fh_trips | Castello di Casole [Monday Daytime, October 14, 2013]

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fall break 2013: tuscany

Castello di Casole [Monday Daytime, October 14, 2013]

There might have been the odd splash of rain at Castello di Casole today, but it never lasted for more than few mere minutes. Temperatures kept to a balmy 72F and the sky was mostly clear.

In other words, the weather was fine for anyone who might want to head into Pisa today and take horrible pictures of themselves holding up the leaning tower. Don't say you weren't thinking it. You were.

[ Rooms | Restaurants & Bar | Estate Activities | Pisa | Shopping & Eating | OOC ]

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Good morning, Fandomites! Whether you're waking up in the Classica Suites or the Limonaia Suites (or somewhere outside after too many Bellinis in the bar. We don't judge. Much), the sun is streaming through the windows and it's just too nice to stay inside, no matter how inviting the wifi and free movies are. Put your feet onto that radiant floor heating and get ready for breakfast: Tuscany awaits!

Or stay in and order room service. It is vacation.

[ Your room assignments are here. All NSFW stuff should go into your personal journals! ]

From a perfect cappuccino as the Tuscan sun sets, a romantic picnic lunch in the vineyards, to dining al fresco with friends and family, food and drink are an essential part of everyday. The focus is on simple, rustic food in the classic Italian tradition. Expect handmade pastas, fresh organic vegetables, fresh fish and game from local sources – all paired with fine wines from the best wineries in Italy and around the world. Whether you choose to order room service at the hotel, take Italian cooking classes from master chefs, or visit one of the restaurants, every day in Tuscany stirs the soul in some new way.

Ristorante Tosca hosts a full breakfast before you head out for the day, so be sure to fill up on fresh fruit and pastries and hot cappuccino and other coffee drinks!

Pizza for lunch? Don't mind if you do! Pazzia's menu offers up salads, panini, gelato and an espresso bar as well.

If you're at the bar before, say, three, we'll just pretend you're here to enjoy the hors d’oeuvres and the stunning views outside and not the drinks, okay? Okay.

Originally the estate’s wine cellar, the Spa offers a serene setting within one of the most dramatic spaces on the property. A full treatment menu is inspired by local ingredients – rosemary, grape and olive oil – with products from the renowned brands Comfort Zone and Germaine de Cappuccini. European spa and wellness experts offer an extensive collection of traditional and modern therapies. Pools, steam rooms and comfortable spaces allow for ample relaxation: there are seven treatment rooms, secluded men’s and women’s areas, a spectacular couple’s treatment suite with deep soaking tub and shower, and luxurious private outdoor gardens.

The boutique at Castello di Casole is home to some of the most unique shopping in Tuscany. Fine name-brand apparel, art including paintings and sculptures from acclaimed local Italian artists, artisanal treasures from the finest houses of Italy, our estate grown and produced wine and olive oil, signature products from our very own Essere Spa, the premiere spa in Tuscany – it’s all right here, part of an ever-evolving collection of luxury goods and distinctive mementos from your time on the estate.

While the estate itself is ideal for hiking, jogging, biking or horseback riding, if you're in the mood for a more modern workout, the estate offers plenty of other opportunities for fitness and wellness. There are pools and steam rooms for warm-up or cool-down; state-of-the-art exercise equipment from TechnoGym; and personal trainers and group classes in yoga, Pilates and more. It’s the perfect way to refresh and revitalize during your vacation.

Those who want to stay in shape with exercise equipment or fitness classes while in Tuscany will love the Fitness Center. With stunning vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls, it comprises the latest in wellness equipment including a TechnoGym facility, elliptical trainers, Pilates machines and free weights. Outdoor yoga classes on the hills, fitness classes and personal trainers complete the menu so you can keep to your complete exercise routine during your stay.

Whether you want to swim, soak or splash, the pool terrace is a fun place to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful sights of Tuscany. The majestic heated pool is ideal for your morning laps or an afternoon dip, while nearby saunas and steam rooms are the perfect areas to warm up or cool down when you’ve scheduled a workout. The terrace is equally suited for the delightful sport of pure relaxation – a wonderful place to gather with friends and family or curl up with a book under the Tuscan sun. There's snacks, too!

Go horseback riding through the olive groves or hiking among the grapes. Since it's harvest time, you can help the estate in picking either olives or grapes, though that might sound like work. There are a half dozen villages in easy distance of a bike ride or a long walk: great for exploring, shopping, and eating at local restaurants.

