Two weeks already!?

To dispel any doubts that we actually went to Italy, some photos...

This is us. My parents, My brother and his (now) fiance, O and I. Our friend, Kathy, joined us for the first week outside of Florence. She seems to have taken all the group shots...escaping documentation of her presence.
We did a-l-o-t of eating on this trip, and wherever we went there were long tables. I am a big fan of long wooden tables.

If this guy doesn't say "Welcome to Italy!" then what does? I think he was advertising for cell phones, but we're not sure. What I am sure of, is that he appreciated us taking pictures of him.

We would take the train into Florence (a 20 minute ride that made for a nice transition from country to city) and did our best to see and absorb as much as possible. The crowds seemed to indicate something important and worth seeing. Evidently everything in Florence is important and worth seeing!

(above) Outside of the Uffizi, former property of the Medici Family. (below) At Santa Maria del Fiore, in the shadow of the Duomo. The first confirmation that all those art history classes were useful after all.

In truth, as much as I loved the cities, with all of the art and energy, I really loved the Tuscan countryside. Welcome to Poggio Nardini, our home for the first week of the trip, and one of the most splendid spots imaginable. Upon entering the property -- a compound of residences (including the main house and a barn converted into apartments); the olive groves; vineyard -- this is the road that lead to the main house where we stayed.



If you look closely you can see mom relaxing in the shade. It was hot the entire time we were traveling.

I will argue that Orion and I had the best view from our window.
Very Romeo and Juliet, huh?

Below was the area off of the kitchen where we ate long lunches and dinners surrounded by amazing views.

Looking up and out the window, this is what greeted us.

It is a bit hard to describe a medieval country house. The layout centered around the kitchen and outdoor areas. This is the hallway the bedrooms are off of, and at the end a bathroom.

Even the bathroom had a great view.

As if it wasn't perfect enough, there was a pool too. When it came to choosing between walking around Florence and reading by the pool, it was a tough call, but we struggled through.

As I said, the kitchen was key. There is the most fantastic wooden table that never ran out of room. I have often dreamt of getting one of the retired library tables from UI surplus, but alas, I would need a kitchen to put it in.

Those figs were picked off of the tree outside the house. The basil contributed by a neighbor down the hill in Turbone, and the olive oil pressed from the fruit grown on the property.
There is no doubt I could eat in Italy for the rest of my life!

...and then there was the light. Orion loved the light.

There is more to come. It ends up we have a good bit from Venice leading up to my throwing our camera at a mosquito while visiting St. Mark's. If you had met these mosquitoes you would understand. We also took film pictures, but are out of the habit of getting film developed, so it may be another week before those get sorted out. Until the next installment -- ciao!