Being with Annalisa Tempestini in her home in Resta, Tuscany is like stopping the world and enjoying the very best in flavors: food,wine, and life.
The “home” (former monastery) was started in 1571 by the contractor/mon Martin del Nero. He wrote a prayer in the cement in the basement,blessing the home and the wine to come, and it is STILL recipient of that prayer.
We enjoyed cooking with Annalisa, making Pinci, sauteed fresh harvested artichokes, stuffed zuchinni, foccacia and dried tomato/caper spread. Gelato and dark cherries topped off a PERFECT afternoon.
And of course, a bottle of the legendary Martin del Nero.
Though as busy and stretched as a mom-artist-yoga instructor-writer-cook-winemaker can be, she made us feel her world had stopped for us and our time together.
I wish I could send you the flavors and aromas, or bring back a bottle of them in my suit case. Bella, Anna Lisa, grazie,grazie.
“Meet me at 5pm and we’ll go over the music selections (said in rapid fire Italian).”
Going to Florence during Holy Week, during Spring break is like going to Disneyland on their busiest day. INSANE. 
Lost each other, lost our tempers, lost our minds. Gelato is almost the universal panacea! 
Short for Bambino, long for trial and treat as KC ,Jonathan, and baby Carson are with us enjoying the laidback lifestyle of Tuscany.
The town on the mesa built on porous rock and over 1000 caves underneath served as our prelude to Montalcino. I think their Duomo (cathedral) is my 2nd favorite after Sienna (no 3rd if you count the incredible Vatican). 
oh my..well, I joined the thousands of pilgrims in our long treck to Assisi. (wish list) Too big, too crowded, too confusing. We booked ahead the Hotel Umbra on the advice of a fellow tourist we met in SanGim. Good grief!!! What it takes to find these places; we are so lucky to have our side view mirrors.