Tuscany has been on my mind all week long!! On this Photo Friday, I wanted to revisit a few of my favorite shots from our last Tuscan Adventure–wine tasting, sampling local fare, my discovery of burrata, and of course, the Tuscan sunshine.
Our Fiat Cinquecento was covered in dust from all of the wine tastings at vineyards down dirt roads.
Once you get a bit off the beaten path, you can walk through the vineyards, soaking in the views….and plot your next wine adventure.
The man and I went to Siena the day before the Palio to watch the practice and experience the pageantry and rivalry of this legendary race. Drummers and flag bearers marched through the streets all day and proud horse owners displayed their hopeful champions for all to see…right through town.
The Pageantry of the Palio centers on Il Campo–the site of the race….in the piazza…with mattresses lining the ancient walls.
Each Contrade has its own flag, its own songs, and its own section of town. The photo below is of the Istrice contrade. To see all of the contrades, click here.
The European Futbol championships were also in full swing, with the final game against Italy and Spain that night, so The Man and I found a little pizzeria where we could watch the game. This tested my skills with the Italian language in trying to determine if they were showing the game, if the sound would be on, and if we could reserve a table where we could see the tv.
Our Tuscan villa was set in the middle of a working vineyard. We awoke each morning to the sounds of the rooster, tractors humming, and the cinguale babies catching up to their mammas.
We learned the art of making coffee in an Italian coffee pot–an exercise in patience. The coffee was amazing!!
And discovered the joys of Tuscan eating with local ingredients and game–our favorite being the cinguale (wild boar) pasta.
We cannot forget the burrata…..oh my goodness…we certainly cannot forget the burrata!
Handwritten restaurant menus…..how wonderful is that! This one is from Ristorante Casterro–the Banco del Bistecca–site of one of our best meals in Tuscany!
And The Man learned that Tuscans make pretty good cigars.
But my favorite thing of all about Tuscany is long lunches with local wine and just enjoying the view!
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