All the folks left early this morning for their flights back to the USA. It has been a great two weeks and other than a little viral infections and colds, we made it through in good style. Hope you have enjoyed your journey via the blog and perhaps you'll join me "for real" one of these days! Here are some photos I made while roaming around the city at night. Some are from store windows with interesting contents but everything takes on a whole new perspective after the sun sets. So this is it for the 2012 tours - thanks for taking a look! Ciao from Patirizia.
I HAVE SET UP A NEW PHOTOBLOG SITE FOR THE 2014 TOURS. YOU CAN STILL SEE PHOTOS FROM 2008 TO 2013 HERE. TO VIEW THE LATEST TOURS GO TO: WWW.INTUSCANYWITHPATRIZIA.BLOGSPOT.COM
Arrivederci, Florence! - September 29
Can it really be the last day of our Tuscan tour! Today's photos start with some taken in the La Contessina breakfast room as most of us get ready for last minute shopping, sightseeing and packing. Everyone was doing their own thing today and we got together this evening for a farewell dinner at our favorite neighborhood restaurant, Nerone's. There are a few photos from a walk around the city this afternoon doing a little window shopping. It's been a great two weeks and we will long remember all we have seen and done along with the good friends we have made. Thanks for sharing it with us! Ciao!
A Day by the Sea - September 28
For our last train trip of the tour we headed for the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Italy to visit the charming five villages of the Cinque Terre. We were sad to leave Marge, Joyce, Al and Marcy behind in Florence as they are still not feeling too well. It was a beautiful, "sunshiney" day with a nice breeze most of the time. The local train took us from village to village and we were able to visit all five of them. Due to a landslide earlier in the week, the Via Amore walk between Riomaggorie and Manarola was closed so we did not have the pleasure of that walk this time. There are many photos today since this is one of the most picturesque areas in all of Italy and there were plenty of tourists (like us) who were there to enjoy it. Come along and see if you agree! More later - Ciao!
A Day in Chianti - September 27
What a beautiful day (even with a little rain) we had in the Chianti and Tuscan countryside today! We started with a inspirational visit to the World War II American Military Cemetery where over 4000 service personnel are buried. Then it was on a little further to the Verrazzano castle and winery. Giovanne Verrazzao explored the eastern coast of American in 1524 discovering both the Cape Fear River at Southport and the Hudson Bay in New York. His birthplace is a thriving wine producing 555-acre estate with an excellent reputation in the classic Chianti area. Our guide, Gino, was passionate about the grapes and the wines and made the experice memorable. We were just in time to see the harvesting of this season's grapes. The lunch was wonderful with more food than we could eat incuding "harvest cake" with grapes, almond cookies with Vin Santo and a finishing cup of expresso. The day ended with a walk around the small town of Greve, the capital of the Chianti area. Joyce was back with us, but we missed Marge who is still not feeling up to par. More Later - Ciao!
Hilltop Cortona - September 26
Off we went to the charming hilltop town of Cortona today. The weather was a little cooler and the day was perfect for browsing around this little town. "Under the Tuscan Sun" was filmed here so that makes it even more interesting to see. Joyce and Marge are still not feeling well and we missed having them with us. Just like last time we were here, there was a wedding going on in the main square. It was a relaxing and perfect day in Tuscany! More later - Ciao!
We're Cookin' ! - September 25
This morning we were back to our touring around Florence as we visited the Santa Maria Novella Perfumery, the Davanzati House Museum (sorry no photos allowed inside) and a few other sights around town. We had a great surprise when we saw an American celebrity standing on a corner waiting for his wife to come out of a shop - you'll see who it is in the photos! Tonight we had a great time at the cooking class where we made eggplant appetizers, a baked pasta dish, turkey and mushrooms in wine sauce and a delicious chocolate mini-cake. The only sad thing today was that four of our group are "under the weather" and were not able to join us. We're hoping Al, Frank, Marge and Joyce will be back in the groove with us again tomorrow. More later - Ciao!
