Tuscany Continued: Florence & Trequanda

I'm currently sitting in my apartment in Rome with a little bit of a tan from ten days in Greece. While I download spring break pictures, I'm posting here about the rest of my weekend in Tuscany!

firenze

Florence was beautiful, despite the dreary day we arrived on. Rain was drizzling from a gray sky and we jostled along the sidewalks bumping umbrellas as we navigated the old city. Our walking tour guide from Pisa, Marco, joined us yet again at Piazza San Marco, just in front of the Basilica. He took us to all the sights to see in Florence. 

First up, the Basilica of San Lorenzo. Apparently the Laurentian Library holds a large collection of some of the oldest books dating back to the Medici rule.

Moving on, we ended up in Piazza del Duomo, a huge gathering place in Florence.

We entered into the huge basilica that was an architectural feat to accomplish as the dome is so large. 

Next to the Duomo is again a bell tower and baptistry, similar to Pisa.

Speaking of the Medicis, we naturally went to Palazzo Vecchio. The Medici family lived across the river in the Pitti Palace but this is where meetings were held and big decisions made.

Luckily the rain lightened up as our tour continued outside to Piazza della Republica where the copy of Michelangelo's David stands along with a great deal of other magnificent sculptures. Seeing it up close? WOW.

We passed the Academia where the real David is housed on our way to Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio is the oldest bridge in the city as it is the only one Hitler did not manage to bomb during WWII. Now it is lined with ritzy jewelry stores to browse through. It connects the old city to the Boboli Gardens, made for the enjoyment of the Medicis.

Florence is the birthplace of the famous poet, Dante, so we made a visit to his home and museum.

[This stone is supposed to be a portrait of Dante outside the house, but it's hard to see.]

This church was dedicated to the woman he loved, but was never with, Beatrice. People write letters to her asking for love or mourning a loss and place them in this basket!

I'm currently reading Dan Brown's Inferno so it's fun to look back at these pictures after reading about Prof. Langdon navigating through them all! Nerdy, I know :)

We ended our tour at a square with lots of little food vendors, however, and had our hearts set on getting "The Oil Shoppe" sandwiches for lunch. Navigating our way there, we were to be disappointed to find that it's only open Monday through Friday. >:(

So we headed to the food market! I was in heaven - so much fresh food. Butchers had animals hanging and there were glass fronts filled with gourmet cheeses. We found just about every kind of Lindt truffle that you could fill a bag of. Dried fruits of every kind were so cheap I couldn't resist trying kiwi. And the nice old man threw in some peaches, as well - my favorite! Alayna and I split a panino for lunch since we were pretty full from all our sampling.

Just outside was what Florence is known for - the leather market! It was incredible to walk through all the stalls of beautifully crafted jackets, purses, wallets, boots, gloves, and more. Scarves hung from everywhere they could and everyone wanted you to buy from their stand. I resisted making any big purchases as I'm going back to visit my friend studying there. This way I have time to mull it over and save up before May arrives :)

Last on our agenda of the day was to climb the Duomo. After a bit of a struggle to find tickets and the entrance, we waited in line for a good hour. 

[Selfie to entertain us...]

We also spotted a Lindt store across the street, so we took turns holding our spot in line. Inside was a little piece of heaven...

The way up consisted of some tiny tunnels and duck under some strangely slanted roofs.

[hahahahahahah]

If climbing 400 some stairs didn't take our breath away, the views most definitely did. We were able to get so close to the artwork on the ceiling as we climbed around the inside. It was amazing to be SO close to such old masterpieces. 

Stepping outside was incredible, too. Red rooftops went for miles over the Tuscan countryside. 

[The spire of the Duomo.]

It was cold and windy, but magnificent. The adventure was so worth the throbbing pain my knee was in after climbing for the rest of the evening!

We got back on the bus for dinner at the hotel. They had put gelato for dessert on the menu, but that turned out to be a lie. We craved chocolate and ventured out to a yogurt place across the street to satisfy our sweet tooths. It reminded me of Tutti Fruiti in East Lansing, which never manages to disappoint me!

trequanda

The next morning was an early one with a long bus ride, but SO worth it. It ended up being my absolute favorite part of the trip. We pulled into Fattoria dell Colle in Trequanda, a vineyard region of Tuscany. I honestly felt like I was living in Under the Tuscan Sun! I couldn't get enough of the rolling hills and picture perfect old buildings. 

Overload, I know, but there were just too many pictures to choose from!

Our tour guide took us around telling some history of the place. She showed us the tiny chapel on site which people often get married at. Can you imagine??

She also detailed the wine making process. It was pretty interesting to hear about how the wine making is regulated and routine, but each place has the chance to put their own personal touch in to the taste of their wine. Unique at this particular place is that only girls are hired to work on the wine making process (boys can work in the fields). Donna, the owner and descendant of an old family of wine makers, is trying to give women a chance to break into the typically male dominated business. They also hold worldwide contests and give out awards to women making a difference in the world. Pretty neat.

As an awesome surprise, we had a lesson from a short little Italian woman on how to make pici pasta. She was hilarious! She called up Ben from our group - one of the two boys - to help. 

The ingredients were so simple: an egg, a liter of water, a bag of flour, and some olive oil. She made it look easy, but I can guarantee I would make a huge mess. She made a sort of mountain out of the flour and put the wet ingredients inside to gradually mix them in. After that she kneaded the dough until it was smooth, which I can only imagine takes some major muscle. 

We got to help roll out the noodles, dip them in semolina, and lay them out.

We didn't end up eating them for lunch, but our food was incredible! 

[I loved the sign outside the kitchen area :) ]

First, though, was wine tasting. She explained a bit more about the winery and their wines. 

[Inside the winery.]

THEN we got to drink it! We had two of their major types and they were delicious! It was fun to try it with her guiding us, asking to describe flavors and smells, explaining about the "legs" and the aging, etc.

[OH YEAH.]

Next - FINALLY - came lunch! It was absolutely amazing - an appetizer of traditional cheeses and meats followed by bruschetta. The pasta dish was ragu, which is noodles and meat sauce. At home I doubt I'd like it, but all that I eat I enjoy! Our main dish was roasted chicken and some of the most delicious potatoes I've ever had. Dessert was a pastry with fruity jam that I enjoyed, but I'd rather have chocolate... We had two more red wines with lunch. I decided the second that I tried was my favorite, but I'm really not too picky :)

[People can eat outside in the nice weather. What a view!]

Sadly we had to head out after a little more time to explore and take pictures. I honestly never wanted to leave, but getting "home to Rome" felt good too. Funny that the overwhelming city I once felt lost in now comforts me when I return!

[ <3 Tuscany ]