View of the vineyard
Bridal party at the end of the day............still partying LOL
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Tuscany
On the way to Tuscany we spent the day and night in Florence. Wandering the streets, looking at the Duomo and sights and sounds of the market. Coffee and pastries in a cute little cafe outside the markets, people watching. Italians love their dogs, they take them everywhere, even on the trains.
After a delicious dinner in our hotel we spent the night in our suite, rose early the next morning, met Amanda and Theo at Florence train station, had a stroll and a bite to eat, picked up our BMW at the airport and headed for our villa in Tuscany about half an hours drive away. But it seemed to be in another part of the world, out of the bustling city and into the beautiful rolling hills of the countryside.
The four of us had a villa on the hillside all to ourselves. Up a long driveway lined with pencil pines, just like a postcard.........
Everything was green and lush, flowers blooming, all set amongst grapevines and olive groves with the most breathtaking views all around the villa.
What a setting for our wedding!!!!!!
All the preparations were perfect, flowers, food, ceremony, music, all organised by the women running the villa. We had nothing to do except enjoy the day.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous, clear blues skies and a cool breeze.
The ceremony was on the lawn in front of the villa with a backdrop of the vineyard and rolling hills.
Lunch was a six course banquet cooked on site by our own personal chef "Anna" and served by our waiter,"Tommy". They even made us a wedding cake, Italian style.
The ceremony was at 11, lunch at 12 and we all enjoyed the day so much nobody wanted it to end. Finally about midnight we decided to reluctantly end the day with one more toast to the bride and groom................
After a couple of days rest we all decided to venture into the little villages around the area, much to our surprise we came upon a local market where we bought our supplies for the rest of the week, had lunch and did a bit of shopping other than food and wine LOL.
We spent a day in Siena, a walled medieval city. Very hilly with amazing buildings.
Next we went to Todi, to meet the people we are house sitting for in September. They made us a lovely lunch, which we weren't expecting. We thought we would be there for about an hour.....Four hours later we left......It was a lovely day, they have two miniature Sardinian donkeys, seven cashmere goats, three cute dogs and five cats that you don't really see much.
They live on 35 acres of olive groves, on a hillside with amazing views into the valley and woods. Apparently around 11.30 at night, porcupines come into the yard and eat up their garden............
Part of their stone home was built in the 16th century and the other part was built in the 1800's. Can't wait to come back for the house sit.
Hope you enjoy the photos. Amanda has more and when we get a copies I will post some more.
After a delicious dinner in our hotel we spent the night in our suite, rose early the next morning, met Amanda and Theo at Florence train station, had a stroll and a bite to eat, picked up our BMW at the airport and headed for our villa in Tuscany about half an hours drive away. But it seemed to be in another part of the world, out of the bustling city and into the beautiful rolling hills of the countryside.
The four of us had a villa on the hillside all to ourselves. Up a long driveway lined with pencil pines, just like a postcard.........
Everything was green and lush, flowers blooming, all set amongst grapevines and olive groves with the most breathtaking views all around the villa.
What a setting for our wedding!!!!!!
All the preparations were perfect, flowers, food, ceremony, music, all organised by the women running the villa. We had nothing to do except enjoy the day.
The weather was absolutely gorgeous, clear blues skies and a cool breeze.
The ceremony was on the lawn in front of the villa with a backdrop of the vineyard and rolling hills.
Lunch was a six course banquet cooked on site by our own personal chef "Anna" and served by our waiter,"Tommy". They even made us a wedding cake, Italian style.
The ceremony was at 11, lunch at 12 and we all enjoyed the day so much nobody wanted it to end. Finally about midnight we decided to reluctantly end the day with one more toast to the bride and groom................
After a couple of days rest we all decided to venture into the little villages around the area, much to our surprise we came upon a local market where we bought our supplies for the rest of the week, had lunch and did a bit of shopping other than food and wine LOL.
We spent a day in Siena, a walled medieval city. Very hilly with amazing buildings.
Next we went to Todi, to meet the people we are house sitting for in September. They made us a lovely lunch, which we weren't expecting. We thought we would be there for about an hour.....Four hours later we left......It was a lovely day, they have two miniature Sardinian donkeys, seven cashmere goats, three cute dogs and five cats that you don't really see much.
