Radda in Chianti, Tuscany

Tuscany is my favourite part of Italy so far, especially the UNESCO listed site of Val d'Orcia described in my previous post. But the more famous region of Chianti certainly lives up to its reputation too, and a trip to Tuscany should not be a quick drive through this beautiful countryside.

There are a couple of villages/towns worth stopping in in Chianti, with Greve in Chianti probably the most famous as its considered the "gateway" to the Chianti region from Florence. Others include Gaiole in Chianti and Radda in Chianti etc, and the latter was where I decided to spend more time in.

Tourist Information Centre in Radda in Chianti

Views from Radda in Chianti

All these villages are small, and so is Radda in Chianti. You can probably finish walking the streets of Radda in like 15 minutes! So "stopping" in the villages of Chianti for a night or two usually means staying in one of the many bed & breakfasts, farmhouses, vineyards etc scattered around these villages. Of course, from Radda in Chianti itself, being perched on a hill, you can get fantastic views of the countryside, and the ambience of the whole place is really laidback. I stayed in Fattoria Poggerino, a family-run vineyard cum B&B some 2km from Radda. Set in their traditional stone house handed down from their ancestors, the setting is fabulous. Even right from the house, I could get beautiful sunrises and sunsets. And all the while sipping their Chianti Classico. What an enjoyment!

My B&B house!

You can rent a scooter to tour the countryside

I'm sure the various accommodations around Chianti all offer equally enchanting experiences. The point is that one can, and should be enjoying the sights of Chianti/Tuscany by basing oneself in one of these homey establishments and then taking excursions out. Of course, all these is best done with a car, though those intending to do wine tasting tours have to manage it properly, For solo travelers, another option is renting a scooter like the Vespa. So you could take a bus from Florence to Radda in Chianti (or one of the other villages) and then rent a scooter to tour around. Do note that bus schedules are quite limited though.

For wine enthusiasts, landscape photographers, B&B/farmstay lovers, and generally anyone who just loves the countryside, check out Chianti and Tuscany!

Chianti wine country

View of Radda in Chianti from Fattoria Poggerino

Under the Tuscan Moon - Dawn view from Fattoria Poggerino

Republic of Artsakh

The Republic of Artsakh, or officially Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, is one of the more interesting "countries" that I've visited. Landlocked between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is a de-facto independent state that is currently unrecognized by the United Nations and most of the world.

As a "oblast" (something like province) in Azerbaijan during the Soviet Union era, it came under dispute after the Soviet Union's collapse with both Armenia and Azerbaijan laying claims on it (majority of the people in the region are ethnic Armenians). It declared its own independence in 1991 (with support from Armenia) resulting in the Nagorno-Karabakh War from 1991 to 1994. While the war had ended, the status of Nagorno-Karabakh remained unresolved, even till today.

When I visited in 2011, they are celebrating their 20th year of independence

The only way to visit Nagorno-Karabakh is through Armenia, on a land-border crossing. In fact, a visa is needed as well. Interestingly, this visa can be gotten in the capital Stepanakert itself which means that somehow, you have to get into the country first to get the visa....! Apparently, at the border crossing, you will be issued some papers, and the visa collected in Stepanakert, and all these to be checked upon exit of the country. However, it is better to get the visa in Yerevan, which is what I did. It is rather painless and takes just 1 working day. Because of the sensitive issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding Artsakh, visitors who intend to visit Azerbaijan in the future may not want the visa affixed in the passport. Travelers will be denied entry when entering Azerbaijan if immigration officals find a Nagorno-Karabakh visa in their passport!

My visa

The typical attractions in Nagorno-Karabakh, like Armenia, centers around its churches and monasteries. I visited Ghazanchetsots Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Christ the Holy Savio in Shushi, as well Gandzasar Monastery in Vank, which is an attraction in itself. However, what left the deepest impression was the people I met. Those that I spoke to who could speak English were friendly, and what struck me was that all of them seemed especially proud of their country, with sentences comprising of my country this, and my country that. In fact, when I was browsing in a cake/pastry shop, the owner asked me what I liked and I pointed to a cake. As probably one of her rare foreign customers, we had simple conversation and at the end, the cake was offered to me free with a farewell, "I hope you like my country."!

Stepanakert

Local market

Cathedral of Christ the Holy Savio in Shushi

Of course, no visit to Nagorno-Karabakh is complete without visiting their "We are Our Mountains" monument, which is something of a national symbol. Known locally as Tatik-Papik (translated as Grandma and Grandpa), it is also found in their coat-of-arms, as well as the visa that you receive, which makes for a great souvenir!

Tatik-Papik monument

If you like off-the-beaten-path destinations, how about visiting this unrecognized country! 

Medieval Maramureş

I've always enjoyed the stories set in medieval times, and wondered about the life in those times. When I read about this land in northern Romania that had still retain much of its medieval past, I decided to make the trip there to see for myself.


Set between Ukraine to the north and mountain ranges separating Transylvania to the south, Maramureş have remained largely untouched by rapid modernisation. Here, horse-drawn carts outnumber cars, and the houses in the villages are still fronted by traditional wooden gates as they did hundreds of years ago. The fields are still worked on, as are the plum and apple trees in every household, distilling their own ţuică (fruit brandy) for the family (and guests of course). Indeed, Romanians themselves equate Maramureş to rural Romania.



While the rolling hills and pretty pasture lands do draw visitors, it is the heart-felt hospitality of the people in Maramureş that will surely leave the deepest memory for travellers. The highlight of my visit is indeed the home stays I had in the villages, savouring the home-made meals and enjoying their traditional music. There are not many places in the world where I could say that the dishes before me are completely home grown and produced, from the cabbages to the cheeses, and from the hams, right down to their intoxicating ţuică.





Not only have I seen medieval Romania, I have experienced it.