The view as we crested the hill top was one of rolling green hills, terra-cotta rooftops, olive groves, and grape vines - a Tuscan dream. Walking the gravel pathways and catching glimpses of the entirety of Florence, a city nestled in between hills and cuddled in a valley, took our breath away (literally! The road was a hike!) I wish I could say that the trip began this tranquilly. As my faithful readers have for sure noticed.....Sarah and I tend to get waylaid when embarking upon a trip. This time we left from the Duomo with 30 minutes to spare. The walk to the train station and bus stop is a mere 12 minutes from the Duomo. The email clearly stated to meet the group at the bus station at 11 am sharp. Well. We waited and waited at the Fiesole bus. We were there at 10:55. Finally - at 11:25, we found out that SAI had rented a private bus to transport us into the Tuscan hills. Climbing on the bus at the last possible minute, we managed to find seats on the overcrowded-manual-shifting-machine. 20 minutes later, Sarah and I were ohhing and ahhing along with the rest of the bus. "We've got to move here!" we said. (hopefully we can find a great apartment there in December!) The trip was fantastic. We hiked the gravel roads and paved roads, stopping to see the olive groves and grape vines growing Tuscany's famous Chianti wines. Our Italian wine and olive oil producer explained the intricate details and steps in their creation. The trip to the great outdoors was summed up with a fabulous 4 course lunch at his villa! His brother, mother, and grandmother served us antipasta (cheeses, fresh bread, sliced Tuscan meats, and his own olive oil from the most recent season (it was fabulous! Not too bitter, not too strong) We then had a selection of pastas, vegetables, meats, and wines (from nearby vineyards). Lastly, we were served a very traditional Tuscan dessert - biscotti dipped in a really strong semi-sweet dessert wine called Vin Santo. It was fabulous, filling, and FREE! Check out the link to my photos for pictures- coming soon!
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