[Itinerary Page]The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
October 2 - Volterra
Volterra is an old Etruscan town located 1800 feet above sea level in the western part of Tuscany, about a 90-minute drive from our house. On previous trips we have usually stayed farther east, putting Volterra too far away for a day trip ... so we thought we'd catch it while we could. The town features two fine castles, the ruins of a Roman theater and numerous Etruscan remains. Its ambience easily rivals that of the more famous neighboring town of San Gimignano.
After our morning cappucino, we wandered the narrow streets for several hours and rallied for an al fresco lunch on the main piazza. Then we left the rest of the crew in Volterra (they were going on to San Gimignano) and headed back to the house to get ready for dinner with Bob Monroe and Allison Leeming, the British ex-pat couple who own Summers Leases, the agency we have been renting houses from since we first came to Italy in 2000. Over the years our relationship has evolved to the point where our get-togethers are always a highlight of returning to central Italy.
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