Chianti Classico

This week we had an excuse for some local tourism: Carla came to visit! 

In the Alley of Allergens...

Carla is an excellent traveling companion, because everywhere she goes, everything is free! She has amassed substantial collections of Marriott points and, apparently, karma points, so our swanky hotel in Rome, three museums, two gardens, and one vineyard were all magically free of charge. 

In honor of the occasion, we rented a car and braved the roads of Chianti. The car, a Fiat Panda, brought to mind a cube of cheese in its color, size, shape, and overall handling.

 

However, we managed to navigate streets both narrow and narrower...

We also attempted to tire Carla out with excursions up and down the Tuscan hills on foot and by bike.

Apart from hills, the week's other main preoccupation was the pursuit of the ideal Italian coffee. (For the sake of duty, we sampled several versions of caffè corretto, "corrected coffee," which is "corrected" from its non-alcoholic state.) This quest also led to the Bialetti store, where we learned that one can purchase a moka pot with a car charger. I can say with conviction that this device would lead to disaster in a Fiat Panda on the roads of Chianti.