Florence Part 3 - dinner at the Machiavelli Estate just outside Florence

Tonight we are staying at a hotel in Sorrento, after a long day of driving from Assisi to Pompeii, walking through the profoundly moving ruins in the heat for about 90 minutes, much uphill, and then driving to Sorrento.

Although we were rather tired from that, we have just had the best of times at a dinner party in an award-winning restaurant in a little town further around the coast. This was despite the rather ‘hairy' drive along very narrow roads with many hairpin bends up to the top of a high hill, with sheer cliffs below us, to get there. Not a view for those who like me, have a fear of heights . . .

We were very warmly welcomed by the family who own and turn the restaurant, including the quite elderly parents of the head waiter, who grow all the food and then cook it. The food was very tasty and just kept coming, and best of all, we had a great musician who played many favourite songs. Soon everyone was clapping along as he sang each popular number. In the end many of our group were dancing between the tables to songs such as ‘YMCA’. They had an absolute ball! 

The drive back in the dark was very scary . . . but what a sight to see so many lights twinkling far below us!  In any case, most were on such a happy high they were still singing and hardly noticed the drive. 

This evening reminded me of a similar evening we spent whilst in Florence, which we all enjoyed immensely. That night was spent at the Machiavelli Estate, where we not only had a splendid Tuscan feast but also were greeted by the wife of the current owner, whose husband is a descendant of the original Machiavelli. She showed us around the original home, including its cellar, and presided over a demonstration of how to make pasta by her chef. Both were absolute wags. 

This restaurant also was situated on a hillside, though not nearly so high up. It was in a very picturesque setting, with vineyards all around. And nearby, just across from the restaurant, was a kind of mansion where Tom Hanks and Ron Howard stayed whilst making the movie ‘Inferno’. Apparently they loved the restaurant so much they would walk downhill through a large vineyard to eat there.

Again, the main attraction in fact was a talented singer and a guitarist who accompanied her and sometimes sang with her. They were so full of passion with their music and sang so many well-loved songs, again everyone was simply delighted with them and was clapping and singing along, even the waitresses. We were all very happy, contented  ‘little petunias' as the bus wended its way back to our very funky hotel . . .  

I only wish you all could have been there on both of these joyful occasions - you would have loved it too, I am sure.  

The following photos were taken at the Machiavelli Estate.

The wine cellar of the original house, which is still used.

Our delightful singers

The welcome sign

Where Tom Hanks and Ron Howard were saying, seen from the Machiavelli Estate

Our pasta-making demonstration; they still use the old fashioned way of using a rolling pin, not a machine.

These and more were made from the same batch of rolled dough.