If you're not comfortable with the idea of vacation without learning something, Castello di Casole has you covered. Whether its modabble individual instruction in your room or a group class around the estate, you can spend your vacation learning to cook, make ceramics, or speak Italian! Today's group class: cooking! Using the finest local ingredients, including fruits and vegetables from gardens on the estate, our Italian master chefs will help you learn to cook fresh pasta, delicious bread, tiramisu, and the rest of your favorite Italian dishes. We’ll provide all of the materials and ingredients so you just need to arrive hungry to learn and ready to taste whatever you make. It’s the fun and convenient way to take authentic cooking classes in Italy.

Pisa is best known for the world famous Leaning Tower, but there's plenty of other things to see in the city, and not just the students attending the University (though single Italian people are not to be sneezed at either). The half hour walk from the train station runs through a pedestrian street with many interesting sights, shops, and restaurants. The best way to see Pisa is by walking the streets (but not in a streetwalking way, please), as the city center is very small. On the plus side, it's not nearly as hilly as Siena was yesterday. And there are way more hot Italian students.

The Piazza dei Miracoli--or Field of Miracles--is to the north of central Pisa and at the end of the pedestrian walkway from the train station so you don't have to embarrass yourself by asking directions through hand gestures of something leaning and asking "tower?" Though that works too, but expect pitying looks. The piazza is another UNESCO World Heritage site and contains the city's most famous sights, including the Leaning Tower.

The Leaning Tower's structure was originally conceived as the cathedral's bell tower. Construction began in 1173 and the tower started leaning soon afterwards due to the swampy ground underneath its base. A successful project to keep the tower from leaning more and tipping over was finished in 2001 and the tower is again open to those wishing to climb it. After you finish climbing it, make sure to take a picture of you and your idiot friends holding the tower up: it's practically required to leave Pisa. Strangely enough, the famous Pisa leaning tower is not the only one: due of the marshy land they are built on, there are two other leaning towers in Pisa: the Bell Tower of San Nicola Church, near the banks of Arno and the Bell Tower of San Michele of Scalzi Church. You'd think they'd stop building towers.

The cathedral contains artwork by Giambologna, Della Robbia, and other major artists. The cathedral's architecture is in the Romanesque style with double aisles and a cupola, a huge apse mosaic partly by Cimabue, and a fine pulpit by Giovanni Pisano in late Gothic / early Renaissance style.

A large round Romanesque dome with many sculptured decorations and a fine view up top; climb this if you want a great view with the Leaning Tower visible in your photos and your legs aren't ready to divorce you yet. At regular intervals, the ticket-checker-guard-guy at the entrance comes into the baptistery and shouts out few sounds: when echoed across the dome they sound like beautiful music. You don't want to miss it. You can also stand by the wall and sing long notes that turn into chords by yourself, as the echoes go round and round the dome of the building. Please don't yell curse words, Sparkle.

A huge cemetery building with lots of interesting art, including a collection of ancient Roman sarcophagi and splendid medieval frescoes. You're not tired of frescoes yet, are you? We're only on day two in Tuscany...

It probably shouldn't be its own OCD, but we've seen the students who have come to Italy. Have fun.

You can't come to Pisa without getting souvenirs with the Tower in it, and the kiosks around the piazza more than cover that need. There are keychains, snowglobes, postcards, bottle openers...if you look carefully, you might even be able to buy a Pope on a Rope. (Seriously.)

Move away from the piazza so you don't end up paying tourist prices for distinctly mediocre pizza. The food near the university is cheap and delicious, and the biscotti in Pisa isn't to be missed.

Tomorrow's field trip is to Lucca!

It looked like Topher was going to be learning how to make pasta today. And not even ramen noodles. Real pasta.

It wasn't a skill he thought he would ever need, but actually, it didn't suck once he got into it. It was methodical and kind of relaxing, even if the instructors' insistence that he rely on gut feelings rather than the exact language of the recipe was a little weird.

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Castello di Casole [Monday Daytime, October 14, 2013]

Rooms

Restaurants and Bar

Ristorante Tosca

Pazzia

Bar Visconti

Estate Activities

Essere Spa

Boutique

Fitness & Wellness

Fitness Center

Pool Terrace

Mod Your Own Adventure

Classes

Adventures Away From The Estate: Pisa

Piazza del Miracoli

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Duomo di Pisa

Battistero (Baptistry)

Campo Santo Monumentale (Monumental Cemetary)

Hitting On Italian College Students

Shopping & Eating

Shopping

Eating

OOC

Re: Classes