On Friday morning we took our last group walk through the city and over the Arno to see a few remaining sights. A highlight was lovely Santo Spirito Church with it's incredible wooden cruifix attributed to Michelangelo. Scholars believe this was the "thank you" gift the 17-year old carved and gave to the monks there for allowing him to study the corpses in their morgue to understand the human body which he so wonderfully sculpted throughout his lifetime of 80 plus years. In the photos today you'll see our "goodbye dinner" in the courtyard and some interesting night shots of this beautiful city. On Saturday morning at 4:30 a.m. we said "Ciao" to nine travelers and two more at 7:45 as they taxied off to the airport and flights back home. Two more left in the afternoon and Patrizia leaves on Sunday. What a wonderful month it has been in "my city" - Florence! I'll be back for sure and perhaps you will come along! No more for now . . . Ciao!
"Un Chianti Pomeriggo" A Chianti Afternoon - Oct. 13
We had our own mini-bus and driver to take us on an afternoon jaunt through the Chianti countryside. Our first stop was at the WWII American Cemetery where we paid respects to the over 4,000 soldiers buried there. The setting is beautiful with the typical Tuscan landscape and the well-maintained cemetery. Following that visit we stopped in the little town of Greve - the "capital of Chianti" - to have lunch and browse in the shops. Back aboard our bus, we climbed the hills to Castello Verrazzano which is perfectly set among vineyards, olive groves and winding roads lined with the lovely "flame cyprus" and "umbrella pine" trees. Our guide, Marcello, showed us around the grounds of the estate and into the wine cellars. They also produce olive oil and balsamic vinegar here. This is the birthplace of Giovanni Verrazzano who first discovered the mouth of the Cape Fear River (at Southport) in 1524 so many of us felt a real connection! The wine tasting was fun on the lovely terrace with perfect weather. The weather has been great for the entire month - unusally warm with only one or two rain showers. You will see how lovely the Chianti area is in our photos today. More later . . . Ciao!
"Villaggi in Riva al Mare" Villages by the Sea - Oct. 12
Nine of us traveled by train the Cinque Terre today and five stayed behind in Florence. We enjoyed a beautiful day along the Ligurian Sea's coastline as we visited the villages clinging to the cliffs. Words and even photographs do not convey the special feeling of actually being in the Cinque Terre! Seeing the everyday life of the people who live there as they deal with the thousands of tourists who now want to see their special corner of the world is a unique experience. Due to time constraints and delayed trains we were only able to visit three of the famed five villages but it was a real treat nevertheless. We had about an hour to kill at the train station in La Spezia before our trip home so some of us took a little walk around the city. The only discomfort was the loud and bumpy ride back to Florence in the evening on a train that needs to go to its last station! Enjoy our photos and think about seeing this place for yourself someday! More later . . . Ciao!
"Una Giornata di Riposo" A Day for Rest - Oct. 11
Everyone is taking a deep breath today with some time to rest and go out and about on our own. So there's little to tell about individual activities, except for mine. I have been wanting to go to Montecatini Terme to scout out the possiblity of taking others there while we are in Tuscany, so today was the day. I reached the town after an hour's train ride south toward Lucca. In the early 20th century this was the place for "taking the waters" in Europe. The thermal baths and spas were very popular and grand hotels were built to accommodate the visitors. There are still a few in operation but most have seen their better days. However the town is very beautiful with nice trees, parks and cafes. The old Middle Ages town of Montecatini Alto is reached by a funicular (cable car) that climbs to the hilltop (thank goodness!). The old town is very quiet and serene with beautiful views of the newer town below. Take a look at Montecatini - maybe you could try a spa there someday. More later . . . Ciao!
"La Nostra Giornata Cortona" Our Day in Cortona - Oct. 10
What an absolutely lovely day we had in beautiful Cortona. We were truly "Under the Tuscan Sun" with a nice breeze and no crowd! Everyone always enjoys this day trip by train to the place made famous by Frances Mayes' book and the movie. We had a delightful lunch, did some sightseeing and shopping and ended the visit with gelato - what more could you want! Enjoy our photos of this perfect Tuscan day. More later . . . Ciao!
