Testimonials (page 2)

From Charlie Mazza, New York, Oct. 2006

Dear Karen and Doug,

I am pleased to be writing to you about the Tuscan Renaissance Travel (TRT) week in glorious Tuscany from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2.2006 It was so nice to have the flight part of the trip be something I arranged for myself, since I was able to take advantage of arriving a day early and staying an extra week. It was also wonderful that you met Cindy and me at the nearby train station. That made it convenient.

The most important observation on the TRT trip was that I couldn't have been happier with the leadership that Doug provided or the compatibility of the group of 4. We got along so well and moved with ease at Casalino, at restaurants, at Tuscan sights and in the car getting to and from. No one had an ego that got in the way of enjoyment for others. I am not used to traveling with groups and found this one, small as it was, to be delightful in many ways. People cared for each other, respected each others' wants and needs, and generally acted as if we had gone through some kind of compatibility training in advance. To a large extent, that was the tone that Doug set. It was also a pleasure to share what I knew about the plant life on our travels, especially since everyone seemed to be willing to hear me out when I got "teach-y" (especially since so much of European horticulture is different from North American plant species). I enjoyed teaching mini-lessons when I could, mostly to get into my comfort zone from time to time. Thanks for putting up with me. By the way, the pines all over Tuscany seem to be Italian Stone Pine (I saw them referred to as Parasol Pines in one guide book, but it appears that they are Pinus pinea. For more information, visit http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/PINPINA.pdf It appears that it is the same tree that bears the pine nut that we eat in many foods in Italy. Wikipedia says that, in Europe pine nuts come from the Stone (Pinus pinea), which has been cultivated for the nuts for over 6,000 years, and harvested from wild trees for far longer.

I liked the balance between touring, learning about art and architecture, relaxing at Casalino, eating formal meals and snacks. I was also impressed with how well Doug got us around in the car. Even on the last full day, when we traveled to Mensano (a new place for Doug), he negotiated the windy roads, got back on track after he made a wrong turn with no fuss, and skillfully found parking places everywhere. Having an experienced person like Doug drive around the countryside and into the cities was something that had attracted me on the trip with TRT. I appreciated even more on my second week alone, when I traveled by train and bus to the places I wanted to go; the stress level peaked on days when I was traveling from place to place that second week. During the TRT week, I never worried about transportation. I was at complete ease with Doug leading the way.

I also was impressed with how much Doug knew about art and the significance of various frescos and other pieces. Taking us into the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena to see the "Good Government and Bad Government" frescos by Lorenzetti was especially significant to me, since I studied public administration at one time. The famous Renaissance art of Florence, Siena and other stops in Tuscany were eagerly anticipated, since I had read so much about them; I was not disappointed and, in a few cases, quite surprised at how well restored many of them were. I had not anticipated art with a political theme, as we saw at the Palazzo Pubblico, so that was a pleasant surprise.

In general, learned so much and it did not overwhelm me. Sure, I will forget some of the artist's names and mix up in my mind one great piece of art with another...especially as I am less able to retain new information than I was 40 years ago. However, I was amazed at how much I wanted to learn and how fantastic the art and architecture was. As was the Tuscan landscape. I found myself gasping frequently at a new vista as we turned around another bend in the road. Such an artform the Tuscan landscape is!

The food and wine were great. Doug's sauces for pasta on the first night were outstanding...and a perfect way to begin the week. My wild boar, bean soup and porcini dishes at restaurants were especially Tuscan. The porcini was my favorite. The best meal out was definitely at Christina's B&B. Sumptuous. The family dinner at Lorenzo's was a particularly wonderful social event. It reminded me of family gatherings when I was growing up, where there were always at least four conversations going on at the dinner table at one time. The home cooked meal in Mensano was outstanding. It was nice that, since we were so well fed at mid-day in Mensano, that we all agreed to a light meal at home with leftovers and a few additions. It was this kind of cooperative agreements that we had as a group that made us feel more like a family.

I learned a lot about wines of Tuscany. Price was not a significant factor in whether I liked a wine or not. The Brunello wine, for instance, was something that I awaited eagerly to sample, but, while it was good, it was not so wonderful to warrant its price. Later in the trip (in Lucca) I had Vino Nobile Montapulciano, which I really liked. The wines from Il Lebbio were good and did help to break the ice when we first arrived. Even the Vino di Casa at Christina's (L'Osteria Casa Chianti) at such a modest price was outstanding. I'm glad we had the chance to sample Chianti Classico at Brolio's. It was an interesting wine tasting and the video showing at the shop was very informative.

I particularly liked the less formal moments, such as drinking wine at Il Lebbio, overlooking the fabulous vista there, or having cappucino in Certaldo, or stopping for pastry at a couple of places, or stopping to have a bruschetta lunch near Brolio. But the ( semi-formal)stop that moved me the most was Sant' Antimo Abbey. First, the setting for the Abbey was breathtaking. The knarled trunks of the olive trees on the grounds were especially thrilling to me as a horticulturist and an Italian. But walking into the Abbey and hearing the monks singing Gregorian Chants and walking in a daze around that church with a simple and imposing grandeur is a memory that will stay with me for a long time.

Another highlight and complete surprise was the Festa Uva in the charming little village of Mensano.

Casalino di San Gimignano was a wonderful place to stay for this trip. It created the environment in which we all got to know each other better, learned how to relax in a simple, country setting, gave us plenty of opportunity to stroll around the adjacent vineyard or just sit and read in the back yard. My room was comfortable, the breakfasts were sumptuous and the evening meals we had there were both delicious and a welcome balance to eating in restaurants at other meals. I am glad it is so close to San Gimignano that we could make it our first visit the night we arrived (after all the other tourists had left), to spend a good deal of time there the second day, to return there for mass on Sunday and then have a final stroll along the medieval streets on our last night. I appreciate that the schedule wasn't so filled that I had a chance to go to mass. The uniqueness of that experience was that a contemporary youth choir sang in a church that dates back to the 14th century; such a juxtaposition of old and new.

We had perfect weather -- with temperatures in the 70's F. and no humidity, the lush Tuscan landscapes were at their peak of green-ness, Sangiovese grapes were ripe, the mosquitoes were gone, the magnificent marble floor art was completely exposed at the Duomo in Siena, and the Festa Uva in Mensano was a special surprise. I had wondered if we were planning too much time for small town Mensano's grape festival; I thought it would be commercially exploitive (as grape festivals in the Finger Lakes wine country of NYS often are), crushing crowds and we could use the valuable time to see other sights that day. How wrong I was! Mensano was so special to me that I took over a hundred pictures in that tiny village to commemorate and chronicle one of the highlights of the trip.

Thank you for allowing me to have such a memorable experience with Tuscan Renaissance Travel. I was honored that you agreed to do the trip for such a small group. I would consider a repeat visit with you. I hope I can send others to join you on a future trip.

Charlie