--Part 6--
Day 6-- (ABD day 4)
This day was pretty much a travel day because we were leaving Rome for the Tuscan countryside.
Some thoughts on the Grand Melia Roma before we leave Rome. It was a very nice hotel, with excellent service, and rather nice rooms. The showers are a bit weird (they are all glass and you need to turn down the blinds, or everyone in the room can watch you shower), but they are nice.
The location is good too. Except climbing the hill that the hotel is atop is exhausting. Fortunately, the guides knew shortcuts. This was also the hotel with the best breakfast, imo. Just some thoughts on the hotel for you.
Anyway, this was mostly travel day, so we hopped in our coach and traveled to the countryside. First stop, to break up the travel, was the town of Orvieto. We took the funicular up the hill and walked through the town. It's a great village. I went in the Duomo, which is amazing and very colorful. There's also some really great hilltop views, so I spent some time at a couple overlooks, admiring scenery.
Word of warning; there's little shopping time in Rome, and many were ready shop the Orvieto shops during free time. If you do this trip, pace yourself as you're shopping here, cause there's great stores in Florence and Venice and you'll end up way overstuffed and broke if you start purchasing too much too fast. Soak in the views is my recommendation. And save your wine and olive oil purchasing for Borgo Di Cortefreda and Sara's farm. Much better product, imo.
So after Orvieto, we drove to Relais Gli Ulivi, our stop for lunch. Beautiful spot, with beautiful food-- gnocchi, lasagna, etc. It was served family style and al fresco (outdoors). We also had torta di nonna, or grandmother's cake-- delicious. It was one junior adventurer's birthday, so we sang for her. Great fun.
Here, another word of warning: these two days in Tuscany are all about eating and drinking and having relaxing fun. There's an abundance of food, all terrific, and wine, also terrific, and you will eat like you've probably only do at Thanksgiving. Again, pace yourself. And be forewarned and bring elastic waist pants, lol.
After lunch, it was off to the hotel Borgo di Cortefreda, after one more pit stop for bathroom break. This is a lovely villa in the country, but not as modern as the Grand Melia. The drive is a little weird too, as the roads aren't ultra modern. I can see why they change hotels at Christmas time in bad weather.
There was a small, short welcome reception, and some time to change/relax/unpack. Then it was time for dinner. I swear eating/drinking must be the official sport of Tuscany. We had a wine tasting before dinner was served. I know nothing about wines, but thought they were pretty much all good. I don't drink much, so I didn't partake in too much drinking, but if you like wine, this is the place.
The food was even more abundant than lunch; again served family style. Pastas, meats, veggies; I tried as much as I could, but it was impossible to eat it all, imo. This was junior adventurer night too; the kids were tasting Italian soda. I joked with Troy (remember, the guides are Troy and Marco B) that it was ageist and adults like sodas too, so he had the kids chose their favs, and then he brought me that one to taste! This is what makes the ABD guides so great, little things like this.
This was also a time to buy food stuffs from Borgo di Cortefreda's stock. They had great wines, olive oil, and beauty products made out of olive oil (soaps, shampoos and creams, which are in the hotel rooms). I bought a bottle of wine (Chianti), a bottle of Olive Oil, and a jar of a milk and honey spread which was like a white nutella. All so yummy. Dinner ended late and then it was time for bed.
----END Part 6------
