Castellina de Chianti- A Tuscan Italian Adventure

While I was staying in Italy the three of us girls decide we are "just going out for coffee" and mistakenly I leave my camera back at the apartment. I have used other pictures from my trip to help narrate my story. But here goes the story of a really unexpected day. So, while we are having our espresso and crossaint, we see a bus out the window. Our friend, a current resident of Seina insists we must take take it because its a great day trip and adventure, why not!? So we drink down our espressos and  just get on a bus that our friend hyped us up about. The destination the place to get amazing olive oil and and Chianti, a little castle in the Tuscan hills just 45 mins away. SOUNDS AMAZING to me!

So we start the journey, and I will just say any bus ride or car ride you take in Italy, you will kiss the ground after you arrive safely. Anyway, I know nothing about olives, and I regret to say I don't really like them. I know a little about wine, but nothing about Chianti or what I am to expect. I am excited to hear from the hostess that Chianti is a wine that only comes from the  Chianti Hills in the Tuscan region between Florence and Seina. This highly prized wine traditionally comes in a stout bottle with a straw case around the lower area of the bottle. We are going to to wine country, right up my alley, and I am interested to learn more about Chianti!!

So we arrive in Castellina de Chianti, an ancient civilization in my eyes. It takes you someplace very hard to explain, but its humbling to know how people used to live and the things they did to protect themselves from each other. Walking into the "castled in city" is absolutely incredible. There is an underground tunnel that goes under part of the walled in city that has guard windows to look out in case of intruders. Within the walls is a quaint little city with bakeries, espresso, gelato, wineries, artists galleries, gift shops and a whole lot of history and vibe to it.

A very hot day in August at the top of a very dry area in Italy calls for some gelato, so we stopped to get a  few bowls and headed on our way. Italy if already didn't know is gelato heaven. Mountainous heaps of color and flavor taunt you as you walk by gelato booths that are strategically placed... EVERYWHERE! MMMmmmm.... Gelato! After a bit of that we checked out the incredible tunnel and view from the guard windows of the grape vineyard and olive tree covered hills below.

Next we stop at a winery and olive oil shop with Classico Chianti that is over 100 years old and still using same techniques to continue to make traditional Chianti wine. We had some great tasting and bought a few bottles to enjoy at Campo de Piazza in Seina later that night. I did try the olive oil and it was hard to resist buying some. The olive oil is so light and delicious and taste laden, it is almost drinkable. Since I couldn't buy the olive oil, I instead bought myself a little cutting board made from an olive tree cut down there in the area. It was just too cool to pass up, and I use it everyday still. It brings me good thoughts of this day in Castellina De Chianti.

On the way back to our bus, and a pretty quick jaunt of the city we stopped by a very authentic pizzeria. This is where your pizza  is cooked on a wood burning stove and very true to Italy. See my pizza recipe, where I have given my best efforts to replicate this amazing pizza for you at home. We had to eat quick so we didn't miss our bus. We tried to take it with us with permission from our waitress, but the Italian's do not "do" to go food. You do not ask for a box at the end of your dinner. Your chef will be insulted if you send food back to their kitchen, which is hard because they give you food, and a lot of it! I swear we paid and ate a few bites, and had to practically "steal" our own pizzas to get out of there with them!

We barely caught our bus, munched down the rest of our tasty pizza and chased it with some Chianti before our ride back to Seina. I'd say we had a pretty awesome accidental adventure, but lesson learned when in Italy, don't go anywhere with out your camera! I hope you enjoyed your visit with me in Italy! 

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 -Stacy