February 14, 2011
After taking a last walk around Florence and exploring yet another neighborhood close to JK Place, I stopped in at a pizzeria on Piazza Santa Maria Novella and returned to the hotel. I selected a movie from their library– some “chick flick” with Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and J.Lo and promptly went to sleep.
This morning, I awoke in total darkness, the interior shutters of the room really block out the light and since the room was on the internal courtyard, it was totally silent. Bizarre, or some might say be grateful -how you can be right next to one of the largest churches in the city and NOT hear the bells? Normally, as you now know, I prefer and have chosen to stay elsewhere when a hotel tells me they have soundproofed the windows, but this was very nice.
I went down to the breakfast room to enjoy my continental breakfast of a muffin, some fresh fruit, blood orange juice and a cappuccino and read the paper that was left on my door handle. I had a morning meeting with the General Manager, Claudio who explained to me the philosophy of JKPlace and their sister hotel JKPlace Capri. These boutique hotels are run as someone’s home. While they are very sophisticated and have been featured in many architectural and interior design magazines and books all over the world, they want you to feel as though you are visiting someone’s home. Here, you ring a doorbell and are greeted at the door; there is no “front desk” – there is a library with a big dining room table in it and it has stacks of books on Florence and Italy, magazines with the pages open to articles about the hotel, and is has a staff of 30 people for only 20 rooms = service. When you “check in” you leave your bags in the library and are shown to your room- the bags arrive in a few minutes – the wifi is complimentary, the minibar is complimentary, tea and coffee throughout your stay are complimentary – they want you to be comfortable in their “home” and have no extra charges for minimal things of comfort. There are two living room areas with large high back arm chairs and fireplaces and there are millions of wonderful coffee table books about art and far off exotic places to flip through.
Claudio showed me around several of the rooms and left the best for last – the duplex suite for honeymooners which is located on the roof– there is a king bedroom on the entry level with views of the Duomo and the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio and then you go upstairs to the bathroom with HUGE picture windows and an incredible view of the city rooftops – (the view is also enjoyed from your very large bathtub- there is a separate shower as well). There is also a balcony with a table and chairs. Tatler Magazine (one of my favorites) rates this as the “sexiest bathroom in Florence.” You are in the heart of the city and would never know it since it’s so peaceful there.
I sadly left Florence and JK Place after Claudio arranged for me to visit a friend of his tomorrow outside of Greve who owns another great villa hotel and picked up my rental car in the same neighborhood and 10 minutes later, off I went in my beautiful Fiat Panda. (Again, this is a great time of year to travel here for many reasons, but most of all – NO LINES) Getting out of Florence is very easy and even easier when you have a copilot. I did not. So, I made a wrong turn and gave it another go and I was out of the city in less than 10 minutes, passing the gorgeous hilltop Certosa monastery on the outskirts of town.
Driving into Chianti is always a TON of fun, if you like to drive a manual shift car or even if you just enjoy driving! So many “S” turns and the scenery (even in February) is stunning around every bend. Today, after going through Impruneta and Greve, I stopped in Panzano – it was lunchtime and I needed something to drink. I walked around the village (closed up tight except for recess at the local grade school) and up the hill into the centro storico to see the views as the sun was finally out today (a few days of grey will get to you) and back down to the village – I stopped at the local Tabacchi and refueled with a panino con prosciutto for less than 2 Euros and back to the car to make my way closer to Radda in Chianti.
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| in Panzano |
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| a view from hilltop Panzano |
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| another stunning view |
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| close up - perhaps a candidate for an email to clients? |
I got to the village and decided to walk around Badia a Coltibuono (famous for their oil and vino which is between Radda and Greve) and to see the location of another hotel I am considering working with (closed of the season). It was good I did this as I was unsure whether it would be good due to its location. To my surprise, you can walk to the village in 10 minutes along a picturesque cypress lined dirt road.
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| my Fiat Panda |
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| i cipressi |
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| Badia al Coltibuono |
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| Castello di Spaltenna |
After this dogleg, I returned the Radda, easily found a parking spot outside of the village and grabbed my things from the car and walked the 5 minute walk into the heart of the village to Palazzo Leopoldo.
I was immediately shown my room (#2 which has a view of the Chianti hills) and unpacked a bit (Yes, FINALLY I can unpack – for 2 nights) and then walked around the village. It was very grey and whatever sun there was, was going down, but I rounded a corner and there was this amazing sight – a huge sunburst – a pocket of sunlight streaming – sounds corny but it was beautiful and makes me think this part of the trip will go very well!
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| Radda |
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| and the heavens opened |
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| Welcome back to Chianti |
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| stunning |
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| Via Roma in Radda in Chianti |
I met with the owner of the hotel, Massimo and we talked about his business and then he had to rush off for dinner for San Valentino! I had a reservation at La Botte di Bucca (located right behind the hotel and reached through one of the ancient tunnels in the village) – I was their first customer of the night and was treated very well – out came the water, the fresh (and hot) focaccia and the piece de resistance – pane fritto (fried bread nuggets – still hot). As I told the waiter – pelicoloso! (dangerous) I ordered the crema di piselli con dadolato di pecorino di Pienza (cream of pea soup with pecorino chunks and croutons – of course drizzled with their intensely green olive oil) – WELCOME TO CHIANTI! I washed this down with a glass of the house red – a local Chianti and then had a pici cacao e pepe (a thick tubular spaghetti typical of the Val d’Orcia area of Tuscany) – TOO MUCH FOOD – after a caffe, I waddled out of there thankful for the walk uphill (albeit of slight grade) to the hotel.
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| pane fritto |
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| crema di piselli |
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| pici cacio e pepe - I was unable to finish much more than seen here |
Tonight will be a Good night sleep in my HUMUNGOUS room which is only a superior double. I have an early start tomorrow to be in Greve by 10 to meet David of Villa Bordoni.
Buona note ragazzi!
Happy San Valentino!
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