Oct. 24 & Oct. 25: Birthday Celebration & Tuscan Towns

Celebrating 60 in Tuscany with friends makes this birthday one of the best ever. We’ve had a whirlwind couple of days, but are getting into the rhythm of the Tuscan atmosphere. While it’s been a bit chilly at times, it’s also been clear, sunny and beautiful the past two days.

Our first full day together was my birthday, Sunday, Oct. 24. Betsy cooked a fabulous brunch and we enjoyed coffee and a bottle of champagne. Then we were off to Pienza, a beautiful little town less than hour’s drive and famous for its pecorino cheese. We strolled around, did some shopping, including buying some cheese, and just enjoyed the atmosphere. Even the drive there and back was beautiful.

Then back home for to hang out, relax and get ready for our first dinner out at a local restaurant.

A beautiful fall afternoon.

We went to dinner at La Taverna, just a two-minute drive from our villa. It’s the more casual restaurant in the four star Il Patriarca Hotel. The chef Katia Maccari has earned a Michelin star for the fancier restaurant onsite, I Salotti. The food in La Taverna is more rustic and that was perfect.

The reservations were for 7 p.m. and we know that’s an early dinner in Italy. Most people here eat between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. So when we arrived on time, the restaurant wasn’t open yet. For the first hour or so, we were the only ones there. But that just meant our laughter didn’t bother other diners.

As we were leaving the restaurant, I looked down at my feet and just started laughing. I bought some very ugly “recovery shoes” from Oofos. They are meant to be worn indoors at home, never to be seen by the world outside. I was wearing them around the villa before we left, with my more presentable shoes near the door. However, I forgot to change and never looked at my feet until we left the restaurant. So yes, I went out wearing these. What a statement on turning 60.

The fun continued for a while when we got back home. We laughed and talked until the wee hours of the morning, which made getting up to go to Siena on Monday a little challenging. But we managed to make it to the Chiusi train station, find great parking and hop the train. We caught a taxi from the Siena station directly to the main square, Il Campo, arguably the most beautiful public square in all of Italy. 

We had a magnificent afternoon. We grabbed a great table for people watching. We had read that the restaurants right on the plaza were mediocre and that turned out to be true. But it didn’t matter because the view was fantastic. We shared mixed green salads (probably the best food we had), a pizza and sandwiches. And we watched the world of Il Campo on display. We saw celebrations with groups opening and spraying champagne, lovers relax in each other’s company and children and dogs playing in the afternoon sun.

Betsy and I were in Siena in 2008 on our first trip to Italy, so we were content to stay in our seats and enjoy the afternoon of people-watching while Bonnie, Lisa and Emily went off to explore.