The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
May 3 - Montepulciano

This is the classic Tuscan hill town and has long been one of our favorites. Since our normal travel mode is to rent a house for a week and take day trips, coming to Montepulciano has always been a day trip. This time we thought we would see what it is like to live in the town. We are staying at Mueble il Riccio, a converted palazzo a few yards off the Grande Piazza at the very top of the town.

The streets are closed to most cars so the Medieval feel is still very much intact. We have been here often enough to have explored most of it already, but Montepulciano is a place that you FEEL as much as you see it. The word that always comes up for me is "texture" -- rough stone buildings, cobbled street pavers -- this is the most tactile place I can ever recall being in.

Unlike the typical American tourist, we do not feel compelled to be up at dawn, racing around to see the sights. The pace is far more relaxed ... helped somewhat by the mind-numbing slowness of my Internet connection. After another couple of hours on the phone with Cingular tech support yesterday afternoon, I was at least able to get my cell phone functioning as a modem. The bad news is that it is slow. The good news is that now I can connect online anywhere in the world without having to find a phone line to plug into. This will hold me until more people have wireless Internet networks installed.

We had a late breakfast at the Caffe Poliziano, a classic coffee house that has been here since 1868. Then it was down the hill to the Thursday market. Every town has its market day (Montepulciano has two) where vendors come in to sell their wares, many in elaborate trucks that are more like mobile shops. You can buy everything from plants, to clothing, to food items.

We are having lunch with friends tomorrow so Margene got some gorgeous strawberries to take along. I was tempted by the porchetta trucks offering fresh pork sliced off whole roasted pigs ... but it was still a little close to breakfast. We will have to come back on Saturday. We did stock up on water, wine and other essentials. Since the market was at the bottom of town and our hotel was at the top, we opted to take the little bus rather than walk. Watching the driver thread the bus up narrow streets full of pedestrians, often through gaps not more than a few inches wider than the vehicle, gave even me pause. It sure beat walking, though!

Montepulciano and the Thursday market

Dining Options del Giorno


[Itinerary Page]

© 2007 Restaurant Doctor