They live on 35 acres of olive groves, on a hillside with amazing views into the valley and woods. Apparently around 11.30 at night, porcupines come into the yard and eat up their garden............
Part of their stone home was built in the 16th century and the other part was built in the 1800's. Can't wait to come back for the house sit.
Hope you enjoy the photos. Amanda has more and when we get a copies I will post some more.
Monday, June 6, 2011
"The Wedding"
After Venice we make our way by train to Tuscany............for our wedding.
Photos and blog shortly....................
Photos and blog shortly....................
Venice
Hi Everyone,
Sorry it's been a while but it has been difficult to get access to the net over the past couple of weeks. Venice was beautiful.....................not quite what we were expecting............so much larger than we thought.
AND sooo busy. Shops and tourists everywhere. Everything is done via the waterways, deliveries to shops and fruit and veg markets, fire department. police and ambulance services are all done on the water. While we were walking over the Rialto bridge we saw a water ambulance and fire brigade rushing to help someone. There were towers leaning due to the sinking again, tiny alleyways and canalways everywhere. Again the structures were massive, and I have been photographing doors all around Italy, they are so ornate and beautiful.
We had a gondola ride on the Grand Canal, had a tour of the Murano glass factory and saw some amazing glass blowing, toured thru the Golden Bascilica, which was absolutely mind blowing. The floor was photographed in 1979 and removed in sections and repaired and replaced due to the sinking of the building. The floor is all mosaic and is supported by over one million !!! chestnut tree supports............Everywhere you looked there was gold, hence the name. It was great not having to dodge cars all the time, even though it was busy it was quieter due to the lack of cars, such a relaxed way of life.
St Mark's Square is huge and surrounded by restaurants and the internal area has three, four and five piece bands playing music to the public all evening. Some people were even dancing!!!! It was soooo beautiful :)
But I did get shopped out, so we ventured out of the tourist area to where the locals live. So much quieter, found a great fresh food market with the strangest looking fish!!!!!
Hope you like the photos.
leaning tower and not the one in Pisa LOL
cute window displays :)
weird fish, never found out what it was !!!!
beautiful blue glass horse at the Murano glass factory
emergency service, fire department
some gondolas lined up ready for a hard days work
Steve in front of the Bell Tower in San Marco Square ( St Mark's Square )
one (of ten ) cute handles on the door of the basilica
Sorry it's been a while but it has been difficult to get access to the net over the past couple of weeks. Venice was beautiful.....................not quite what we were expecting............so much larger than we thought.
AND sooo busy. Shops and tourists everywhere. Everything is done via the waterways, deliveries to shops and fruit and veg markets, fire department. police and ambulance services are all done on the water. While we were walking over the Rialto bridge we saw a water ambulance and fire brigade rushing to help someone. There were towers leaning due to the sinking again, tiny alleyways and canalways everywhere. Again the structures were massive, and I have been photographing doors all around Italy, they are so ornate and beautiful.
We had a gondola ride on the Grand Canal, had a tour of the Murano glass factory and saw some amazing glass blowing, toured thru the Golden Bascilica, which was absolutely mind blowing. The floor was photographed in 1979 and removed in sections and repaired and replaced due to the sinking of the building. The floor is all mosaic and is supported by over one million !!! chestnut tree supports............Everywhere you looked there was gold, hence the name. It was great not having to dodge cars all the time, even though it was busy it was quieter due to the lack of cars, such a relaxed way of life.
St Mark's Square is huge and surrounded by restaurants and the internal area has three, four and five piece bands playing music to the public all evening. Some people were even dancing!!!! It was soooo beautiful :)
But I did get shopped out, so we ventured out of the tourist area to where the locals live. So much quieter, found a great fresh food market with the strangest looking fish!!!!!
Hope you like the photos.
one of the many canals with connecting bridges
a view from the Rialto Bridge of the grand canal
a shop of animal masks
a delivery van !!!!
delivery men going up and down one of the many stairways !!!!!!!!
fresh food market in the locals shopping area
the winged lion, a prominent emblem on many of the buildings and tapestries of Venice
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