Tuscany and Winery Tour

We booked a local tour that left Florence on a small 18 passenger bus headed to two of the most picturesque small towns in Tuscany. The tour also included a stop for lunch at a small family run winery. This was a couple of weeks into our European adventure and the weather has made some significant changes. From upper 70’s and humid to highs at barely 60 and nights down into the 30’s. The short pants and t-shirts are now exchanged for warmer wear. We are continuing to enjoy the fall in Italy!

Ross to Tenerife

Our son Ross was with us for 10 days and has since left for a three-day tour of Rome, then he flew to the Canary Islands, off the coast of Africa. Here is a tidbit from wiki: The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish region, autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 62 miles west of Morocco and the Western Sahara. They are the southernmost of the autonomous communities of Spain. The islands have a population of 2.2 million people and are the most populous special territory of the European Union.

His flight into Tenerife from Rome was over four hours and he rented a car for a few days before the sailing class begins. Ross passed his sailing skipper exam a few years ago in the US and has that certification for sailing in the Americas. This new sailing course provides certs for the rest of the world as a day skipper. I don’t know much more beyond that, except he will be a crew member on a monohull sailboat and travel between the islands over the course of the week. He loves an exciting adventure!

San Gimignano

San Gimignano is our first town on the Tuscany tour. The tour guide chatted with us along the one hour or so route and walked into the town with us explaining as we went. Then we were set loose upon the town for an hour and a half.

A little about San Gimignano. From wiki: San Gimignano, is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls, form “an unforgettable skyline”. Within the walls, the well-preserved buildings include notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture. There you have it! A beautiful place to wonder around browsing and sipping a cappuccino.

Lunch and Winery Tour

The winery was Fontaleoni Winery, founded in 1959. We had a few light courses of food and samples of three of their wines. One wine fact I learned was that the Tuscany region is famous for the Chianti wine. A dry red wine that is very tasty. This wine is principally from the Sangiovese grape. It was historically associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco . However, the fiasco is now only used by a few makers of the wine; most Chianti is bottled in more standard-shaped wine bottles. For a wine to retain the name of Chianti it must be produced with at least 80% Sangiovese grapes.

Siena

A second beautiful hilltop town to tour! From wiki: Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy founded in 900BC. It is the capital of the province of Siena and has a population of 53,062. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuries. Siena is also home to the oldest bank in the world.

Wrap Up

Next up will be more museums, a palace tour, the Central Market, and more! Thanks for following along and take care and God Bless.