What do Supermodels and Tuscany have in common?

Well, maybe she wasn’t exactly a supermodel, BUT on our recent babystyle photo shoot our model, Catherine McCord told me (after I mentioned our up and coming trip to Italy) that she and her producer husband had spent a month there on their honeymoon 2 years ago. Good for them, right!!!! Anyhow aside from being almost 6′ tall, blonde and pretty gorgeous, Catherine is also an accomplished cook and appreciates good wine – natch! So I took her recommendations pretty seriously (noting that Ms. Karen Brown also 2nds her winery choice) and after checking out their websites added them to our own itinerary. Here’s the scoop (also a Karen Brown recommendation):

The winery Poggio Antico in Montalcino. According to their website, “the estate includes about 200 hectares (500 acres) of beautiful woods, fields, olive groves and vineyards. Located at an average altitude of approximately 1,476 feet above sea level, Poggio Antico is one of the highest altitude producers of Brunello.”

The restaurant & hotel Locanda dell’Amorosa in Sinalunga. From their website: “Once upon a time, in the XIVth century, there was a small village called Amorosa… we have turned the ancient stables into a restaurant; filled the old cellars with a careful selection of wines and placed guest rooms in the manor. In this way the Locanda dell’Amorosa came into being, an oasis of country peace among the rolling Sienese hills that look down on the Chiana Valley.”
With a castle I think we might want to check out! (More fabulous pictures here!)

Great restaurant tip: “La Frateria” near Sienna

John just forwarded me a very interesting restaurant tip from one of the guests at ‘his’ hotel. It’s called “La Frateria” and it’s located in Cetona near Sienna, about 45 minutes away from our house in Cortona. The restaurant (wow – it looks really beautiful) is part of a former convent founded in 1212 (!) which today “offers moments of tranquility, relaxation and piece to those who feel the need.” Meaning: a retreat. (Or is this the cute Italian version of a rehab?) Besides the restaurant the place includes 7 beautiful rooms for temporary residence (apparently Oscar winner Anthony Minghella stayed here to recharge his batteries) and a little store which sells (olive) oils, jams and art. On their website, the restaurant is described as follows:

In the old prison, where even the gentle Saint Francis put the friars who did not heed the rules or were in contrast with the mother church. Here we still sense the severe and mystic aura that gives the importance and comfort of a liturgy to each meal.We dine on linen table cloths. The menu is hand written and the dishes inspired by the seasons, the fantasy of the chef, the fragrance of the vegetables and the produce of the convent: Oven baked bread, olive and caper pate, preserves, salted meats, extra virgin olive oil milled by the young people using old stone millstone. 

Sounds almost like a poem, doesn’t it? (Do I see tears of joy in your eyes, Les?)Besides the yummy food this definitely sounds like a place where each of us can detox from the hectic daily life and enjoy the present moment in its entire beauty (in case I sound like a spiritual jerk – yes, I started to practice mindfulness a couple of months ago.. and I recommend this to everybody…)!