"Domenica a Firenza" Sunday in Florence - Oct. 9
A leisurely Sunday morning was followed by an afternoon visit to the Accademia to see Micheleangelo's masterpiece - The David. Regretfully, photos were not allowed but he was truly magnificient for a 500-year old fellow! (I added a photo from the internet). Afterwards we ambled around the center of Florence and were surprised to encounter a religious parade of priests and followers carrying an icon through the streets and burning incense with chanting and a small band of musical instruments. It was very interesting, but we did not understand the significance - just part of our sensory experience in Italy! We were also happily surprised to find a nice wine tasting event going on in Piazza Republica - buy a wine glass for 5 eruos and you could taste the various Chianti wines from growers in that region. Just being out and about in Florence is a wonderful experience any day of the week! More later . . . Ciao!
"Bellissimo Venicia" Beautiful Venice - Oct. 8
Venice certainly hits you with the "wow" punch - especially if it's your first time there as was the case with most of our group. A smooth 2-hour train ride got us there in time for lunch then we spend the entire afternoon wandering through the maze of streets and alleys making our way on foot back to the train station.
Our initial vaporetto ride on the "water bus" down the grand canal made a stop at each floating dock so we had plenty of time to take photos and take in the awesome palaces and churches on both sides. Enjoy our day in the island city as you look at some of the scenery we took in on Saturday. More later . . . Ciao!
Our initial vaporetto ride on the "water bus" down the grand canal made a stop at each floating dock so we had plenty of time to take photos and take in the awesome palaces and churches on both sides. Enjoy our day in the island city as you look at some of the scenery we took in on Saturday. More later . . . Ciao!
"Il Profumo e il Palazzo" The Perfumery and the Palace - Oct. 7
Half of our group took a day off to recover from the long Tuscany tour yesterday and to rest up for Venice tomorrow. The rest of us weathered the rain shower to go to the Santa Maria Novella Perfumery which started as an herbal labratory with the Dominican monks of the church in the 1200's. The products from their pharmacy become so well known that by the 1600's they were selling them to the public. The pharmacy/perfumery is still operating today and we had a nice visit there to see both the old chapel and the products sold now by a private company. Afterwards we enjoyed a visit to the Medici-Ricardi Palace built in 1444 and lived in by the Medici family for over 100 years. It is now owned by the city and used for offices as well as a museum. The highlight of the visit is the private chapel with its amazing fresco painting of the Procession of the Magi. Even though we could not take photos in the chapel, I have included one found on the internet. We got to know Florence a little better today as visited these lovely buildings. More later . . .Ciao!
"Il Meglio della Toscana" The Best of Tuscany - Oct. 6
Get ready for lots of photos today as we take you with us on our Best of Tuscany tour. We boarded the motorcoach at 8:30 this morning and returned at 8:30 in the evening. It was a memorable 12 hours as we took in the beautiful Tuscan countryside, Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa. We especially enjoyed the lunch at the wine estate and organic farm. We tasted four of the wines produced there along with some bruschetta, pasta, salad, salami, cheese and cantuccini cookies. The weather was beautiful and we had a great guide, Barbara. Each stop was a highlight as we got a good taste of life in Tuscany from several different perspectives. Settle in and enjoy the trip with us. More later . . . Ciao!
"Casa Visitari" Home Visits - October 5
We started and ended our walks around Florence today by visiting the homes of the Middle Ages Palazzo Davanzati and the apartment of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The Davanzati house was built in the 1300's and is a wonderful museum of the lifestyle of a noble family from that period. The furnishings and wall decorations were very lovely - sorry we couldn't take photos inside, but there is one "borrowed" from the internet. We walked through Dante's neighborhood, heard nuns and monks sing at the Badia and visited the Santa Croce Leather School. Later in the afternoon some of us crossed over the river to visit the former residence of the Brownings - Casa Guidi - which can actually be rented for a stay - three bedrooms with baths, kitchen, living room and dining room. They lived in Florence for 14 years and Elizabeth died here in 1861. Another interesting day in Firenze! More later . . .Ciao!
