Around 11 we headed off to the Chianti region about an hours drive  away , south of Florence. Such a pretty drive with the rolling hills, the endless lines of vines laden with grapes and the silver and green olive tress. Tuscany is gorgeous. We had a discussion as we went about where we would buy if we had a million euros. The past few weeks I have been to Lucca, Rome, Umbria , Vento and now Tuscany. Oh to choose. Any suggestions?

We got to the tiny town of Greve , which is not a hill town but does have a very pretty piazza. We wandered around had lunch and the went to a tasting centre. It was such a great idea. You got a glass and a credit card which you loaded with dollars and then you could move around the huge cellar tasting wine.  They were in round centres with the bottle programmed to tip a taste of wine into your glass and deduct the amount . Better wines were about 2 euros a taste and lesser ones around 1 euro. Such a good idea.

I kindly offered to drive home – silly me. We took a different way and only got a little lost. Carmel sat in the front with me and the boys in the back asleep.

We got home and went for an afternoon walk to check out some properties nearby . We even heard some Aussies in a house nearby but didn’t identify ourselves!

Such a lovely evening sitting under the vines having a drink chatting and preparing our Tuscan soup . We have had a lovely time with Peter and Carmel , but I miss all the friends who have been here over the past few weeks. Hi to you all.

Tomorrow is our last day in San Gim before we head to France . Looking forward to a few days with Steve in the Loire Valley before meeting up with Peter and Carmel again in Paris.

The house is located at the end of a gravel drive  and is owned by a family named Montignani. Maris, Antonella, Roberto ( handsome son) and daughter Barbara who runs the business.

It is built using the stone and building materials from a house in northern Tuscany. They took 10 years to build the house and it is gorgeous. The visitors live upstairs and the family down – though you don’t see them much at all.

So we drove to Siena and found a great parking spot and went up the longest  escalators to reach the old town.

The weather was fantastic and the town busy but not overcrowded. Carmel and I walked the main street and did a little shopping. We met the boys for lunch at the Campo and imagined the fun it would be to be there during the Palio. After lunch we went walking and found the best shoes. The  lady there was so knowledgeable about shoes and feet. Carmel and I were in awe. She also told us we had patient husbands as they were waiting outside. She went on to tell us Italian men were not great partners.

We explored the back streets , saw the flags of the different communes, lights to match them, washing hanging across the road.
Peter and Carmel bought a beautiful tapestry. It showed The Kiss! It was really lovely and Steve declared that Pete won the shopping.

We returned home and decided to go to the restaurant Barbara suggested. It was 20 mins away but seemed to take for ever driving through the dark country side. We arrived at Casa Mais  outside Montelione and what a night. It was gorgeous. Atmosphere was just so lovely and the food very Tuscan and beautifully presented. I had a pork dish and loved it. It has a B&B on site so people can stay there . Google Borgo San Benedetto Montelione .

Got home tired but happy . Thank you Steve for driving. 

Friend Pat at the cooking class

Pat and I with Paolo and Roberto

Wine tasting with Sigrid and Carla

My Italian class: Gerhardt – Austria: Sigrid – Norway: Sydny – Berlin: Carla – Amsterdam: Clara – Austraia : Hans Peter – Austria

With my favourite sister in Florence

Beautiful Floence

Anne and Narelle at Trevi fountain

Our food tour of Rome. What a day.

Anne in our lovely house in Spello

Afternoon gelati in Bevagna

Anne,Narelle Jill, and Lindy

Enjoy

This included a spa town – Terme Eugenee. It was like entering a movie set or as Chris said ” a bit like the Stepford wives”. It was mostly new building and lots of hotels an manicured gardens. The people were older and quite manicured looking as well!

We were going to look at the  shops but as usual we arrived too late. So we walked around the town and found a cafe for lunch.  After a fairly ordinary lunch – except for Geoff who had an enormous calzoni  – the boys headed off to return the car to Padova.

So the girls thought a little spa treatment would be good so found a strange place where the staff were Brazilian and booked in for a pedicure for me, a manicure for Lindy and Jill decided we would run out of time so opted out.

We collected the boys from the train and headed home. The girls wanted the scenic route via the gelato shop but the boys choose the practical route, so after dropping them off the girls headed back out for
gelato but got distracted by the garden we had spied earlier in the day. It was magnificent. They are said to be now one of the most important Baroque gardens in the world. We wandered around the gardens with Lindy as our guide and discovered the statues, the maze, rabbit  island, the joke garden (getting its name form the water that spurted up as you walked past) . We had a lovely time and forgot about gelato!

That night we shared a beautiful last meal back at Da Mario. Thank you Wilsons and Shaws for joining me on a wonderful adventure.

The next morning after farewelling mama and papa we headed off to Poggibonsi to meet Steve. And there he was at the station. Lovely to see him again after such a long time.

We arrived at the house and it is so lovely. a true Tuscan farm house, built by Marais himself . His daughter Barbara is gorgeous and she seems to run the rental business. They all live downstairs but the house is so solid you don’t know they are there. We have a space with 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
The kitchen has a double marble sink and exposed brick. There are large picture windows looking straight towards the towers of San Gim, a fireplace with the family crest painted above it, gorgeous furniture and a huge long table where we will spend many an hour sharing drinks and food. Perfect!
Such a pity no more friends will be here to share it after the Harrisons arrive  tonight.
The views from the house are amazing – straight to San Gimingnano .

We had a lovely dinner with Chris and Jill in the town before Carmel and Peter Harrison arrived around 9.30. After s few shared glasses of wine we went to sleep in our very comfortable rooms.