Free Days - September 23 and 24
Sunday and Monday were days set aside for our own free time. There were museum visits, shopping, resting and even a trip to Rome by Cyndi, Daphne, Audrey and Mindy. I took an ovenight trip to Camucia near Cortona with Dan and Karen and checked out the villa they will be visiting for a while. After my train ride back on Monday I went to the Duomo Museo to see the newly restored brass Baptistery doors. It has taken over 25 years to restore the 1425 originals and they have just been put on display this month. Other pieces in the museum are quite wonderful too. Tomorrow we are back on "group time" and more adventures coming up this week. More later - Ciao!
The Floating City - September 22
Only two hours away via the "fast train" is Venice - the city built on water - also the only truly "walking city" in Europe since no wheeled vehicles are allowed in the historic city. With over 2000 streets and alleys and over 400 bridges over the grand canal and all the smaller ones, Venice is a challenge to walk through with a map, so we just wandered our way around. We took the waterbus (vaporetto) down the grand canal and you can relive that experience with us by seeing today's photos. Everyone made it back to the train station on time for our 7:30 trip back to Florence. We hope you enjoy the floating city as much as we did. More later - Ciao!
The Medici Palace and David - September 21
We had a leisurely morning after our long day yesterday then we met on the steps of the San Lorenzo church for our tour of the Medici Palace built in 1444. The most beautiful room was the chapel with the fresco paintings but we couldn't take photos there. From the palace we moved on to the Academia Gallery to see Michelangelo's statue of the biblical hero, David. Again photos were not allowed but I found a postcard outside and snapped a picture of that! The rest of the afternoon was free time for more shopping! We all ate dinner together at the Guelfa Trattoria. More later - Ciao!
Touring Tuscany - September 20
Today was a highlight day - The Best of Tuscany Tour! Our motorcoach pulled away from Florence at 8:30 am and we were on our way to Siena. There we met a local guide, Elena, who proudly showed us all around her Midevial city. Learning about the two annual horseraces - the Pallio - was very interesting as we heard all about the rivalry between the 17 neighborhoods within the city. Our lunch on the organic farm was terrific and the view unsurpassed as we looked over the valley to our next destination - San Gimignano - the city of towers. Gelato was the goal for most of us there with a little shopping here and there. At Pisa, our last stop, Stefano who was our all-day guide from Walkabout Tours showed us how to get the correct angle for taking photos of holding up or pushing over the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Friends from Southport, Dan and Karen Knighton joined our group for a few days as they are stopping over in Florence on their way to a villa stay near Cortona for a couple of weeks. There's a lot to see today since the day was full of great photo opportunities! More later - Ciao!
Just Wallking in the Rain - September 19
Florence was soggy today, but we kept going! Our walkabout started with a look inside the Duomo (cathedral). Duomo is the Italian name for the most important church in a city and this one certainly is! It was completed in the middle of the 1400's and still draws thousands of pilgrims (aka tourists!) every day. We passed through Dante's neighborhood on our way to Santa Croce (Sacred Cross) church. Then it was on to the leather school inside the old church monastery. The rainy afternoon was free for individual pursuits in the shops, museums or whatever. More later - Ciao!
Around Florence and Fiesole - September 18
Today was spent on our "hop-on-hop-off" bus sightseeing tour around Florence and up into the hills of Fiesole. What a beautiful blue-sky day it was, making the trip even more enjoyable. We spent a couple of hours in Fiesole wandering about and having a nice lunch. A stop at Piazzale Michelangelo was an opportunity to take some terrific picture of the historic center of Florence from a great vantage point. So imagine yourself hopping on the bus with us and come along for the ride! More later - Ciao!
In Florence and Lucca - September 17
After sleeping off the jet lag we we began our orientation of the city on Monday morning. A two-hour walk through the historic heart of Florence to the Arno River and back to the cathedral gave us a good basis for knowing how to get around on our own - at least to find our way back home! The central food market was a feast for the eyes! We had a cafeteria-style lunch at Leonardo's at a good price then headed for the station and our first trip by train to lovely Lucca. Eighty minutes later we were there enjoying a short walk on top of the walls that surround the city. We stopped by a few sights on our way to Piazza Anfiteatro where we had a nice dinner-al-fresco. It was quite nice to be in serene Lucca after a busy morning with all the other tourists in Florence. More later - ciao!
