Leading up to Podere La Specola

We flew into Florence this time, staying at the airport Marriott which was very nicely equipped and quiet for the most part. Both of us have been to Florence, myself on 3 occasions, so we did not focus on the Uffizi, David, Sculpture garden, Duomo tour, or the Ponte Vecchio this round. See prior adventures for up to date info on how to do these things and not spend a day in a line.

We did take a long walk downtown to near Ponte Vecchio on Friday night, however, because the views and restaurants in the area really are fabulous. The tram is also readily available from a block away from the hotel, and a 10 minute ride saves you the 45 minute walk. But, alas, we were super tired and needed to force ourselves onto EU time.

1. Wine bar Enoteca Vigna Nuova : adorable bright wine bar with great off the shelf selections and small bites. The restaurant in the back does have extra menu items as well. We had this odd but lovely Fruilli-style Chardonnay and a little cheese sample, but could have stayed all night

2. Parione : over 50 years in business, this quaint multilevel restaurant accomodates more than you think from firts glance. They have an extensive cellar, a beautiful rotating menu for dinner featuring truly Tuscan dishes. I got mezzaluna pasta with a sage cream sauce and Tim opted for classic pici with boar and tomato. If you feel adventurous, Morellino di Scanzano is a very small classification of red wine in the region. Most restaurants are not featuring it either, so get a bottle. It is lighter and brighter than a traditional meaty tuscan wine, but still primarily sangiovese grapes.

Day 2: a jaunt to Siena prior to villa check in:

Siena is one of my favorite towns, being one of the best preserved medieval enclaves with a wall that is intact and mostly original. The streets are narrow, and tourist parking is below the city to prevent confusion and tourists running over pedestrians. A full day is really needed to explore, but we managed a good stroll, lunch at Bar Osteria il Bargello. The couple that owned it were arguing about what time they close lunch service, so not only did we get great food (zucchini flowers, carpaccio), I got to practice listening to conversations.

Some day I WILL argue in Italian.

We then went to the Church, opera museum, Crypt, etc. on the all inclusive pass to walk around a bit. I was a little disappointed that the mummified head of the saint was no longer on display (the macabre and the church share a LOT of similarities). Also, very important question? Why are all medieval and Renaissance babies god awful ugly, some looking like pervs that would be more fitted to have a cigar and porn mag than being with their mother. Just asking for the masses.

But, it is overall impressive. Other features of Siena: the torture museum, shopping at local shops, piazza people watching and occasionally see a barebacked horserace around the square until only one horse, with or without its owner, are standing.

We made our way to the villa for a reunion with our people at the pool followed by a 3 course meal by Podera La Specola chef Stefano. Woof, that is a busy day!

But wait, there is more! After dinner, one of the ladies and I heard live music, a lot of it, seemingly coming from nearby. We fought our instinct to follow it like zombies, however. Turns out, Sting lives next door and he was throwing an appreciation party for his pizzeria staff. Stay tuned for Sting adventures and attempted sightings.