We boarded a very modern train in Florence and headed for Rome! What a beautiful city! We toured many of the famous historical sites, including the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and, of course, Vatican City.
For those in the group heading home, they traveled to the airport for flights heading for home. Arrivederci, Florence! A bittersweet goodbye to a memorable tour of Tuscany!
For those of us in the group heading to Rome, we traveled to the train station and boarded the train for a 3 hour trip to Rome.
Friday, September 18: Florence at its finest! Today our group had its choice of the many things to do and see in Florence – the Uffizi Gallery (?), markets and piazzas. This evening, together we enjoyed a memorable farewell dinner.
On our second day in Florence, our guide, Giulia, took the group to the famous Uffizzi Gallery, where we saw works by Leonardo di Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli. What a stunning array of art in this beautiful gallery!
Thursday, September 17: Our group discovered FLorence by beginning the day with a walking tour of this beautiful city’s most famous landmarks – the Ponte Vecchio, the Piazza Della Signoria, the Duomo, and Santo Croce Church. And to top it all off, power shopping was at its best in the many streets of shopping!
After checking out of our hotel in Radda in Chianti, we headed for Florence, arriving at Hotel Balestri about noon. Our local guide, Giulia, took us on a walking tour of Firenze and showed us the highlights of this beautiful city. Following the tour, we had a wonderful Italian dinner of various Italian meats, cheeses and, of course, pizza! For dessert, we enjoyed traditional tiramisu.
Wednesday, September 16: Today our group of ladies marvelled at the incredibly beautiful stretch of roadway as w traveled south to the Val D’Orcia. We visited the seree Abbey of Sant’Antimo, the fortress town of Montalcino and the gastronomic centre of Pienza. We sampled the region’s famous Pecorino cheese (delicious!) a a local cheesemaker’s shop (?). At the end of a wonderful. Today we visited the town of Montalcino and stopped at Fattoria Caparzo wine estate for wine tasting and lunch. From there, we travelled to Pienza where we visited Podere 11 Casale where we learned abou how they make sheep cheese, after which we sampled some of their cheeses and a glass of wine.
l day, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner in a countryside trattoria.
Monday, September 14: We toured San Gimignano, which has one of the most extraordinary streetscapes in Europe – unchanged in 600 years.
Then we traveled on to Siena, visiting the green and white marble cathedral and enjoying a walking tour of the famous shell-shaped Piazza del Campo. We had ample time for sightseeing and shopping in exquisite Siena before enjoying a delicious dinner of.
Tuesday, September 15: Today our group of ladies enjoyed the culinary delights of Italy! After visiting the market in the morning to choose the freshest of ingredients, we attended a cooking class and enjoyed the fruits of our labour at a delicious luncheon at a beautiful estate. Following our lunch, we indulged in more wine-tasting at the prestigious Marchesi di Antinori wine estate, a fabulous venue with amazing wine cellars.
We travelled to Castellina in Chianti and met Chef Laura, who took us to several shops to buyfresh meat, cheese and vegetables for the cooking class. All the ladies participated in the cooking process by chopping vegetables and learning about Italian cooking. Once finished, we sat outside on the terrace overlooking her vineyards and ate a wonderful meal of bruschetta, beef with garlic, spinach with pine nuts and dessert made with ricotta cheese. Everything was delicioso!
Wine Tasting and more wine tasting (hiccup)! Off we went for a tour of Brolio Castle with a lovely walk through the beautiful gardens surrounding the castle. The highlight of the day was the wine-tasting, after which we toured the castle at Volpaia and did some more wine-tasting! We staggered home with smiles on our faces and wine in our bellies!
We drove the beautiful Tuscan countryside to the hill town of Cortona with unique shops containing local handicrafts, art of every description and gastronomic delights. Several of the ladies enjoyed Italian pizza and salad together with their beverage of choice, vino!
Tuscany – Radda in Chianti
Palazzo Leopoldo, Radda in Chianti
We’re in Italy! After a wonderful trans-Atlantic flight, we arrived in beautiful Florence, Italy. Having collected our luggage and met our tour guide, SImona, we headed off by bus on a lovely drive through the hilly countryside to the town of Radda in Chianti. The Chianti region is famous for its wine. We are staying at a charming hotel, a recently restored palazzo (palace) called Palazzo Leopoldo, which dates back to the 14th century and overlooks the beautiful hills of Tuscany.
Palazzo Leopoldo Hotel, Radda in Chianti
Palazzo Leopoldo Hotel, Radda in Chianti
