We just got back from our Chianti Tour and once again are reminded how marvelous Tuscany is in the autumn!
We all met in Florence for a fascinating tour of some small Renaissance jewels with Lise, our favorite Florentine art expert,
and then made the pilgrimage to our countryside home for a delicious homemade dinner prepared by Aunties Alba and Anna.
The following day we headed south stopping en route for a tour of the spectacular Monastery of Badia a Passignano before taking to the trails.
Our young and prepared guide Francesca gave us a tour and showed us the Last Supper fresco by Ghirlandaio.
We spent four nights in the picturesque town of Radda in Chianti with beautiful daily walks
that were pleasingly punctuated by scrumptious freshly made picnics by our chef Tania.
We visited Nora’s unique and well loved Chianti Cashmere goats and admired their marvelous products.
We adventured through forests, got lost, had wine tastings, sang in glorious churches and visited enchanting medieval towns.
We then drove to Pienza, the tiny Renaissance town nestled in the golden Val d’Orcia valley where we hiked
and visited the thermal waters which fill the piazza in Bagno Vignoni, where the Popes dipped their toes in the 1500’s.
Our last stop was in Montalcino where we reveled with tastings of the fabulous Brunello wine…
and visited the luminous church of Sant’Antimo which was founded by Charlemagne in the year 800.
Hope to see you with us next year!