendly:
Virginia and I were impressed with Santa Margherita. In just one day we managed to wander its lovely waterfront, eat in some good restaurants (the seafood was excellent) and visit the church of San Giacomo Corte. Its interior is lush and the grounds around it are spectacular. Right before we caught the train to Torino, we met a nice couple from Richland, WA (imagine that!) who were also impressed with Santa Margherita.
Now for something completely different: Torino
I’ve been waiting to write this section for a long time. Not long ago, I met an Italian gentleman in Seattle who is originally from Torino. When I mentioned that Torino was a beautiful city, he just looked a me as if I was impaired. Yes, Torino has a bad reputation as an industrial zone. But things have changed over the last decade and Torino has emerged as a wonderful city. Ironically, Torino must be one of the most un-visited places in Italy. No, it’s not Tuscany or Umbria or Sicily, yet, to me it’s a hidden treasure worth visiting. With a population of around one million people, it does have its challenges for visitors. Nevertheless, if one plans ahead and does a little research, Torino offers treasures galore:
Torino is a city of large, wide avenues and city squares (no cars thank you very much) that most Americans can’t fathom. It’s a city of palaces, churches and FIAT as well as chic clothing shops, elegant bars and wonderful pastry shops. It’s bigger than life and overflowing with life as well. I’m amazed at how well Torino handles its huge population and still manages to provide huge public spaces where Italians live together and share a vibrant heritage. It’s something I feel American cities lack due to our love affair with the automobile. Even though Torino lacks the laid-back, country feeling of Tuscany or Puglia, it is an important, elegant place. I love Torino!
