People – the real treasures in travel

THE LOCAL WEEKLY MARKETS in the magical medieval Tuscan town of Anghiari have been happening since 1388, according to the sign [possibly with the exception of during the odd plague, I’m thinking]. My recent visitor from Australia seemed a little disappointed that there were no crossbows or chainmail and gauntlets to be seen.

No, but a pretty good range of seasonal fruit and vegetables (not abundant in this town the rest of the week), two vans selling various cheeses and smoked meats, another with ready-to-eat cooked products such as lasagne and roast chickens.

A couple of long tables sell the kind of moderately priced clothes you might find at Paddy’s Markets in Sydney. Not much appealed, I have to say, but I was very happy to find a soft colourful scarf for 5 euros (about  $A8.20), after having decided against a couple for 90 euros each ($A147) in two shops the day before.

Porcini mushrooms are in season at the moment. I bought some dried sliced ones from Bruno, the friendly cheese seller (above). “Hai una ricetta?” ("Do you have a recipe?") I asked, not knowing exactly how to treat them. His tip was to soak them in boiling water and drain them before using with whatever else you like in a pasta. I did; it was good.

Meanwhile, I had a lot of laughs with my visiting Australian friends. Thank you, Robert and Bart (left and right below, at Braceria Luca), for dropping in.

Visitors are the best, and this is why:

While I enjoy many things about travelling alone (see ‘The People You Meet’, below), one thing I don’t enjoy and I avoid as much as possible, is eating dinner out alone. Anghiari has some wonderful restaurants and these guys love to eat well. And drink.

We went to Cantina del Granduca (my sentimental favourite), then the Michelin-starred Ristorante da Alighiero (that's its delicious carpaccio, below centre) and Braceria Luca, which specialises in beef dishes, in the first three nights they were here.

After that extravaganza, we ate more modestly at the wonderful Il Cantuccio (known to locals as 'Cicalino'), which offers a selection of pastas and sauces; a lovely slightly spicy ribollita (bread and vegetable soup); squares of pizza; and whatever the cooks have prepared that day – beef stew, lasagnes, octopus and potatoes, roast chicken, for example.

Always with wine and generally preceded by aperitivi – Campari spritz or prosecco for me.

Walking and working it off

One gets plenty of exercise just walking around Anghiari as it’s all uphill – and downhill. I have also been going to the gym once a week, having finally found it in my last week here last year.

At home I’m not fond of gyms, but this one is totally different – a relatively small room, a booking for an hour, no more than six people there at a time. Jacopo, who runs it, is a physiotherapist whose many certificates are on the walls. He sets each person up individually to start on a particular exercise, then moves them on after about 10 minutes.

So we all rotate from one machine (stationary bike, walking machine, weight-lifting machine, and so on) or floor exercise to another. It’s an excellent arrangement.

The sign on the wall (right) says “To succeed is a conscious decision”. Simple?

The people you meet

Waiting for the bus back to Anghiari from Sansepolcro the other day, I spoke briefly to a young Chinese woman who was on her way beyond Anghiari to Arezzo. Not long into the trip, she leaned over from the seat behind me and said she had decided to stop and have a look at Anghiari as I had been so enthusiastic about it. She could catch another bus in a couple of hours.

What happened then was so enjoyable. I took her to a lookout spot to see a beautiful view over the town, then we walked down to the Piazza Baldacci and stopped at the Caffe Garibaldi where we talked until it was time for her to leave.

Her name is Tiantian Feng. She works as an art researcher for The Fanzhi Foundation for Art and Education in Hong Kong, and had been at the recent Venice Biennale. Her job there was to organise a film about the collaboration between renowned Chinese painter, Beijing-based Zeng Fanzhi, and Japanese architect Tadao Ando, who designed Zeng’s exhibition space in a clever way using the play of light and shadow.

Tiantian was wonderful company, very enthusiastic about Italy and particularly the work of one of her favourite painters, Piero della Francesca. She now feels she is doing the work she was meant to do, and I wish her every success. (I am sorry I have been unsuccessful in downloading a photo of her so far.)

When we parted, I was very touched when Tiantian presented me with a poster of della Francesa's ‘Madonna del Parto’ that she had bought in Sansepolcro. With any luck, we will meet again, but regardless, we are now in touch.

I doubt I would have this sort of experience if I were not travelling alone.

What’s wrong with a bit of fantasy?

Next week I am going to look at apartments for sale in Anghiari. It's unlikely I will ever live here, but it is fun to dream. (Home is pretty good too.) This is my fifth time visiting and now I run into acquaintances every time I leave my rented apartment.

There's Oliver, a German man who lived for years in Australia, whom I met last year and who let me share his apartment for a week this year before I could move into my own; Carlo and Armando, dear gentlemen I met about seven years ago who invited me to lunch last Sunday; Elise, my former Italian teacher; another Carlo, whose lovely family owns the apartment I rent and who took me to dinner a couple of nights ago; other foreigners I’ve met who either live here or visit regularly from England or the United States; delightful Gennaro who runs the Caffe Garibaldi and whose smile warms my heart; Massimo, “the Roman”, who speaks the way he drives, at 150kph, and makes me laugh; lovely Stefanie, who runs the distance autobiographical writing circle of the Libera Universita dell'Autobiografia here. The list goes on.

I would so like to know these people better but my limited Italian prevents that, which is a bit sad and frustrating at times. As everyone will tell you, the best way to improve speaking a foreign language is to live in a place and just do it. Should I give up learning Italian or find a way to be here more often?

Vedremo. (We’ll see.) Alla prossima volta. (Till next time.)

Love to you all,

Mimi