A Visit to Antella

Home in hills outside
of Antella

Yesterday we spent an early spring afternoon on a terrace in a home in Antella, a small town a few miles into the hills south of Florence. We visited the home of two sisters, one retired, the other a semi-active child psychiatrist. The sisters are elderly but sharp, sharp in general, sharp in Italian, and sharp in English.

Antella town center

The views to the north show the hills around Florence and the Colli Fiorentini, the hills around Florence where Chianti of the highest quality (that is, chianti classified as DOCG)  is produced. The landscapes are beautiful and the people are warm and engaging.

Chianti DOCG is
produced in this area

The child psychiatrist studied at Duke and practiced in New York City for 16 years. She said that she ate in Italian restaurants only a few times during her time in New York but was always disappointed. What passed for Italian cooking in New York was pretty much unrelated to the Tuscan cooking that she was accustomed to. 

We agree.

The outskirts of Florence are to the left.