sunday lunch in Tuscany

Two weeks ago we followed the friendly suggestion of the reception lady at our Livorno hotel and drove along the "la strada del vino", the wine road, to Castagneto Carducci to have lunch. We didn't look for wine tasting this time because we were driving ...

Castagneto Carducci is a town full of traditions and important cultural aspects. Its old town is well-preserved and rich in historical remains: ancient roads, squares and buildings can be admired in the centre of the town, Castagneto was first mentioned in a document which dates back to 754 a.C. In the beginning the town was under “Della Gherardesca” family’s control, later under Pisan control and since 1405 under Florentine control. In this period we have the birth of two other towns: Bolgheri and Donoratico which were destroyed in 1433 because of a Florentine revenge. In Castagneto the first inhabitants arrived in 1832 while the railway was bulit in 1863. However the first real fixed settlement dates back to 1864.

Source.

This is the view over the wine fields from the parking lot we found at the village entrance. Since blogger isn't cooperative and I don't seem to be able to get the code to allow a " click to enlarge", click here to see the enlarged pics on my photoblog.

The village is absolutely charming and very hilly!

Besides the breathtaking views this is what impressed me the most: there were a few of this kind of "tunnels" but look closely, there are doors on each side! I figure this is the way people lived in the Middle Ages and it added a special feeling to the walking tour.

There were many restaurants to choose from, but we settled for this one due to the inviting terrace across the narrow street:

Every table had huge olive oil and balsamic vinager bottles! This is the view we had from our table. Yes, you may hate be envious (updated because Melli is right - read her comment), but at least I am sharing this splendid view with you ! isn't this just beautiful?? (click here to see the enlarged pic!)




What I didn't share was my delicious lunch! This is what we ordered: spinach-ricotta ravioli with a wonderful walnut-cream sauce for the signora (myself) and spaghetti al ragu for signore Mar. Delicioso!!! Ah, bella Italia, I would double my weight in a few months if I lived there, let me tell you!!