Contacting Francis Mayes (April – May 2010)
After finding the url for Frances Mayes’ website “Roses and Apples the Official website and blog of …” I had some questions about some items in here book “Every Day in Tuscany”. The site claimed she answers all emails. So I wrote:
Please let Ms. Mayes know that both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed her latest book, “Everyday in Tuscany”. We never get tired of her prose—beautiful and always elegant.
Because of authors like her, and primarily her, we are planning a visit to Tuscany & Umbria in June. My wife and I were so amazed by the uncanny inclusion of specific places and sights that Ms. Mayes writes about, that we are going to visit. We loved her accounts of her grandson, and his enrichment through Italian daily life. Plus, I was very interested in her Signorelli trail—an artist who also fascinates me.
I had a question about Fonterutoli (one of our hoped for side visits), which she said was Montalcino, but we find in Chianti—?
We will be in Cortona (June 18) and are especially anxious to find the shops, etc. mentioned. If we walk the Localita Torreone, we will be sure to stop and say wonderful, truthful things about the Mayes’s under their windows. Wish we could be there in August for the Sun Festival—I am a musician. Kudos to the Mayes’s for bringing the festival to life.
Please, thank her for sharing all their adventures with us all. Sorry there was some trouble, over the past 20 years.
David and Marianne Jones
Because of authors like her, and primarily her, we are planning a visit to Tuscany & Umbria in June. My wife and I were so amazed by the uncanny inclusion of specific places and sights that Ms. Mayes writes about, that we are going to visit. We loved her accounts of her grandson, and his enrichment through Italian daily life. Plus, I was very interested in her Signorelli trail—an artist who also fascinates me.
I had a question about Fonterutoli (one of our hoped for side visits), which she said was Montalcino, but we find in Chianti—?
We will be in Cortona (June 18) and are especially anxious to find the shops, etc. mentioned. If we walk the Localita Torreone, we will be sure to stop and say wonderful, truthful things about the Mayes’s under their windows. Wish we could be there in August for the Sun Festival—I am a musician. Kudos to the Mayes’s for bringing the festival to life.
Please, thank her for sharing all their adventures with us all. Sorry there was some trouble, over the past 20 years.
David and Marianne Jones
P.S.: I just saw the pr about the cruise Ms. Mayes will be a guest lecturer. It looks incredible. We had looked at the same route two years ago before we decided on our upcoming trip.
I checked the website a couple of times, and sort of half way thought she would respond via email. But no—we left for Italy without her ‘words’ of wisdom. She did however, respond:
- francesmayes says:
Ciao David, Fonterutoli is near Montalcino, still not far from the Chianti area. Check the Festival website for this year’s program. There’s one big surprise:
Sting! Playing Schumann. Best, Frances
I didn’t find this post until June of 2011. I was very surprised to even come across it when a decided to re-visit Mayes website. Allora. By the way, we passed through Fonterutoli on the way from Siena to Castellina in Chianti—not Montalcino.
YouTube--Climbing Brunellescheli’s Dome (May 2010)
About a week before we were set to get on the plane, I found a video of someone climbing the Duomo dome in Firenze. I had been very anxious about it after seeing pictures of the cramped interior steps. Phil Doran didn’t really say anything about it being a overwhelming challenge, and of course, Amy Roloff never return my email.
The man, 64, who had filmed his ascent, seemed very winded in the video, but it looked do-able for 54 year old me. He replied:
Thank you for your interest. I was 63 when I climbed the dome. I'm in reasonably good health, but was not terribly fit at the time. I got short of breath towards the top because I was under time constraints and had to get back to the hotel for an appointment. Don't worry about it being too confined. If you are deathly afraid of heights and exposure, that might be another thing.
There is a wealth of things to do in Florence. We have been a few times and still find new things to do. In fact we will also be in Florence later this month. Buy the book by Rick Steves and do what catches your fancy. One important recommendation: If you want to go to the Uffizi Gallery (the major art gallery in the city) buy your tickets before you leave online at the gallery website. That way you take the voucher they send you to a little office across the square from one of the longest lines you will ever see. You will then walk into the museum pretty much right away and save hours. (This is especially true at high season such as you will be going.) The same is true of the Academia where the original David is. The Bargello Museum is also excellent. Similarly, the Museum of the Duomo contains some wonderful things. The Duomo itself is rather plain inside. Do not miss however the church of Santa Croce and the church of Santa Maria Novella.
The Masaccio Frescos in the Brancacci Chapel of the Santa Maria Carmine church (on the other side of the river) are magnificent. I recall that a reservation is required.
Let me recommend my favorite restaurant: Quatro Leoni. It is on the other side of the river but an easy walk. The food is superb and the price is reasonable. It's a place where Anthony Hopkins ate every night when he was filming Hannibal. You might try the combination of deep fried rabbit, chicken, and vegetables. I forget what they called it. There is also a pasta dish containing pear and pecorino cheese. Do not miss that. In Italy, the house wine is always excellent and sometimes costs less than water.
It was not until our second or third visit that we went inside the old city hall (on the Plaza) or the Pitti Palace. One can over-program oneself. Take some time to sit outdoors with a glass of wine and some cheese and watch the crowd go by.
Enjoy Italy. Peter
There is a wealth of things to do in Florence. We have been a few times and still find new things to do. In fact we will also be in Florence later this month. Buy the book by Rick Steves and do what catches your fancy. One important recommendation: If you want to go to the Uffizi Gallery (the major art gallery in the city) buy your tickets before you leave online at the gallery website. That way you take the voucher they send you to a little office across the square from one of the longest lines you will ever see. You will then walk into the museum pretty much right away and save hours. (This is especially true at high season such as you will be going.) The same is true of the Academia where the original David is. The Bargello Museum is also excellent. Similarly, the Museum of the Duomo contains some wonderful things. The Duomo itself is rather plain inside. Do not miss however the church of Santa Croce and the church of Santa Maria Novella.
The Masaccio Frescos in the Brancacci Chapel of the Santa Maria Carmine church (on the other side of the river) are magnificent. I recall that a reservation is required.
Let me recommend my favorite restaurant: Quatro Leoni. It is on the other side of the river but an easy walk. The food is superb and the price is reasonable. It's a place where Anthony Hopkins ate every night when he was filming Hannibal. You might try the combination of deep fried rabbit, chicken, and vegetables. I forget what they called it. There is also a pasta dish containing pear and pecorino cheese. Do not miss that. In Italy, the house wine is always excellent and sometimes costs less than water.
It was not until our second or third visit that we went inside the old city hall (on the Plaza) or the Pitti Palace. One can over-program oneself. Take some time to sit outdoors with a glass of wine and some cheese and watch the crowd go by.
Enjoy Italy. Peter
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