"Il Treno a Lucca" The Train to Lucca - Oct. 4
Our Tuscan adventure took us away by train this afternoon to lovely Lucca. After an hour and a half we stepped inside the fortified walls of the city and into a place quite different from Florence. Wandering from sight to sight we all enjoyed our free time here. Lucca has a beautiful walking and bicycling trail along the tree-lined upper part of the walls. Some of us took time to stroll there while other checked out shops and sidewalk cafes. A couple of folks were spotted eating gelato too! This city has a quiet sophistication that makes it seem a world apart from Florence and other places full of tourists (us!) this time of the year. Napoleon took a liking to this Italian jewel and gave it to his sister as a gift! The train ride was our initiation into the nuiances of Tuscan train travel. It was a good beginning to several more train rides coming up in the next week or so. We were happy to hear "Firenze - Santa Maria Novella" as we pulled back into our home station after a very pleasant day. More later . . . Ciao!
"In La Cucina" In the Kitchen - Oct. 3 - Part 2
A great evening of cooking and eating was started with a walk from the residence over the Arno to the In Tavola Cooking School. We prepared four courses for our "eat-your-own-cooking" meal. The menu consisted of an eggplant appetiser, gnocchi with fresh tomato and basil sauce, "farmer's chicken" with onions and red peppers and topped off with tiramisu - the "dolce fini" (sweet finish). You will see from the photos what a great time we all had and the cooking expertise has now reached a new level! Enjoy - sorry you didn't get to taste - maybe next year, huh? More later . . .Ciao!
"Firenze e Fiesole" Florence and Fiesole - Oct. 3 - Part 1
Today was packed full of sightseeing and our cooking class so the posting will be in two parts to accommodate all the photographs. We started our morning with a tour of Mercarto Centrale, the central food market of Florence just two blocks from the residence. We marveled at all the fresh meats, fish, cheese and produce offered there. After that orientation we boarded the HO-HO (hop-on/ho-off) bus again for another tour around Florence and up to beautiful Fiesole in the hills above the city. Fiesole goes way back to the B.C. times and was an Etruscan village. Conquered by the Romans (who wasn't?) who had just established their colony of Florintino on the Arno River (59b.c.), and destoyed several times, it became the place of choice for Florentines to have "country homes" and was especially popular with the British and other Europeans in the 1800's. Enjoy your tour with us and stay tuned for today's part 2! More later . . .Ciao!
"La Vista de Firenza" The View of Florence - Oct. 2
Our morning orientation walk retraced our path to the Duomo and then we moved ahead to the Arno River. At Piazza Vecchio we saw a large group of band members and dignitaries at a ceremony - don't know what the celebration was about - it was all "Italian" to us! We went onto the old bridge and then made our way back toward our home street - Faenza. Had a bite to eat at Leonardo's cafeteria and a brief resting time before we hopped onto the HO-HO bus. Some of us enjoyed the views from the top deck and some stayed below. We stayed on board for the entire narrated 1-hour tour and then everyone was on their own for the rest of the evening to enjoy more riding, Tuscan dining and resting up for tomorrow's adventures. See you then! More later . . .Ciao!
"Benvenuti Gruppo Due"! Welcome Group Two! - Oct. 1
Very happy to report the safe arrival of all 13 travelers in this group who arrived today! Every piece of luggage also arrived with them too! After getting settled into the apartments and a little resting time, we took our first short orientation walk and ended up at Nerone's for a good Italian dinner. Of course, we had to amble across the street to Tullio's gelato shop for dessert. Then it was time to call it a day after all those long flights from the USA. Denny and Lois were our last arrivals around midnight and it was good to have everyone "in the house". Stay tuned for more of our adventures on this two-week tour! More later . . .Ciao!
