Unplanned Italy

As I run all the photographic memories of this beautiful and history rich country through my head, I am tempted to leave you with nothing more than these images. Of course, I was lucky enough in that I had the best guide, and seeing the city by scooter. Apart from all the ice cream and espressos that we consumed, another one of our guilty pleasures was going around on the scooter and letting the fresh breeze from the ride cool us off. Every single street of the city has a story to tell, and I struggled to put my camera down (even taking a few sneaky shots whilst on the back of the scooter)

From Rome we took a bus to Siena  where we stayed for three days and ate like kings. It was here that I got the first few glimpses of all the rolling hills of the Tuscan region and the ever so beautiful Piazza del Campo. We road tripped to the coastal town of Santo Stefano, and swam in clear blue sea's on Giglio Island. Not a single part of our trip was planned, and  in true adventurous style much of our accommodation along the coast entailed last minute camping with all of a tent and mattress.

As we literally ate away our 'budget' and the camping got the better of us, we headed to the mountain regions of Mount Amiata and his hometown of Abbadia San Salvatore. We were treated to true Italian home cooked meals, and exploring more of what Tuscany had to offer. Most of the time I had my head stuck out of the window and my mouth wide open in awe. The entire region, and I mean absolutely all of it, is like a beautiful painting.

MISTER POTATO HEAD

 

The Dutch like their potatoes. No.. that cant be right, let me rephrase. The Dutch love their potatoes, be it boiled, steamed mashed or baked (which is actually pan fried, they seem to call it something its not). Regardless in which cooked form this vegetable takes, the Dutch can't seem to get enough of it.

 

In preparing dinner the other evening, I spontaneously decided to spice things up (excuse the irony Im uing) and grill potato wedges, something I was certain the family had never cooked before. Back home in South Africa my mom would make the most delicious assortment of grilled vegetables wedges consisting of butternut, potatoes, sweet potato and onions seasoned with all kinds of flavours and spices.  I thought I would spare my host family the shock of something that extreme and opted to use just the potato. I lightly doused them in olive oil and a weak sprinkling of rosemary (the Dutch way) before throwing the pan into the oven.

 

Whilst the wedges were happily grilling away, my host father returned home and asked what I was cooking for dinner, curiously pressing his nose against the glass of the oven. I beamed at my response of grilled potato wedges, when he turned and looked at me with the most confused and blank expression, merely responding 'why'? I couldn't quite comprehend why he questioned this, as if he was perfectly happy with eating bland, boiled and boring potato the same way day after day, week after week.

 

After serving the wedges to the boys and finally sitting down to the meal I had slaved over, I sneakily glanced over at the 3 boys and noticed they were devouring (more so than usual) these triangular shaped pieces of potato as if it were a piece of heaven. I relished in the brief moment of acknowledging my job here was done...