The Mad Butcher of Panzano

Images: PJ in Tuscan field, San Gimignano, Beefheart, SM w Air Friends, PJ with the Mad Butcher, SL and K w the Mad Butcher.

Lubertadventure it truly is! Today we go to San Gimignano, and end up at Darrio Cecchia's Macceleria, an ancient butcher shop that has been in his family for centuries.

First SM and I are off for a walk during a brief respite from the rain that has conspired, without ANY success, to dampen our spirits or enjoyment of our adventure. We leave the farmhouse and walk randomly, but not blindly, for we cannot deny our eyesight the feast we are about to see. The Tuscan landscape is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. I know that I have said that before about guitar stores, but to drink in the hills of Tuscany is one of the sweetest tastes we have shared. SM insisted that I be captured in the foreground of one of the scenes we took in together on our morning walk.

After collecting SL and K, we are off to spend an evening at Darrio Cecchia's Officina Bistecca for a vegans' nightmare, but first - San Gimignano. This is one of the most beautiful cities in Tuscany. As a symbol of its status and power, during the 14th century, the city boasted 72 towers, of which 13 still stand today. We sampled our first gelatos in SG, which has prompted SM to develop the SMOG scale - Sweet Melissa's Opinion of Gelato. She has given SG's gelato a 9. She refuses to divulge the scope of the scale, as it's her first Italian gelato, and freely admits that it is a bit of an inexact science at present.
At this point we do not feel qualified to comment on the adventure that was, and continues to be, driving in Italy. We don't feel qualified for the same reason that SM feels her SMOG scale is as of yet unrefined, pending further research. We can definitively say that driving in Italy has nothing to do with directional signs, speed limits, maps and/or the commandments of driving etiquette handed down to North American culture by H. Ford lo those many years ago.

Panzano - The Mad Butcher of Panzano - The Officiana Bistecca.

If you limit your red meat intake you may wish to read no further. If you are a vegetarian, please skip to the next entry in the blog. If you are a vegan, turn off the computer, and run. Run hard, and run far.

SM, K, SL and I arrived at the restaurant at 8pm where we were greeted as old friends by the staff and sat next to a oversized brazier that looked down upon the carnage of a cow. I am not sure, but it may not have been only one cow. The meal included faggiolli in olio (beans in olive oil), fresh vegetables which were to be dipped in a mixture of olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and spices which was delicious. But, the star of the show was Carne - Meat.

First up, raw minced beef. I remember there was a time around the mad cow issue when restaurants were refusing to serve hamburgers any less than well done. What was served us was raw and it was delicious. Next came the same ground beef, ostensibily cooked, but we suspected it had just been threatened by a candle. Next came ribeye steak, then T-bone (Biftecca Fiorentini) , then sirloin, then filet.

This was accompanied by huge flagons of Chianti (of which someone in our party spilled) and a passing nod to potatoes and other veggies. At the end of the night, the whole restaurant rose to sing happy 80th birthday to K. Then we all enjoyed what are known as Italian Military Liqueurs prompting K to remind her Italian hosts once more, "It's no wonder you lost the bloody war".

I am not making this next part up.

SM, who had flown over on a flight from Paris to Rome (300 KM away from where we were dining), recognized and reconnected with the 2 women that had been her seat mates on the flight over. They came down and introduced themselves to SL and me and to the question, "Does this girl deserve the adoration I have for her?", they responded, "Absolutely, she's a treasure". (But I already knew that!)

Fast forward to the next morning. No. Go to one of those vaselined-lensed, slow-motion, special effects, hallucinogenic, kaleidoscopic shots (Scott - you know what I mean!) to the next morning. We all awoke feeling as one might expect a person to feel after eating enough red meat to congest the arteries of a T-Rex. We do not fault Darrio for the decline of the dinosaurs, but had he been around, the Raptor (arguably the brightest of a dim lot) would have had to invent Alka Seltzer. Also - remember the Italian Military Liquers??

Although we all felt a bit dusty, we all agreed it was well worth it, and that it was a night we would never forget. We then spent two hours navigating Tuscan directions to our farm house 30 KM away.

Tomorrow...Firenze! (and the statue of David's penis)