"Viaggio a Bologna" Trip to Bologna - Sept. 30
There were early morning departures for the group today as they made their ways back to the USA - and a good time was had by all! For the last couple of years I have been wanting to go check out Bologna, so today was the day. Just a half hour away by train and I was there. What an interesting and different city. It seems that all of the downtown historic center is one big shopping and eating center! There a colonades along all the wide marble sidewalks which makes for great window shopping as there are no cycles or cars to dodge. Very fashionalble shops as well as the weekend flea market and craft show make it a great place to shed a few euros! The main square was vast with lots of outdoor cafes and many unusual people roaming around. It was a great experience and now I know what Bologna's all about. I was at the station in plenty of time for my train back to Florence at 8 o'clock. Tomorrow is another exciting day as all my new travelers will be arriving! More later . . .Ciao!
"La Ultima Giornata" The Last Day - Sept. 29
We began our last day with a visit just across the street from La Contessina to see the 15th century Fulgino fresco of the last supper on the wall of former convent. No photos were allowed inside, but I found one on the internet to include. Since we had not been into the Duomo yet, we made a stop there and continued on to Oltrarno (that's the name for the other side of the river). Our walk around that area took us to the San Spirito piazza and after that we were free for the afternoon. A final gathering in the courtyard was fun as we recounted our adventures these last two weeks and talked about the upcoming early morning air flights on Friday. Bob and Joy from Greensboro were back in Florence and joined us. Dinner was once again "delizioso" at Nerone's and them some of us ended the evening at Gilli's and a nice evening walk back home. Wake up calls were set and the 4:30 a.m. taxis were booked for Friday morning as we all said our goodbyes and "arrividerci Firenze"! That's it for this group, but others arrvive on Saturday! More later . . .Ciao!
"Vino in Collini di Chianti" Wine in the Hills of Chianti - Sept. 28
There are many photos today as we visited two wonderful places - the World War II American Cemetery and the Verrazzano wine estate. Over 4000 American soldiers are buried in a lovely setting along the Greve River just eight miles outside Florence. The peaceful surroundings and many white crosses made this stop on our afternoon journey a heartfelt one. After a quick snack of a local cake with fresh grapes we continued to the Castello Verrazzano winery. This is the ancestrial home of Giovanni Verrazzao who is the same Italian explorer who first sailed into the mouth of the Cape Fear River at Southport in 1524. His discoveries along the East coast also included what is now known as Hudson Bay in New York and a major bridge in NYC has his name. It was interesting to have this connections since we have Carolinians and New Yorkers in this group. It was a beautiful setting and we had a great time tasting some of the wines produced there. From the winery we traveled on a few miles to the little town of Greve which is considered the heart of the Chianti area. You will see from the pictures what a good time was had by all on our Wednesday adventure. Enjoy! More later . . .Ciao!
"Sotto il Sole della Toscana" Under the Tuscan Sun - Sept. 27
I returned to La Contessina from my Venetian odyssey at 9:45 and at 11:15 we were on another train for our day in the hilltop town of Cortona. Of course, we Americans know it from the book and movie, Under the Tuscan Sun but for Italians it is one of their oldest Etruscan towns dating from 400 b.c. After the hour and a half train ride we caught the bus from Camucia up to Cortona winding around and around until we reached Piazza Garibaldi. The views of the valley below and Lake Trasimeno (think Hannibal -250 b.c.) were fantastic. A leisurely lunch and amble through the streets and shops afterwards made for a very pleasant afternoon in this delightful place. A visit to the Etruscan museum was enjoyed by some of us. Everyone always enjoys visiting Cortona and we can certainly see why Frances Mayes choose this place and Bramasole as her Italian home. More later . . .Ciao!
"Citta Flotante - Venezia" Floating City -Venice - Sept. 26
Seven of us took the 2-hour train ride to Venice today. Bill and Gloria shopped in Florence as they had already visited the "watery city". Don was made "train captian" to test his ability to get a group to and from Venice, and it was a good thing as you will see in part two of today's blog! Our vaporetta ride was a feast for the eyes as we took in the waterfront palaces from centuries gone by and the 21st century boat traffic. After a quick tour around St. Mark's Square we struck out on our own until time to meet at the Ferrovia (train station) again at 7 o'clock - well, "sorta kinda"! The "rest of the story" is in another posting. More later . . .Ciao!