We Have Arrived! - September 16
All the planes landed on time and all the luggage was collected at the airport by 2:30 pm. Our two couples arrived on the train from Rome right on time too. So everyone in the new group is here safe and sound! We checked into the apartments and had a brief rest before our first walk to the Piazza Duomo and back. Dinner was great at Nerone's, our neighborhood restaurant, and so was the gelato at Tullios! Everyone turned in early so we will be ready for tomorrow's adventure. Ciao! (that's "chow" in Americanese and it means both "hi" and "bye" in Italy.)
Saturday in the City - September 15
Jim and Helen left early this morning for their flight home and I spent the day enjoying more of Florence. The new group of ten travelers arrive tomorrow so I did some organizing and planning today for their arrival. The photos are a few that I took as I roamed around the city today. Stay tuned!
An Afternoon at the Beach - September 14
Joan and Clara flew home today while Jim and Helen visited another museum and did a little more shopping. I decided to take the train to the coast and have a look at the beach town of Viareggio. Since it is September and the kids are back in school, it seem pretty deserted with lots of empty chairs and umbrellas. It was a beautiful day and interesting to see how the Italians set up the seaside for their sunning, swimming and boating. Enjoy the photos from the Italian Riviera!
Our Chianti Day - September 13
The Chianti vineyards and beautiful countryside are located between Florence and Siena. Today we had a van and driver take us to the nearby American Cementery, the Verrazzano Winery and the town of Greve. It is a very moving experince to visit the site of over four thousand crosses where WWII American service men and women are buried who died in Italy. The tour and lunch at Verrazzano were both just great and took us about four hours to enjoy! We then stopped and shopped a bit in the small town of Greve before returning to Florence. We ended the day with a goodbye dinner at Nerone's. Clara and Joan will leave in the morning for home and Jim and Helen will be here one more day. What a great time we have had these two weeks discovering the beauty and uniqueness of Tuscany!
Water, Water, Everywhere! - September 12
Is there truly a city in Europe where cars, scooters and bikes are not allowed? Si, si, si ! It's Venice, Italy's "floating city" where all transportation is by water. You are invited to come along with us via our photos to see what we saw along with thousands of other tourists. An estimated 150,000 tourists a day come to Venice during peak seasons (that's now!) However, except for a late afternoon rain shower (more water!), the day was a feast for the eyes as we floated and walked through this unique place. There was beautiful glass of every description in almost every shop window as well as Carnivale masks and tempting buys of all sorts. So have a look and put yourself there with us! Stay tuned!
Just Around Town - September 11
Today's itinerary took us around Florence once again to see more of this fascinating city. We visited the inside of the Duomo (Cathedral) which was 170 years in the making. Started in 1296 it was not completely finished until the mid 1400's. Of course the dome is the most outstanding feature and was an innovative engineering feat at the time it was constructed. We also stopped by Santisimo Annunziata church in between shopping and lunching. Florence has so many places to see and experience as well as the pleasure of just walking through the streets and enjoying the vibrant life of the city and all its tourists! Stay tuned!
A Fine Day in Cinque Terre - September 10
By train we traveled this morning to the northwest coast of Italy to the Ligurian Sea. Hanging from the cliffs are five quaint villages called the Cinque Terre. We took a leisurely stroll between the first two on a nice pathway called Via dell' Amore. The views were wonderful and we arrived in Manarola ready for lunch. After a look around and the good lunch we rode the train to the next village - Corniglia. Again the village was picturesque and the gelato (ice cream) delicious! Because of an irregularity in today's train schedule we did not have time to visit the two remaining villages before going back to catch our train to Florence. It was a beautiful day in a beautiful part of Italy. There's more to come - stay tuned!
A Serene Sunday - September 9
We all enjoyed another day off from touring today and followed our own pathways around Florence. The weather was very hot today - 90+ degrees - so we stayed pretty close to the air conditioning! Helen, Jim and I had dinner at The Diner and took a walk over to rub the pig's snout for good luck and to insure you'll come back to Florence someday. Joan and Clara decided to stay closer to home. We're all rested up for our big day tomorrow - Cinque Terre - stay tuned!
