Settled into the Castle!
Trip Start
Sep 09, 2004
1
2
15
Trip End
Sep 25, 2004
Greve in Chianti,
Italy
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Sorry for no entries until now - no access to computers! Our travel-mates, Tim and Pam,have a dial-up hookup in their apartment at the castle (my computer doesn't do dial-up, only wireless or ethernet - it's spoiled!!). I'll try to find an internet cafe in Greve today, so I can download pix.
Anyways! Got into Italy without mishap... that was the end of that! Ralph wanted to get the rental cars right away, so we did that, and tried to find our hotel in Florence at 10pm... um... bad idea! Well, we got a good tour of downtown Florence, at any rate! Finally found the Hotel Arizona, collapsed into bed and slept the sleep of the just...
Saturday, the 11th. Met up with Tim and Pam, then hired a taxi to lead us to our castle (no more lost tours, please!). Our rooms were not yet ready, so we went up the hill to Lamole, a tiny town that has a church and a restaurant - that's all! Kinda reminds me of Redwood Estates... anyways, had our first Italian meal, complete with good Chianti wine!
The Castle di Lamole is beautiful, 13th century. The apartments are filled with antiques, beautiful terra cotta tiled floors and shuttered windows. The countryside is incredibly beautiful - rolling hills, tiered with ancient stones, rows of cypress marching up the hills...woke up this morning to roosters and church bells!
Today we'll go easy, then drive to an open air market, and then attend a Chianti wine-tasting festival...
Until then, arrivader'la!
