Biking in Lucca

Gina and David leaning together in Pisa....


Lucca street scene with Sycamore trees...

After Pisa on Saturday we toured the walled city of Lucca on bicycles. What fun! Lucca was one of our favorites and definitely deserves more time... a city of music... Puccini was born there and culture... well... they didn't kick us out and we certainly enjoyed our time. We purchased traditional pasteries at Taddeucci including an Anice flavored bread with raisins and other little yummy treats... thank goodness we rode off a few calories on the bikes!

Monterspertoli - City of Wine

How lucky could we have been... our little village of Monterpertoli has been hosting a Chianti Festival all week long. We purchased wine glasses in little "feed sacks" to hang around our necks and have sampled the best that Monterpertoli has to offer all week long... there has been music in the streets... and today was a sweet parade celebrating their wine and agricultural heritage... animals and folks dressed in period costumes... fellas sporting wild fake mustaches... ducks in rolling, floral decked cages.... again, so quaint and fun! Here are a few more pics to tell the story... Pam, Ron and I (Sally) are off to Venice tomorrow for more big adventures... the rest are staying around for the Flag Throwing demonstration in town which will signal the finale of the festival in town. We're making the most of every lovely day... wish you were all here with us! Ciao!

Ron, Pam, Sally, Stanage went back into Florence for Sunday. We had some great 'gelato' at Grom's. I found an Italian sports car, called the SmartCar Roadster and posted a photo.

Dick and I did a currency conversion on the cost and in US dollars it will run about $28,000.00.

Sorry SmartCar. We performance guys will stick with our Corvettes, Porsches, and BMW's.

We left early yesterday for Pisa and Lucca. We had our "photo opp' in Pisa... a quick spin around the grounds and we were off to the next town!
Lucca was a pleasant surprise. We had lunch in a piazza where an antique car and motorcycle show was happening... then rode bikes around the ramparts and into the ancient city center.
We all decided that Lucca was our favorite spot so far on the trip. The city is small and quaint and quiet... really enchanting... then back to the villa for wine and conversation in the evening

before ending up back in Monterspertoli at the our local spot for a lite dinner and fun with Guiseppi.

The Hood

Here are a few shots from around the Villa. We have a panoramic view of hillside castles and grapevines as far as the eye can see.

Friday and taking it easy

Friday was a easy day for the group. It was a bit rainy so we decided to stay close to home base and do some ceramic shopping in nearby Montelupo (a ceramics town). We ate lunch in a small restaurant where we were the only Americans and had a truly Italian experience... most of us ate some sort of seafood after the waiter was kind enough to decifer the menu! After shopping we hung out at our little town and then spent our evening here at the villa and had a wonderful dinner.... goodies from the local merchants... local cheeses including a fabulous fresh picorino; mild and sweet... fresh cherries and strawberries... melon and proschutto... bread and olive oil from a local grove bottled this month... salami and a fresh arugula salad.... YUMO!!! Oh yea... and of course Vino!! We ended the meal with chocolate and Lemoncello! This morning our shorts are TIGHT but we're going to ride bikes in Lucca and hold up the leaning tower in Pisa! Ciao!