Californialady
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2002
Tuscany-Today's Theme: Etruscan Roots
Luggage was to be outside hotel room by 7:15. Next time we saw it, it was in our villa. I love that we don't have to hassle with bags during our moves.
We boarded our bus, with Reno as our driver again. We stopped in Orvieto, a medieval town at the top of a hill. We had just a couple of hours here to explore. We would have liked more time, but that could be said of everywhere we went. If you want to see the inside of the church, knees and shoulders must be covered (same in Rome, Florence and Venice). Our family had lunch, then shopped. If you want unique ceramics, this is the place. There were lots of little shops with dozens of beautiful pieces. I am eagerly awaiting the pieces I shipped home.
By 4:00 or so, we were at The Villa Belvedere, our lodging for three nights. I can't begin to describe the beauty here. We were on a hilltop, with olive orchards, grape vineyards, cyprus trees and sunflower fields spread out below us. In the distance you could see the lights of Florence. The Villa was chosen for it's rustic atmosphere as well as its location. In tours past, a complaint was that the time in Florence was too short. By switching villas, we gained an hour or two in Florence. The adventure guides felt it was a big improvement.
We had a huge suite for the five of us with 2 bedrooms and kitchen/living area and 2 baths. And views from the windows. Our building was a ways up the hill, about half our group was here. It was a lovely 5 minute walk along the grapes to get to the main buildings-with a gorgeous view to gaze upon.
Dinner this night was divided. Marco and Cinzia took the 14 and unders for dinner and games and a movie on the grounds. The older kids and adults had a wine tasting lesson in the garden. We then dined in the wine cellar. It was a long, lovely meal.
Next Day Theme-Tuscan Holiday.
Hooray, we got to sleep in until 8:00! Breakfast at the villa, then the bus to Castello Vicchiomaggio. Reno the bus drivier is a magician on those narrow twisty roads. He received applause on a couple of occassions. We thought our villa was beautiful, the castle was even more so.
Pasta Making: very fun, everyone enjoyed it. We then had a tour of the wine making facility while the diningroom was prepared for our lunch. Delicious again!
The afternoon was ours:naps for many, swimming for some, but much needed relaxing for all. After cross country flights and Rome, this was a welcome respite.
Dinner was an authentic Tuscan BBQ, served in the garden. We watched the sunset as we drank wine and enjoyed the meal. The kids were choosing to sit with each other instead of mom and dad and everyone was enjoying the experience.
Next day: Romance and Renaissance:
Reno drove us to Florence. Elena, the local expert met us equipped us with radios again, and we headed straight for the Academy to gaze upon Michealangelo's "David". From there, we had about a 1 hour walking tour of the city, covering the highlights:the outside of the Duomo and Baptistry, the ponte vecchio, some history etc. Some people opted to skip this portion as our visit was so short. Elena took us down narrow alleys that were shaded and less crowded. Our family had lunch, then an hour and half to shop. Now, we could have shopped more as the outdoor markets were fun to browse and bargain. Here is where you buy leather and gold jewelry. It was unanimous that the day was too short-Florence needs more time than half a day. Walking back to the bus, it was 104 degrees. We were all so glad to see Reno! My pedometer registered 3.3 miles today.
Dinner was a buffet outside in the garden. Our last night in Tuscany.
Luggage was to be outside hotel room by 7:15. Next time we saw it, it was in our villa. I love that we don't have to hassle with bags during our moves.
We boarded our bus, with Reno as our driver again. We stopped in Orvieto, a medieval town at the top of a hill. We had just a couple of hours here to explore. We would have liked more time, but that could be said of everywhere we went. If you want to see the inside of the church, knees and shoulders must be covered (same in Rome, Florence and Venice). Our family had lunch, then shopped. If you want unique ceramics, this is the place. There were lots of little shops with dozens of beautiful pieces. I am eagerly awaiting the pieces I shipped home.
By 4:00 or so, we were at The Villa Belvedere, our lodging for three nights. I can't begin to describe the beauty here. We were on a hilltop, with olive orchards, grape vineyards, cyprus trees and sunflower fields spread out below us. In the distance you could see the lights of Florence. The Villa was chosen for it's rustic atmosphere as well as its location. In tours past, a complaint was that the time in Florence was too short. By switching villas, we gained an hour or two in Florence. The adventure guides felt it was a big improvement.
We had a huge suite for the five of us with 2 bedrooms and kitchen/living area and 2 baths. And views from the windows. Our building was a ways up the hill, about half our group was here. It was a lovely 5 minute walk along the grapes to get to the main buildings-with a gorgeous view to gaze upon.
Dinner this night was divided. Marco and Cinzia took the 14 and unders for dinner and games and a movie on the grounds. The older kids and adults had a wine tasting lesson in the garden. We then dined in the wine cellar. It was a long, lovely meal.
Next Day Theme-Tuscan Holiday.
Hooray, we got to sleep in until 8:00! Breakfast at the villa, then the bus to Castello Vicchiomaggio. Reno the bus drivier is a magician on those narrow twisty roads. He received applause on a couple of occassions. We thought our villa was beautiful, the castle was even more so.
Pasta Making: very fun, everyone enjoyed it. We then had a tour of the wine making facility while the diningroom was prepared for our lunch. Delicious again!
The afternoon was ours:naps for many, swimming for some, but much needed relaxing for all. After cross country flights and Rome, this was a welcome respite.
Dinner was an authentic Tuscan BBQ, served in the garden. We watched the sunset as we drank wine and enjoyed the meal. The kids were choosing to sit with each other instead of mom and dad and everyone was enjoying the experience.
Next day: Romance and Renaissance:
Reno drove us to Florence. Elena, the local expert met us equipped us with radios again, and we headed straight for the Academy to gaze upon Michealangelo's "David". From there, we had about a 1 hour walking tour of the city, covering the highlights:the outside of the Duomo and Baptistry, the ponte vecchio, some history etc. Some people opted to skip this portion as our visit was so short. Elena took us down narrow alleys that were shaded and less crowded. Our family had lunch, then an hour and half to shop. Now, we could have shopped more as the outdoor markets were fun to browse and bargain. Here is where you buy leather and gold jewelry. It was unanimous that the day was too short-Florence needs more time than half a day. Walking back to the bus, it was 104 degrees. We were all so glad to see Reno! My pedometer registered 3.3 miles today.
Dinner was a buffet outside in the garden. Our last night in Tuscany.
