So… We have been without Internet access for a few days, and the blog posts have been limited as a result of this. I have a lot to catch up on and as Internet access becomes available - and I have time - new blog posts will begin to show up. Today (Thursday 23rd July) was a bit of a lay-day - we hung out at the villa and swam to keep cool. After lunch (and siesta) we decided to check out a local winery, Tenuta di Trecciano, which is about 5km down the road for some tastings. ...
We arranged with Franco, the owner of the villa, to prepare us a traditional Tuscan feast (an option available to anyone staying at the villa) on Tuesday evening. We all wanted to celebrate arriving in Tuscany and to mark the start of our holiday, but Tuesday was also Mum’s birthday - and what better excuse to kick back, relax and enjoy some awesome Tuscan food and wine together. In the early afternoon the chefs and other staff arrived to start preparing the evening meal. The long table on the lawn was set, along with a large accompanying table which would hold all the food for the evening meal. ...
Today we decided to venture out to nearby Siena for the evening - its too hot (38-40c) to be out and about with the kids during the heat of the day, and for us the time is much better spent cooling off and relaxing by the pool. From our villa, Siena is roughly a 20km drive - initially through scenic hills which make for some exciting driving with blind hair-pin corners, narrow stone wall lined roads and stretches of tree lined avenues. Winding down from the hills takes us through a number of small townships and into a valley with paddocks full of sunflowers and others with freshly cut hay. ...
So after a long few days of travel, we arrived yesterday evening at what will become our home for the next week - villa Podere Incronciati - a traditional Tuscan villa built in 1840 about 20km outside of Siena. We were welcomed by the owner and offered complimentary wine, cheese, olives, fruit and other nibbles - which was much appreciated after the drive from Rome. After settling on rooms, we unpacked before hitting the pool to cool down and relax for a bit - which was great in the 38c heat. ...
The transport strike has finished, and so has our forced day of relaxation in Bologna (yes… we did absolutely nothing, and loved it!) - we grabbed the early train out of town and headed for Certaldo in Tuscany. Certaldo is a cute little town south west of Florence (Firenze), and north of Siena. We are staying in a beautiful agriturismo B&B, come self contained shared apartment - it has everything, free mountain bikes, kitchen & fridge, internet, etc, and is immaculate. ...