Firenze/Florence

Tour Day 7: Olive Oil Tasting During Harvest

When I planned this trip, I knew that I wanted to go during the olive harvest. Not only could I avoid the hay fever-inducing pollen of the trees in the spring, but they make for beautiful pictures. I was pleased to learn we would be touring an olive orchard with an olive oil tasting paired with lunch. Talk about a treat!

Just south of Florence, Antcio Frantoio Doglia (Ancient Doglia Oil Mill) is conveniently located if you wish to visit on your own. We learned about the efforts of the orchard owners (Ughetta and Malvina, two sisters who have taken on this effort) to convert most of the area over to organic farming to save the bee population, how cold first presses of olive oil are what make an oil extra virgin, and saw locals pressing their olives in action. It was really intriguing as I have family in the wine making business in my town and there were many similarities in the processes and equipment used to process olives and grapes.

We were taught about what constitutes good olive oil (looking for a moist but not oily palate), how to taste for flavors like you would a wine, and what it pairs with (almost everything, but that comes as no surprise!). I purchased oil from the orchard as it is not only much less expensive than back home, but also makes for a great gift for others! Plus, it has a nice peppery kick in the back of the mouth that I have yet to find here in the US.

The four stages of processing olive oil: Sorting the leaves/stems from the fruit (upper left), crushing/mashing the whole olive (upper right), first filtration (bottom left), and last filtration (bottom right). Locals will stay with their olives from the start until the end to ensure their olives are not mixed in with those from other family orchards. Each orchard will have a different mix of olives like Moraiolo, Frantoio and Leccino, but you can also find Pendolino, Leccio del Corno, Rossellino and Ulivo della Madonna in this part of Tuscany.

Tour Day 7: Florence

After the olive orchard, we made our way through the winding Tuscan countryside to Florence, the heart of the Tuscan's Renaissance, Medici fame, and yet another UNESCO location on this tour. I will start by saying I wish I had been able to take an extra day or two on the back end of the tour to explore Florence further. This city is one that is packed full of vibrant history and current happenings. It is full of students, fashionistas (many of Italy's well-known fashion houses are in Florence and not Milan), art, history, music, and more. There are laws against expanding the city into the surrounding countryside and hills, so it has maintained the feel of the time of the Renaissance.

Our hotel, Hotel Torre Guelfa, was a 14th century tower with the best views of the city from the rooftop bar (see further down this page).

We met up with our tour guides, Riccardo and Cinzia (Cindy) Nesti, who took us on a Medieval walk around the city. We learned about the key players, the architecture, and the layout of the city. Of note was seeing the Duomo for the first time. Il Duomo is spectacular in its sheer size, but also the genius it took to construct it. We were surprised to hear that all of the façade has been replaced over the years so none of it is original. This is due to sandblasting the limestone to clean it, which wears it away. You will never see this cathedral without scaffolding as a result! If you want to get a good view of the cathedral (especially at sunset for some gorgeous pictures), climb Giotto's tower where there are places to rest along the way along with wider stairwells. We went onto the highlight of this evening: The Academy.

Tour Day 7: David and The Academy

The evening ended with what is the epitome of Florence: Galleria dell'Accademia. This is not only where Michelangelo's David is housed, but also a museum worth exploring after the tour ends. We learned about Michelangelo, his loneliness and struggle with fame. He also carved what we now call The Prisoners, a series of sculptures where the figures are emerging from the stone as if frozen in time. These are not unfinished works and it was intentionally done. There are masterpieces in which the scene of the Madonna and child are rendered again and again in a similar fashion but reflect the artistic styles of each era. I had dinner with one of the tour couples, then met up with some of the others for gelato.

Michelangelo's David is the highlight of this part of the Academy.

How masterpieces were reproduced. Holes were drilled to use metal structures that would measure distance/depth for the initial form and an equidistant arm on the replica. This way, they were able to create accurate reproductions. Look closely for the holes over the entirety of this figure.

My room was swapped with a couple that would be staying an extra day in Florence so they could stay in the same room both nights. I was told that I was moved to the room Rick Steves usually stays in when in Florence...and I can see why! It was up a flight of stairs into what I imagine used to be an attic area with glorious views over the city and the city tower of Palazzo Vecchio (Old Building) in Piazza della Signora (Signora Square). The Palazzo is the old Medici Town Hall that was a fortress built to protect the family's treasures. Interestingly, this location is where David was located just outside of the front doors (a replica is there in the very location now) until it was moved into the Uffizi in a location specifically built to house and protect it from further damage when cracks were noticed in the mid-1800s. The breakfast room looked like something out of a magazine as well.

I dined at a street corner café with a couple that stayed to explore the Academy after our tour ended and did some laundry in the bathroom trashcan before going to bed. Those laundry detergent sheets come in handy with being able to tear off only as much as you wish to use!

Andiamo a Esplorare Firenze!