And so to Cortona!

Ciao! 

Up this morning about the usual time, and showered and ready to get on the road about 9.  Our plan for the day was to visit Cortona, about 40 minutes away by car.  Again, a lovely day for a drive, and the countryside is truly – I know I have said this before! – stunning.  It appears that we did get some rain during the night, as our little Lancia’s front and back windows can attest.  Definitely needed a wash!  

Heading to Cortona!

View from the top -- Lake Trasimeno in the distance

Main Street in Cortona

Palazzo with museum

Genuine Etruscan building block wall

Model of an Etruscan dwelling

Some lovely gold jewelry!

Authentic tomb relief

Weapons & helmets; note top right!

Gorgon chandelier

View from top of Museum of the countryside

A little Prosecco...

My bruschetta; I'd already eaten the basil!

My favorite guy!

My spaghetti with pesto

R's trout ... the whole thing!

R's grilled veggies!

My new purse!

Headed down the hill and across the valley, and before we knew it, we were in Cortona.  Lovely hill top town, but seriously, one that is very, very vertical.  Looking at it from a distance, Robert remarked that “those Etruscans were obviously not really friendly people; look how they fortify the top of a mountain!” We had heard very good things about their Etruscan Museum, the MAﾖC (note how they reverse the “E” as the Etruscans did) so wanted to go their first.

We were able to park on the uphill slope of the hill, fairly close to the start of the pedestrian-only area. Headed down the street past some lovely shops (more on that later…) and restaurants, and past the B&B I stayed in a few years ago, Casa Chilenne.  As it turns out, the Museum is one of the large buildings lining Cortona’s central square area.  Certainly not hard to find, but maybe some signage would have been nice.  

I had read that the MAEC was one of the top five Etruscan Museums in Italy.  Well…to say that is definitely not true, and to say how disappointed we both were, is an understatement.  It seems that much of what has been discovered in the area has been taken to other museums, such as the Etruscan Museum in Florence.  This place was really good at reproductions, but you had to read the information to find out it wasn’t the original.  It’s like Faux-Lascaux – I don’t want to see a duplicate – it doesn’t feel to either of us like it “counts.”  The wonderful mound at Sodo was duplicated twice in the museum – but it is still insitu in the fields below the city!  (Which, I might add, is open only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Very much doubt if we’re going to have a free day this coming weekend, as we’re moving to Pisa on Friday and have a list of things we want to see and do!)  

We did see some wonderful jewelry and ceramics, as well as a bronze chandelier with the head of a Gorgon. That (we sincerely believe) is original. Then, on the floor above these Etruscan exhibits, was an entire gemish of things – an entire floor without a single label in the place – in ANY language!  Really unreal, and as I say, a great disappointment. I can think of at least 10 Etruscan museums that we have visited that are way better than this one. Even if they do reverse the “E” in their name.

We got out of the museum about noon, and stopped and visited a shop or two on the way back to the car. And, I actually got a purse that is probably the most non-boring purse I’ve ever owned!  (It is actually neither English Tan or Black or Navy!  I will have Rtake a photo of it to share with you.  

We decided to head to Lago Trasimeno on our way back to Montepulciano, and found a very nice restaurant for lunch, Il Lido Solitario in Castiglione del Lago.  Robert was excited, as he has not been able to find the variety of fish that he would like to see on the menu; everything so far has been sea bream.

Nice menu, including (surprise!) lots of fish.  R ordered their trout with grilled veggies, and I started with their bruschetta appetizer – three bread slices, one with tomatoes, one with basil and the third with butter and garlic!  Yum!  To follow, I ordered spaghetti with pesto, one of my favorites.  I had a glass of Prosecco and R had a split of Rosso di Montepulciano which was excellent.  Food was excellent; R really enjoyed his trout – after, of course, he completely boned the entire fish. Made our way back to Montepulciano about 3:30-ish and are in for the day.  

I did walk up and over to Piazza Grande (much shorter walk than yesterday) to get my daily fix of gelato, but would you believe that they don’t carry Stracciatella – my one and only favorite flavor?!  Hmmm…will have to think about tomorrow.  I am contemplating running a load of wash, as it is such a beautiful, sunny day and I know things would dry quickly.  Still trying to find the iron which supposedly is somewhere here … 

Take care, and more later!

m

xxx

A note about restaurants: We have come to the conclusion that restaurants in the touristy areas seem to limit their menus to the basics: bruschetta, pasta and tiramisu (sometimes hamburgers added for the Americans).  It is in the restaurants in the off-the-beaten-track places – such as Il Lido Solitario in Castiglione del Lago– that we are finding the more interesting menus.