"A lifetime isn't enough!"

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Our last full day in Italy, Friday, was spent in the rolling countryside of Tuscany. The weather forecast wasn't good, but the Tuscan sun stayed with us almost all day. We started the day in the charming little hilltop village of Pienza, an ancient Etruscan village that was rebuilt by Pope Pious II in the 15th century. It was early in the day and there weren't many tourists, which I"m sure added to the charm. As we wandered through the village, we tasted pecorino cheese, visited the lovely cathedral, and saw gorgeous vistas.

For lunch, we went to a nearby charming agritourisma, similar to a bed and breakfast, Podere de Spalenta. The renovated farmhouse can easily go on our must-return-to list! The lunch and local wine was delicious, and we learned a lot about the area from the owner.

The next stop was the fortress at Montalcino, where, of course, we climbed the fortress for terrific views of the charming countryside.

The last stop, appropriately for us, was at a winery, Cordello. This area of Tuscany is known for its brunello wines, from Sangiovese grapes. It was a fun afternoon and great way to wrap up the trip, sampling wine in the charming Tuscan countryside.

We're at the airport now, waiting to board the plane home. This trip has been everything for which we could have asked.

Even though this isn't our first trip to Europe, we're still amazed by the breadth of ancient civilization, especially compared to the US. The four hundred plus years since 1607 is just a drop in the bucket.

The Italians are very friendly, and seem to like Americans, except the taxi drivers, is that universal? Most everyone knows some English, and we tried to use our extremely minimal Italian which I think was appreciated. I do wish we didn't anglicize the names of Italian cities like Venezia, Roma, Napoli, and Firenze, the Italian pronunciations are bellisima!

There are so many charming, incredible, magnificent, and gorgeous things to see and places to visit. To misquote a saying we're heard here, "For Italy, a lifetime is not enough!"

Ciao!