Word: mcvey
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Dates: during 2000-2000
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When Ruth McVey first traveled to Montisi in 1975 while on a break from teaching at the University of London, she never expected she would end up farming there. She was so delighted by the tiny Tuscan town that she just hoped "to have a nice house and a little garden" once she retired. But the two-story farmhouse she bought came with quite a bit of land. So now, at 70, she produces olive oil, tends a tiny orchard and keeps some sheep and goats...
...McVey's paradise is not the only Tuscan town that would appeal to retirees. Montepulciano is a terrific place to get away from it all without ending up in the middle of nowhere. Best known for its vino nobile, the town is perched on a hill just two hours from Rome. At Cantuccio's, for example, one can order a meal of local pasta (pici) with garlic or ragu, rabbit, vin santo and dessert--all for $20. There are more than 100 vineyards in the area; some, such as the Castello Banfi, are worth a visit just for the view...
...When McVey first settled in her village, most of her neighbors were "very authentic" elderly Tuscan peasants. Now her neighbors include people from New York City, Berlin and London (some have dubbed parts of the region "Chiantishire"). While the area "has lost a lot of its indigenous Tuscan character," McVey says, she is pleased that the newcomers have turned out to be "a very interesting group...
...what's not to like? "Bad bureaucracy," says McVey. If you need to deal with building permits, driver's licenses, tax paying, there's always a long line and a second visit. "If you come here with an American attitude that you have to stick to the rules," says McVey, "you're probably going to have a nervous breakdown." A changed attitude, it seems, may not be a bad trade-off for peace, art and great pasta...