Tuscany Truffle Hunting and a Noble’s Estate
Today we hit a whopping 5,000 steps with all of our strenuous sedentary activities. If the fit bit could count arm movement, with all of the drinking and eating, I'm sure we'd hit at least our daily trip norm of 20,000-25,000 steps. I can't wait for the scale back at home to confirm at least 5 pounds have melted off.
Guess what, it is truffle season! So it was apropos to start our morning with a real truffle hunt! We met up with the dogs and the "Tartuffaio" (truffle hunter) and went into the forest that belongs to Castelfalfi, kept for cultivating truffles to use in their restaurants.
For Matteo, our Tartuffaio, truffle hunting was a great passion that has turned into a job. The first step is to train the dogs. To the dogs, finding truffles is a game; the more truffles they find the more biscuits they get.
Any breed can be trained as long as they have a great sense of smell. Gina (the dog) smells a truffle 30-40 meters away. The dog's tail tells you when they have found something; it goes from still and straight to an excited wagging. If you don't get to the dog fast enough they will eat the truffle. The dog sprinted around us in huge circles, like our dog Chloe when she escapes, but at lightening speed. She just looks like she is running wildly and haphazardly, not searching for treasure. As if we were in a goldmine, she quickly and easily uncovered at least five glorious truffles (including a more valuable white truffle) during our brief outing.
We spent most of the day at the 14th century Villa le Corti owned by the "noble" Corsini family, a title bestowed on them automatically for having a pope (Clemente XII) in the family. Mom is the same age that he was when he became pope, so there is still a chance for us to obtain nobility - if they are willing to elect a female. Then we too could bear our Coat of Arms on top of someplace as famous as the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
The Corsini family is one of Florence's oldest and has an ancestry dating back to the Middle Ages. Now at the family estate they produce wine and olive oil as well as run a restaurant. The matriarch, Clotilde, is so casual and unpretentious, making it difficult to fully appreciate the magnitude of our exclusive invitation.
The Corsini family were Medieval hoarders who didn't throw away a single document and now have 10 centuries of extensive and ancient archives documenting their purchases and marriages. As we tour room after room of papers most people so easily dispose of, I'm hoping Greg doesn't get any crazy ideas to start keeping receipts.
After signing our lives away on the waiver to participate in the "strenuous activity" that involves "inherent risks, dangers, and hazards," we were driven slowly through the surroundings of the estate in a caravan of ~25 vintage Fiat 500s.
We had a quiet evening back at the resort.
Guess what, it is truffle season! So it was apropos to start our morning with a real truffle hunt! We met up with the dogs and the "Tartuffaio" (truffle hunter) and went into the forest that belongs to Castelfalfi, kept for cultivating truffles to use in their restaurants.
For Matteo, our Tartuffaio, truffle hunting was a great passion that has turned into a job. The first step is to train the dogs. To the dogs, finding truffles is a game; the more truffles they find the more biscuits they get.
Dogs love truffles! Matteo has to hold Gina back or she will eat the prize - a $75 gulp!
Any breed can be trained as long as they have a great sense of smell. Gina (the dog) smells a truffle 30-40 meters away. The dog's tail tells you when they have found something; it goes from still and straight to an excited wagging. If you don't get to the dog fast enough they will eat the truffle. The dog sprinted around us in huge circles, like our dog Chloe when she escapes, but at lightening speed. She just looks like she is running wildly and haphazardly, not searching for treasure. As if we were in a goldmine, she quickly and easily uncovered at least five glorious truffles (including a more valuable white truffle) during our brief outing.
Truffles are a tuber, growing underground like potatoes. They can be found in the soil around tree roots or even randomly in soil. They cannot be planted and are very expensive because they are so hard to find.
Gina uncovered a rarer, white truffle. It smelled delicioso!
Most trained dogs are worth €20,000. As cute as they are, you wouldn't want one as a pet. They are hyper and love to dig.
We spent most of the day at the 14th century Villa le Corti owned by the "noble" Corsini family, a title bestowed on them automatically for having a pope (Clemente XII) in the family. Mom is the same age that he was when he became pope, so there is still a chance for us to obtain nobility - if they are willing to elect a female. Then we too could bear our Coat of Arms on top of someplace as famous as the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
The Corsini family is one of Florence's oldest and has an ancestry dating back to the Middle Ages. Now at the family estate they produce wine and olive oil as well as run a restaurant. The matriarch, Clotilde, is so casual and unpretentious, making it difficult to fully appreciate the magnitude of our exclusive invitation.
Wine and olive oil tasting at the Corsini estate
The Corsini family were Medieval hoarders who didn't throw away a single document and now have 10 centuries of extensive and ancient archives documenting their purchases and marriages. As we tour room after room of papers most people so easily dispose of, I'm hoping Greg doesn't get any crazy ideas to start keeping receipts.
After signing our lives away on the waiver to participate in the "strenuous activity" that involves "inherent risks, dangers, and hazards," we were driven slowly through the surroundings of the estate in a caravan of ~25 vintage Fiat 500s.
Tauck put out an all-call to the Fiat club for our caravan of cars and drivers
"I ❤ my car" - our old Italian driver obviously cherished his baby
I know Greg had a good time on the vintage Fiat drive because he took a ton of pictures
We stopped for the incredible view
Our vintage Fiat 500
All of our gorgeous countryside views are from a bus window, driving around Tuscany to and from the resort
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