Day 295: Tuscany Farm Tours and More

This morning we woke up and watched the sunrise over the vineyard. Breakfast began at 8am so we got ready and made our way to eat. We enjoyed fresh eggs, bacon and fruit. Maddie and Caleb also enjoyed cereal and yogurt, which are favorites anywhere. 

After breakfast we ventured into the store and purchased a lot of goodies. However, shipping wine to Poland was incredibly expensive, so I had to settle on buying a few small bottles instead. 

We went on a vineyard tour shortly after we did our shopping and learned all about the vineyard, food, and what the process of making the wine and olive oil was. 

The vineyard (also a farm) contains over 3,000 olive trees. The olives are handpicked during harvest and then extra virgin olive oil is produced. The farm itself consists of roughly 250 acres and about 50 acres is used for the vineyards. Some of the grapes are handpicked for the reserved wines, but other grapes being used for house wines are picked by machines. 

We also met the cows that are raised for their beef and the kids were able to feed and pet them. We also learned of the different processes that the wine takes, which was very interesting. 

Once the tour was over, we walked back up to the main area and took many, many photos while we awaited our taxi. When we departed the vineyard we headed to San Gimignano and walked through some of the oldest skyscrapers in the world. We couldn't stay long, but we were there long enough to enjoy the award winning gelato that has recently won the title of the world's best. 

After the gelato and failed attempt to find a piece of artwork we lived, we boarded our bus back to Florence. We had to changeover at one station, but after that the ride was pretty seamless and we made our way back to Florence. 

We had about 4 hours to spare before we boarded our train to Rome so we found a place to sit for an afternoon lunch. We found a great spot on a side street and actually ran into some people from Poland and California. This made the 3rd couple we had met in Italy who was from Cali. 

After lunch we walked through various vendors looking at leather bags and ultimately seeking artwork and magnets. We lucked out on the magnets but we were unsuccessful with the rest. 

We eventually made our way back to the train station and took in the beauty of Bascilica di Santa Maria Novella from across the street. We then found a place to sit down inside the station where we could enjoy a cappuccino and await on our train. 

When we boarded the train we found our seats and got situated for the 1.5 hour ride. We then found our metro and made our way to the apartment. 

During our walk, we passed the coliseum and stopped to take in its beauty. It was huge! We walked about five minutes to our apartment.

Once we arrived, we received all of the information we thought we would need and got a few recommendations for our stay. The kids and I then took showers and got ready for bed. 

Overall, today has been amazing. We thoroughly enjoyed our vineyard experience and we cannot wait to see what Rome has in store for us. 

Day 294: Touring Florence and Having Dinner in Tuscany

This morning everyone was up and going fairly early. We got up, dressed, and made our way down a few stores from the apartment to a cafe that served crepes, waffles, bagels, and coffee. We filled up and then made our way to the Duomo. 

The Duomo was beautiful. The clock above the entrance was designed in the 1400s and the dome was painted in the 1500s. We took our time seeing all of its beauty and walked back to the apartment to get our luggage and turn in the keys. 

The walk back was fun, as we detoured a few times into leather stores. The leather was beautiful, and definitely made me contemplate getting a few more items. 

After we picked up our bags we walked down to the water and saw some of the bridges. It was very nice, but not the prettiest of sites. 

We passed a few amazing pieces of architecture and found a place behind the train station for lunch. We enjoyed the atmosphere and food and then made our way to the bus station. 

Mr. America 

This is how we roll. In addition, I carry Maddie, the camera bag, and my purse. My next invention: the lazy kid carrier. 

We arrived at the station and purchased tickets. Multiple times we were told to get on the "rapido" bus. After getting on that bus and going more than half way, we learned we were on the wrong bus. We went past our destination of Poggibonsi and made it to Siena before we could catch another bus back. 

So, after arriving in Siena, we took a ten minute break as we waited on the next bus and the loaded up all of our stuff and found seats. It wasn't a terrible ride, but definitely longer than we hoped for. 

Our ultimate destination is a vineyard about 5 miles outside of San Gimignano. This place came highly recommended and we couldn't come to Italy and not stay at a vineyard. 

When we found the right location, and finally made it to the vineyard, we checked in and got ready for our 8pm family style dinner. This was one of the things I was most excited for and I certainly was not disappointed. The views were breathtaking and we couldn't have asked for a better scenic location. 

The food being served was all organic and came directly from their farm. We started with appetizers, salad, and then pork loin as the main course. We enjoyed their vineyard wine and the dessert was great as well. We sat at a table with other couples celebrating anniversaries. Daniel happened to be wearing a UGA shirt and the other couples happened to be fellow SEC fans. I think that made dinner an even better experience and added to the conversation. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience and couldn't have dreamt of a better experience. 

After dinner, we made our way back to our room and turned in for the night. 

We plan on doing a tour of the farm in the morning and we'll then go back to Florence. We've been amazed so far with the sight of Tuscany; it'll be hard to top it. 

Goodnight all.