Roads Less Traveled Italy

Sustainable Independent Off The Beaten Path Travel To Italy For All Budgets

One of our most cherished and shared stories as a family is of our time staying at an agriturismo outside of Florence in Tuscany, and the amazing, homemade family meal we shared with our hosts, other guests, and some of their extended family.

Just to set the stage, we had arrived in Scandicci, a suburb of Florence, in the middle of a rainstorm that was so bad that we had to pull over to the side of the road to let it pass, as we could not see a thing, even with our windshield wipers on full blast.

We had selected this particular agriturismo because it was very close to the tram that leads right to the center of Florence. That being said, it was a bit hard to find, especially in the pouring rain. When we arrived, things were a bit chaotic, as the power had temporarily gone out due to the storm.

However, once we settled into our beautiful room and relaxed a bit, we were excited to see that the weather had turned sunny once again (this is pretty typical of Italian storms) and were looking forward to dinner with the family who owned the agriturismo.

We were joined by two other guests, but also by the owner’s daughter, brother and various people who worked on the farm. Around a giant table under the covered patio, we dined on homemade pasta and wine, numerous fresh vegetable dishes, and a special desert. Two boxes of dog biscuits on the table gave the family dogs a chance to be a part of the fun! The variety of conversation was astounding! Mostly in English, I chatted with a young woman from Turkey who spoke Aramaic, and my husband got into a long conversation with the owner’s brother, who had been a judge before retirement. One interesting moment in the conversation was when the judge referred to “the war”. For Americans of our generation, there have unfortunately been numerous wars in our lifetimes. So, it took a minute to realize that for Italians, “the war” can only refer to World War II.

After hours of eating and chatting, we made our way to our room, fully satisfied on all accounts. In my opinion, this kind of experience is what travel is all about. Connecting with others across cultures, sharing food and ideas – these enrich our lives and our shared humanity.

A Real Meal In Tuscany March 11, 2021