Torre Santa Flora Subbiano

Arezzo, la ville qui a suposement inspirer michelange !! 500 ans plus tard, on se deman de bien ce qui a pu l'inspirer! Puis c'est roberto bellini qui a fait son fillm "la vita est bella" dans les cantons a l'extrerieur des murs de la ville. C'est vrai que ...

Apres une heure de bus dans un paysage montagneux remplis de vignoble et de plantattion d'olivier, nous somme arrive a "Greve in chianti" en toscane. Malheureusement pour nous, la saisons des visites de vignobles est terminee. Nous avons quand meme marche jusqu'au chateau montefioralle. Une fois en haut de la cote, on avait une belle vue sur les environs et puis apres avoir marcher au travers du chateau, nous avonas repris la route du village ...

From Chianti went south to the Le Crete region. The drive provided us with more quintessential Tuscan scenery. We stayed overnight in Asciano as we could not make it to Montalcino before dark. We had vowed not to drive in the dark as the small windy roads and excessively erratic Italian drivers are not good for our nerves!

Next stop Radda in Chianti and the drive there through the Chianti countryside was sublime!!! The rolling hills lined with yellow and red vines and olive trees. It was like looking at natures own patchwork quilt. We found a park at the bottom of the village and went in search of the tourist office to get a map for tomorrow's hike. The tourist office though was closed, only opened from 10.30 to 12.30 nice work if you can get it!! So we went off for a stroll around ...

... Osteria Gucini Restuarant: Grilled Veal with Shaved Truffle and Hand Rolled Spaghetti with Smoked Ham, Tomatoes and Cream, followed by Pana Cotta. Our first experience with truffles, more smell than taste!
Next morning a 7.00 am departure from the apartment took us on to the Autostrada, this time, north to Firenze Airport.
After a bit of a delay we were on our way to Spain!

Day 26 - This morning we left Rome and headed to Florence. Florence has a completely different feel than Rome. The people are a slight less pushy and the city has a much more Artisan feel to it. We had our backpacks on, so it was a little hard to go anywhere or do anything. We had some lunch at an outdoor café in the shadow of the Duomo, then walked to the Uffizi (big art gallery) to get tickets. The Uffizi has 4 lines at the entrance. Considering how Italians are allergic to linemaking ...

... and quaint town, once extremely affluent as a banking center, now perhaps not thriving but still quite nice. The Rennaisance-era walls have been preserved, keeping the old town shielded from long-dead barbarians, as well as the city traffic outside. Inside, we strolled the streets contentedly, having secured a room in a beautiful bed and breakfast for a tiny bit more than we would have paid for a hostel. Pizza is the name of the game ...

... pins and needles and struggling to walk. Not happy!!! Anyway I want to go get food and head back to the bus as it departs in an hour as we head off to Rome this afternoon. Im going to the vatican in the morning and the pope is goign to perform a service about 11am which I will try and go to. Hope everyones well and please write back to me thru here of krischamp78@hotmail.com Missing you all and wish you could be here............. KD

Good morning! Yesterday we took a train north to florence and are just waking up to the beautiful city. We got in last night and walked all around the city. The buildings were lit up dramatically and people were everywhere in the piazzas. We stopped by a hotel to see if they could help find brendens luggage and the concierge gave us a great recommendation for dinner. It was on the west side of the city, on a street with no sign or name.... but even ...

... to the Ufizzi Gallery, saw the line (it was loooong!) but decided to wait. I had the time. It took me two hours to get in the museum. And it was kind fo boring when i got in. I don't really like renaissance art. Give me abstract or landscape any day! After seeing a ton of art in Europe, I really miss my Group of Seven!!! Anyways, and that's about it. I walked past the Duomo, didn't climb it though. It's neat on the outside though. I'll update more in Switzerland!!!