Green Gold

Italy is deservedly famous for its food, and one of the best-known ingredients is olive oil. What I didn't know was that here, olive oil is a seasonal specialty. In the late fall, the olives are harvested and then pressed into fresh oil. It's bright green, often translucent due to the olive particles still floating in it, and has a fresh, sharp, intensely olive-y, almost pungent flavor. Saturday, we went to the Piazza Santa Croce, where various oil producers from the region around Reggello were offering their products, and where we could try the oil. Some of it brought tears to my eyes, it was that peppery! We ended up getting a modest (by Italian standards) two liters, of a kind which for my taste had a good balance between bite and smoothness.
The best and simplest way to showcase the oil: Toast or bake some white French or Italian bread, perhaps rub with some garlic and generously drizzle with new olive oil.

---

After a year and a half in Florence, we finally made it to the Uffizi gallery yesterday (not for lack of trying...). What can I say, it's a quite impressive collection. You know you've been in Italy for a while when you start recognizing the secondary artists -- "Luca Signorelli, didn't we see something of his in ...".

---

Channeling Stephen Colbert, a Wag Of My Finger to Amazon for its change of policy on MP3 downloads. For the past year and a half, I've been able to download their free promotional MP3s, and I've purchased several albums, using my credit card with US billing address. Since a few days however, they state that their service is only available to users physically within the United States. Why do companies make it so hard for people to legally get music? Now I'm forced to resort to illegal downloads, or use some proxy software to hide my location. Blerg.

Pontassieve

This was to have been a post about our trip to the olive oil and new wine festival in Pontassieve. But alas, Italy did not disappoint, and a train strike canceled all local trains in that direction. So instead of reading about the incredible new harvest olive oil and the cases of wine we would have bought, you're left with a black square.

San Gimignano and the Chianti

Today my parents rented a car, so we would be able to explore some of the surrounding area. One place they had been and really liked was San Gimignano, which is also not so easy to get to by train or public bus, so that's where we went. On the way there, we stopped in Barberino Val d'Elsa, where we got some bread and prosciutto for a picnic, and then headed off to San Gimignano. After a picnic among olive trees, we were ready to explore the town. Back in the day, the rich families here tried to outdo each other by building higher and higher towers on their houses. Even though many of them have since collapsed, the town still earns its nickname of "Manhattan of Tuscany." On the central piazza, we enjoyed some of the gelato of a famous gelateria where many celebrities have apparently eaten, and which some call the best gelato of Italy. I think I'll have to sample many more before I can make that judgement, but it was pretty good.
On the way back, we stopped in Colle di Val d'Elsa, which is another one of those Tuscan hill towns, and then at a winery in the Chianti, where my parents bought some olive oil. There are definitely enough places to buy wine and oil around here. Finally, we drove back to Florence through the Chianti, stopping in Greve in Chianti, where we picked up some salami at a gigantic butcher store. On the drive, we saw a picture perfect sunset over the rolling hills.