Under the Tuscan Sun

July 24th found me landing in Pisa, Italy at 11:30 in the evening. I didn't have a hotel room booked as i thought i would just sleep in the airport for a few hours, but it was so small that i got information to find me a room. 10 minutes later and i was sound asleep! Was up early, had breakfast and headed off to see the leaning tower before i had to catch the train to Florence and meet Diana. You can now go up in the tower, so i bought my ticket and headed up. So amazing to be inside this tower that started it's origins in the 1100's and wasn't actually finished til the 1600's. Nobody seems to know why it took so long. It's all made of white marble and the steps are worn on either side, depending on witch way the tower is leaning when you walk around it.

I met Diana at our B&B in Florence, we had a quite dinner and headed to bed. In the morning we got a taxi to the airport to pick up our rental car. I got the lady to set the airport as Home on my GPS and when we got into the car and turned it on, Tommy had become Tina. Somewhere between Ireland and Italy my GPS had a sex change!!! It took me an hour to find my way out of the airport and onto the autostrada, after passing Ikea 3 times i made it! It was very nerve racking with all these cars coming at you-4 lanes wide and no lines. Yikes!!! Diana had lost all faith in Tina by this time. I was terrified that this was how the whole driving trip would be. But it got easier as the days went by. Our first stop was Arezzo, on our way to our first agriturismo, Il Rigo

Il Rigo

Il Rigo has been in the same family since the 1600's and i think it was built in the 1400's as a hospital. 10 years ago, the owners traded cattle for humans and opened as a working farm for guests. The wife is a chef and gives cooking lessons, they own another farm and a restaurant in another village. At last count, there are 25 cats and 2 dogs.

Cheese in Pienza

Back at Il Rigo, watching the storm







lunch somewhere



Room with a view




Diana and i take cooking lessons

Rabbit!

The day we went to Sienna was probably the hottest! 41 degrees! We really didn't do much here because of the heat except eat lunch in an air conditioned restaurant and see the Domo. They say it rivals the one in Florence and i think they are right. All this black and white marble, it was every where. You couldn't use a flash inside so the pics aren't that great. But you get the idea. Next stop-Radda in Chianti and our second agrituismo called Podre Terreno

outside the Domo

Il Campo-famous for pony racing

Having a coffee in Volpaia

Gina and the baby

One town i had to go to in Chianti was Volterra, it is know for it's alabaster mines. Diana didn't want to go, it was going to be a quick in and out then on to a different town. Well, we both fell in love with it and stayed the day. Yes, i bought a beautiful alabaster bowl. We also visited a Palazo, with an original family decendent still living there.

Alabaster work studio






Back at Podre Terreno





Dinner with the family and guests




Olive oil and wine tour in Volpaia












Private wine tasting

We didn't discover this little lake til our last day at Podre Terreno. We spent an hour there swimming and laying on the dock. What bliss!

Our trip is almost over, we head back to Florence where we spent two nights in a B&B. Touring the leather markets, eating and seeing the statue of David. It is a thriving, busy city and the food amazing. We also toured the gardens of the Pedi Palace, which had a porcelin museum with some very unusual works of art made from shells and precious metals and stones.

a little tired

So that's it! It was an incredible trip, action packed and one i will never forget. I bought wine in Volpaia in Chianti, leather in Montepulciano, alabaster in Volterra and leather shoes in Florence! Plus a few other things!

Thanks Diana for making this such a wonderful trip and for being an excellent travel companion



THE END