"Ho Persa il Treno!" I Missed the Train - Sept. 26 Part 2
Well, the title gave it away! So here's the story . . . after our orientation to Venice I decided to try some island hopping by vaporetta knowing it might be a close call to get there and back in the time frame we had. But I gave it a try and enjoyed visiting Murano, Torcello and Burano. Murano is where all the famouns Venitian glass is manufactured, Burano is a quaint little village I have been to a couple of times before and Torcello was a new sight for me. Things were going well and I even got back to St. Mark's by 6:15 thinking I would have no problem getting to the train station in an hour. However, that was not to be. That boat went all over the lagoon and canal stopping at almost every dock, even down to where the cruise ships were docked before getting to the staion at 7:33! The train left at 7:27 - on the dot! Don had the ticket for the group, so of course they did the right thing and left for Florence. The next train for Florence did not leave until 3:00 a.m. so I was stuck in Venice for the night. I got a nearby hotel room, bought another ticket for the next morning's 7:11 train, called La Contessina to let them know I wouldn't be there until tomorrow. So making the best of the situation, I strolled around for awhile and had a nice outside cafe dinner by a canal. Well, that was a "first" for me and I'm so glad I had given the ticket to Cpt. Don and that my savvy travelers made it home alone! Everything worked out fine - God is good! And here are the photos from Patrizia's great Venetian adventure. . .
"Questo e Quella" This and That - Sept. 23,24,25
We took a couple of days to stay around Florence and do a little of this and that. Visting the Medici Palace first built in 1444 and remodled in the 1600's was very nice on Friday. Julie and Larry were here for the evening along with their villa friends just before going back to the USA on Saturday morning. The Langeraks and Sticklands made a train trip to Rome on Saturday and had a great time. Otherwise catching up on laundry, shopping and individual sightseeing kept everyone busy over the weekend. The group visited the Accademia on Sunday to see "David", but no photos were allowed. We also took a walk around the Duomo area along with thousands of other tourists. The weather is still suprisingly warm. All in all we just enjoyed being in our favorite Italian city. Venice and Cortona coming up on Monday and Tuesday so stay tuned! More later . . .Ciao!
"Una Molto Bella Giornata" A Very Beautiful Day - Sept. 22
Get ready! There are over 100 photos today because we enjoyed one of the many highlights of the tour when we spend the enitre day by the Ligurian Sea. We visited the Cinque (Five) Terre (Lands/villages). An early morning (7:30am) train took us to one of Italy's most popular spots along with thousands of other tourists! Our intention was to visit all five villages as we hopped the local train from one to the other, but we ran out of time and missed going on to Monterossa - oh well, another time. We arrived back in Florence about 10 pm. You will see from the photos what a beautiful day we had - not as many captions today - so just use your imagination and come along with us! Truly spectacular! More later . . .Ciao!
"Firenze Camminare" Florence Walk - Sept. 21
Our walkabout in Florence today started with a tour the Palazza Davanzati - a museum house built in the 1300's. Sorry we were not permitted to take photos there. We walked through Dante's neighborhood visiting the small church where he was married to Gemma and where his muse, Beatrice is buried. Then it was on to Piazza Santa Croce and a look at the leather school. The afternoon was free time and Patrizia cooked up a Tuscan zuppa (soup) and insalata (salad) supper for us to enjoy in the courtyard. A big day coming tomorrow as we journey to Cinque Terre. More later . . .Ciao!
Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa in a Day! Sept. 20
We enjoyed The Best of Tuscany bus tour today that took us on a 12-hour adventure. We began with a drive to Siena then a walking tour around the city. Next came our very interesting visit to the organic farm and vineyard where we had a lunch that was 95% grown on the property - grain for the pasta and bread, beef for the ragu sauce, tomatoes and other vegetables and the four wines served with our meal. The scenery from the wine farm was fantastic as we looked over toward the "tower town" of San Gimignano, our next stop. It was fun to shop, explore the streets and have world famous gelato (ice cream) there. Our final destination of the day was Pisa where of course we visited the leaning tower in the Field of Miracles. The church, baptistery and bell tower were beautiful in the setting sun. We had fun on the "choo choo" that took us to and from our motorcoach. It was a long, but rewarding day and there are lots of photos in today's journal - enjoy! More later . . .Ciao!
"Bellissimo Lucca" Lovely Lucca - Sept. 19
The trains were back in full service today so off to Lucca we sped this afternoon. The one and a half hour ride was smooth and relaxing. We walked through the famous walls of Lucca passing by the Guinici tower (which some of our folks later climbed to the rooftop garden) on our way to Piazza Anfiteatro. This grand plaza was built around the ancient Roman amphitheater walls during the middle ages. It is a wonderful place for people watching as you will see in the photos. The rain forced us into gelato and coffee shops for more indulgences - ha! But the skies cleared as we headed back to the train station for our trip back home. It was nice to be in lovely Lucca today! More later . . .Ciao!
"Cambio di Programma" Change of Plans - Sept. 18
Our original plan for today was a train trip to Lucca. However due to a 24-hour strike of railway workers, we will be going tomorrow instead. After a leisurely morning we took a walk-about in Florence beginning at Santa Maria Novella piazza. We visited the centuries-old pharmacy turned perfumery began by the monks of SMN selling their elixers, salves and other remedies. We passed through the Strozzi Palazo and on to Piazza Republica ending up at Leonardo's cafeteria for some lunch. The rest of the day was free for our own pursuits. Just a few photos today but there will be lots more later . . .Ciao!
"A Fiesole e in Citta" To Fiesole and Around the City - Sept 17
Today was our "Hop-On, Hop-Off" day as we took the double decker bus up into the hills of Fiesole and back to the city. Patrizia's friends Julie & Larry Taulbert from South Carolina stopped in for the day from the villa where they are staying in the countryside. We enjoyed the outdoor market in Fiesole and our walk up to the church on the hilltop. On the other side of Florence we hopped off at Pizzale Michelangelo for the wonderful views and a nice lunch on the terrace. Back into the city center we hopped on and off to see the sights and eat gelato! Everyone was exhausted by nightfall but it was a great day. More later . . .Ciao!
"In La Cucina" In the Kitchen - Sept. 16
Continuation of our orientation to Florence took us on a walk down to the Arno River at Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) also know as the "Gold Bridge". It is filled with gold and jewelry shops along its sides but we didn't boost the economy there - yet! Later in the afternoon we walked back - this time over the Santa Trinita bridge to our cooking class on the other side of the Arno. The photographs will show you what a good time we had with Silvio our chef for the class and the good food we both cooked and enjoyed at In Tavola Cooking School. A walk back home through the warm and beautiful night was very nice. More later...Ciao!
"Tutti Sono Qui" - All Are Here! - Sept. 15
Everyone arrived right on time in Florence today along with ALL their luggage! Our drivers delivered us to the La Contessina door by 2 p.m. After a little resting time we met in the courtyard for a short orientation before taking off for a short walk through the market and on to the Duomo. We opted for our first dinner at Nerone's and we feasted on all sorts of Italian specialties (you'll see from the photos!). After dinner it was gelato and bed! Everyone was ready to sleep off the jet lag! More later . . . . .Ciao!
"Andiamo!" . . . Let's Go!
Preparation and packing are well underway as our Tuscany travelers for 2011 look forward to departure day! Eight sojourners will be with me for the first two weeks (September 15-30) and thirteen will follow for the second two weeks (October 1-15). A few other friends will be dropping by now and then for a short visit while they are in Florence too. Look for our photo postings to begin about September 16 as we begin our journey. Hopefully we won't have any computer glitches to deal with as we "get connected" in Florence. Have fun following the blog and why not plan to be here yourself next year!
< Duomo Piazza - Florence
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