Before we left for Italy, a trusted friend told us when in Chianti, to try the local steaks. Travelling with a man who takes barbecuing very seriously, locating said meat was a priority, and Paolo wasted no time in tracking down the very famous butcher in Greve in Chianti, Antica Malleceria Falorni. http://www.falorni.it/

With the ladies on salad and potato duty, the menfolk set about creating a charcoal barbecue, including gathering sticks and twigs, their primal duty assisted by glorious early evening sunshine and Italian beer.

The steaks which weighed a kilo each and were the size of a baseball glove, were cooked to perfection and then laid to rest on a chopping board prepared with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, basil, rosemary, mint, garlic, salt and pepper.

We served up with a green salad, filled with fresh local tomatoes , cucumber and balsamic, and the potatoes were chopped up into small chunks and roasted with garlic and fresh rosemary which grows right outside our front door. Magnifico!

A quick zip down the Autostrade, an exit at Incisa and a good stretch of winding road past rolling hills of cypress pines and hay-bales later, and we arrived in Greve in Chianti, making our way to the local piazza in search of our holiday posse rendezvous point.

A joyous reunion, and an espresso or two, and it was off up the dusty track which led us to Villa Arancio, our home for the next 2 weeks.

A quick tour of the villa, including the all-important kitchen, and it was into the pool for a refreshing splash around, followed by some Prosecco in the late afternoon sunshine.

Having procured some fresh local produce, dinner on our first evening in Tuscany included some olives and antipasto, fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic, a green salad and a huge bowl of fusilli with Italian sausages, crushed fennel seeds and lemon juice, and of course, a nice bottle of Chianti Classico.

Good friends, good food and wine – bellissimo!

The next day was Il Palio in Siena, and without wanting to stand in the hot sun for hours, and especially not with the little dudes, we were keen to soak up the atmosphere and hopefully catch a glimpse of a horsey or two.

We were not disappointed – there were people everywhere, mostly tanned and impossibly stylish and all wearing scarves supporting the various contradas racing later that evening, the clip clop of hooves could be heard down various lane ways, and the thump-thump of marching drums as a medieval procession made its way down cobbled streets.

In the Piazza Il Campo, wooden seating had been erected all the way around the outside and the centre was thronging with tourists and locals alike, a riot of colour and movement.

We went in search of the nearest pizzeria and sampled the lightest crispiest pizza base ever, with a simple margherita topping which knocked the socks off everyone, including the bambinos.

Back to base for an afternoon siesta and it was off to one of the local trattorias for an early dinner, the eggplant parmigiana, and the torte cioccolata playing starring roles.

I could get used to this.

Day Two dawned, with some cloud and rain, giving me the perfect opportunity to buy a super-cheesy souvenir umbrella with pictures of all the Roman monuments plastered across it. The weather was perfect for sightseeing, no chance of sunburn!

We strolled along the River Tiber towards Il Vaticano, to enter the hallowed ground of Piazza San Pietro, and then ventured inside the Basilica, dark and cool, with an air of hushed reverence.
Our religious duty done for the day, we collectively crossed ourselves and went in search of lunch.
A simple looking plate of gnocchi with tomato, basil and mozzarella was just magnifico, and we followed it up with a visit to Fontana di Trevi and Piazza Spagna where we sat on the Spanish steps for a bit and just watched the world go by.

A boat ride along the river provided a welcome and most pleasant respite from walking and gave us time to reflect on where we would go for dinner.

Disembarking at Isole Tiberina, we strolled back into Trastavere, to a tiny cobbled laneway with a trattoria beckoning with the waft of garlic.
There we hit the meal trifecta – fried zucchini flowers that melted in the mouth, a spaghetti alle vongole loaded with parsley, garlic and olive oil, and a tiramisu to make the heart sing. A fine bottle of Chianti Classico to wash it all down and we were content.

We arrived early at Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli in Trastevere and headed straight to the beautiful garden for breakfast in the sunshine, surrounded by olive trees and rosemary bushes against salmon rendered walls and white shuttered windows, church bells tolling softly in the background. A special mention to our lovely travel agent Caren Cassidy in Melbourne, www.travelsense.com.au for finding this gorgeous hotel, which we would recommend without hesitation!
www.hoteldonnacamillasavelli.com

Our first espressos tasted like liquid gold to these weary travellers! A quick refresh and we were in amongst it, and headed straight to the Colosseum, after which we made for Piazza Navona, for pizza margarita and some people watching.

We then made a coffee pilgrimage to Sant Eustachio il Caffe, where we sampled possibly the best short black the world has ever known. The crema was like aerated froth and it hit the bloodstream faster than you could say ‘all hail the barista’!

By now despite the caffeine intake, the jet-lag was making its presence felt so it was back to the hotel for a recharge, then we headed to the roof terrazze for a view of Roma that took the breath away, with the late afternoon sun playing off the terra-cotta walls.

A pleasant meander through ivy clad cobbled laneways and we found the Piazza Santa Maria, full of outdoor trattorias with red and white checked tableclothes, complete with accordion-playing locals. Cliched perhaps but perfect nonetheless.

A decent veal saltimbocca, some outstanding polpetti and an affogato finished off our first day and we traipsed back to the Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli humming ‘O Sole Mio’, well and truly ready for bed.