Part 3 – Gusto Gastronomical

Sunday, 18 June, 2017

It is time to leave Rome for our formal tour. Julie does not want to be late so the driver is to pick us up at the nearby Piazza at 7:30. She sets her alarm for 6:00. We go out of the apartment early and the driver is already there at the end of the street.

Once again the driver takes a back woods route to get out of Rome. It is said that Rome is build on 7 hills. I reckon we saw all 7 of them on the route. Any way, we get there in plenty of time i.e. at 7:30.

We decide to get something to eat at the airport Hilton where we have been dropped off just like we did before the first Gusto tour. We park our bags and go into the café. There where we enter are Eileen and Tony from Gusto New York. They are with another couple they knew from a previous tour but we had not known – Susan and Ben.

We sit at a table near them and decide on the buffet – there was lots of food and I ate tons, really enjoying it. Eventually 9:30 rolls around and we go out to the bus to meet Colin and the tour group.

We meet the group which turns out to be 19 of us + Capo.
• 4 hat platinum flyers on both Gusto New York and Tour da France
o Chris, Jeremy, Julie, Patrick
• Those on the New York Gusto
o Margaret and Gavin
o Eileen and Tony
o Chris Love
• Those on Tour Da France
o Chris and Rob
o Simone and Greg (Toto)
• Others
o Susan and Ben
o Nola and Eric
o Suz and Graeme

On the bus ride to our first destination Capo explains his theory of touring Tuscany which is to avoid the highly Americanised areas like Florence and Pisa. After a long drive, with one toilet stop, we arrive at our destination – Monteriggoni which is a walled town up a hill. There is a car park full of cars and buses. So much for the unspoiled Tuscany. The bus is too big to go up the hill, so we unload our big suit cases and tag them to be brought up the hill by staff.

These hills become a significant problem for me over the next 3 days because the villages we visit are all up significant hills and my fitness is such that I struggle a lot. This one was especially bad because I was carrying my hand luggage and it was quite heavy. Julie carried it along with lots of her stuff the last part.

Finally we reach the Piazza, Tony is waiting for us to show us where to go. We are in Hotel Monteriggoni and it is quite modern with nice rooms.

We drop our small stuff in the room and we go to a scheduled lunch just across the Plaza. It is a Michelin Star restaurant and we are seated in a garden setting out of the hot sun. Wonderful.

The girls are given Prosecco and the boys beers. The food starts arriving.

Capo had disappeared for a while to help bring the big luggage to the rooms. When he returned,

Colin explained that his suitcase had exploded on the plane and the hats went everywhere. All were recovered except the one for Julie so Colin loans her his Capo hat for the duration of the tour. He also explains that guest Susan is a professional opera singer and asks her to do a couple of songs.

After the meal, I retire and Julie prances around the walled town, including a walk along the wall.

Julie then goes into the local museum. Here are some of her images.

Julie returns to the room and indicates that most of the guys are in or around the Hotel’s Pool. She puts on bathers and goes down. After a while I go down to the pool as well.

Early to bed for us after a very long day.