Adventures with the Powells

The Powells were the first of our friends to come visit us in Italy.  Joan arrived on 3/27, with Bob following on 4/04.  And wonder of wonders, Mandy was able to get a 4 day pass from where she is stationed in Germany, and we picked her up at the Florence airport the very next day.  It was the first time she had seen her parents in a year, and it was a welcome reunion!

Savignola Winery, 4/6/13

Our first adventure for the five of us was a tour of the Savignola winery.  Angie had arranged the tour through our wonderful “insegnante” (Italian teacher) Moira, who also happens to run wine tours, customized to suit your taste. Moira began the day’s journey with a brief stop at the bustling market in the central piazza of the town Greve, taking a moment to pose with one of the locals.

Because there were 5 in our group, Angie and I rode with Bernardo, Moira’s boyfriend, and Joan, Bob and Mandy rode together in Moira’s car.  I really appreciated Bernardo driving us – not having to drive definitely improved my wine tasting fun!! J
Our tour to the Savignola winery included seeing how bottles are labeled, corked, and stamped (with official DOCG tags certifying they are from Chianti), and of course the mandatory walk through the wine cellar.

After the tour Carlo, the winery owner, ushered us to his wonderful tasting table, filled with breads, olive oils, cheeses, meats, and an assortment of wine.  Carlo was a wonderful host and his wines were outstanding.
Naturally we left with a pair of bottles, a traditional 2009 Chianti Classico and a wonderful 2008 li Granaio consisting of local Sangiovese grapes mixed with 20% Merlot.

Our day of touring was capped off with a drive through the Tuscan countryside and lunch before heading home – a great day for all of us!

San Gimignano, 4/7/13

Today’s adventure led us to the ancient Tuscan town of San Gimignano.  The five of us loaded up the Saturn for a road trip that was just under an hour.  A walled medieval hill town, San Gimignano traces its humble origins back to when it started as a small Etruscan village founded in the 3^rd century before Christ.  Within 1,200 years it had firmly established itself as an economic powerhouse of agriculture, trade, art and commerce.

After a long winter hibernation the Tuscan Sun was finally out in full force, making a great day for travel, sightseeing, and family reunions.

Angie and I ventured off on our own for a bit, starting off in the Piazza della Cisterna. 

From there we hiked up the steep streets and stairs to the top of the town.  Along the way we stopped to enjoy the beautiful countryside that the town overlooks.

When we finally reached the highest piazza we found musicians waiting to entertain us and anyone else who ventured to the top.

By early afternoon we rejoined the Powells for an excellent lunch before making our way back home.

Siena, 4/10/13

On Monday we took Mandy to the airport for her return flight back to Germany, but Wednesday found us back on the road again, this time to the famous Tuscan town of Siena. We started our tour of Siena with a meandering journey to the center of town at Piazza del Campo, well represented in this picture I took earlier this year.  

We all wanted to see the Siena Cathedral, the most beautiful of Siena’s famous churches, so we left the Campo and walked to Piazza del Duomo.  The Cathedral is magnificent, it’s exterior among the most intricate in all Italy.

The interior is breath taking.  Its marble floor and columns, colorful frescos and art work, and beautiful gold inlay can only be seen to be believed.

Angie and I took a brief excursion to climb the Cathedral Tower.  A series tightly spiraling staircases in closely confined turrets led us out above the church and much of the town, high enough to overlook even the countryside.   

After the customary lunch the four of us concluded our tour of the town and headed back on the road for home.