Under the Tuscan Sun - September 8
Today's destination was Cortona where the book and movie "Under the Tuscan Sun" is set. We traveled by train a little over an hour and arrived right at noon. Lunch was delightful and then we had the rest of the afternoon to browse the museum and shops. Two bridal parties were on the city hall steps and up and down the main street. The Saturday market was also in town so it was a festive day. Home again about 7 pm and another lovely Tuscan day completed - stay tuned!
Tonight We Cook! - September 7
This morning we visited the Santa Maria Novella Perfumery - in business since the 1300's and then toured the medieval Davanzati townhouse and stopped by the Strozzi palazzo. Lunch was quick and good at Leonardo's and then we rested a little before taking a city bus across the river to Santo Spirito. The highlight of the day was our cooking class at In Tavola. You'll enjoy seeing our crepe making and preparation of the other dishes we ate afterwards in the wine cellar. It was a great day - stay tuned!
Our Free Day - September 6
No photos today as we took a day off from group sightseeing to do our own thing. Jim and Helen visited two museums and Joan and Clara wandered around the city on their own. We'll be out and about together again tomorrow - stay tuned!
The Best of Tuscany Day - September 5
Settle in for a while and see the photos from our wonderful day trip to Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa! We started out on the bus at 8 this morning and got back home at 8:30 p.m. Our first stop was the Middle Age city of Siena with its proud heritage of the Contradi (neighborhoods) and the famous Palio horse race around the main piazza held twice every year. The cathedral was beautiful and all the floors were uncovered which only happens in September! Next we had a delightful lunch at the Poggio Alloro farm with delicious foods and samples of four of the wines produced there. San Gimignano was fun for a little wandering about and eating some gelato. Then it was on through the beautiful Tuscan countryside to arrive in Pisa to see that famous leaning tower. All in all, it was truly the best of Tuscany - as advertised! Stay tuned!
Hop-On-Hop-Off and David - September 4
Today's adventure was our hop-on bus tour around the city and up into the hills to Fiesole. The hilltop town is older than Florence and has ruins from the Roman colony days in the first century. We saw some spectacular views of the city from our vantage points in Fiesole and at Piazza Michelangelo. Not only did we see the "Green (bronze) David" there, we also visited the Accademia Gallery to admire the genuine and beautiful white marble statue that Michelangelo created in 1504. Sorry, no photos as they are not allowed in the museum. Many sights for our eyes and memories today. Stay tuned!
More of Florence - September 3
Today we are still looking around our city and enjoying our walks here and there - along with lots of other tourists! We started out at the Mercarto Centrale where we saw all sorts of foods displayed - quite different from our supermarkets. The building covers an entire block and was built in the 1890's. Then we passed by the cathedral again into Dante's neighborhood. A visit to the leather school at Santa Croce church was followed by some "delicioso" lunch at Baldovino's. Joan decided to take some time off this morning, but joined us in the afternoon for a visit to the Medici-Riccardi Palace. We got caught in a rain shower on the way back, but we're all dried out now! Stay tuned!
Florence and Lucca - September 2
We started the day with a walk down to the Arno River, onto the Ponte Vecchio or better know as "The Gold Bridge" and a stroll back home. Then we boarded the afternoon train for an hour and twenty minute trip to lovely Lucca. We enjoyed a nice lunch in the piazza that is built on the former site of a Roman amphitheater. The some of us walked through the town while others sprinted (ask Jim and Helen about that!) on our way back to the train station and home to Florence. Our first outing from the city was just fine - stay tuned!
Ciao Amici - We are Here! September 1
The day has finally arrived and so have our four travelers! Jim and Helen flew in via Amsterdam and Joan and Clara sailed in on the fast train from Rome. Patrizia arrived on August 30 with a couple of days to get settled in before meeing the group today Everything at La Contessina is just as we expected and the Pelagoti family are all here to welcome us. This evening we had a short orientation walk and a nice dinner at Nerone's on the corner. Afterwards we enjoyed a gelato from Tulio's - a nice beginning to our two-week adventure - stay tuned!